church of the week
Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California
By Kara Lavengood
The 700 Club
CBN.com
– Saddleback Church may best be known as the home church of Pastor Rick Warren, author of the best selling book, “The Purpose-Driven Life.” Turns out that the church is full of purpose driven people.
“The most fundamental question you can ask in life is, ‘What on earth am I here for? What is my purpose? Why am I alive?” says Rick Warren.
Saddleback Church of Lake Forest California is purpose-driven.
“God has put each of us here on the earth for a purpose, for a reason, and there’s nothing more exciting than finding out what the purpose is for you,” Pastor John Baker said.
Pastor John Baker set out with purpose more than 17-years ago. He describes himself as a believer who struggles with alcoholism. He saw a need for a program to help people like himself.
“I knew I couldn’t be the only one struggling with a hurt, a hang-up or habit in a church the size of Saddleback,” Pastor John said. “God gave me the vision for a Christ-centered rehabilitation program.”
With help from senior pastor Rick Warren, Baker founded the Celebrate Recovery program. Its purpose is to help Christians overcome a variety of problems.
“A family friend told me about Celebrate Recovery a couple days after I overdosed on drugs, and my mom found me unconscious on my bathroom floor, not breathing, and had to call an ambulance to revive me,” a woman said.
So far, more than 10,000 people have gone through the Celebrate Recovery program at Saddleback Church and found healing.
“They gave me a freedom from my drug addiction, an answer to that problem, with 12 easy steps, with Christ at the center of it, which is what I wanted all along,” a woman said.
“I came here originally because I was struggling with my anger at the time,” a man said. “And I found out through attending Celebrate Recovery that it was related directly to my co-dependency and my inability to say no, to have personal boundaries.”
“I think what it does, it offers hope,” Pastor John said. “Because we’ve seen people come in completely broken, completely defeated, really with nowhere else to turn. And they can see other people that have gone through what they’ve gone through, are going through, that they have found the answer. They have found recovery and that’s through Jesus Christ.”
In addition to their local chapter, Saddleback has started the program in more than 10,000 churches, prisons and rescue missions nationwide. More than 500,000 individuals have completed the program.
“So anybody that’s struggling right now, I’d say walk into a Celebrate Recovery right now,” Pastor John said. “You will find healing if you allow yourself to work through the process.”
For reaching out with Celebrate Recovery, The 700 Club honors Saddleback Church of Lake Forest, California - America’s Church of the Week!
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