2009

Bridging the Gap with Unity Workshop

Who are we and why are we here?Three of us are here from

Regional Services – “Fellowship Services Team”

One “shining star” from the Regional Pool

Fill out your Regional Pool Form at:

http://www.norcalna.org

Goals for this Workshop: Examine our Personal commitment to, and

understanding of, Unity and “Our Common Welfare” as NA Members

Look at what relationship our Groups have to “NA as a whole” and how they can contribute toward Unity and Our Common Welfare

Focus in on ways to strengthen Unity and “Bridge the Gap” between Shasta Trinity and River Cities Areas; focusing primarily on two underpinnings of Unity:

• Communication

• Commitment

“Our common welfare shouldcome first; personal recovery

depends on NA unity”

Tradition One

My role as an NA Member:

Narcotics Anonymous is more than just the meetings we attend. We are part of a greater whole. We share an equal membership in NA, and Unity is the spiritual link that joins thousands of members around the world together in a fellowship that has the power to change lives.

My role as an NA Member:One way to look at placing our

common welfare first is to say that each of us is equally responsible for NA’s well being. In our recovery, we have found that living clean is difficult without the support of other members. As individual members rely on support of the Fellowship for survival, so NA’s survival depends on its members.

Large Group Discussion:

1. As an individual Member, what are my responsibilities to NA?

2. How do I place the welfare of

Narcotics Anonymous first?

Large Group Discussion:

3. How can I personally promote unity

within the fellowship?

4. How does my personal recovery

depend on the unity of NA?

What role can our groups play?Our First Tradition encourages not only

our members but also our groups to place our common welfare first. Each group is a strand in the supporting fabric of Narcotics Anonymous as a whole; without that fabric, there would be no NA. The importance of our unity encourages our groups to look to the welfare of the worldwide NA Fellowship as well as their own.

The relationship described in the First Tradition is reciprocal. Groups work together in a spirit of cooperation to ensure the survival of Narcotics Anonymous; in turn, groups receive strength and support from every other group and all our services.

What role can our groups play?

The strength of our mutual commitment to NA creates the unity that binds us together in spite of all

that might divide us.

The common welfare of NA depends on the continued growth and well being of the Fellowship in every

corner of the world.

What role can our groups play?

Large Group Discussion:

1. In what ways can our Groups place the common welfare of the fellowship first?

2. What responsibilities do our groups

share in the unity of Narcotics Anonymous?

1.What commitment do the groups have to the rest of NA Services?

2.What can our groups do to better serve NA as a whole?

3. What part can my Home Group play in the

overall picture?

Large Group Discussion:

Time for us to get real and

“Bridge the Gap”

Brainstorming:One good idea leads to another… good

idea

“NO” and “CAN’T” do not exist!

Creativity has no limits

Be a part of – PARTICIPATE

Think fast and analyze later… judging evaluating, and criticizing are not

brainstorming

Most of All… HAVE FUN!!!!

Ground Rules:

Stay Open Minded

Listen and share the time

Remember to play well with others

Don’t forget why we are here (Unity)!

Stay focused on the subject at hand

Lively conversation is productive

One more time – Avoid Repetition

Remember : it’s important to START and STOP on time

Ground Rules:

NO KICKING, BITING, OR SCRATCHINGALLOWED!!

Ground Rules:

Small Group Process1. Appoint a group Facilitator and a

Recorder

2.Introduce yourselves to each other with:

Your name Your clean date Current service position Your most “memorable”

service moment

3.Select the best “service moment” to report from your table

Communication as part of UnityReports may tell us a lot about what’s happening in other groups or areas, but our common welfare depends on more than just information. True communication involves an effort on our part to “listen” and seek a better understanding of the needs and problems of other groups, wherever they may be. Regular reports, thorough discussion, and active listening lead us to the kind of understanding that helps us find creative solutions that benefit us all.

Today’s decisions may affect tomorrow’s members. When we think of solutions to our current problems, it’s not hard to consider the needs of our group, our area, our region, or even the worldwide Fellowship. But it’s also important to remember the members yet to come to our fellowship. When we work to ensure the vitality of NA, we’re not working just for ourselves but for those yet to join us.

Communication as part of Unity

Communication Exercise :

1. Why is communication with our neighboring area important to our

common welfare?

2. How can we improve communications between our two

areas? – Be specific!

Commitment to our UnityCommitment to our shared sense of purpose is one of the ties that bind us together. When we know that we belong in NA, and when we make a commitment to stay, we become a part of the greater whole. Our sense of belonging is closely related to our degree of commitment to recovery in NA. As groups, the combined strength of that commitment is a powerful force in serving others.

Commitment to our UnityCommitment is a decision supported by our belief in NA as a way of life. Greeting newcomers as they arrive at meetings or giving our telephone number to someone who needs help reflects our decision. Sponsorship, sharing in meetings, setting up chairs before meetings—all these are ways in which we express our commitment. Each member finds a level of service that fits comfortably into a balanced program of recovery.

Commitment Exercise :1. What commitment can we, as

members, make to help bridge the gap?

2. What commitments might our groups make to help bridge the gap?

3. What commitments might our Area Services make to help bridge the gap?

4.(Bonus question) Is there anything Regional Services can do to help bridge the Gap?

Share your groups findings:

Final Thoughts:

Are there any other specific ways to

strengthen the Unity between Shasta Trinity and River Cities Areas?

What today is really about: The unity that supports our common welfare is created not only by working together but also by playing together. Fellowship activities like today’s event provide opportunities for us to relax, socialize with each other, and have fun. We strengthen our sense of community when we share more than just meeting time. Stronger relationships develop as we become more involved in each other’s lives.

ON BEHALF OFNORTHERN CALIFORNIA

REGIONAL SERVICES.

WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY…

THANK YOU