Earth Crisis Support Groups September 21st 2023

Earth Crisis Support Groups

Join us for the September 21st Living Earth Movement Monthly Meeting and be a part of the new Earth Crisis Support Groups.

Join us for an Earth Crisis Support Group and Potluck Party (ECSG) at our monthly Zoom meeting on Thursday, September 21 at 1 pm. John Cobb and Bonnie Tarwater had this idea while John was working on his latest book, Confessions. John asked Bonnie to write the final chapter and appendix. These sections contain the guidelines for the support groups.

Over the summer we have begun a local group in Oregon,New York and one is beginning in San Diego in October. Would you like to begin a group or join one? Come check out how they work. We will run the ECSG on Zoom just like we would in a local setting. I enjoy eating together in person, especially during the ECSG. It’s the perfect time for us to plan actions, organize, and share news sources, ideas, and stories of hope. Please bring a sandwich or something to snack on and we will actually eat together. Eating together strengthens bonds and adds fun to any gathering.

Join us for a meal and feel free to describe a virtual potluck dish when we gather together. ECSG’s gather a group of 6-8 people in peoples homes and we share a potluck party together. We will read out loud the guidelines and actually practice the kind of sharing we do.

Everyone shares for about five minutes two different times around the circle.

First, everyone shares how they are feeling and what is going on with us personally. During the second round, we share our feelings and thoughts about our understanding of what is happening in the world, such as the threat of nuclear war and ecological catastrophes. These groups are based on three small support group models: medical and psychological support groups, Twelve Step meetings, and the early Christian church.

In our support group, we share our similar situations, feelings, and experiences. This helps us build strong connections and not feel alone in our challenges. Like a Twelve Step meeting we share written guidelines at each meeting. Anyone can volunteer to lead a meeting, and newcomers can understand the procedures. It also encourages every group to join the ECSG network for a worldwide movement – a Living Earth Movement!

Together our local groups that join in global actions together. We meet in people’s homes, just like the early Christian church did. We always share a meal together. Every crisis is an invitation for spiritual growth. These local ECSG’s ideally meet weekly and create local community and close relationships.

We are currently experiencing the most serious crisis in the history of humanity. It is the sixth extinction of life on Earth, and it is the only one caused by human beings. Most of us live in denial. We don’t have many places to discuss our feelings and thoughts about the growing crisis on our planet. Too often we fall into paralysis.

Guess what? WE DO NOT HAVE TO BE ALONE. These groups are enjoyable. We eat together and discuss our plans for taking action in the world. We also share reliable news sources and provide support through calls and meetings. The world is chaotic, so let’s have a party! We can share our emotions, build strong relationships, support our local community, and start working together. We want to express our gratitude to the Living Earth Movement for co-sponsoring our event.

Bonnie Tarwater
If you have any questions, ideas, potluck recipes, or if you want to join or start an ECSG, feel free to contact me at (858) 248-5123 or revtarwater@yahoo.com