Moving Forward – DivorceCare to Celebrate Recovery
Gala Kempkers is a Fearless Follower who is currently enjoying her role as a Celebrate Recovery leader at Ridge Point. Gala shares a portion of her journey from brokenness to healing below.
I was having a conversation with a fellow RPCR (Ridge Point Celebrate Recovery) leader and after that conversation she said, “Perfect! Write a blog on what you just said.”
What did I say? Being asked to write a blog was a shock to me. Naturally, I googled how to write a blog…ha! Me, the perfectionist, wanting to follow a template or “color inside the lines.” This gave me a reminder of my daily inventory and that I am a humble, grateful, and continually growing believer in Jesus Christ.
So, what did we talk about? What did I say?
We discussed how important it is for the church to provide the congregation with Biblically based support groups that offer help in a time of need.
I shared with her how Ridge Point did just that for me during my divorce by directing me to a women’s only divorce group. In this group we read and worked through a book, Healing the Divorced Heart by Rose Sweet. After completing the 35 chapters, attending the meetings, and lots of prayer, I was able to begin healing.
Moving forward, I joined a women’s-only Rooted group. Going through Rooted taught me about service and giving back. A few years later I heard about DivorceCare. I signed up and assisted the group at RP for one session. It was a blessing to help women who were going through the same experience that I had gone through years ago.
Now that I’m involved with Celebrate Recovery, I think of DivorceCare in this way: If you break your arm you go to a specialist to set the break or schedule surgery. You do not go to a general practitioner; they would direct you to a specialist.
DivorceCare comes alongside you as you’re addressing the life changing event that has occurred. DivorceCare is like the specialist.
After the specialist you go to a physical therapist. You start to rebuild the shriveled muscles that have been isolated and unused, while allowing the break to heal.
Celebrate Recovery is like the physical therapist. It’s about addressing the hurts, habits and hang ups that keep us distanced from God, offering participants the opportunity to be engaged with a Christ-centered community as they continue moving toward healing. It is a supplement to the healing that takes place in DivorceCare.
Thank you for letting me share a snapshot of my journey. I’m thankful for the groups that Ridge Point has provided to help me continually grow in my faith.
We’re so grateful each time we hear success stories like Gala’s! Not only has she worked on healing herself, but she has turned around and held the door of healing open for those who are walking a step behind her. Thank you for sharing your story, Gala!
For more information about how Celebrate Recovery can help you heal from your hurts, habits, and hang ups, contact celebraterecovery@fearlessfollower.org
For information about focus groups or professional counseling services, please contact care@fearlessfollower.org
