UNDER THE roof of New Creation Church, a beacon of hope flickers every Friday night. It’s called Celebrate Recovery, a ministry born in the heart of California’s Saddleback Church in 1991, which has since unfurled its wings across the globe. The ministry is a sanctuary for those grappling with life’s heavier burdens — be it addiction, affliction, or any ache of the soul. Here, individuals from all walks of life find solace and solidarity in their shared pursuit of healing. Tim Totty, a man whose journey from the depths of addiction to the heights of spiritual leadership embodies the transformative power of faith and fellowship, leads Celebrate Recovery. This ministry is not just about overcoming but thriving. It’s a testament to the enduring human spirit and the belief that recovery is not just possible; it’s a promise delivered every week in Tullahoma.
Over the last three decades, the program has grown from the small beginnings of meeting in a high school gymnasium to ministries across the globe. The ministry offers a “safe place to find community and freedom from the issues controlling one’s life.” Celebrate Recovery focuses on helping people overcome hurts, habits, and hang-ups. According to their website, Celebrate Recovery is a Christcentered 12-step recovery program for anyone struggling with hurts, hang-ups, and habits of any kind.
“Celebrate Recovery is in 35,000 churches worldwide,” said Tim Totty, Tullahoma’s Celebrate Recovery ministry leader and a pastor at New Creation Church in Tullahoma. “It’s not just for drugs and alcohol. It’s for any hurt, habit, or hang-up. It could be food addiction, gambling, overspending, anger, relationship addiction, codependency, and more.”
Totty found the program while battling addiction to drugs and alcohol.
“A friend invited me to church, and I began my spiritual journey,” he explained. “I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, and I didn’t drink for about two weeks. After that, I started drinking again. I went back to the pastor and told him I was still struggling. He told me the work wasn’t over, and a new program was starting that could help. That program was Celebrate Recovery.”
Tim Totty’s wife, Terri Totty, is also a part of Celebrate Recovery, serving as the Women’s Ministry Leader for the Tullahoma program.
“I didn’t have trouble with drugs and alcohol when I first started, so I didn’t think there was a reason for me to get involved,” Terri explained. “But I went to support my new boyfriend, who later became my husband, and I found something that I needed because of an abusive past. Celebrate Recovery helped me to work through all of that.”
When New Creation Church acquired its building in 2007, Tim and Terri decided to bring the Celebrate Recovery program to Tullahoma.
Tim added that the good thing about the program is its diversity and inclusivity. There is help and support for anyone and everyone looking to be a better person.
“People come to [Celebrate Recovery] with many different issues,” he said. “Although people may act out differently — one may choose alcohol as their drug of choice, and someone else might abuse food — but when you peel the onion back, you realize that both have the same root cause. The problem — or the root cause — is deeper. Identifying the root cause and allowing God to heal it is the pathway to sobriety.” Now 22 years sober, Tim continues practicing these principles while helping others heal. He believes it is with the help of his higher power, Jesus Christ.
“I’ve been 22 years sober from drugs and alcohol, but now I’m working on better choices with food,” Tim said. “I battled addiction until age 38, and I didn’t really know how to stop. But, walking with Jesus and this community of people in recovery, I found support and learned how to have accountability and victory over my hurts, habits, and hang-ups. I learned how to forgive others and myself and also make amends for the harm that I’ve done to others.”
Tim encourages Tullahoma to see a brighter future.
“Terri and I want other people to discover what we’ve discovered. There is hope! We consider ourselves to be ‘Hope Dealers.’ We want to see people walk in freedom from life’s hurts, habits, and hang-ups!” GN
