Local woman finds healing through religious program

Fairhaven Church is one of 20,000 churches to initiate the Celebrate Recovery program.


How to go

Where: Fairhaven Church, 637 E. Whipp Road, Kettering

What: Celebrate Recovery

When: Starting Sept. 12 and continuing Monday evenings

More info: (937) 434-8627, ext. 155; or www.fairhavenchurch.org/community

Also offering the program

Some churches in the Dayton area currently offering Celebrate Recovery include:*

Clearcreek Christian Assembly of God

Enon United Methodist Church

First Christian Church/Springfield

Living Hope Community Church of the Nazarene

Miamisburg Wesleyan Church

Patterson Park Church

Rejoicing Life Church of God

The Upper Room Worship Center

Trinity Lutheran Church

Vineyard Church’s Dayton campus

* Not an all-inclusive list

Next one-day seminar

What: The Seven Keys/Advanced Leadership

When: Oct. 8

Where: The Chapel, 2505 W. Hamilton Road South, Fort Wayne, Ind., 46814

To register: registration@saddleback.com

More info: (949) 609-8020 or visit www.celebraterecovery.com

Linda Bergeron of Springboro lost her parents and her only brother in an automobile accident at the age of 10. She went to live with relatives, but a dysfunctional family environment left her with abandonment and control issues. She eventually married a successful businessman, but the marriage failed.

At the end of her rope, she turned to Christian television and radio. She asked Jesus Christ to be her savior, and new hope pushed out old feelings of fear and despair.

“I felt clean and exuberant. I had peace and a joy that was beyond my comprehension,” said Bergeron, who has since remarried.

Bergeron believes the underlying principles of her transformation are similar to the ones experienced by Celebrate Recovery participants.

John Baker and Rick Warren began the Celebrate Recovery program at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif. The program has been initiated in nearly 20,000 churches nationwide, and now Fairhaven Church in Centerville will become part of that growing list. Its Celebrate Recovery program is scheduled to start Sept.12.

“Several years ago, I found out about the program from SouthBrook and Vineyard (representatives) during a Pastoral Care meeting, and then attended a one-day training session in Columbus,” said Fairhaven community life pastor Jim Futrell. “Three years later I participated in an advanced seminar, and then felt a big push to get it going in June of 2010 when six or seven of us attended a Celebrate Recovery meeting in Columbus.”

The program is for people whose lives have been touched by one (or more) of these issues: Overeating, overworking, overspending, sexual addiction, depression, co-dependency, drug/alcohol addiction, anger, pornography, fear/anxiety, past sexual abuse, controlling behavior, hurtful relationships, guilt/shame, gambling and insecurity.

Bergeron, who volunteers as a training coach at Fairhaven, will be involved as one of the 18 people on the leadership team. Approximately seven additional volunteers will assist the team.

Those in the community who want to attend Celebrate Recovery do not need to register. Starting Sept. 12, the event gets under way Monday evenings with coffee at 6:30; worship and teaching/testimonies at 7; gender and problem-specific groups at 8; and the program ends with coffee and fellowship at 9 p.m.

“This (program) enables participants to experience profound life changes and freedom from their hurts, hang-ups and habits. By working and applying these Biblical principles, we begin to grow spiritually,” said Celebrate Recovery co-founder Baker. “We become free from our addictive, compulsive and dysfunctional behaviors. This freedom creates peace, serenity, joy and, most importantly, a stronger and personal relationship with God and with others.”

After approximately four weeks of Monday night meetings, participants are typically ready for a more in-depth study using four Celebrate Recovery guides. These in-depth studies will take place outside of the usual Monday-night format. The eight lessons in recovery are based on the Beatitudes in Matthew 5: 3-10.

Ian Dickey of Miamisburg is one of those shining examples. He broke through an addiction to prescription pain medication with a reliance on his Fairhaven church family and belief in Jesus Christ. And now he will be one of the assimilation coaches of the program.

“Everybody knows somebody who is struggling with these issues,” Dickey said.

Contact contributing writer Pamela Dillon at pamdillon@woh.rr.com.

About the Author