Step 1 - Admit

We admit we are powerless over our addictions, brokenness and sinful patterns – that in our own power our lives are unmanageable.

Foundation 1

“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.” (Romans 7:18)

Key Theme

Realize your need for help.

Remember

There is hope for you – even in your brokenness – because God loves you, and the Bible has a plan for your healing.

Note:

• If a coach is launching the group with two co-leaders, plan out who will lead different parts of the agenda, so as to share as a team. For example, one co-leader could open in prayer, facilitate participants getting to know each other, and the other co-leader could share next week’s assignment, distribute prayer cards and close in prayer.

Things to Remember

• The daily curriculum for the steps requires more time than Groundwork. Check to see how they are doing. Remind them to work on recovery daily. Each day’s work is an opportunity to connect with God.
• People may be struggling daily with addiction. Be patient with them. Pray for them.
• You are still working to establish trust. Continue to live authentically yourself to build trust by sharing your answers and what God is showing you.
• Confess, confess, confess. Be vulnerable and open with your own life (not only of the past recovery, but of today).
• You will not have time to go through all of the questions for each day for each participant. Pick a few focus questions for the group time.

Group Agenda

Attendance - Take attendance as participants arrive.

Begin the Group

• Welcome everyone and open with prayer.
• If you haven’t already, co-leader shares 5-minute recovery mini testimony. You can do this either at beginning or at the end of the meeting.

Group Discussion

• Remind the group of the Group Discussion Guidelines and the purpose behind them: to build trust, to honestly share and to learn to listen without fixing others.
• Give an overview of Step 1, ADMIT.
  
  • Asking the group to turn to the first page of the Step 1, and for someone to read out loud Step 1 and Foundation 1 (Romans 7:18).
  • Share the Key Theme of this week - Realize your need for help.
  • This week helps us remember to:
    • Admit we are powerless to manage sin.
    • Realize there is hope – even in brokenness – God loves you, and the Bible has a plan for your healing.
    • Come out of hiding and accept help. Encourage them that they have begun this step by being here.
  • Point out The Extra Mile Memory Verse in the side bar (1 John 1:8). Share that we will be focusing on memorizing the Foundation Verses, but if they could increase their knowledge of God’s word by going the extra mile and applying both verses to their lives.
• Check with the group how it went doing the daily lessons.
• Focus discussion on questions from Day 6, which are designed to bring out what God is using in the lives of each participant.
  • Remind them to keep sharing brief so all can share who want to share. Participants can share randomly or go around the circle and allow people to pass.
  • As you are doing the homework, ask God what specific questions to ask the group. Possible other questions to focus on:
    • Day 3, Question 6: Why did you come to re:generation? Describe the tipping point, or “bottom,” that brought you to recovery.
    • Day 2, Question 4: When you were growing up, did your family have hidden secrets? If so, what were they? How did your family try to hide secrets?
  • Have participants turn to Appendix C on page 111. These supplemental lessons are for anyone who may be dealing with the pain of abuse. Encourage any of your participants to complete these additional questions after they have completed the entire step. The abuse lessons are a complement to the step lesson, not a substitute for them. There are supplemental lessons on abuse for each of the 12 steps.

Encouragement for Participants

• Give God a year to transform your heart and life. Start by simply giving God 30 minutes a day to connect with him while you work on your lesson.
• Follow-up with one another this week with your prayer cards. This is a way to provide needed encouragement and support through prayer.
• Remind participants to fill out the Participant Growth Survey accessed by the QR code on the page adjacent to the Step 1 Overview this week. This survey allows participants to track their spiritual growth through Re:generation and helps the ministry improve.

Close in prayer

After the Group

• Discuss the group dynamics in general.
  • Are people trying to get to know each other?
  • Did people have work completed before the meeting?
  • Who seems quiet or disengaged? If this continues next week, connect with them after the meeting to check in with how they are doing, making sure they know how valuable it is for you to hear from them too.
  • Did anyone talk about any abuse? If so, and this seems to be the biggest presenting concern, plan to connect with them privately. This is an ongoing area to be on the lookout for in your group so you can shepherd them well.
• Decide who will do what for next week’s agenda.

Encouragement for the Leaders

• Set the tone with your own confession and honesty; vulnerability breeds vulnerability. Confess, confess, confess! This creates the tone that you have not arrived and are in recovery alongside them.
• Remember: God is the one who changes people – it’s not up to you.
  
• Pray for your group members individually by name.
• Lead your group by example. How are you doing with spending time doing the devotionals and engaging with God?