Prince of Peace United Methodist Church

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as a pathway to peace; taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; trusting that you will make all things right if I surrender to Your will; so that I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with You forever in the next. Amen Reinhold Niebuhr

Purpose of Celebrate Recovery at Prince of Peace UMC is to share and celebrate God’s healing power in our lives.

Praise Service on Friday nights 7:30-8:30 at POP Our Praise and Worship service is a time to unwind and shed the weeks stress and worry. It is an extended time of uplifting worship in music to our true “Higher Power” - Jesus Christ. Worship allows us to shift the focus from our problems to the God who can bring serenity and transformation. Social Time Bring Your Own Bag Dinner (BYOB) Or First Friday Pizza Night Bring $3 Friday 7:00-7:30 p.m A time to establish healthy friendships and accountability relationships, while enjoying some time for dinner and a soda. Small Group Meetings Friday 8:30-9:30 p.m. We open the door to change by sharing our experiences, strengths, and hopes with one another. In addition, we become willing to accept God’s grace in solving our life problems. Confidential and anonymous support groups, divided by gender and certain recovery issues, (when group numbers allow) offer a safe place to share and to gain the affirmation and encouragement of others. Together, working the Christ-Centered Steps and applying their Biblical principles, we begin to grow spiritually. We become free from our hurts; our fears; and our addictive, compulsive, and dysfunctional behaviors. This freedom creates peace, serenity, joy, and—most importantly—a stronger personal relationship with God and others.

Eight Recovery Principles Based on the Beatitudes

• R – Realize that I am not God; I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and my life is unmanageable. “Happy are those who are spiritually poor”
• E – Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him, and that He has the power to help me recover. “Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted”
• C – Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ’s care and control. “Happy are the meek”
• O – Openly examine and confess my faults to God, to myself, and to another person whom I trust. “Happy are the pure in heart”
• V – Voluntarily submit to any and all changes God wants to make in my life. “Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires”
• E – Evaluate all my relationships; Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I’ve done to others when possible, without expecting any reward.” “Happy are the merciful” “Happy are the Peacemakers”
• R – Reserve a daily time with God for prayer, Bible reading, and self-examination in order to know God and His will for my life and to gain the power to follow His will.
• Y – Yield myself to be used by God to bring this Good News to others, both by my example and by my words. “Happy are those who are persecuted because they do what God requires”

The Twelve Steps & Their Biblical Comparisons

1. We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors. That our lives had become unmanageable. “I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.” (Romans 7:18)
2. We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. “For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:13)
3. We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.” (Romans 12:1)
4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD. “(Lamentations 3:40)
5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being, the exact nature of our wrongs. “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” (James 5:16)
6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character. “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:10)
7. We humbly asked Him to remove all our shortcomings. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all. “Do to others as you would have them do to you.” (Luke 6:31)
9. We made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.” (Matthew 5:23-24)
10. We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it. “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12)
11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and power to carry that out. “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.” (Colossians 3:16a)
12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others, and practice these principles in all our affairs. “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1)

We ask for continued prayers for this new ministry as well as for those who are considering stepping forward to help. We are always looking for musicians to sign up on our music calendar for Fridays. Anyone interested in helping with this wonderful ministry are encouraged to come. Contact Brenda Overall

 

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