A6
COMMUNITY
East Oregonian
Tuesday, September 7, 2021
Celebrate Recovery offers hope, healing
September is National
Recovery Month
By TAMMY MALGESINI
East Oregonian
STANFIELD — In an effort to
promote treatment and recovery from
substance use disorders, the month of
September is designated as National
Recovery Month. Initially established
32 years ago by the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Admin-
istration, Faces & Voices of Recovery
took the reins last year. The goal is to
highlight the recovery community,
as well as treatment providers and
community members who contribute
to making recovery — in all its forms
— not only possible but a reality.
Scott Zielke, associate pastor
of congregational care at Stanfield
Baptist Church, wants people to know
that despite the global pandemic, a
local Celebrate Recovery group
continues to be active. As an outreach
ministry, the Christ-centered 12-step
program is for people dealing with a
variety of addictions and life strug-
gles.
“Unfortunately the problems
of life have not disappeared with
COVID,” Zielke said. “We’ve been so
isolated and it gives people an oppor-
tunity to share their hurts, habits and
hang-ups in a safe place.”
Celebrate Recovery started in
1991 at Saddleback Church in Lake
Forest, California. Since then, more
than 35,000 churches across the
globe utilize the program to facil-
itate healing through the power of
God. Stanfield Baptist added the
outreach ministry in 2018.
Prior to the pandemic, Zielke said
weekly attendance averaged around
35 people. After Gov. Kate Brown’s
initial stay home order in March 2020,
it dwindled to maybe a dozen attend-
ees. Zielke said those numbers are
starting to climb again with 15-20
participants each week.
Zielke gets excited when sharing
about the victories people are experi-
encing. Whether they’re self-medicat-
ing with such things as alcohol, drugs,
gambling, anger or overspending, he
sees God working in people’s lives.
“We have seen individuals …
come in broken and their lives have
been in shambles,” he said, “and
they’ve been able to put the pieces
back together.”
Celebrate Recovery meets each
Monday, 6-8 p.m. at the church, 310
E. Wheeler Ave., Stanfield. The gath-
ering begins with a time of worship
and celebrating milestones in recov-
ery. Also, either a lesson is presented
or someone shares their testimony.
People are then free to leave or
attend gender-specific share groups.
At the conclusion of the program,
there’s often an informal social time.
Prior to the pandemic, the evening
also included sharing a meal together.
Zielke is hopeful to resume that in the
future.
For more information about Cele-
brate Recovery, call 541-571-6886,
541-449-3313 or visit www.celebra-
terecovery.com.
———
Contact community writer
Tammy Malgesini at tmalgesini@
eastoregonian.com or 541-564-4532.
Tammy Malgesini/East Oregonian, File
Scott Zielke, associate pastor of congregational care, leads a worship session during Celebrate Recovery in
September 2019 at Stanfield Baptist Church.
COMMUNITY BRIEFS
Summer readers
pedal away with
new bikes
Sunday, Sept. 12, 5:30-
7:30 p.m. at Heppner City
Park, 444 N. Main St. People
are encouraged to bring a
blanket or lawn chair. Also,
food will be available for
purchase by donation from
Hopeful Saints Ministry,
which is raising money for its
Mission and Outreach Fund.
For more information,
contact the Heppner Cham-
ber of Commerce at 541-676-
5536 or heppnerchamber@
centurytel.net. For more
about the band, visit www.
chasingebenezer.com or
search Facebook.
PENDLETON — This
year, the Pendleton Public
Library Summer Reading
Program had a new spon-
sor. Library Director Jenni-
fer Costley said thanks to
the Knights of Pythias, three
readers in first, second and
third grades received brand
new bikes and helmets as
part of the fraternal orga-
nization’s Read and Ride
program.
The bikes, which were
strategically placed at the
entrance of the library,
raised increased inter-
est in the summer reading
program — encouraging
kids to read and turn in as
many reading logs as possi-
ble to earn entries into the
drawing for bicycles. Cage
Ashby, Presley Holcom
and Alice Buderus each
pedaled away as grand prize
winners.
For more information
about library programs,
contact Costley at 541-966-
0386 or jennifer.costley@
ci.pendleton.or.usdrawings.
Oldies Night
highlights songs
of Billy Joel
M I LTON - F R E E WA-
TER — People are invited
to “Come Just the Way You
Are” as the hits of Billy Joel
are featured during Oldies
Night in Milton-Freewater.
Known as the “Piano
Man,” Joel has made a living
with catchy, inspirational and
sometimes political tunes,
such as “Uptown Girl,”
“Only the Good Die Young,”
“She’s Always a Woman,”
“Goodnight Saigon” and
BMCF seeks
grant applicants
Jennifer C ostley/Contributed Photo
Pendleton Public Library Summer Reading Program participants Cage Ashby, Presley Holcom and Alice Buderus received
new bicycles, which were donated by the Knights of Pythias, as part of the fraternal organization’s Read and Ride program.
“We Didn’t Start the Fire.”
BJ the DJ will spin a number
of them Saturday, Sept. 11,
7-10 p.m. at Wesley United
Methodist Church, 816 S.
Main St., Milton-Freewa-
ter. DJ Bob Jones also will
provide commentary about
the songs and the times.
Admission is free. For
more information, contact
Jones at dubuquer70@gmail.
com or 541-938-7028.
Music in the Park
crescendos with
Chasing Ebenezer
Chasing Ebenezer is
described as “a world folk-
rock band with Middle
Eastern, African and Celtic
inf luences.” The group
offers up bohemian violin
licks, world percussion and
an ever-increasing array of
instruments. The music often
moves audience members to
get up and dance.
The free concert is
WALLA WALLA — The
Blue Mountain Commu-
nity Foundation is currently
accepting applications for
the 2021 Discretionary Grant
Program.
Public agencies, 501c3
nonprofits and churches
in Umatilla, Walla Walla,
Columbia and Garfield
counties are invited to apply.
Eligible organizations can
apply for grants of up to
$35,000 for general operat-
ing expenses or to support a
specific program or project.
Applications must be submit-
ted online by Friday, Oct. 1.
Award announcements will
be made in December.
For more information or
to apply, visit www.blue-
mountainfoundation.org.
For questions, contact Greer
Buchanan, grants manager
at 509-529-4371 or greer@
bluemountainfoundation.
org.
— EO Media Group
HEPPNER — A lively
Portland-based band will
return to Heppner for the
season finale of Music in the
Park.
inside
every
Inside Thursday
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hursday
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