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For children ages 5 years through 12 years

Sunday evenings from 5:30pm - 8:30pm

Celebration Station is for children who...

• Are from homes that have some kind of hurt, hang-up, or habit.
• Have someone important to them that has made a courageous step to begin the healing process at Celebrate Recovery.
• Need to know Jesus is the healer for all hurts, hang-ups, and habits.

Celebration station is a 52 week program that mirrors Celebrate Recovery's one-year large group teaching schedule and curriculum plan. So when adults are talking about a topic such as actions, kids are learning about the same topic at an age appropriate level. Families benefit because they can talk about a topic when they go home.

Weekly lessons will be 2 hours long with different centers that the children will visit. Each week we will have the follow activities: Free play, worship, teaching, small group, centers, small group, closing, and free play. 

For more information, contact Becky Stormont, 916 548-1815, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14

What It Is

Celebration Station is a 52-week complementary children's resource to Celebrate Recovery. So while adults explore topics that bring healing and wholeness, kids discover the same truths in age-appropriate ways!

Celebration Station gives kids…

• Hope for all the amazing things God has in store for them
• Truths that help them overcome life's challenges by learning to lean on Jesus
• Joy as they embark on a wonderful, year-long journey of songs, games, videos, impactful experiences, and great conversation
• Friendships with other children

It has everything you need to lead kids as they make Jesus the enduring, rock-solid foundation of their lives.

Celebration Station is designed to inspire kids with hope, joy, and happiness while they learn to rely on God.

John Baker, founder of Celebrate Recovery, says, "The Celebration Station dream is to put Celebrate Recovery out of business by breaking the cycles of dysfunction in our families."

Weekly lessons follow a two-hour schedule that includes songs, small groups, crafts, learning centers, games, teaching times, and free play. Every lesson closes with a time of commitment, reflection, or worship-and the child version of the Serenity Prayer.

During small groups, kids use their Celebration Station Journals to get in touch with their feelings and record their thoughts. Then kids tear out their Celebration Station Journal pages and take home the family conversation starter that's included on the reverse side. This unique aspect of the journal opens the door to healing communication by teaching kids to talk to each other, talk to God, and talk to their parents.

From John Baker

"Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these' (Matthew 19:14, NIV).

This is the key verse for Celebrate Recovery's Celebration Station. I want to thank you for joining us in reaching out to 'the little children.'

Ever since God gave me the vision for Celebrate Recovery in 1991, a program for the children of our Celebrate Recovery families has been a priority. Over the years we've tried various programs for our little ones. All of them missed the mark. We wanted a program that would prepare kids to deal with any kind of hurt, hang-up, or habit that they may encounter as they mature. We wanted a program based on the eight recovery principles found in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10), so children would be learning the same verses that Mom and Dad were using in Celebrate Recovery.

In short, we wanted a "pre-covery" program! I'm honored to say that all the patient searching and praying has finally paid off. Johnny and I have had the privilege of working with Chris Yount Jones and the team at Group to bring you Celebration Station.

As you go though each of these 52 lessons, you'll see the children in your group grow. You'll have a front row seat as they get in touch with their full range of feelings. As the months pass, you'll see them learn to express their feelings in a positive, healthy manner.

By leading your Celebration Station group, you'll have a hand in helping God break the cycle of dysfunction in kids' homes. You're in my prayers, and thank you in advance for saying yes to Celebration Station!"

-John Baker

Author Bios:

Pastor John Baker is the founder of Celebrate Recovery, a ministry born out of the heart of Saddleback Church in 1991. Since then more than 10,500 individuals have gone through this Christ-centered recovery program at Saddleback. The Celebrate Recovery program is now used in thousands of churches worldwide. Over 700,000 individuals have completed the program.

John is a nationally known speaker and trainer helping churches initiate Celebrate Recovery ministries. In addition to writing the Celebrate Recovery curriculum, he's the general editor of the Celebrate Recovery Bible. John's most recent book is Life's Healing Choices. Since the beginning of Celebrate Recovery, Pastor John has attempted to reach out to children in hurting homes. He's the co-author of Life Hurts-God Heals, Celebrate Recovery's program for students, and most recently the co-author of Celebration Station. He's very excited about elementary-age children having a curriculum of their own.

John and his wife, Cheryl, have been married four decades and have served together in Celebrate Recovery since 1991. They have two adult children, Laura and Johnny. Johnny and his wife, Jeni, are the proud parents of John and Cheryl's three grandchildren, Maggie, Chloe, and Jimmy.

Johnny Baker has been on staff at Celebrate Recovery since 2004 and has been the director of Celebrate Recovery at Saddleback Church since 2007. As an adult child of an alcoholic who chose to become an alcoholic himself, Johnny is passionate about breaking the cycle of dysfunction in his family and helping other families find the tools that lead to healing and openness. Not only has he seen Celebrate Recovery work in the lives of his parents and countless others, he has seen it work in his own life as well. He knows that because of Jesus Christ and his commitment to stay active in Celebrate Recovery, his children Maggie, Chloe, and Jimmy, will never see him drink. Johnny is a nationally recognized speaker and teacher of Celebrate Recovery and is an associate editor of the Celebrate Recovery Bible.

Christine Yount Jones has over 20 years of children's ministry experience. She has a B.A. in English education (University of Oklahoma) and an M.Div in theology (Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary). She's the author of 10 books and hundreds of articles related to children's ministry. She's the executive editor of Children's Ministry Magazine and serves as Group's Children's Ministry Champion, responsible for research, development, and innovation in children's ministry resources. Chris and her husband Ray have five kids: Callie, Shannon, Grant (and Bri), Abby, and Reed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Celebrate Recovery?

What exactly do I need to begin Celebration Station?

What topics does Celebration Station cover?

Do I really need a journal for each child? 

Is Celebration Station only for churches doing Celebrate Recovery?

Do I have to begin at Week 1 or can I start anytime? 

Can kids come to Celebration Station even if they don't have a connection to someone attending Celebrate Recovery?

What are the Copyright Laws in regards to the Special Event Movie Nights?

Q. What is Celebrate Recovery?

A: Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered recovery program for adults that's based on eight principles of the Beatitudes. The goal of Celebrate Recovery is to help people overcome their hurts, hang-ups, and habits through recovery, wholeness, growth, and spiritual maturity. John Baker founded Celebrate Recovery in 1991 after his personal battle with alcoholism. To date more than 700,000 people worldwide have gone through the Celebrate Recovery program. To learn more about Celebrate Recovery and its founder John Baker, go to www.celebraterecovery.com.

Q. What exactly do I need to begin Celebration Station?

A: To begin Celebration Station, you'll need the Celebration Station Kit and one Celebration Station Journal for each child. The kit, packed with all the teaching and media materials you'll need for 52 weeks, is volunteer-friendly, easy to use, and created to coincide with the lessons adults are learning in Celebrate Recovery.

Q. What topics does Celebration Station cover?

A: Celebration Station covers the same topics Celebrate Recovery covers-just translated into language and experiences kids can understand. Celebration Station is truly a celebration-of the joy in life, the wonder of God's love, and the promises of the future. Kids will experience sessions on topics such as denial, powerlessness, forgiveness, mercy, grace, and more-at their age level.

Q. Do I really need a journal for each child?

A: Yes! Each child in your program needs a Celebration Station Journal. The journals provide a personal space for kids to process their feelings during each week's session. The take-home piece of the journal gives kids opportunities to talk to each other, talk to God, and talk to their parents about the specific topics they learn about each week. The journals open the door to positive dialogue between parents and children, and to healthier family relationships.

Q. Is Celebration Station only for churches doing Celebrate Recovery?

A: Celebration Station is specially designed to complement the Celebrate Recovery teaching schedule. However, it also works as a stand-alone program.

Q. Do I have to begin at Week 1 or can I start anytime?

A: You can begin Celebration Station at any point in the 52-week schedule of Celebrate Recovery. So if your church is on Week 25, you can open the Celebration Station box, pull out the leader guide and media for that week, and get started.

Q. Can kids come to Celebration Station even if they don't have a connection to someone attending Celebrate Recovery?

A: The great thing about this Celebration is that all kids are welcome. However, Celebration Station is specifically geared to the unique needs, challenges, and lives of kids from families in Celebrate Recovery, these children will benefit most from this program.

Q. What are the Copyright Laws in regards to the Special Event Movie Nights?

A: Believe it or not, the FBI warning at the beginning of most videos is for real! In general, federal copyright laws do not allow you to use the videos (even ones you own) for any purpose other than home viewing. Though narrow exceptions exist for using short segments of copyrighted material in church, it's best to be completely legal.

Your church can obtain a license from the Christian Video Licensing International for a small fee. Just visit www.cvli.org or call 1-800-302-6020 for more information.  When using a movie that is not covered by the license, you should directly contact the movie studio to seek permission for use of the clip.