Thursdays at 1 PM CT
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Meeting ID: 835 6337 0596 Passcode: ThuStep
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1. Introduction
“Good day, my name is _____ and I will be your moderator today. This meeting is for persons who have been victims, perpetrators and/or rescuers in the cycle of violence. This is a Step Meeting of Violence Anonymous. Currently we are reading from “And So We Begin: The Founder of Violence Anonymous Shares a Decade of Experience Working the 12 Steps of VA.” We will begin on page _____. Since we are not sitting in the same room together it may be more difficult to remain engaged in the meeting. Our experience shows that those who remain attentive by listening, sharing, reading or time keeping are those who gain the most benefit. We request that we all do our best to remain engaged during this meeting.”
2. Serenity Prayer
“Will all who care to join me in the Serenity Prayer together:
“God Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
“If you are not sharing, please make sure that your phone is muted.”
3. Read How It Works
4. Member Introduction
“At this time we introduce ourselves by first name only. This is not to embarrass you, but to get to know you.”
Week 1-3: Discussion on the Step reading.
Week 4: Speaker who has worked the Step. Read the step for no longer than 20 min past the hour. Speaker speaks for 7 min. Others speak for 3 min each.
Week 5: Discussion on the Step reading.
5. Read the current step material
Read until approximately 20 minutes past the hour.
“The Paperback and E-Book can be obtained on Store.BookBaby.com and as a Kindle Book on Amazon.com”
6. Online Sharing Guidelines
“We ask that there be no crosstalk and no remarks during another person’s share. Please save questions and comments for the fellowship time after the meeting.
“When speaking, we keep the focus on ourselves by using ‘I’ statements. Please address your remarks to the group, not to any individual.
“Please refrain from: gossip or criticism of other VA members, use of swearing or vulgar language, political or outside issues, and violent fantasies. These can be triggering to others. Our goal is to create a safe space for all to share while online. If we are triggered, we use the tools of VA to return our focus to our powerlessness and to the feelings underneath—especially the feelings that can pull us toward victim thinking.”
7. Sharing
“Now is the time for individual sharing. We encourage everyone to share how they relate to the step reading. We ask that those with experience working today’s step in VA share first.
“Would someone be willing to be timekeeper?”
“Please acknowledge that you have heard the timekeeper give the one-minute warning and say ‘time’ at the end of your share. We are now open for discussion.”
8. 7th Tradition (At 10 minutes before the close of the meeting)
Our 7th Tradition states that every VA group ought to be fully self supporting, declining outside contributions. We pass a virtual basket and ask that you give what you can. The funds are used to pay the expenses of the fellowship.
Contributions may be made on the 7th Tradition page on the website.
9. Tools
Read the Tools Short Form of Violence Anonymous.
“We take the next few minutes of the meeting for each person to share the tools they will use in the upcoming week to avoid playing the victim, rescuer and/or perpetrator.”
10. Sponsorship Acknowledgement
“There are sponsors in VA. If you’re looking for a sponsor, feel free to share that in the chat, after the meeting in the parking lot, in other meetings, or in the VA WhatsApp groups.”
11. Contact Requests
“Now is the time for contact requests. Please state who’s contact info you would like by unmuting or by requesting it in the chat, and we will exchange info after the closing of the meeting.”
12. VA Related Announcements
“Now is the time for both VA and non-VA announcements. First are there any VA announcements that affect this meeting or VA as a whole? Are there any non-VA announcements about tools or outside resources that pertain to VA recovery?”
13. Read or ask a Volunteer to read: Definition of Sobriety in VA
14. VA Anniversaries
Is anyone celebrating an anniversary of months or years of working the steps VA? Is there anyone counting days 1-90?
15. Closing
“The opinions expressed here were strictly those of the person who gave them. Take what you like and leave the rest. The things you heard were spoken in confidence and should be treated as confidential. Keep them within the walls of this room. Talk to each other and reason things out privately with someone else, but let there be no gossip or criticism of one another. Instead, let the understanding, love, and peace of the program grow in you one day at a time. The line will remain open after the meeting for fellowship. Will all who care to join me in the Serenity Prayer?”
16. Contact exchange and fellowship
“Those persons whose contact info was requested can be shared now.”