Genesis Change Group FAQ |
| Saturday, 05 October 2109 11:20 |
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NEW GENESIS CHANGE GROUPS BEGIN Thursday, October 6, 7-9pm (required orientation meeting is Thursday, September 22.) The Genesis Change Group is a safe place where people, willing to risk self discovery and change, come together and learn how to change the behaviors in their lives that weigh them down and make them "stuck." What is the Genesis Process?• Genesis is a Grace based process. A grace based program replaces rules and punishment with choices and opportunities. We treat each other with respect by creating a safe environment that is conducive to healing and taking the risks that are necessary to make the changes in our hearts and behaviors successful. • The Genesis Process and Groups are primarily focused on a New Testament model of recovery which emphasized first changing the heart then the behaviors. • The Genesis Process combines the latest in brain research, psychology, recovery programs, and Biblical truth to help people discover the causes for and bring healing to, destructive behaviors whether they be a critical spirit or a full blown drug addiction. • The basic premise is that every person experiences wounds and hurts that communicate lies about us, God and living life. Our heart believes these, forming false belief systems. These false belief systems then create emotions. These emotions drive our behaviors which are used by our brain to protect us from any similar emotions and pain that we experienced from those original wounds and hurts. Unfortunately, these behaviors usually damage our relationships with others and God. They also create patterns that keep us stuck in those behaviors! These patterns become addictions that trap us, resulting in new wounds and hurts that start the cycle all over again. What is the purpose of the Genesis Change Groups?The purpose of the groups is to provide a safe place where people work together to identify areas of struggle and to provide support and accountability towards both recovery and personal growth which results in freedom to live and do what we were created for. When does it begin?New groups begin in the fall and run through May with breaks for holidays and all church events. A required orientation/informational meeting is held before the new session begins for those who are interested in or committed to the change groups. When does it meet?Thursdays, 7-9:00 pm, starting in October. See calendar. What about the weekly meetings?The meeting will start promptly at 7 pm with 10-30 minutes of instruction on the topic of the week. At 7:30, individual groups of 3-5 people will meet with a facilitator to discuss and apply that week’s process homework completed during the week. The groups will be gender specific. At 9 pm, we will end the formal meeting. Often people hang around to talk, which is really good! How much does it cost?$110 for first timers (includes Core Value Inventory plus all books and materials). Alumni: $45. Partial scholarships available upon request. How important is the homework and attendance?EXTREMELY. The purpose of the groups is to affect change. Since change rarely occurs in isolation, attendance is vital. This is not a class to learn facts. It is a process of discovery using the tools in the Genesis Process that needs others to be involved. So if homework is not complete or you are not there, not only do you suffer but the others in your small group suffer also. In fact, before you commit, be ready to protect this time at all costs! If your schedule will not allow you to miss only one or two times, then you might want to wait until you can dedicate this time to be there. What should I expect?• A safe place of acceptance, understanding, non-judgment, confidentiality, grace and truth. • A group of people who want to see change occur in their lives. They are tired of habits, idiosyncrasies, attitudes, mindsets, being stuck or their addictions! • A group of people who realize that we all alike – we all are broken, carrying the scars of that brokenness. Therefore, we can be ourselves and not have to hide behind our protective masks. • A group of people committed to helping each other change and grow. Honest feedback and insightful questions are used to help us discover and change. • Difficult work – Change is HARD. It is threatening and induces fear. But once you get over the hurdle of being able to accept the fact that you have areas of your life that are (choose one) messed up, screwed up, broken, unhealthy, dangerous, or harmful, you will experience a sense of freedom to explore what they are and how they were created. Exploring is hard work too! You will be thinking and praying and admitting and confessing and forgiving. • Pain – You might find that the discovery of truth about yourself, especially blind spots, is painful. Remembering events can open up the pain once again. But in this context, facing those events and the pains and hurts are the key to healing. The tools in the Genesis Process help you identify lies and false beliefs that continue to feed those pains. If you experience pain, remember that it is the pain of healing! • Learning a new way of thinking – you will begin to use tools that will change how you view yourself and others…they will help you process your feelings, behaviors and reactions in your life. The more you use the tools, the more they will become a part of your thinking. • Freedom – if you are honest with yourself and God and work hard to apply the principles of the Genesis Process, you will find a new freedom that allows you to take steps to trust others and God once again. What is an addiction? I have some behaviors I need to change but I don’t have an addiction…“Continuing to repeat a behavior that you know is harmful to both yourself and others, in spite of negative consequences. Addiction is a loss of control." Using this definition, basically everyone has an addiction to something, from caffeine to cocaine, from sugar to heroin, from anxiety to anger, and so on. It is what you do to cope. "Coping behavior" is another way to describe addiction. Remember: All coping behaviors/addictions primarily do one thing – they push unwanted thoughts, feelings, and memories temporarily out of your conscious awareness. In the Genesis Process, we look at coping behaviors as a “road to the wound”, opportunities to identify what is hurt and then bring truth, hope, and healing to the unconscious pain that is driving the behavior.
What are some of the foundational principles of the Genesis Change Process?1. I Can’t Change Myself Self elevation or self-help wears off. Changed habits and behaviors are temporary 2. The Empty Place – when you come to the end of yourself. There are two types of people: Normal vs ‘Prodigal’ Normal people learn from information. Prodigals learn from experience, therefore treatment must be experiential. We are designed for intimacy and when we have been damaged, we try to find a way to cope. Addictions temporarily anesthetizes awareness and reality of the empty place inside. We all must come to a place where we realize we have an empty place inside that we are trying to fill. And it is not working. 3. I Want To Change But I’m Not Able To!Why do we do the things we don’t want to do? (Romans 7 ) The unconscious part of us makes us do what we don’t want to become. We know what part of us controls this. 4. God Uses Relationships to HealIf we create a safe atmosphere, He will heal. People are the most important safe atmosphere, not programs. People harm us and people heal us. What makes people unsafe for hurting people: judgmental attitude; religiosity; self-righteousness; and superiority. Who we are (attitude and countenance) is more important than what we do. 5. Churches Provide Morals, Values, and RelationshipsThe Church is the only place on earth where these three things take place. Successful recovery rates for addicts involved with churches is 80% vs. 15% recovery rate for those who are not. We must invest our lives in the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven is anything fire cannot burn up, therefore, it’s people. If we don’t invest our lives into eternal values, i.e. people, our lives will be empty. Church people are in as much pain as street addicts. They are just functioning at a socially acceptable level! 6. Long-Term Relationships Heal BrokennessIsolation is essential for relapse. People that continue meeting together using the Genesis Change Group tools after their formal groups are done have dramatically increased their success rates. Programs don’t heal people. It’s one person investing in another. How do I know if I’m ready to make this kind of commitment?You might be ready for a Genesis Change Group if you are…
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I am interested in individual Genesis Counseling...E-mail Diane Manchester at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Genesis Process WebsiteI have read the orientation info - on to registration! I need to read the orientation info! |