Attend, Listen, Watch, & Read
Show Up & Serve
When I first began attending 12 step meetings and going to church I was overwhelmed. Why was I here? Who are these people? I had many questions. There were phrases, traditions, customs, and mannerisms to learn and understand. I had to learn new vocabulary. There was a lot to understand that required regular attendance. To be a part of something involves regular participation.
Feeling a part of...
Infrequent attendance can reduce the feeling of belonging. Regular attendance can improve our awareness and understanding of all that is happening with those in the group and help build connections with others. Relationships and knowledge of group experiences build with attendance and participation. When we miss we may feel out of touch because... we are out of touch. Attendance is the beginning of getting to know other people in the group and so much more.
Serve
Part of the process in committing to a group is the willingness to help the group. No one is paid to run the group. It requires volunteers to exist. Once a decision is made to commit to the group, taking on a service commitment can help. The group is a community created to help each other. Phase one is often on the receiving end of guiding and learning, but each of us can still find ways to be helpful. Cleaning, setting up, and welcoming others can help us better understand the spiritual values within service. All that is needed is some humility and willingness.
Keep Coming
Information can be overwhelming in the beginning. For most of us, our minds are limited to how much it can learn at one time. A list of 20 items can be too much to take home and remember. Over time with regular attendance and participation we can learn many new ideas. As we attend consistently we will be taking home less and less new information.
Over time many of us can sense a desire for more. More experience with God's character and working out internal cognitive struggles will be required to continue growing.
Raise the Bar
Our continued growth can be limited upon our willingness to step up and raise the bar. If we are not willing to raise the bar and continue to improve, we probably won't. It's not up to the group to challenge us, it's ultimately up to ourselves to step up and take new action.
Moving from regular attendance into Phase Two, Three, etc. is to begin thinking and seeking how we can better put God's will into action beyond regular attendance. In Phase Two we can seek to grow spiritual character within our hearts and minds through more active learning.
Let's avoid passive learning. We will need to challenge ourselves further for continued growth.