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Program embraces Jesus to overcome addictions

Celebrate Recovery does not apologize for being faith-based

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Alan Jones hosts Celebrate Recovery at Cavalry Baptist Church in Staunton on
Monday. / Pat Jarrett/The News Leader

Written by

Chris Lassiter
Staff Writer

Filed Under

News

Local News

Staunton

STAUNTON — Alan Jones' possum story resonated
with the folks gathered in Calvary Baptist Church.

A gardener, Jones explained how he used salmon to bait
the garden-destroying marsupial into a trap. Even Jones was astonished by what
happened next.

When Jones opened the trap to free the possum, the
animal ran deeper into the cage, hurting itself in the process.

"We're that possum," Jones told the assembly. "We keep
getting sucked in."

After his opening story, he then shared how various
addictions almost destroyed his life. Jones found help in a church program
called Celebrate Recovery, the same program he now leads at Calvary.

Hurts, habits, hang-ups

It's been Jones' experience that certain issues in the
church are taboo.

"There's so many things that we have a history of not
being able to deal with," he said. "When people have those issues, they never
come to the church, because they believe that theirs is an issue the church
doesn't deal with. We're dealing with all of the stuff people thing you can't
bring into the church."

Celebrate Recovery was started at Saddleback Church and
is now in over 10,000 churches, including four churches locally.

It's similar to Alcoholics Anonymous in that it uses a
step program, but there are several key differences.

First, Celebrate Recovery deals with anything
destructive in a person's life.

The mantra is for hurts, habits and hang-ups.

"That's just the thing," Jones said. "Pretty much
anybody could come and get something out of it. It's just about alcohol, drugs
and porn. Celebrate Recovery is about helping people with the sin they can let
go of."

The second major difference is that Celebrate Recovery
has a much stronger evangelistic tone.

"We're faith-based," Jones said. "And we make no
apology for the fact that we say that the higher power you have to be connected
to is Jesus."

In Recovery

The building next to Calvary Baptist Church's main
sanctuary is called CrossTown.

A room that is cleverly designed to look like a 1950s
soda parlor leads into a room where each wall is designed to look like a town.
One wall looks like a movie theater, another a fire station and a third like a
plaza.

A guitarist wearing a Vacation Bible School shirt with
a panda bear strums "Blessed Be Your Name" on a guitar softly as people of all
ages enter CrossTown.

Celebrate Recovery opens with everyone engaging in
worship songs. After a few songs, Jones opens with his possum story and then
walks the crowd through step number five.

When Jones is through, those in attendance break up
into small accountability groups, which are based on gender and sometimes on
issues. Jones is pleased with the fruit he's seen from the ministry thus
far.

"So far, it's been great," Jones said. "I'm excited to
see what God is doing here."

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