By CAROLINE CARMICHAEL/ Staff Writer

Celebrate Recovery, located at First United Methodist Church in Clanton, is now offering a children’s Celebration Place program to complement the coinciding adult program for their parents.

The children’s “pre-recovery” program for 5 to 12 year olds launched Aug. 7, allowing for parents and children alike to be coached simultaneously, although separately, in how to deal with and heal from various “life issue” circumstances in their lives, Ministry Leader Mickey Hardwick said.

Although Celebrate Recovery has been held at the church for two years, the program itself was established 26 years ago, Hardwick said.

“It’s designed for people with hurts, habits and hang-ups,” Hardwick said.

Hardwick said children are taught the same Biblically-based, 12-step curriculum that their parents learn, addressed in “kid terms” and interactive presentations through videos, games and other such activities.

“We want to try to help those kids learn how to cope with things instead of turning to alcohol or drugs. People that are on [substances]—usually there is something that happened to cause that life issue,” Hardwick said. “So, we can teach people to deal with life issues before it becomes a major issue, and to realize there’s a support group that you can talk to people.”

“Recovery is not just what people think it is,” Hardwick said. Life issues addressed in the program include “anger, resentment, sexual abuse, control” and more.

According to Hardwick, the program is held every Monday evening, beginning with a free dinner at 5:30 p.m. Separate worship services for adults and children follow at 6:30 p.m.

At 7:30 p.m., individuals divide into small groups. Adult groups are gender-based, while children groups are age-based.

For more information about Celebrate Recovery, please visit clantonfumc.org/celebraterecovery.php.