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On the road to recovery
by Dave Dent

Growing up, I was strongly influenced by peers and had no spiritual foundations. I fell early in life to the desires and pleasures of this world which many find in the form of alcohol, drugs and other sins which are so closely co-mingled with this lifestyle.
By the age of 16, the local law enforcement, my family, my peers and my community were watching my life head into a direction destined for trouble. By the time I was 25, I had four serious arrests and several minor ones. I had ruined every vehicle I had ever driven and almost every relationship I ever had. After my last arrest, something happened. I found myself wanting to live differently.
Eight years later, I found myself unhappy with life and spiritually dead. I was in a divorce that involved a son who was four years old and I was becoming a nervous wreck. Then, one day, by the grace of God, I walked into Mount Oak Church with my (now) wife, Cathy, who is also in recovery. The Spirit of God grabbed me like nothing I ever knew before.
Cathy and I soon joined the church. Then God lead us to something we never expected. God inspired us to start a recovery group at Mount Oak, but he wanted us to be sure that Christ was the higher power. We approached our pastor, the Rev. George Anderson, with the idea and he liked it. He and the church embraced the idea.
Cathy and I, along with staff members from Mount Oak, visited a church in California and adopted their recovery program called 'Celebrate Recovery.' At this same time, the church had asked Cathy and me to become membership coordinators. We were in awe at how much God was trying to use us.
Upon returning from our trip, Pastor George decided that in January 1999, he would do a complete series on the 'Road to Recovery' and we would start Celebrate Recovery at Mount Oak.
Having prayed for 60 days, people within the church stepped forward to admit their own sins of addictions. Some stepped forward rejoicing in how Jesus Christ had already brought healing into their lives.
The leadership team grew, as did attendance. Cathy and I made a commitment to God that we would be there every Friday night for one year and, after that, if we felt God really wanted us to, we would continue to stay on as leaders in this ministry.
Well, here we are, one year later and what has God done? The ministry has grown far beyond what we had ever anticipated. Never underestimate God's desires and power.
Our recovery praise and worship music has been inspiring and continues to be spirit-filled. The leadership team continues to grow and its people are maturing. The messages and testimonies are proof positive of how masterful and powerful God is. Lives are being changed here at Celebrate Recovery!
We've now started a second meeting every other week at Mount Oak and three other churches in the area have adopted this same program. Together, with God, we are making great strides in reaching the lost.

Dave Dent is recovery ministry coordinator at Mount Oak UMC, Mitchellville. Celebration Recovery's web address is www.mtoak.org/recovery.