Welcome Facilitator!

Meeting Order for Life’s Challenges Support Group

6:30pm- Meeting starts

• Opening Prayer/Welcome

• Cell phone policy  

•  Intention statement

• Why we are different from other support groups/Explain meeting order

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 6:35pm- Introduce yourself by saying your first name

• The group will respond with “Hi _______________.

• Then name something you are genuinely appreciative for (can be A/C)

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6:40pm- Positive Memory Share (Groups of 3)

• Group Guidelines (Please follow along while it is being read)

• Thankfulness Scripture (Psalm 107:8-9, Psalm 95:2)

• Feeling Words (can help upgrade your story)

• Focus on the positive, incorporate some senses (like sounds, smells, etc.)

• No splinters or sore spots (example-recent fight with sister)

• 3 minutes each

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6:50pm -Teaching Review/Today’s teaching or testimony

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6:55pm- Confession (Heart place of Humility vs Hostility) 1 John 1:9

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7:00pm- Challenge Share (Groups of 3)

• Gentle reminder- Fix it vs resource recommendations (give resource recommendations to a Crew Member)

• Share what has been hard or challenging for you this week

• My challenge is/Thank you for listening/Thank you for sharing (3 minutes each)

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7:15pm- Hand out Prayer cards/when everyone finished Releasing Prayer

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7:20pm- Consolation (Large Group, 3 minutes max per person)

• Scripture Philippians 4:8

• Share something recently that brought you comfort, hope, encouragement or how you have felt God’s presence or seen how God helped you this week

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7:30pm- Closing Prayer, Fellowship/Personal Prayer Time

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Opening Prayer Life’s Challenges Support Group

 

Glorious Heavenly Father, I ask you to fill this place with your loving presence.

Lord, we come tonight to share our joys and sorrows.

We ask you to make our hearts fertile ground for what you want to plant in us.

Help us to examine our own hearts and not get distracted or diverted from where you want to lead us.

We ask you to help us listen to others with grace and compassion.

Help us to know what our responsibility is and what responsibility is yours.

I thank you that you said “my yoke is easy, and my burden is light”

Help us to trust our hearts and the hearts of others to you, our Gentle Shepard, and Powerful Protector.

In Jesus name, Amen.​

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Cell Phone Policy

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Please turn off the sound and refrain from using your cell phone during our meeting, this includes texting. We understand that there are circumstances where you may feel the need to check your cell phone, please leave the room and then take out your phone to check it. This helps others to be able to focus on the meeting and creates an atmosphere of mutual consideration.

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Intention statement for Life’s Challenges Support Group
 
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 NIV
"Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor
If either of them falls down, one can help them up
But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

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We intend this Christ centered group to be a place where we can share our
struggles in a safe space with others that treat our weakness with
gentleness.
We do not intend to solve your problems. We intend to be in this space with
you as fellow travelers on this journey through life.
Our trust is not in ourselves but in our Lord, the Gentle Shepard that is near
the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18)

Our hope is that you will leave feeling seen and heard. That you will feel
encouraged and gain some practical tools to help you in your life’s journey.

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Why we are different from other support groups

We are different from other support groups because most support groups focus on problems, the upsetting and negative things that are going on in the lives of the participants.

 

Our support group uses Christ centered principals confirmed by research in the field of Neuroscience to help participants as they navigate through the challenges they are facing. We do this through supportive community, prayer and learning effective life tools to use in difficult circumstances.

Explain meeting order

Our meeting order is intentionally formatted based on Biblical principles and discoveries by neuroscientists that show how our brains work best.

 

Research shows that we naturally have more capacity and resilience when we live in a rhythm of connection with people that have the capacity to be supportive regardless of our physical or emotional state and then have a time of rest before we move back to connection.

 

This rhythm can be observed when an emotionally regulated mom allows her baby to turn away and take a break when they are engaging in joyful interaction. She recognizes the cues from her baby when after a period of rest the baby is ready to connect again.

 

Brain scans show that what neuroscientist call the Joy Center of our brain light up when we engage with someone that is glad to be with us.

 

We thrive when we can flow in what some call rhythms of joy and quiet. 

 

We begin our meeting with introductions and sharing appreciation. This encourages connection. We build capacity by sharing positive memory stories. Then we glance for a short time at our challenges (15 minutes at the most). We end our meeting with sharing what has been comforting, encouraging, hopeful, or perhaps sharing how we felt God’s presence or have seen how God helped us this week.

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Thankfulness Scripture Life’s Challenges Support Group

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Psalm 107:8-9
"Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love
   and his wonderful deeds for mankind,
for he satisfies the thirsty
   and fills the hungry with good things."

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Psalm 95:2
"Let us come before him with thanksgiving"

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​Silent Confession

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