“ I AM A child of the King that is recovered from drug addiction. This February, I’ll have 19 years of being free from methamphetamine and other drugs. God used this program to transform my entire life. I’m living proof the program works.”
These steady, sure, and triumphant words came from Shelbyville native Tara Boyce. Tara is a local realtor and the Women’s Ministry Leader for Celebrate Recovery at Gateway Church.
Tara and her husband, Chad (Celebrate Recovery’s men’s ministry leader), have played a significant role in the lives of countless people in Bedford County. Over the last three years, Tara and Chad’s faces were the first faces that people showing up at Gateway’s Celebrate Recovery Program would see. Whether white-knuckling their way to freedom or trudging through deep trenches of grief, everyone who walked through the threshold had one thing in common: they all wanted to recover. Tara and Chad were ready to show them the way.
Tara explained, “When you say recovery, most people think of recovering from drugs and alcohol. But Celebrate Recovery is for anyone struggling with hurt, hangups, and habits of any kind.”
She continued, “We cover a wide scope… not just drug addiction. We have people dealing with the loss of a loved one. Others come [in] struggling with things like being a single mom, getting divorced, singleness, gambling, overeating, undereating, codependency, depression, isolation, procrastinating, and the list goes on. People can need recovery for basically anything that keeps them stuck and stagnant in growing closer to God.”
The Celebrate Recovery program is a Christ-centered 12-step program. This nationwide court-approved recovery program was founded and written by John Baker and forwarded by Rick Warren of Saddleback Church. It was created to be “a safe place to find community and freedom from the issues that are controlling our life.” The very first Celebrate Recovery meeting took place in a high school gymnasium and had an attendance turnout of 43 people. Today, there are over 35,000 Celebrate Recovery affiliated churches in the world. Gateway Church is one of them.
Our local program meets every Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Gateway Church. The group is open to any adult over the age of 18, and free childcare is provided. There is no requirement of faith to attend, but the program does begin with a time of worship before transitioning into a lesson or shared testimony.
Tara shared, “Years ago, when I was introduced to the program, I dove in headfirst. I didn’t grow up in church, so I didn’t know how to pray. I didn’t know how to look up scripture. I came from a great family and had a great childhood. My dad was a horse trainer, and we were a successful household. I was raised with good morals and standards, but I was never taught to pray through situations. So I would self-medicate, whether that was sex, lying, or drugs. Then it was like a snowball effect. Luckily, however, Celebrate Recovery taught me about relationships, accountability, and prayer. It taught me how to recognize the root of problems. You see, drinking or lying, sex or manipulation… those things are all symptoms that point to a deeper problem. And through Celebrate Recovery, I’ve learned I’m not supposed to, nor do I have to walk through this world alone. I’ve learned how to be a friend, to be honest, and to help people.” GN
