Step Study Group - Leader Binder

Step Study Leader Binder

Why create a group leader binder?  There are two reasons.  One is to keep pertinent information at your leaders’ fingertips during step study group.  This provides support to your leaders’ and gives guidance in various situations.  Two; the information included in the binder holds group leaders accountable to the DNA of an authentic CR Ministry.  Creating a binder is a way to convey how your leaders should be leading their step study group. It is important to you and to the overall integrity of Celebrate Recovery. 

Suggested Content  

ITEM	WHERE TO FIND
Step Study Group Format	ALT Handouts Index; M07_01E
Small Group Guidelines with Helpful Phrases	ALT Handouts Index; M08_01A-01C
What’s the Protocol: For Restoring a Celebrate Recovery Relationship?	ALT Appendices Index; A
What’s the Protocol: When a Member Speaks of Suicide?	ALT Appendices Index; B
A way to listen to the 5th step	Email; tinad@saddleback.com
4th step inventory worksheet	ALT Appendices Index; I
Sponsor Pamphlet	Information Index; CR_022
How to write My Testimony	ALT Handouts Index; M05_01
Children’s Program Information, if applicable	Create a handout
Group phone list	Sample Below*

Sample Phone List*

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 “Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively.  If one of them falls down, the other can help him up.  But, if someone is alone, there is no one to help him.  Two men can resist an attack that would defeat one man alone.”
Name	Phone #	Cell #	Email
Tina*	222-222-2222	N/A	tinad@saddleback.com
Karen	111-111-1111	444-444-4444	karen.1@1.nep
Jody	333-333-333	666-666-6666	N/A
The proper usage for this phone list is for group leaders and members to connect with each other during the week.  Do not share the list with those outside the group. Please do not use the group email list for resolving conflict, gaining business referrals, raising support, sending resources outside of CR, political messages, jokes, classifieds, urban legends, and chain letters.  And please use discretion when you need to leave a voice mail message.  Thank you for your cooperation.  (Group Leader*)

Next post to include Newcomer 101 Leader Binder... previous post includes Open Share Group Leader Binder.

Tina Davis

National Training Coach

What to consider when someone is intoxicated

Keeping Fellowship Safe

As Ministry leaders, we are responsible for ensuring that all participants are safe.  More often we think about keeping our groups safe; but what about our time of fellowship?  Celebrate Recovery is unique in that we offer “issue specific” groups for all areas of recovery.  For some, CR fellowship may be the only reprieve he/she has from living with an active drug addict or alcoholic.  The last thing we want is for someone to come, grab a hamburger at the CR barbeque, and have to sit next to an individual who is under the influence. 

We also want to ensure that the individual, who is under the influence, is safe.  This person could trip; fall down a set of stairs, etc… Additionally, having knowledge that someone is intoxicated and then allowing them to stay on campus may be a potential liability to your church.

Here are a few safety tips to use when you become aware that an individual is under the influence.

Ensure two people are tending to the individual.  These two people must be of the same gender as the intoxicated individual.  Do your best to avoid causing a scene.

• Anyone intoxicated should be calmly escorted away from the mainstream area.
• If necessary, inform your campus security. Campus security is often trained in this area and will be a helpful resource.
• If possible, acquire the individual’s car keys. 
• Offer to call a family member/friend to come pick them up.
• Call for a taxi.
• Offer a cup of coffee and wait with them.
• Get their phone number and give them a call the next day and invite them back to CR.  Recovery is not just about ensuring our CR Group is safe, but also to reach out and welcome others who are hurting.

 In the case the person does not relinquish their car keys:

• If possible, obtain their license plate #.
• Let the individual know you will need to inform the police that a driver, you believe to be under the influence, is operating a vehicle. Hopefully this will deter him/her from driving away. 

Keeping the Chemical Addiction Open Share Group Safe

In the case that an individual is already in a meeting, you may consider allowing her/him to stay.  But they should not be permitted to share.  During the guidelines, make this statement, “if anyone has had anything to drink or use today, to keep the group safe, we ask that you not share this evening.  If he/she is being disruptive, your co-leader should calmly escort him/her out of the group.  (Follow safety tips above)

Keeping mix issue group safe 

Our step studies are mixed area of recovery.  How are those trying to focus on workbook questions, going to feel sitting next to someone who is under the influence?  Here again, how safe does someone feel sitting next to someone who is under the influence?  How will an addict in recovery feel?  Will they feel distracted or have the urge to relapse?  In the case of mixed issue groups, have your co-leader calmly escort the individual outside the group.  (Follow Safety tips above.) 

As you’re deciding on the best way to handle the situation, ask yourself, “Is this current situation helping others feel safe?”   

Bonus Question:

“We have a participant attending CR who is struggling with alcohol. For the last 2 months or so they have found help in another area of recovery, however they relapsed two weeks ago and began drinking again. Recently as a leadership, we have decided to ask those struggling with substance abuse to stay with the substance abuse open share until they have had one year sobriety. Is that appropriate?” 

 REPLY:

Asking participants to attend another group is inappropriate.  CR Participants are free to attend whatever meeting they choose.  It is not our role, as a ministry, to dictate what group we think he/she needs to attend.  However, if a participant asks a leader what group he/she recommends he/she should attend, then by all means, a leader may respond honestly based on their experience.  Hopefully, as in all cases, as individuals are ready, he/she will choose the best group.  In this case, the good news is, this individual is attending CR!

Tina Davis

National Training Coach

New Groups and CR Curriculum

I am always excited to hear when a CR is ready to start a new recovery specific open share group. It means, get ready to grow!

To start a new group all you need is a trained leader and co-leader. On the evening you start your new group plan on having the leader share their CR testimony. It is an exciting way to introduce your group and encourage participants to check it out.

Before starting a new open share group, every effort should be made to have your indentified leaders complete the 1st workbook and Open Share training. Then your indentified leaders need to continue working through all 4 workbooks. We also recommend that leaders have at least 1 year of recovery. It is important for the safety of the group. You don’t want to start groups with leaders who don’t get recovery; who are seeking to help “those” people.

The above process will change once you have a step study group up and running. At which time all future leaders should complete a CR Step Study group before starting a new open share group.

I am often asked if CR offers specific curriculum for a particular area of recovery. Celebrate Recovery utilizes the CR Bible, the 4 Participant’s Guides* and the CR Leader’s Guide (25 lessons) for all areas of recovery. In addition, CR runs all open share groups and step study groups the same way. This is a part of the DNA* of an authentic Celebrate Recovery.

I think we can all agree that every area of recovery; food addiction, eating disorders, chemical addiction, co-dependency, sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual addiction, gambling addiction, etc., has their own unique hurts, habits and hang-ups. Our founder John Baker, created the CR curriculum based solely on God’s word, and God’s word applies to all areas of recovery. Each lesson and each question creates movement through the Steps and Principles. In addition, CR is for the entire family. Using the same curriculum provides harmony to families participating in the program together, and prevents any further confusion in an already dysfunctional and hurting home.

God Bless your week,

*Stepping Out of Denial into God’s grace; Taking an Honest and Spiritual Inventory; Getting Right with God, Yourself, and Others; Growing in Christ While Helping Others.

For a copy of *Celebrate Recovery Trademark Agreement; feel free to contact me at tinad@saddleback.com.

Celebrate Recovery Group Phone List

The best use of a group phone list

We recommend that group leaders maintain a phone list in both Open Share Group and Step Study Group. The phone list should consist of someone’s first name only and their phone number, email address as optional.

After your group has been meeting for a few weeks, pass out a blank master list and ask each participant to list their name and info. In Open Share Group this should be optional but encouraged. However, in Step Study Group each individual should be ready to take their recovery to the next level, by seeking accountability.

The only down fall of providing a phone list is that new participants don’t have to step out of their comfort zone to directly ask someone to exchange a phone number. However, the benefits far outweigh this. A phone list shows unity, and it’s convenient for group participants. It’s also a powerful tool to new participants who are learning to reach out to others. Leaders, be sure to announce that you have a phone list at the end of the meeting.

When using a phone list, I recommend noting a usage clause to avoid any misuses of the phone list. Remember, as leaders, the usage clause also applies to you! We must be held to the same standards as our group participants. Just as the 5 group guidelines apply to us so does how we use email.

Think about it:

In most cases emails that are sent out disclose the recipients’ email addresses. This really isn't a problem when the email is exclusive to group members about CR updates. The problem is when an email is not related to CR. For example, sending out a seasonal joke, a person may hit the forward button and send the email addresses attached to it to all of their friends and family. In addition, funny emails may not be funny to everyone. There could be a word with a negative connotation that could hurt someone deeply.

An email usage clause:

The proper usage for this phone list is for group leaders and members to connect with each other during the week. Do not share the list with those outside the group. Please do not use the group email list for resolving conflict, gaining business referrals, raising support, sending resources outside of CR, political messages, jokes, classifieds, urban legends, and chain letters. And please use discretion when you need to leave a voice mail message. Thank you for your cooperation.

Suggested scripture:

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 “Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively. If one of them falls down, the other can help him up. But, if someone is alone, there is no one to help him. Two men can resist an attack that would defeat one man alone.”

Sharing in Open Share Group and Step Study Group

Is passing on sharing OK?

Open Share Groups:

Open Share groups do not require an individual to share. Although we encourage everyone to take a turn and share, we must allow new participants the time they need to build trust. When a participant attends regularly and does not share as a leader invite them to sit with you at your coffee shop and get to know them. Many participants come from a background where he/she were ridiculed anytime they spoke. Encourage him/her to take a baby step. Suggest to the participant to simply share, "I'm glad to be here tonight", and thank you for letting me share." For some it takes hearing their own voice out loud without ridicule to begin opening up for the first time.

Step Study Groups:

When participants join a step study, they are saying they are ready to participant. As a leader, when sharing the expectations for participants, be positive. Discuss the benefits and explain that the format and expectations are all geared towards ensuring the group is safe and productive for everyone. When participants do not share, this causes others to feel unsafe. A participant who is being vulnerable shares and when another does not share it creates uncertainty. In addition, participants will get more out of the program if they write out their answers a head of time. However, if they don’t, they must still share based on what I have explained above. As a leader I would speak individually to those participants who never write out their answers, find out why, and offer to help them. Typically there is specific reason why a participant does not write out his/her answers.

For a leaders script to help you explain step study group expectations see March 6, 2007 posting.