’Celebrate Recovery’ is coming to Dromore
The old adage of ‘time heals all wounds’ is not necessarily true and we can carry around old hurts which just fester.
On 9th October the theme of Dromore Cathedral’s 10 am and 11.30 am services will be “Celebrate Recovery”. The services are to launch a new ministry called “Celebrate Recovery (Dromore)” which is starting in the near future as an outreach from Dromore Cathedral.
Celebrate Recovery® is a biblical and balanced programme which can help people overcome hurts, habits and hang–ups and it is based on the Beatitudes. The programme compliments the valuable work of secular recovery groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Gamblers Anonymous.
The Celebrate Recovery (Dromore) group will be co–led by Lynn McFarland, a parishioner and Diocesan Lay Reader at Dromore Cathedral. Lynn said: “Calling it a new ministry would lead one to believe that we have never cared or been concerned about fellow believers with addictions or destructive behaviours. This couldn’t be further from the truth; it’s just that we needed focus for the empathy which exists.
Having waited such a long time for this, we would intend that the group crawls before it walks, not promising too much, simply that we will support people as they recover. The meeting will use published Celebrate Recovery literature and there will be prayer and a simple time of worship.
The Dromore group will be closely aligned to other Celebrate Recovery groups in UK. Lynn is travelling over to Derby to meet the co–ordinator of Celebrate Recovery UK, which in turn aligns to Celebrate Recovery with it origins in Saddleback Church in America. The Senior Pastor there is Rick Warren. The aim is that apart from the accents, if you walk into the Dromore group it is instantly recognisable as Celebrate Recovery and it could be anywhere in the world.
The Dromore group has the support of the Cathedral but Lynn is keen to point out that this group is not just for Anglicans, it will be cross–community and for those who currently have no church affiliation. It is a sad reality that some people will not attend a church as they feel unsure about how they will be received, or perhaps some will just need a bit of space as they recover. Sadly too, many feel un–loved as Christians because of their behaviours.
“We will not be setting out to ‘fix’ people, we aim to be a support as they heal mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially from their addictions or destructive behaviours,” said Lynn. The group has the support of the Rector, Dean Stephen Lowry and Dromore Cathedral’s Select Vestry, who recognised that the ministry supports the aims and objectives of Dromore Cathedral’s “Clearing our Vision” process.
Various locations for the meetings are being explored, being mindful that some people may not be comfortable meeting in a church hall. “When group members are confident to do so, there are quite a few places of worship in Dromore to choose from!” remarked Lynn. “If you feel this group could help you, please get in touch (details below) in total confidence and I will give you details of date and location of the first meeting. Please consider passing this information to people you think may benefit.”
Calling potential group leaders!
Lynn would be keen to hear (urgently) from potential leaders for this ministry,, male and female, people who have a heart for the hurting among us. This group needs male and female leaders to be fully successful. Indeed if you are a Christian and have “12 Step” experience, Lynn would invite you to get in touch to discuss being a group leader of Celebrate Recovery. The group intends meeting every week, so it would be good to get a rota in place.
For further information about Celebrate Recovery including details of the existing Belfast Celebrate Recovery group,
visit the UK website.
For more information about Celebrate Recovery (Dromore) please get in touch with Lynn in confidence by email: reader@dromorecathedral.co.uk and she will happily email or ‘phone you back.