SPONSORS AND ACCOUNTABILITY PARTNERS

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• Completed CR Step Study Group / Completed the 12 Steps.

• One continuous year of sobriety / abstinence.

• Actively attending Celebrate Recovery meetings.

• Have their own Sponsor and Accountability Team.

• Must be same sex as Sponsee.

SPONSOR

• You exhibit the qualities and characteristics that your sponsee strives to achieve,

such as honesty, integrity, willingness and compassion.

• You have the experience of keeping your own house in order—not your physical

home, but your spiritual life. In order for you to be an effective and godly sponsor,

you must have the experience of working through the Steps and Principles, as

well as continuing to seek a greater knowledge of God’s Word.

• A great Sponsor leads using their weaknesses, in addition to their strengths.

By leading with your strengths alone, you may appear prideful or arrogant,

and this may repel people, rather than draw them to you as a Leader.

As a sponsor, I must pray for my sponsees need for:

• Physical, emotional and spiritual healing.

• The lifting of the fog of denial.

• Their protection during times of temptation.

Ways I can/will keep growing in Christ:

• Practicing daily prayer and meditation.

• Ongoing accountability.

• Attending recovery meetings.

• Practicing the 8 Recovery Principles.

• Being in a small group.

Ways I can avoid being judgmental:

• Be a good listener.

It is important to share my experience because it:

• Continues my personal healing.

• Offers hope.

• Demonstrates freedom from our hurts, habits, and hang ups.

Ways I can be open and honest are:

• Be compassionate. Be careful not to try to ‘fix’ people, the Lord will heal

them in His time.

• Listen. Carefully consider situations before offering a suggestion.

• Confront denial and procrastination. Be strong to point out, in a loving

manner, detrimental patterns of behavior in your sponsee.

I can be responsible in this role by:

• Being available, yet having boundaries.

• Protecting anonymity and confidentiality. The only exception is when

someone threatens to injure themselves or others.

• Offering suggestions, not making demands.

• Rejoicing in victories.

• Actively attending Celebrate Recovery meetings.

• Sharing a similar area of recovery.

• Must be same sex.

• Developing deeper relationship with Christ.

• Demonstrating growth in their recovery.

A-TEAM

• Identify with the same area of recovery in order to understand the specific

struggles and have the same recovery goals.

• You must have ongoing accountability. Regardless of the length of our

recovery, we all need accountability.

• Attend meetings and events together. The process of recovery is based on the

“we” system, not the “I” system.

• Be an encourager. When you see positive behavior, even if it seems

insignificant, remember that encouraging each other gives the feeling of

accomplishment. And that positive reinforcement is a foundational step in

building more positive behavior.

• Be willing to be vulnerable. It is by exposing our weaknesses to each other that

we are able to ask for what we need. If we don’t ask for help . . . we won’t get any!

• Challenge your accountability partners. Keep each other motivated and

excited about the miracles and blessings in your lives.

Comparison Chart

Attend Large Group and Open Share Group together.

Join and attend Step Study Group together

Get involved in Celebrate Recovery Service together.

Holds you accountable for same area of recovery and issues.

Call each other daily.

Encourage each others’ program..

Help motivate each other.

Are at the same place (steps, sobriety time) in their recoveries.

Includes at least 3 or 4 people..

Pray for each other.

Attends BBQ together and Fellowship Cafe.

Coaches you through the 8 Principles / 12 Steps; Participant’s Guide.

Available in time of crisis or potential relapse.

Serves as a sounding board by providing objective point of view.

Discuss issues in detail too personal for meeting time. (Listens to 5th Step)

Give recovery related assignments.

Requires meeting attendance

Requires check-in calls.

Has at least 1 year continuous sobriety and has completed the 12 Steps.

Same area of recovery and gender

Shares experience strength and hope.

Will confront denial and procrastination A sponsor is like having a personal weight / exercise trainer.

An accountability partner is someone you go with to the gym.

It has often been suggested that Leaders provide a list of available Sponsors and

Accountability Partners. We do not supply a list, as this goes against one of the most

important steps for a Newcomer—that they must initiate their own recoveries and seek

new relationships. A Newcomer must take responsibility for their own recovery.

• Attend Celebrate Recovery barbeque and Solid Rock Cafe.

• Small Group Leaders will have a phone list of the group members. Get to know

the members of your group—this will give you contacts for Accountability

Partners and potential Sponsors.

• Ask God to lead you to the person of His choosing.

• Research other Celebrate Recovery program ministries in your area by visiting

• Visit secular recovery groups and seek out other Christians in recovery.

To learn more about Accountability Teams, review the Celebrate Recovery Leader’s

Guide and Participant’s Guide #2, Lesson 8: Sponsor.