Making a Difference: Deb Copeland, MABC
Celebrate Recovery (CR) and Recovery Church
December 2021 Issue
Part of Pink's "Making a Difference: 6 Women Who Care" Special Section
Deb Copeland, MABC
Organization:
Celebrate Recovery (CR) and Recovery Church
“The U.S. recorded its highest number of drug-overdose deaths
in a 12-month period, eclipsing 100,000 for the first time…”
—Wall Street Journal, 11/18/2021
Mission: Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered, 12-step recovery program for anyone struggling with hurts, habits, hang-ups, pain, or addiction of any kind. Celebrate Recovery is a safe place to find community and freedom from the issues that are controlling our life. Recovery Church is a church service created by the recovery community for the recovery community.
Location: Central Church, 975 William Hilton Parkway, HHI, 29928
Time: Every Sunday Evening
5:30 We begin with fellowship and sharing a meal
6:00 Big meeting lesson, testimony, the steps and praise music
7:00 Men’s small group and ladies’ small group
What is your role in Celebrate Recovery?
I have my Masters in Biblical Counseling, am a women’s evangelist, pastor, and counselor. My husband of 37 years and best friend, Don Lucci, and I wanted to do something powerful for people who are struggling in the Lowcountry. We had heard about the Celebrate Recovery program and decided to start a chapter at Central Church with our pastor’s blessing and the help of dedicated volunteers.
What brings you the most joy in being a part of this organization?
We are part of a movement that is bringing the healing power of Jesus Christ to the hurting and broken. That is pure joy. This program makes the most sense for those who want to incorporate God into their recovery process, but just can’t quit their addiction(s), or handle their hurts or hang-ups. In addition to addicition, this program is also a beautiful environment for finding healing from divorce, from being an exhausted caregiver, from fighting with family and so much more. Seeing people getting better and heal is beyond joyous.
How can people struggling to get help get started?
The most significant things I’ve seen with Scripture-based counseling is when people decide they are tired of living a lie, or they are tired of their failed attempts for sobriety or a happy marriage. They are tired of gaslighting, and they want change, they start. The Christian 12-steps below is the gateway to healed addictions, saved marriages and saved lives. Moving marriage from performance based to faith-based changes things. Moving addictions toward the healing power of Christ the King changes things. Recovery often times is a faith-based decision and issue.
Tell us the most important thing people should know about Celebrate Recovery:
Addiction is a lifelong recovery process like diabetes or any other disease. You need a counselor, a 12-step program, such as Celebrate Recovery or AA , and new life goals to fight the battle.
How can people get involved or help? Donations?
We need finances, as every person who walks through the door has a commitment made to them in counseling, a gift of an 8-set volume of workbooks we purchase from CR, and other miscellaneous needs. We hope to have scholarships in place, allowing us to assist in sending people to rehab and recovery when meetings aren’t enough.
Anything Else? Celebrate Recovery 12 Steps and 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 NIV
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 NIV
3. We made a decision to turn our lives and our wills 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 NIV
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 NIV
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 NIV
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 NIV
7. We humbly asked Him to remove all our shortcomings. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” —1 John 1:9 NIV
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 NIV
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 or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.” Matthew 5:23-24 NIV
10. We continue 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. We 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 3:16 NIV
12. Having had a spiritual experience as the result of these steps, we try 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 them gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.” —Galatians 6:1 NIV