Celebrate Recovery Explained

What is Celebrate Recovery?

Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered, Bible-based recovery program founded in 1991 at Saddleback Church in California by John Baker, with the support of Pastor Rick Warren. The program was created to address the needs of people in churches who were struggling with what Baker called hurts, hang-ups, and habits — a phrase that encompasses chemical addictions, behavioral compulsions, relational wounds, and other challenges that interfere with a healthy life. Today, Celebrate Recovery is used in tens of thousands of churches around the world.

The Eight Recovery Principles

Celebrate Recovery is built around the Eight Recovery Principles, which Baker drew from the Beatitudes — Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount. These principles include realizing you're not God and you can't control your dependencies, earnestly believing that God exists and that he can help you, consciously choosing to commit your life and will to Christ's care, openly examining and confessing your faults, voluntarily submitting to the changes God wants to make in your life, evaluating relationships and offering forgiveness, reserving daily time with God for self-examination and prayer, and yielding yourself to God to use in helping others.

The Twelve Steps with Biblical Foundation

Alongside the Eight Principles, Celebrate Recovery uses an adapted version of the Twelve Steps with biblical comparisons drawn from scripture. Each step is paired with a relevant Bible verse that grounds the recovery work in Christian theology. This dual structure — Eight Principles for spiritual growth and Twelve Steps for practical recovery — gives Celebrate Recovery participants a comprehensive framework that addresses both the inner and outer dimensions of healing.

What Happens at a Celebrate Recovery Meeting

A typical Celebrate Recovery meeting begins with a large group session that includes worship music and either a teaching from a leader or a testimony from a participant. After the large group, attendees break into smaller open share groups organized by gender and issue category — chemical dependency, codependency, food issues, sexual addictions, anger, grief, and others. These small groups are where members share openly about their struggles and recovery in a confidential, supportive environment. Meetings typically last about two hours total.

Who Attends Celebrate Recovery?

Celebrate Recovery welcomes anyone struggling with hurts, hang-ups, and habits. Participants include people dealing with alcohol and drug addiction, but also those wrestling with eating disorders, relationship issues, sexual addictions, anger, depression, anxiety, codependency, the effects of childhood abuse, and more. The program's broad scope makes it accessible to people who might not see themselves as belonging in a traditional addiction recovery program, but who recognize they need help.

Finding a Group

Celebrate Recovery groups meet in churches throughout the United States and around the world. Most groups meet weekly, typically on a weeknight. To find a group near you, browse our directory or call our helpline. You don't need to be a member of the host church to attend, and most groups welcome visitors warmly without expectation or pressure.