Charles City church helping start Celebrate Recovery support program

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

A new recovery ministry in Charles City offers support for people struggling with addictions, anxiety, guilt, grief and many other of life’s “hurts, habits and hangups.”

The Celebrate Recovery (CR) program is starting at The Bridge Church, with the first meeting set for Tuesday, Sept. 1. The program offers confidentiality and a safe place to share through a Christian 12-step program – plus a free meal every Tuesday evening.

It will also offer support from some people who know what it’s like to struggle.

Eric Voss and Bruce Carr talked with the Press about the new program. Both are sober after years of addiction problems, Voss with drugs and Carr with booze.

The family and community-focused program is open to anyone in the area, they said.
Participants don’t need to be members of The Bridge Church, or even regular church-goers.

“We believe that Jesus Christ fixes people,” said Voss, “but you don’t have to be Christian to come to CR. Celebrate Recovery and The Bridge Church in general is a safe place for you to wrestle with your faith.”

Voss said people with the church and others had recognized for some time a need for a recovery ministry in the area.

Celebrate Recovery is an international program, with 35,000 locations. It was started in California in 1991 to help people deal with addiction and codependency, and has since expanded to include a wide variety of what the group calls “hurts, habits and hang-ups.”

Carr said, “It’s not something we invented. It’s been around a long time. It’s tested and proven.”

The Bridge Church put together a small group of people initially that has been working on the project for more than a year, adding additional folks as it progressed.

Voss said the group has had a “soft opening” for a couple of months, training, working with people and getting the format down.

Every Tuesday, beginning Sept. 1, the program will begin at 5 p.m. at The Bridge Church, 913 S. Main St., with a free meal, open to families.

“Something that makes CR a little bit unique to other 12-step programs is we believe that things like anxiety, depression, PTSD, all those things, cut pretty deep in the family aspect,” Voss said.

“At 5 o’clock, come in, enjoy a meal with your family. You can take an opportunity to connect with the CR community a little bit over a meal,” Voss said.

Beginning at 5:45 p.m., any children can go into the provided child care.
Carr said, “We don’t let kids come into the groups. We’re talking about some pretty heavy stuff sometimes.”

Beginning at 6 p.m., Carr and his son, Justin, will lead worship music for 20 to 30 minutes, then there will be some readings, announcements and a large group session based on the lessons that are part of the CR curriculum.

At 7 p.m. the people will split up into small groups divided by gender and issues.

“That’s kind of the meat and potatoes of the program, where you get a chance to bear each other’s burdens,” Voss said. “We’re not designed to fix somebody. We’re not therapy. We’re a support system.”

The Bridge Church is investing people, money and time into the project, peeling off church leaders to focus their efforts on the program, Voss said.

“We believe in what Celebrate Recovery can do for our community and we believe Celebrate Recovery has the power to change lives,” he said.

The program is operating initially on about a $30,000 annual budget. Much of that will go toward the free meals, about which Voss said, “If that’s what it takes to get them in the door, I’m fine with that.”

The Bridge Church is supplying some funding, and the group is also fundraising. In addition to a fundraiser at the Charles City Pizza Ranch from 5 to 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24, Carr has been approaching businesses and others for support.

“It’s been tough getting out with the COVID, but we were fortunate to get some monies coming in and we’ve got enough to get us through at least a year,” Carr said, adding that fundraising will likely be a continuing part of the program.

Both men emphasized the importance of having a support system to help deal with problems.

For an addict, it’s hard to adjust to a lifestyle without alcohol or drugs, Carr said.

“CR gives you a family that helps you succeed,” he said.

Voss said anyone who is interested in the program can just show up at 5 p.m. on Sept. 1 or any Tuesday after that.

People who want more information can also email cr@thebridgechurch.com, go to www.thebridgechurch.com/c-r, call Voss at 641-220-8338 or Linda Carr at 641-330-7389.

Bruce Carr said, “It’s open to everybody. You don’t have to be recovered to come to it. We’re looking for people who have problems. So just come as you are. We’ll take everybody at any level that they’re at.”

CELEBRATE RECOVERY FUNDRAISER AUG. 24

Celebrate Recovery is holding a fundraiser Monday, Aug. 24, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Pizza Ranch in Charles City.

Members of the group will be busing tables and offering information to anyone interested.

Pizza Ranch will donate 10% of the receipts for the evening to the group, and direct donations will also be accepted.