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How to Prepare a Share Group Presentation – Just the Basics

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Preparation:
Plan ahead and allow time to prepare. Depending on the topic this may be a couple of days, a couple of weeks or even a month or more. Choose any topic that has had, or is having, an affect on you in your relationship options might include things like:
· A bible verse.
· A book you are reading
· A course you have attended.
· Looking at how your family is changing (births, deaths, illness, graduations, children leaving for school, birthdays, vacations, new job, loss of job, job promotion, financial review, adding a pet, etc.)

Agree on the focus or main point you want to make in your presentation. Make a brief outline of points to cover. This is just something basic for the two of you to follow that personalizes the topic and makes it meaningful for the two of you. The outline might include:
· Introduce topic and why you chose it
· Each tell how your past personal history may have formed your opinions and/or behaviors about the topic
· Share some of the discussions you have had about the topic
· Each share on any opinion and/or behavior awareness or changes you have made because of what you have learned
· Share any changes you are trying to make along with successes and failures to make the changes
· Remember to include your feelings and a Dialogue or compilation of Dialogues too explain hw you have used the tools ot Marriage Encounter to enhance how you have dealt with the topic.

Each write your portion of the outline and mesh them together.  Do not be disturbed or surprised if the first thing you write needs to be changed, shortened, or completely rewritten for whatever reason. This is not an unusual aspect of writing to an outline. Give yourselves time to make a revision or two and do not let pride or lack of writing skills deter you. Time your presentation and try to keep it between 15 and 20 minutes as a general guideline.

Practice reading your presentation together a couple of times and be open to making some last minute changes. Doing this “practice” reading will help you to be more comfortable with what you have to say and to working with each other in giving the presentation.

Decide on some dialogue questions to give after your presentation. Decide if you want the sharing question to be the same as the dialogue question or something different. You may want to go to your presentation prepared with a sharing question different than the dialogue question and give the Share Group the option to share on either the sharing question, the dialogue question or both.

Some suggestions to use while preparing this presentation:
· Remember to focus on feelings. That is what makes your presentation come “alive” and relate-able to others.
· Use “I” statements when describing your feelings.
· Take time outside of dialogue with your spouse to reflect on your topic sharing thoughts and judgments as well as feelings.

The presentation is not limited to sharing your feelings. The first paragraph may be an introduction of your topic explaining why you chose this topic for your presentation. Each of you might state personal opinions, past history, what you learned from looking at the topic together. You might want to finish the presentation sharing any decisions you have made to use what you learned. One suggestion is to not make your presentation sound like you have “arrived” unless you truthfully have made some profound change in your lives. It seems to be better accepted when you share how you are working to make any adjustments and to include how you are trying to overcome any setbacks or failures you have experienced.

Evening Format and Presentation Outline
I. Opening Prayer, Business and Relationship Check-in (10 to 30 minutes for regular sharing groups)
Use business time to discuss plans for inviting couples to the upcoming WWME Weekends in your area. Make sure notices about the Weekend are in the parish bulletins. Be creative about inviting others to the Weekend. Discuss hosting procedures and responsibilities. Discuss how you can support the WWME Community and upcoming gatherings.

II. Presentation Introduction (One spouse, 1 minute)

III. Husband and Wife Sharing

IV Dialogue (10/10)
(For new members of your group, you might want to explain that they will have ten minutes to write and ten minutes to dialogue with their spouse. A sharing time will follow.)

V. Sharing (allow 1-3 minutes for each person to share)
If there are new members to your group, or if it has been a while since your group has talked about sharing guidelines, this may be a good time to review some guidelines for sharing.

Suggestions for sharing guidelines:
· What is shared is in confidence and not repeated outside of the meeting.
· Sharing is voluntary in regular sharing groups.
· Spouses do not have to follow each other in sharing.
· When someone is sharing, there should be no comments from anyone else. Jokes, sympathy and advice can inadvertently intimidate others.
· Each person’s sharing should be focused on the proposed topic and not longer than a suggested time, maybe 2-3 minutes.

Sharing Question: Share on the dialogue question, or an alternate question you have prepared.

VI Refreshments and Socializing!
This should be enjoyable for everyone and not a traumatic stress for the hosts? Keep it simple and continue to get to know each other.