Your New Chronic Illness Small Group: Who Is Invited?
by Lisa Copen
As you begin to decide on the logistics of your support group, one of the first things to consider is who you would prefer to actually attend.
For example:
- Will this group before men, women, adults, and/or teenagers?
- Can you see your group being helpful for those who have just been diagnosed as well as people who have lived with an illness for decades?
- Will the group help seniors who live at home independently as well as seniors who live in assisted living facilities?
- Don’t forget about the many people who live by themselves, plus, those who have large families.
- Will your group be an encouragement for those who depend on an employed caregiver, as well as those who have volunteer caregivers such as family members?
- Will the group serve people who have very limited abilities and are bedridden a great deal of time, as well as those who are able to work full-time outside the home? People’s abilities will vary to the extreme and perhaps change frequently.
- Will you try to offer encouragement to parents who have young children at home, as well as those with adult children?
- Will you support groups seek to encourage those who are financially blessed and those who are trying to survive on disability assistance?
- Do you feel comfortable serving those who live with a chronic illness themselves but are also a caregiver for someone such as for an aging parent or an autistic child?
- When considering if your small group will have a Christian foundation, are people of any religious background welcome to check it out?
- Would you prefer your group to have open membership, where people can join at any time, or would you rather have just certain times of the year new people can become members?
As you can see from the list above, there is no such thing as “typical” when it comes to describing the lifestyle of those with illness.
You may encounter a woman who has had multiple sclerosis for twenty years, but who has just recently began to use a wheelchair. She is grieving the loss of her mobility and the frustration of feeling like people don’t treat her the same. She feels as though she has coped well with this disease for many years, but the recent loss of more of her abilities that defined her independence are causing her to go through a great deal of depression.
And sitting across the room you may find a woman in her seventies who has only recently discovered that she has a chronic illness and it is quickly changing her lifestyle! She is not one bit happy about going from being an active gal who felt 50 to nearly being home-bound. She is grieving the loss of abilities, especially her independence, especially since up until recently she was still able to drive safely.
Another point worth noting: As the facilitator, you have the ability to decide who you feel most comfortable inviting to your support group, and setting some healthy boundaries. Do not ever put yourself into the position where you feel you are outside of your comfort zone in an unwholesome way. For example, many women tend to lead within only groups since the subject matter can sometimes lead to conversations filled with vulnerabilities and intimacy, and it may not be the place to expose one’s emotions in a group where the divorce rate is already skyrocketing.
As you are leading your group you don’t worry about specifically addressing every situation that has been mentioned above, however, it is vital to keep in mind the variety of backgrounds and experiences that those who are attending your group bring with them when they enter the room.
By understanding not only their history, but also their personality, and how they best hope with their disease, you will have an improved capability to encourage them and find where their strength lay so that they in turn can encourage others.
Lisa Copen is the founder of Rest Ministries and National Invisible Chronic illness Awareness Week, as well as the author of Why Can’t I Make People Understand? If you are a small group leader or thinking of starting a group, don’t miss Lisa Copen’s new book, “How to Start a Chronic Illness Small Group Ministry.” Over 300 pages with step-by-step instructions on how to write a vision statement, promotion and attendance tips to what to do when everyone just vents your whole meeting. Discover hundreds of resources at Rest Ministries .
Popularity: 1% [?]
