Why have Small Group Guidelines??????
Group Guidelines and Why's
Guideline #1: Keep your sharing focused on your own thoughts and feelings. Please limit your sharing to 3-5 minutes.
Definition of Focusing on Others: Concentrating on others needs and problems. Analyzing their motives and behavior. Asking questions of others. Telling stories about what he/she did.
Negative Results: Helps us avoid our own issues. Makes us observers, not participants. Puts a safe (and lonely) distance between ourselves and others.
Goal: To help us focus on our self and where we are in our own recovery. Keeps us out of Denial. Use I or me statements in sharing. Not You, them or we.
Guideline #2: There is no cross talk please:
Definition: When two people engage in a conversation while someone is speaking. Other examples: laughing when someone shares, talking about someone else’s sharing within your time. Or giving a tissue box or embracing someone in the meeting during share time. (Tears are a part of the healing process). Interrupting people, asking questions. Please no NON CR Literature/books in meetings
• Negative Results: Members fear that they won't be able to finish sharing, that their ideas are not valued, or that they won't get a chance to speak.
• Goals: Listen respectfully to what others choose to share. Each person is free to express feelings without interruption.
• Note: If someone’s sharing touches your heart and prompts an idea, you can express what has been brought to your mind without acknowledging someone else’s sharing.
Guideline #3: We are here to support one another. We will not attempt to "fix" one another.
Negative Results: We are not in a place where we can give advice even if we are professionals. This group is designed to allow free open talk without being analyzed and given feedback from the group.
• Goals: Keeps the focus on ourselves. Share personal needs, feelings, ideas and problems. Also allows the Holy Spirit to do His work.
Guideline #4: Anonymity and Confidentiality are basic requirements. What’s shared in the group must stay in the group. The only exception is when someone threatens to injure themselves or others.
Definition of Breaking guideline: Telling outsiders what was said or done in group. Gossip disguised as a prayer request. Acknowledging someone on the street as knowing them from Recovery meetings.
Negative Results: Violates trust and safety. Makes members afraid to share risky material.
Goal: Celebrate Recovery is a safe place.
Guideline #5: Offensive language has no place in a Christ-centered recovery group.
Definition of Guideline: Using any foul language. This also includes sharing that may be too graphic. If at any time someone starts to get too graphic in their sharing, please simply raise your hand. If you are sharing when this happens, simply rephrase your sharing.
Goal: to keep this a safe place of respect and not cause one of our brothers or sister’s to stumble with our sharing.
Suggestion: If something is on your mind that you know if too graphic, save that for your sponsor or strong accountability partner to share that with.
If you have ever been in a group where the guidelines were enforced and then go to one where they are not, you really appreciate why they are there.
Keeps the groups safe and the healing rolling!!!
Guideline #1: Keep your sharing focused on your own thoughts and feelings. Please limit your sharing to 3-5 minutes.
Definition of Focusing on Others: Concentrating on others needs and problems. Analyzing their motives and behavior. Asking questions of others. Telling stories about what he/she did.
Negative Results: Helps us avoid our own issues. Makes us observers, not participants. Puts a safe (and lonely) distance between ourselves and others.
Goal: To help us focus on our self and where we are in our own recovery. Keeps us out of Denial. Use I or me statements in sharing. Not You, them or we.
Guideline #2: There is no cross talk please:
Definition: When two people engage in a conversation while someone is speaking. Other examples: laughing when someone shares, talking about someone else’s sharing within your time. Or giving a tissue box or embracing someone in the meeting during share time. (Tears are a part of the healing process). Interrupting people, asking questions. Please no NON CR Literature/books in meetings
• Negative Results: Members fear that they won't be able to finish sharing, that their ideas are not valued, or that they won't get a chance to speak.
• Goals: Listen respectfully to what others choose to share. Each person is free to express feelings without interruption.
• Note: If someone’s sharing touches your heart and prompts an idea, you can express what has been brought to your mind without acknowledging someone else’s sharing.
Guideline #3: We are here to support one another. We will not attempt to "fix" one another.
Negative Results: We are not in a place where we can give advice even if we are professionals. This group is designed to allow free open talk without being analyzed and given feedback from the group.
• Goals: Keeps the focus on ourselves. Share personal needs, feelings, ideas and problems. Also allows the Holy Spirit to do His work.
Guideline #4: Anonymity and Confidentiality are basic requirements. What’s shared in the group must stay in the group. The only exception is when someone threatens to injure themselves or others.
Definition of Breaking guideline: Telling outsiders what was said or done in group. Gossip disguised as a prayer request. Acknowledging someone on the street as knowing them from Recovery meetings.
Negative Results: Violates trust and safety. Makes members afraid to share risky material.
Goal: Celebrate Recovery is a safe place.
Guideline #5: Offensive language has no place in a Christ-centered recovery group.
Definition of Guideline: Using any foul language. This also includes sharing that may be too graphic. If at any time someone starts to get too graphic in their sharing, please simply raise your hand. If you are sharing when this happens, simply rephrase your sharing.
Goal: to keep this a safe place of respect and not cause one of our brothers or sister’s to stumble with our sharing.
Suggestion: If something is on your mind that you know if too graphic, save that for your sponsor or strong accountability partner to share that with.
If you have ever been in a group where the guidelines were enforced and then go to one where they are not, you really appreciate why they are there.
Keeps the groups safe and the healing rolling!!!
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