A Towne Lake church is starting a program to help people overcome issues that are troubling them.

Towne Lake Community Church is starting Celebrate Recovery, a Christ-centered weekly program that helps people deal with life's hurts, hang-ups and habits, on Oct. 2 at the church.

The church's Celebrate Recovery will be led by Duane "Pete" Thomas and his wife, Linda, both of Canton. The national program was started 14 years ago by Saddleback Church in California to celebrate God's healing power.

"We are all in need of recovery," Thomas said, adding that recovery is not just for drug and alcohol addicts.

"We all have hurts from our past: infidelity, guilt, shame, perfectionism and gossip. Everybody has something they repress just to function."

After hearing a sermon at he church regarding addiction a few months ago, Thomas said the couple began researching the Celebrate Recovery program.

"It was a great inreach for the congregation and outreach for the community," said Thomas, who has overcome alcohol and drug addiction himself.

The program is based on the eight recovery principles found in the Beatitudes, which came from Jesus during his Sermon on the Mount as recorded in the Book of Matthew, and a 12-step program based on Christian principles.

Other 12-step programs are vague about a higher power, Thomas said, but Celebrate Recovery identifies Jesus Christ as that power.

Each meeting will include a large group meeting and then break up into smaller groups for men and women.

The meetings are free, and a meal is served to all who attend.

Thomas said there are more than 60 such programs in the metro Atlanta area. Sixes United Methodist Church recently began offering a Celebrate Recovery ministry as well.

Thomas said that instead of identifying themselves as an alcoholic, for example, people in the program say they are "a grateful believer in Jesus Christ who struggles with alcohol."

"It takes some of the power away from what they are struggling with," he said.

The program aims to go beyond just helping an individual cope with their struggles.

"Whether it is alcohol, drugs, guilt, shame, all that is hiding what is deep down. We want to get it out and heal the addiction," Mrs. Thomas said. "This program works on the root problem. It starts healing the addiction and they also learn at the same time that God is there to help us."

Mrs. Thomas said the local need for Celebrate Recovery is "huge," and Thomas said he expects 60 people will attend the first meeting.

"People just need to get over the fear factor," she said.