A local ministry wants people to know they can celebrate their recovery from any addiction or dependency.

Celebrate Recovery — “A Christ-centered Recovery Program” — at Church of the Way will begin Monday, Nov. 1, at 6 p.m. at the church, 1577 West Industrial Park Road NE in Brookhaven.

Steve Herron, director of the program, said the goal of Celebrate Recovery is not to provide counseling, but to allow people to be heard and get help addressing their own issues.

“It’s like kudzu,” Herron said, referencing the invasive vine that grows quickly and seems to overtake any area where it spreads. “You can mow over it but it grows back because the root is still there. Celebrate Recovery tools allow you to dig into that root.”

The Monday night meetings will follow a structure similar to Alcoholics Anonymous, Herron said. There will be name tags and flyers handed out. A main session with a lesson or testimony will take place in a large group, followed by small groups where people can share whatever is on their mind without interruption or judgment. Finally, the night will end with “Cross Talk Café” — sharing refreshments during a time where people can talk one-on-one or respond to things shared earlier in the night.

“It’s more ‘self help,’ because only you and God can change who you are and what you do,” Herron said.

Herron came into CR in two ways — first as a member, where he was challenged to deal with issues he didn’t realize were affecting him. Then he took a round-about way into a leadership role. He began by leading worship at Centerpoint Church, then to youth and children’s ministry. He loved what he was doing, but felt God’s leadership to leave that ministry and become involved with Church of the Way.

Once there, Pastor David Fortenberry asked Herron to help get a recovery ministry started. Herron jumped in with both feet.

The CR leadership program involves four books leaders need to work through, completing at least two in a 90-day period prior to serving as leaders.

“I wanted to go deeper,” Herron said, so he and the other leaders continued through all four books. “I’m very grateful we did. We’ve been hammering at this for a solid year.”

Celebrate Recovery is for anyone age 18 and up. A teens’ program, “The Landing,” and children’s version, “Celebration Place,” will also be available. There is even a motorcycle group called “Broken Chains.”

“We want Church of the Way’s program to be a model program for other churches to see how it is done and we will be able to help facilitate that,” Herron said. “I begged God for revival, and He gave me Celebrate Recovery. It’s not a tent where there’s one night of excitement. It’s ‘stick your nose to the grindstone and commit’ — it’s costly but it’s valuable.”

For more information on the ministry, contact Herron at 601-748-4868.