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HOST YOUR OWN FINDINGbalance GATHERING
With our new Lesson Store, anyone can watch FINDINGbalance Gatherings in the privacy of their own home. But our greatest desire is to see these lessons being learned in the context of community, because that is where the real healing can happen. That means people like you facilitating groups in your own local area.
Do you feel called to bring God’s truth to those who struggle with eating and body image issues? Do you feel you are in a season of your life to do so? If so, our Fb Gathering Facilitator membership is designed to equip passionate individuals to facilitate community and discussion to cut through the lies of our culture and walk in freedom from food.
Become an “Fb Gathering” Facilitator for the low monthly fee of just $5.99/month*
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP
What Your Membership Includes
- Free listing for your group on our Find a Group page.
- Free Leader Guide with each lesson download (non-Facilitators cannot access these).
- Access to Facilitator Central which includes important forms to use with your group (i.e. Group Guidelines, Facilitator Guidelines, Informed Consent, Confidentiality and Suicide Agreement forms, and promotional tools including customizable flyers, PowerPoint slides, church bulletin copy and email language to help promote your group.
* $5.99 monthly fee is in addition to the price per lesson, which typically ranges from $1.99 to $2.99, with a few freebies thrown in for good measure. This means that a facilitator hosting 2 groups a month (every other week) will spend about $10 a month total, including lessons and monthly service fee. Facilitators meeting every week will spend about $16.
Seven Steps to Starting Your Group
- Sign up to become an Fb Gathering host.
- Determine a location, time, and dates. Tell us what they are by clicking “add/update info” tab in Facilitator Central and we’ll add them to the directory on our site.
- Find someone to help you facilitate the group and share the load of administrative and ministry details.
- Promote, promote, promote! Click the “promo tools” tab inside Facilitator Central and access our downloadable flyers, bulletin copy and more.
- A day or two before each week’s group, visit the Lesson Store and download your lesson. Select from new offerings or pick topically from our archive. Lessons range from $1.99 - $2.99 each. Some lessons are free. Pricing is noted next to each lesson title.
- Play the video and use the Discussion Sheets and Leader Guide at your gathering to create a directed spiritual growth group and a safe place for growth and recovery.
- Pray, pray, pray! Ask God to protect your group, to draw those who need to come, to guide your words and to give you His strength and wisdom as you lead. As your group grows, commit to praying for each member, and invite participants to do the same. The content we provide is good, but it is God's presence in your group that does the true healing work.
Try Before You Buy... view our sample session, complete with discussion sheet and leader guide. Once you sign up, you’ll be able to access our “weekly lessons” page in “Facilitator Central” which will list out each week’s lesson from newest to oldest, giving you complete freedom to choose what you’d like to see.
Who Can Lead
On the Practical Side
Anyone who feels called to lead others into freedom from eating and body image issues, is aware of their own brokenness, and can lead from a place of humility and respect for the others in the room. Leaders should be self-starters, willing to ask for help, resourceful in promoting their groups, respectful of stated times and guidelines, and in a healthy place with their own personal growth journey. While there are counselors and clinicians who lead Fb groups, due to the “spiritual growth” emphasis of our programs, professional credentials are not required.
On the Spiritual Side
As a Christian organization, our program content is based upon Christ-centered, biblical principles. While sessions are not designed to be church services, scriptural principles are often incorporated and most guests will be speaking from a Biblical world-view. Because of this, a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is a key factor for those seeking to lead an Fb group. That said, we frequently have participants who may or may not subscribe to Christianity and/or other faiths, and being a Christian is not a prerequisite to attending or in some cases leading a group. Just be aware that each week will raise new questions answered by God’s word.
Male vs. Female
Fb groups are typically for women, led by women. This provides a sense of safety among members who may have had negative experiences with men. From time to time program content will feature male speakers, but it is generally encouraged that the facilitator team include at least one woman. (Note: Down the road we look forward to releasing a new study format designed by men, for men. More on that in a couple years…)
Am I Ready?
Before launching a group of your own, it’s important to know this is the right step for you. While we can’t control who hosts groups, we do want to help give guidance as you make this important decision.
If you are already a small group recovery leader, we encourage you to dig deep and be honest with yourself as to whether you’ve got room on your plate to add another thing. If so, great! If not, we invite you to give yourself permission to take a break.
If you are one of the many folks we hear from who have struggled with eating issues (or another addiction) and want to know if it’s ok for them to lead a group, consider whether you can agree with the following statements:
- I can focus on others because I have honestly dealt with my past and understand the effect my own eating issues/addictions have had on me and others.
- I have developed the ability to manage my own emotions, tolerate any distress they may bring, and remain in thatistress long enough to allow the Lord to do the necessary work in me (1 Cor. 1-3-7).
- I understand and have experienced personal redemption and am willing to share my own story of brokenness, redemption and hope.
- I will refrain from rescuing others from painful and difficult emotions and model a tolerance for God’s activity in the lives of others without my interference.
If you have trouble agreeing with any of these statements, then we encourage you to wait a little before jumping into group leadership. That doesn’t mean you can’t help get a group going, but you may want to remove yourself from the lead-facilitator role. There is no shame in this. There is always time to continue growing personally and walking in the direction of leadership as your group (and your own recovery) develops.
Got more questions about how it all works? Click here to access our FAQ sheet.
Closed-Group Option:
Interested in hosting a closed group with a set curriculum you can purchase ahead of time for the whole course? Click here to find out more about our Finding Balance with Food 12-week small group tool.