Celebrate Recovery has become so successful in transforming lives that judges across the state advise parolees to take part as a step toward learning to live on the straight and narrow. That declaration is the first step required for successful participation in Celebrate Recovery (CR), a 12-step program that puts a directly Christian spin on the formula created by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and its sister programs including Narcotics Anonymous and Overeaters Anonymous. Founded 30 years ago by John Baker and internationally renowned pastor Rick Warren (author of the mega-selling Christian self-help book The Purpose Driven Life) of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, CR has grown to have chapters in 20 languages at nearly 37,000 churches worldwide. “Basically, Celebrate Recovery is a place for anyone with a hurt, habit or hang-up,” says Layne Mason, 56, the minister at First Assembly of God Church who oversees the direction of CR at the church and 11 satellite groups at locations in Arkansas and as farflung as New York City and even Afghanistan. “It’s a Christ-centered program, meaning we declare who our Higher Power is, and make no mistake about it — He’s Jesus Christ. “We declare that’s who we serve and who gives us the strength and power to do this. What makes it so much different is our groups aren’t just for drugs or alcohol. Only about one out of three people who attend are there for drugs and alcohol. Most are there for some other life issue like codependency,
Layne Mason, and his wife, Marsha.
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