Classic Program: Starter Facilitator Handbook for Healing Groups

Bottles under water If time allows, do this after the listening skit to demonstrate the effects of keeping our pain inside. Find a space outdoors. Get a basin full of water and five or six empty water bottles. Each bottle represents a pain. Have everyone gather around and talk about the different pains as you put each bottle in the water. Try to hold all the bottles under water at the same time. This takes a lot of energy, in the same way that keeping pain inside takes a lot of energy. We are not able to pay attention to things like sermons, school, work, and so forth. Now let the bottles surface and say, “We need to let the pain out to heal.” Tips 1. Use the breathing exercise as time allows—for example, at the end of the day or after a break. See page 68 if this is not in your edition of HWT . 2. Translating “trauma”: If participants will be ministering in languages other than the language of the session, take time to ensure that they all know how to say “trauma” in those languages. “Heart wound” works in many languages. Read Psalm 109:22: “I am poor and needy; I am hurt to the depths of my heart.” Ask: • How would you say this verse in your language? • How can you express the concept of trauma in your language? Time-savers Bring out how traumatized people behave from the story discussion. Top up anything missing from Section 2B in that discussion and skip that section later. Art expression exercise Take an hour to do the art expression exercise (Orientation: 5–10 min; Draw: 20–30 min; Share: 25 min; Debrief: 5 min). For the sharing time, form small groups of those who would like to share. Use the two questions at the end of Lesson 2. This can be a very powerful experience, so encourage everyone to keep silent so they do not disturb others. They may want to spread out to be alone while drawing.

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Classic Program Facilitator Handbook