Celebrate Recovery

"Celebrate Recovery is my new solid foundation," shares Chad Renken, who worships and leads a small group at Celebrate Recovery, located in Bismarck, North Dakota. This new faith community was born out of discernment, prayers, and needs that no other source on earth could fulfill. This recovery worship community began meeting at Bismarck McCabe UMC in Bismarck, North Dakota and has grown steadily, feeding the souls of the lost and the found. Celebrate Recovery is itself a song of praise to the Lord, a witness that every lamb truly belongs to Jesus.

Chris Chase, who serves as the pastor at Celebrate Recovery, has been seeking to answer God's call in his life faithfully. The journey led him to a path of leading a recovery ministry. However, more than just starting a small, support group, Chase has committed to seeing this ministry and its impact multiply. Serving bi-vocationally, Chris Chase has shown his strong commitment to starting this new worshipping community and training others to take on the work with him. Celebrate Recovery has 14 small groups with 12 leaders who work with each one in recovery steps. Multiplying himself with more leaders to lead more groups is the key to drawing more people into recovery, and Chris is showing that.

Photo by Joni Rassmussen, jlynn studios.

Chris Chase, center, receives a congratulatory handshake from Bishop Ough, left, as Rev. Ben Ingebreston looks on. Chase, who leads Celebrate Recovery, a new worshipping community in Bismarck, North Dakota, along with McCabe UMC in Bismarck, received the Multiplying Matters Award.

McCabe United Methodist Church in Bismarck has been a valuable partner in hosting Celebrate Recovery in their building. The leadership at McCabe UMC have been a steady advocate for this new ministry focused on reaching new people for Christ, providing support for Chase, through creating space for Celebrate Recovery worship and group gatherings.

Celebrate Recovery is seeing faith and discipleship multiplied as 63 people have made professions of faith. There have been five adult baptisms. The state of North Dakota has seen the spiritual impact of this ministry on those struggling with recovery. North Dakota is now partnering with Chase to connect him with up to 100 formerly incarcerated individuals who need a recovery ministry in their lives. 

Chase and McCabe UMC, are the recipients of the Multiplying Matters Award. The award recognizes congregations and individual who give birth to new faith communities and invite people to Jesus. The Dakotas Conference has the vision to expand and connect with new people. The Multiplying Matters Award honors individuals and churches who are taking this vision seriously.