Chris Gibbs, left, and Joni Kellar, both pastors at Crossway Church in Valencia, are excited about starting a Celebrate Recovery program. Celebrate Recovery is a Bible-based recovery program that is used in more than 19,000 churches around the world.

VALENCIA — It was the relational aspect of the ministry that drew Pastor Joni Kellar and Pastor Chris Gibbs to implement a Celebrate Recovery program at CrossWay Church, 109 Davis Road.

The group meets from 7 to 8:30 p.m. beginning Monday.

“I looked into it and really liked the principles and steps. It is a Christ-centered program that meets the vision of CrossWay. The program encourages a very real relationship with Jesus Christ,” Kellar explained.

According to Kellar and Gibbs, Celebrate Recovery is a biblical and balanced program that helps people overcome their hurts, hang-ups and habits. Based on the actual words of Jesus rather than psychological theory, Celebrate Recovery is now used in more than 19,000 churches worldwide.

Celebrate Recovery continues to expand the pastors' vision for reaching out to the community.

“We are aware there are tremendous amounts of hurting people in our area. We've tried to meet the needs of those with broken relationships through our Divorce Care program, and now we feel led to meet the needs of those in our community struggling with destructive addictions whether they are addicted themselves or love someone who is,” said Kellar, the outreach pastor at Crossway Church.

Celebrate Recovery's purpose is to offer fellowship and celebrate God's healing power through the “8 Recovery Principles.” It began in California 20 years ago and was designed as a program to help those struggling by showing them the loving power of Jesus Christ through a recovery process.

“Addictions, life issues, and the like are no respecter of persons,” said Gibbs, CrossWay's senior pastor.

“Our hope is to partner with our community, bringing faith in Christ as the central focus of the 12 steps, and see the road to recovery become a reality,” said Gibbs.

“We believe and the program shows evidence that when we apply these biblical principles, we grow spiritually and when that happens, freedom from addictive, compulsive and dysfunctional behaviors is more easily obtained,” said Kellar.

“Celebrate Recovery offers hope and where there is hope, healing can begin,” she added.

Mindy Mathews, one of the program's facilitators, found that freedom and is delighted to give back.

“Attending Celebrate Recovery for the first time is not an easy step, but once you get there you'll immediately sense you belong. It's a place where everyone there is willing to say 'I hurt and I need to know it's OK,'” explained Mathews, who has been volunteering with Celebrate Recovery for four years.The meeting starts as a large group with a time of praise to help members unwind. A brief lesson or testimony is followed by a division into small groups divided by gender with same gender leaders.“People can enter into the discussion when they feel comfortable,” said Mathews.“Having the support of others, you realize in all our struggles, we all have the same need to be accepted in our weaknesses,” said Mathews, who began her recovery with Samaritan Counseling in 2000.“Through stepping out and speaking to others about my struggles with anxiety disorders I have come to learn that it releases you from the bondage of those struggles,” said Mathews.While all of the steps in the program are crucial, Kellar believes the first one to be the most important.“Without a belief in and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, change is impossible. We can do nothing apart from being in a committed relationship with God and one another and truly knowing that our help stems from these relationships,” she explained.People can attend at any meeting. There is no specific week to begin. The only requirement is that the participant be older than 18.“Anyone and everyone is welcome to attend. We all face life's habits, hurts, and hang-ups. We all need hope,” said Gibbs.

• Realize I'm not God; I admit that I am powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and that my life is unmanageable.• Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to him and that he has the power to help me recover.• Consciously choose to commit all my life and will to Christ's care and control.• Openly examine and confess my faults to myself, to God, and to someone I trust.• Voluntarily submit to any and all changes God wants to make in my life and humbly ask him to remove my character defects.• Evaluate all my relationships. Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make amends for harm I've done to others when possible, except when to do so would harm them or others.• Reserve a time with God for self-examination, Bible reading and prayer in order to know God and his will for my life and to gain the power to follow his will.• Yield myself to God to be used to bring this good news to others, both by my example and my words.