05/07/2026
A lot of CR information has been posted lately.
This post is to help you to understand the difference between Large Group and Step Studies. In addition, there is a description of the Pre-class discussions and Workshops at the end.
A lot of people hear “Celebrate Recovery” and think the Large Group meeting is the whole program. But honestly, The Step Studies are where the deepest growth happened.
The difference between the two can be explained by comparing it to a traditional church:
LARGE GROUP
The large group meeting is like the worship service. You hear testimonies, lessons, encouragement, and get the big-picture reminders each week. It’s powerful and important.
The Large Group meetings are co-ed. And like a traditional church service, you may see some familiar faces each week but for the most part you'll see new faces and those who attend on an irregular basis
* Unlike a traditional Church worship service, because of the sensitive nature of the topics discussed, CR Large Group is intended for older teens (with discretion) and adults. Many programs, including Paducah, have child care available for those too young to attend Large Group.
STEP STUDY
Step Studies are more like a gender-specific Sunday school class or small group Bible study. It’s smaller, more personal, and more in-depth.
Meeting weekly, participants work through the material together chapter by chapter, talk about real-life struggles, and build relationships with the same group of people over time. Because the group stays consistent, trust grows, and people are able to be honest about what’s really going on in their lives.
Step Studies are life-changing. They move you from just hearing recovery principles… to actually applying them.
* Unlike a traditional Sunday School class, once a Step Study gets to the 4th Step, the class will close and no new participants will be allowed to join the study.
THEN when you go to Large Group, it reinforces what you've learned in Step Studies, reminds you of truths you need to hear again, and helps you see the Steps from a different perspective.
If you’re interested, Paducah's Large Group meets on Fridays, Concord Methodist (near the mall Lowe's) at 6:45 PM
The men's step study meets on Tuesdays from 6-8 PM, Heartland Church (door 5, first classroom on the right). As of this post, they are on Step 2 and the class will close when they get to Step 4.
The women's Step Study will begin on July 14th, Heartland Church (door 5, room 112), 6-8 PM.
PRE-CLASS DISCUSSIONS
Currently we have a gap of time between the last Step Study ending in the next group of Step Studies beginning. The leader of the group that just ended has elected to host a series of discussions so that her ladies still have accountability and are in the habit of coming to meetings.
They have opened these meetings to any woman who is joining a step study in the fall.
We are calling these pre-class discussions. These aren’t required to attend Steps Studies in the fall but they are a great chance to meet people, ask questions, and learn what Step Studies are about before the official start date.
WORKSHOPS
Our monthly workshops are another great part of the recovery process. These co-ed meetings are held on the last Thursday of each month (except July, November, and December).
While they aren’t Step Studies themselves, they closely connect to the recovery journey by helping apply recovery principles and the Steps to real-life situations and struggles. Workshops go deeper into topics that often become barriers in recovery — things like relationships, boundaries, communication, shame, forgiveness, habits, identity, and emotional health. Think of them as practical, hands-on conversations that help bridge the gap between learning the Steps and living them out in everyday life.
These meetings are held on the second floor of Heartland Church from 6-8 PM. Enter through door 21, there are stairs immediately to the right or an elevator in the next hallway to the right. Potluck dinner starts at 6.
If you have questions or need additional information, the contact person for the Paducah Celebrate Recovery is Christine Althoff. She can be reached at 270-534-1400 x260.
