Singleton and Related Genealogy Pages
A history of many families.
| Name | Celebrate RECOVERY [1] | |
| Gender | Male | |
| HIST | Celebrate Recovery 12-step program changes lives of locals A national program offered by a local church saved John Sellar's life. "I can honestly say, if I didn't find this, I would be dead right now," the now 53-year-old said. "A lot of people are searching for answers. Either they are like myself thinking I got it all figured out, or they just don't know where to turn." Celebrate Recovery is a faith-focused, 12-step program based on the eight principles of the Beatitudes, which come from the Sermon on the Mount, Sellar said. The program was developed "to help those struggling with hurts, habits and hang-ups by showing them the loving power of Jesus Christ through a recovery process," according to celebraterecovery.com. NEED MORE INFORMATION? For more information, visit saltandlightsumter.org/celebraterecovery.php. BY JADE ANDERSON janderson@theitem.com A national program offered by a local church saved John Sellar's life. "I can honestly say, if I didn't find this, I would be dead right now," the now 53-year-old said. "A lot of people are searching for answers. Either they are like myself thinking I got it all figured out, or they just don't know where to turn." Celebrate Recovery is a faith-focused, 12-step program based on the eight principles of the Beatitudes, which come from the Sermon on the Mount, Sellar said. The program was developed "to help those struggling with hurts, habits and hang-ups by showing them the loving power of Jesus Christ through a recovery process," according to celebraterecovery.com. "It's so much more than alcohol, chemical addiction, street drugs or prescription medications," Sellar said. "People in our Celebrate Recovery have relationship issues, anger, smoking, etc. It's always something that keeps us from not fully living life the way we should be able to." It began with 43 people 20 years ago at Saddleback Church in California, the church of well-known pastor and author Rick Warren, and spread to more than 19,000 churches worldwide, the website states. Sellar began having the occasional drink at the age of 12. In high school, he drank on the weekends, and during college, it was "a little more often than that." After college, it took over. "I think I was an alcoholic the first time I took at drink," Sellar said. "I've always known on many levels it was a problem, but either I didn't want to address it or I thought I could fix it myself." He was diagnosed with congestive heart failure in his early 40s while still in New Jersey. The cardiologist told him if he drank again, it would kill him. "But even that wasn't enough," Sellar said. "When I came to South Carolina, I was sober but not in recovery. There is a huge difference. I slipped shortly thereafter and was pretty much drinking every day." His heart problems returned, and he found himself at an outpatient treatment center for alcohol and drug abuse. It was there he learned about Celebrate Recovery at Salt & Light Church in Sumter. "I went the following Friday, and I was scared to death," Sellar said. "Here I was a transplanted Yankee. I thought, 'this isn't going to work.' I truly thought, 'I'm not going to be able to relate to serious drug problems, codependency and eating disorders. I'm not going to be able to relate to people like that.' But boy, that's just the symptom. The bigger problem is here (points to chest). It's kind of putting your soul together." He has now been involved in the program for more than three years. Sellar's story is not all that unique. "Through my teens and early 20s, I was very messed up," said Rodney Howard, co-pastor at Salt & Light Church. "I was addicted to drugs and the whole thing. I hit bottom in my early 20s, but thankfully, I had a lot of good, supportive family." Similar to Sellar, he was able to become "drug free," but he didn't really go through "recovery" until God brought him to Salt & Light Church. "When our pain outweighs our fear, we start doing something about it," Howard said. "We make it a safe place to unload stuff. That is what I have found is the most freeing - to open up to people and be honest about things just a few years ago I would have been horrified to say out loud. I get better, and they get better in the process." Reach Jade Anderson at (803) 774-1250. Posted in Local news, News on Wednesday, May 8, 2013 [1] | |
| HIST | Celebrate Recovery 12-step program changes lives of locals A national program offered by a local church saved John Sellar's life. "I can honestly say, if I didn't find this, I would be dead right now," the now 53-year-old said. "A lot of people are searching for answers. Either they are like myself thinking I got it all figured out, or they just don't know where to turn." Celebrate Recovery is a faith-focused, 12-step program based on the eight principles of the Beatitudes, which come from the Sermon on the Mount, Sellar said. The program was developed "to help those struggling with hurts, habits and hang-ups by showing them the loving power of Jesus Christ through a recovery process," according to celebraterecovery.com. NEED MORE INFORMATION? For more information, visit saltandlightsumter.org/celebraterecovery.php. BY JADE ANDERSON janderson@theitem.com A national program offered by a local church saved John Sellar's life. "I can honestly say, if I didn't find this, I would be dead right now," the now 53-year-old said. "A lot of people are searching for answers. Either they are like myself thinking I got it all figured out, or they just don't know where to turn." Celebrate Recovery is a faith-focused, 12-step program based on the eight principles of the Beatitudes, which come from the Sermon on the Mount, Sellar said. The program was developed "to help those struggling with hurts, habits and hang-ups by showing them the loving power of Jesus Christ through a recovery process," according to celebraterecovery.com. "It's so much more than alcohol, chemical addiction, street drugs or prescription medications," Sellar said. "People in our Celebrate Recovery have relationship issues, anger, smoking, etc. It's always something that keeps us from not fully living life the way we should be able to." It began with 43 people 20 years ago at Saddleback Church in California, the church of well-known pastor and author Rick Warren, and spread to more than 19,000 churches worldwide, the website states. Sellar began having the occasional drink at the age of 12. In high school, he drank on the weekends, and during college, it was "a little more often than that." After college, it took over. "I think I was an alcoholic the first time I took at drink," Sellar said. "I've always known on many levels it was a problem, but either I didn't want to address it or I thought I could fix it myself." He was diagnosed with congestive heart failure in his early 40s while still in New Jersey. The cardiologist told him if he drank again, it would kill him. "But even that wasn't enough," Sellar said. "When I came to South Carolina, I was sober but not in recovery. There is a huge difference. I slipped shortly thereafter and was pretty much drinking every day." His heart problems returned, and he found himself at an outpatient treatment center for alcohol and drug abuse. It was there he learned about Celebrate Recovery at Salt & Light Church in Sumter. "I went the following Friday, and I was scared to death," Sellar said. "Here I was a transplanted Yankee. I thought, 'this isn't going to work.' I truly thought, 'I'm not going to be able to relate to serious drug problems, codependency and eating disorders. I'm not going to be able to relate to people like that.' But boy, that's just the symptom. The bigger problem is here (points to chest). It's kind of putting your soul together." He has now been involved in the program for more than three years. Sellar's story is not all that unique. "Through my teens and early 20s, I was very messed up," said Rodney Howard, co-pastor at Salt & Light Church. "I was addicted to drugs and the whole thing. I hit bottom in my early 20s, but thankfully, I had a lot of good, supportive family." Similar to Sellar, he was able to become "drug free," but he didn't really go through "recovery" until God brought him to Salt & Light Church. "When our pain outweighs our fear, we start doing something about it," Howard said. "We make it a safe place to unload stuff. That is what I have found is the most freeing - to open up to people and be honest about things just a few years ago I would have been horrified to say out loud. I get better, and they get better in the process." Reach Jade Anderson at (803) 774-1250. Posted in Local news, News on Wednesday, May 8, 2013 | |
| _UID | A148CC5B44154E2EBB71F4E38BF6E7429204 | |
| _UID | A148CC5B44154E2EBB71F4E38BF6E7429204 | |
| Person ID | I285805 | Singleton and Related Families |
| Last Modified | 13 May 2013 | |
| Family | Recovery CELEBRATE | |
| _UID | 2565E53349604F43AFF1A09999ADDE441E8C | |
| _UID | 2565E53349604F43AFF1A09999ADDE441E8C | |
| Family ID | F191989 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified | 23 Mar 2026 | |
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