Celebrate Recovery Ministry Now In Mesquite

By BOBBIE GREEN

The Progress

The Celebrate Recovery ministry is now active in Mesquite. The group is a Biblically-based program to help people overcome their hurts, hang-ups, and habits. Anyone who lives close enough to attended the meetings at the First Baptist Church are welcome to join. Attendees do not have to be a member of any church.

The program was started in 1991 by Dr. Rick Warren Pastor of Saddleback Church in Orange County, California and his associate pastor John Baker.

Pastor Warren has stated that he found the principles of recovery in the scriptures and in their logical order – using the saving power of Jesus Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, rather than psychological theory.

Celebrate Recovery is being used in over 30,000 churches throughout the U.S. alone. The program has been healing and restoring people worldwide for thirty years.

The Group Leader in Mesquite is Denis Paez. He came to Mesquite one year ago from California, where he attended Saddleback Church.
“It takes a lot of work to get the program set up and team ministry in place,” Paez said.

He began the training for the group one year ago. After six months of organizing, the pastor of the First Baptist Church announced the program Celebrate Recovery was now open for anyone wanting to attend.

Sixteen people signed up. There are now twenty members. Paez is excited about the group and its successful progress in this short time.
“There are four guidelines for the group,” Paez said. “1) Focus on yourself, not other people; 2) members share 3-5 minutes, without comments from others. 3) we are here to support not fix one another; 4) anonymity and confidentiality are basic requirements. What is shared stays in the group; 5) offensive language has no place in the recovery group.”

The group meets at the First Baptist Church 830 E. Hafen Lane in Mesquite at 5:30 PM every Friday. They have a bite to eat, and then have a group meeting at 6:30. Then they break into small groups divided first by gender and then specific hang-ups, hurts, or habits.

The purpose of the program is for the group to support each other as each individual empowers themselves with help from God to deal with their problems whatever they may be.
“Everyone has hurts, hang-ups or habits to heal from,” Paez said. “So everyone is invited to attend.”

Paez can be reached by phone at 714-932-2790 or by email at depaez@gmail.com.