Home Groups

Here are some things to consider before starting. The home group is not necessarily a circle although the round physical shape is nice for the obvious reasons.

Always start anything in the name of spirit, by a blessing in prayer, this is for protection of the group and only good manners when we expect help from the spirit world. Thanks afterwards bring a meeting to a close with the right thoughts to carry home too.

1. PURPOSE. One way of starting a group is to think of a local need that is not being provided, such as healing for example, a purpose in fact.  

Specific healing for the individual can be direct 'hands on' or absent through prayer alone, whereas only absent healing is possible for a more general situation or place.

A HEALING group might start with the prayer and meditation with the focus on one person or group for the energies to be directed towards, this can be a known ill friend, or group such as a government going through a bad time [war], or even a whole country after a disaster. Leading in prayer with a given time for each subject and the absent healing to go out is quite nice.

Politics is a touchy subject so we need to make it clear this is for healing from spirit not from ourselves wanting to push in any direction that might be personal.

2. MEDITATION is a good reason to from a group; this is using the power of the whole to advance the many. Seems a bit strange? Think about it for a moment, there is a saying from the Bible ‘where two or three are gathered…’ 

In a meditation group again we need to have some planning, the set period of, say, fifteen minutes and then a break is to allow for the beginner to build up the ability to sustain the discipline needed – an hour is the period the Quakers take for their meetings, a useful guide, but as I say build up to this over the weeks.

Meditation on it’s own is serving the spirit in their teaching, but can be boring if all are not wishing for this, so start off by asking what is each individual request.

3. PHILOSOPHY Are you going to have ‘speaking / philosophy’ during the meditation or total silence, and then the ‘giving’ or ‘exchange of thoughts’ part of the meeting later?

This I would say at first would be best separate, then when up to an hour in time, each may stand and ’give’ thoughts inspired from the spirit as they come. A word of caution here, the leader needs to be aware of the member who likes to talk more than the shy person. Balance is the key.

4. Is COMMUNICATION part of the purpose? It does not have to be, for example one person might be hoping to give, as in an open circle, while another would prefer to develop the ‘over-shadowing’ or inspiration part of mediumship philosophy.

5. DEVELOPMENT and the exchange of experiences after the silence is good for build up of confidence and we all need that, just be sure the group is amenable with the general idea of the different kinds of exchange in ideas.

6. TEACHING FORM SPIRIT All of the spiritual gifts, healing, demonstrating, and philosophy together with spiritual teaching can be incorporated into a group, thus making a good balance, and this should be made clear if preferred from the outset. 

7. HOW LONG? A time limited or open-ended group needs to be decided too, as people have commitments and need to come and go.

Otherwise a natural breaking up when circumstances change can be disturbing for some, with maybe a feeling of failure, [not good.]

We can always stop and start again with a different purpose later being brought foreword, giving opportunity for members to come and go without guilt.

 In conclusion

The home group is the way forward where there is a need, so sort out your needs, fix a time to suit all, and duration for a re-assessment so boredom can't set in - and off you go!

Remember to start and end with prayer, find out what each person would like to do, have a plan, and be adaptable, spirit guides and helpers are waiting in the ‘wings’ for you to step forward … God Speed!