Dallas Oregon ECSG every Sunday 5-7 pm pst call Bonnie for info
Guidelines for Earth Crisis Support Group and Potluck Parties (ECSG) , updated 9/2024
“Don’t think a small group of people can’t change the world. It is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead
Reader #1 Welcome to our Earth Crisis Support Group and Potluck Party (ECSG). Our group has gathered to develop close relationships. Creating community is the most important preparation for future crisis. We are facing the worst existential crisis the human family has ever known, the 6th extinction of life on earth, the only one created by us humans. Many of us live in denial or fear and many of us do not have enough people to share our feelings and thoughts. ECSG’s meet and share a meal together which is the key that creates community. These local gatherings draw upon three group models including psychological support groups, Twelve Step meetings and the early Christian church who shared a weekly meal in people’s homes. We begin like a Twelve Step meeting reading aloud these written guidelines enabling any newcomer to understand and fully participate and for anyone to be the meeting leader.
Reader #2 ECSG guidelines enable us to become a planetary network to organize and create actions and we encourage new groups and no previous experince in group facilitation or membership is necessary. There are no fees to form or join a group and if you would like to make a tax deductible donate go to the website. We ask that two volunteers now agree to either be the leader and or the time keeper. Ideally, the weekly leader and time keeper are rotated each week and can be taken on by newcomers for the suggested script is at the end of these guidelines. Until the group has about seven members who attend weekly all members are needed to invite new members. Each week everyone offers uninterrupted sharing for three minutes if the group is about seven people. (Please make adjustments for more or less people.)
Reader #3 The first time around the circle is a check in on how we are feeling and what is going on with us personally. The second time we share our feelings and thoughts about our understanding about what is happening in the world. If we do not know how we feel and have nothing to say we sit in silence. Shared silence can be meaningful. During dinner we share about projects we are doing or want to do and ask for support and ideas as we enjoy open conversation. Everyone can bring a sack lunch, order a pizza or whatever you need to make the food work for your group. As we eat dinner, we share stories of hope and dreams and visions of a loving joyful future of ecological civilization. We commit as a group to learn together what is happening in our world and while we eat together, we share credible and reliable news sources. The four sections include; 1. Personal sharing, 2. Sharing about our feelings and thoughts about what is happening in the world, 3. Open conversation and potluck party ending with a brief check out sharing how we are feeling, how we felt about the group, one short story, dream, image or idea about joy, hope or love and one action item toward this vision in the next week. The Leader begins this third sharing by twenty minutes before the hour to keep the meeting and dinner no longer than two hours. 4. Clean up with dancing.
Reader #4 The leader will announce the four times of group sharing. We hold four one-minute periods of prayer, silent meditation, song or ritual in between sharing and after the closing of the dinner portion before clean up and dancing. Group guidelines include; 1. We agree to share our feelings and thoughts about our understanding of our planetary crisis including ecologic, economic, social, political breakdowns, the risk of nuclear war and increasing ecological catastrophes. 2. Everyone is invited to share without being interrupted and promises to listen deeply and in love. 3.Before the potluck there is no cross talk, meaning we do not comment on what other people have shared, and we refrain from interrupting people except to ask clarifying questions. 4. Everything shared in the group is kept in confidence. 5. We encourage “I” statements. If you do not know how you are feeling or have nothing to say, the group will sit with you in loving silence.
Reader #5 6. Commit to loving everyone in the silences as well as in conversation and send a silent mantra and blessings to everyone as they share repeating silently, “I love you, I love you, I love you.” During the speakers silence they think of more they would like to say. 7. Everyone helps to clean up and plays music to sing and dance together while cleaning. 8. If there is a conflict in the group, we set aside a separate time solely for a discussion about the issue or conflict but not during the two-hour ECSG format. We schedule a time for the group to discuss the issue after a meeting or another agreed upon time. All information about the issue is shared and everyone is invited to speak about their ideas and feelings. Usually, a wise solution is revealed naturally in this manner. ECSG’s offers experienced group leaders available for consultation when requested. 9. The time keeper will pass around a sign in sheet and will keep a current members contact list and make copies or email the list to the group. Everyone agrees to give and receive support to one another in-between meetings. Leader, please begin by giving invitation for first one minute prayer, song etc. before first round of sharing now.
Possible promotes for the Leader or use your own words.
One Minute Prayer, Song etc Leader: We now ask for a volunteer to offer a one-minute prayer, silent mediation, song or ritual. (This is offered before each section and before clean up.)
First Sharing: We now will begin sharing for three minutes how you are feeling and what is going on with you personally.
Second Sharing: It is now time to share what is your understanding some of the important things that are happening in the world and how you are feeling about them.
Third Sharing before dinner: It is now time to eat together. Please someone offer a blessing for our food.
Sharing before clean up Leader: Thank you everyone for sharing and it is now time to begin a short check out without cross talk. Please take only a minute to share a hope, joy or love, how you are feeling, how you felt about our group and one commitment of an action item you would like to make for the week. (After sharing.) We ask for volunteers now for the needed tasks including: dish washing, drying, putting away dishes, putting food away, clean counters, make coffee and tea, DJ of music. We suggest these jobs are rotated so everyone can learn each task.
Time Keeper The time keeper uses their timer on their iPhone or other method. Generally, about three minutes of sharing for a group of 6-8 will enable the group to be completed in two hours.
The leader and time keeper will alert the group when it is about twenty minutes before the end of the group making it time to check out in order to begin clean up enabling the group to be completed in a two-hour period. Example if you begin at 5 pm you would have the checkout by 6:40 pm in order to finish clean up at 7 pm.
If or when people go overtime in their sharing the Leader is encouraged to name this and say something like, “Please finish your thought for your time is up and thank you sharing.
Tax deductible donations can be made Our Common Home, www.ourcommonhomecounselingcenter.org If you want to begin a new group contact Rev. Bonnie Tarwater, (858) 248-5123, revtarwater@yahoo.com