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eMatrimony.org Supporting, Encouraging, and Challenging the WWME Community |
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| Resources - Community Pillar The Encounter Needs You - To Start a Sharing Group Ralph & Karen Lewis (An excerpt from the Spring 1997 Matrimony magazine) For 44 hours on the Weekend, we are transported to a world free of interruptions where we can focus all our attention and energy on ourselves and on our marriage. Then, we are back in "the real world," struggling to keep the excitement of the Weekend alive in our relationship. Without some form of support, much of what we learn on the Weekend is forgotten. The key to keeping it alive is to be part of a sharing group - a group dedicated to sharing their experiences of living the Weekend concepts in everyday life. It is encouraging when we can socialize with couples who share our values. The need for sharing groups was recognized in the beginnings of Marriage Encounter. It is part of the M.E. mission statement. Support for the post-Weekend couple is one of the conditions for giving Weekends in any community. There are two good reasons why couples start up a sharing group. The obvious one is that there is no sharing group available for them to attend. Maybe there aren't any in existence in their area, or perhaps the existing ones meet at a bad time or they are too far away. Another reason is that the couple belongs to a group, but it is not meeting their needs. This can happen, for example, when a sharing group becomes too large and the opportunities for truly intimate sharing are no longer present. Whatever the reason, if you have no adequate sharing group available to you, the thing to do is to start a sharing group of your own. It may seem a formidable task at first thought, but it is basically very simple. To start a sharing group: The last step brings you both benefits and obligations. The benefit is that you can be included in the local M.E. activities. You will know when the Weekends are being presented and you can find out when couples from your area are on a Weekend - couples who can be invited to join your sharing group. The obligations are: These are things that, hopefully, all couples who have experienced the blessings of the Weekend want to do to ensure that these benefits will live on in their own relationship, and will be available to couples who want to attend a Weekend in the future. Don't be afraid to discuss the commitments of belonging to the group. So, now you and some other couples have all agreed that you want to establish a sharing group. What happens on those evenings when you get together? The first and best rule is to keep it simple and focused on the reasons you are there. The Encounter Evening contains an outline for a typical meeting. There are several sources for subject matter that can go into a presentation, but the best presentations are ones based on things that are happening in the presenting couple's relationship currently. [ EDITORS NOTE: Excellent resources for starting a Sharing Group can be found in the Encounter Resource Library (ERL). We suggest starting with the Circle Leaders Handbook, erl.wwme.org/cp/CP3003.doc and Love Spiral – 6 sessions designed to deepen relationships within a Sharing Group, erl.wwme.org/cp/CP3001.pdf ] Now, enjoy your sharing group! We have fond memories of the time we have spent with our own sharing group. We have learned so much from our friends. Sometimes, it is just the knowledge that we are not alone in our struggle that gives us the strength to continue to work on an area that is troublesome to us. Sometimes we are rewarded by a simple "Thank you for sharing that. We have struggled with that issue, too." And often we are challenged by another couple to renew our quest to know each other more deeply through daily dialogue. Click here for a printable page (PDF, 5KB)
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