HOME ABOUT US SITE MAP PARTNERS ARCHIVES SERVICES VOLUNTEERS SOCIAL MEDIA

Simple Living 101: Discussion Groups

OUR MAIN RESOURCES ARCHIVES Audio/Visual ARCHIVES

CONTENTS

4: *Discussion Groups 57

4 – Discussion Groups

325

Different Kinds of Discussion Groups

Small groups are usually groups that meet in churches to discuss a topic of common interest, such as parenting, usually for a fixed number of meetings.

A simplicity circle is a small group that meets regularly and focuses specifically on voluntary simplicity, usually on an open-ended basis (no fixed number of sessions). NOTE: Simple Living Works! Podcast Episode 15 :: Author Cecile Andrews, Champion of Simplicity Circles

An accountability group meets regularly to discuss a variety of personal topics, such as money, on a confidential basis. Members usually make certain pledges to which the group holds them accountable.

A book discussion group meets to discuss a book – a classic or a new title – which all members are to have read before the meeting.

A learning and action group meets to study an issue and then do something about it, such as writing letters to Congress about world hunger.

A support group meets regularly to discussion the issues of its members, with or without a study guide.

Learning/Action Guides or Study Guides are books that include a group of questions for each chapter to stimulate discussion and action, or that include a study outline, i.e. goals for each session.

to the top

“10 Tips” Discussion Series

Select a list of “10 Tips” based on the season of the year: Christmas, Easter or other. Read the entire list aloud. Then discuss each item. Use the “Guidelines for Change: How to Influence Others,” pp. 5-6, in the same way.

These discussion items may be photocopied.

10 Tips for a Simpler, More Meaningful Christmas

1. Plan ahead. Instead of going on autopilot the day after Thanksgiving, hold a family meeting to decide what the group really wants to do and who’s going to do what.

2. If you need a symbol for giving (in addition to Jesus and the Three Wise Ones), learn about St. Nicholas. Santa Claus has been completely taken over by commerce.

3. Avoid debt. Refuse to be pressured by advertising to overspend.

4. Avoid stress. Give to yourself. Eat correctly, exercise, get enough sleep and strengthen yourself spiritually. Don’t assume that things have to be the same way they’ve always been.

5. Draw names rather than everyone giving something to everyone else in your giving circle. Set a ceiling for each recipient. Give children ONE thing they really want, rather than so many gifts. If need be, pool funds.

6. Give appropriate gifts. Get to know the recipient. Give what they want to receive, not what you want to buy.

7. Give alternative gifts. Give 25% of what you spent last year to the needy… individuals or groups locally, nationally or internationally.

Buy crafts and clothing from developing countries at alternative gift markets, not from commercial importers, so that the artisans receive a fair price for their work.

Give of yourself, not mass-produced “stuff” – a coupon book for future services (such as baby-sitting or an “enchanted evening”); something baked, sewn, handmade, composed, etc.; or a family service project, such as working together at a soup kitchen.

8. Celebrate Advent for four weeks before Christmas.

9. Put the gifts under the tree shortly before opening them. Then, take

turns opening them around the tree, not all at once, so that each gift can be admired and each giver thanked.

10. Make changes slowly but persistently. Don’t try to change everything and everybody all at once. The resistance will make you feel defeated and lonely.

©Creative Commons (originally Alternatives for Simple Living)

10 Tips for a Simpler, More Meaningful Easter

Suitable for posting on the office bulletin board, on the refrigerator, and for sharing with friends and relatives…

1. Plan ahead. Instead of going on autopilot, hold a family meeting to decide what the group really wants to do and who’s going to do what. Observe Lent for 40 days before Easter, possibly with a study/action/prayer guide or calendar.

2. Focus on relationships with family, friends and other people, and with God, rather than on “stuff.” Spend your time, energy and money nurturing people, not things.

3. For a symbol of Easter, look to Jesus’ resurrection. Bunnies, eggs and candy have been taken over by commerce. Do they tell the story you want to tell? Let’s tell the real stories of our faith and values. Reserve fertility rites for the first day of Spring, March 21st; Earth Day, April 22nd or May Day, May 1st.

4. Avoid debt and gluttony. Refuse to be pressured by advertising to over spend or over eat. Build community with a meal of mostly locally produced food – planned, prepared and cleaned up by the whole family.

5. Avoid stress. Give to yourself. Eat correctly, exercise, get enough sleep and strengthen yourself spiritually. Don’t assume that things have to be the same way they’ve always been. Make changes slowly but persistently. Don’t try to change everything and everybody all at once. The resistance may make you feel defeated and lonely.

6. If you need to give gifts, give appropriate ones. Get to know the recipient. Give what they want to receive, not what you want to buy. Give children one thing they really want, rather than many gifts. Set a price ceiling. Put gifts out shortly before opening them. Then take turns opening them, not all at once, so that each gift can be admired and each giver thanked.

7. Give alternative gifts. Give at least 25% of what you spend to the needy… individuals or groups locally, nationally or internationally.

8. Give of yourself, not just “stuff” – a coupon book for future services (such as baby-sitting or an “enchanted evening”) or something baked, sewn, handmade, composed, etc. Consider more time for volunteering rather than entertainment. If you need to give cards, make your own.

9. If you need to buy gifts and clothing, buy from developing countries at alternative gift markets, not from commercial importers, so that the artisans receive a fair price for their work. Avoid mass-produced knickknacks, novelties and toys. Fancy, expensive clothes are signs of status, not respect for God. In church they show an inappropriate blend of culture and faith. Decline to compliment people for their finery. Avoid the “ritual display of plenty” characteristic of the Easter fashion parades prevalent earlier in the century.

10. Choose simplicity of decoration over extravagance; for example, one modest, well-placed display instead of dozens of lilies in church or home. Avoid plastic and imported flowers and trimming, and fancy papers.

For more help and ideas, visit SimpleLivingWorks.org >> Archives.

© Creative Commons (originally 1999 Alternatives for Simple Living. Used by permission. recycled paper

10 Tips for Simpler, More Meaningful Celebrations…

Holidays & Rites of Passage (like Weddings, Birthdays, Graduations)

1. Plan ahead. Instead of going on autopilot, hold a family meeting to decide what the group really wants to do and who’s going to do what. Observe appropriate preparatory periods before Christmas and Easter, possibly with a study/action/prayer guide or calendar.

2. Focus on relationships with family, friends and other people, and with God, rather that on “stuff.” Spend your time, energy and money nurturing people, not things.

3. For symbols of holidays, look to faith, not to commerce. Do Santa and bunnies tell the story you want to tell? Let’s tell the real stories of our faith and values.

4. Avoid debt and gluttony. Refuse to be pressured by advertising to overspend or over eat. Build community with a meal of mostly locally produced food – planned, prepared and cleaned up by the whole family.

5. Avoid stress. Give to yourself. Eat correctly, exercise, get enough sleep and strengthen yourself spiritually. Don’t assume that things have to be the same way they’ve always been. Make changes slowly but persistently. Don’t try to change everything and everybody all at once. The resistance may make you feel defeated and lonely.

6. If you need to give gifts, give appropriate ones. Get to know the recipient. Give what they want to receive, not what you want to buy. Give children one thing they really want, rather than many gifts. Set a price ceiling. Put gifts out shortly before opening them. Take turns opening them, not all at once, so that each gift can be admired and each giver thanked.

7. Give alternative gifts. Give at least 25% of what you spend to the needy… individuals or groups locally, nationally or internationally. Instead of conspicuous consumption, show conspicuous sharing.

8. Give of yourself, not just “stuff” – a coupon book for future services (such as baby-sitting or an “enchanted evening”) or something baked, sewn, handmade, composed, etc. Consider more time for volunteering rather than entertainment. If you need to give cards, make your own.

9. If you need to buy gifts and clothing, buy those from developing countries at alternative gift markets, not from commercial importers, so that the artisans receive a fair price for their work. Avoid mass-produced knickknacks, novelties and toys. Fancy, expensive clothes are signs of status, not respect for God. In church they show an inappropriate blend of culture and faith. Decline to compliment people for their finery. Avoid a “ritual display of plenty.”

10. Choose simplicity of decoration over extravagance. Avoid plastic and imported flowers and trimming, fancy papers and bows, and consumables (such as balloons and foam plates) that harm our environment.


©Creative Commons (originally 1999 Alternatives for Simple Living) Used by permission.

For more help and ideas, visit SimpleLivingWorks.org >> Archives. Also available there for free – Treasury of Celebrations: Create Celebrations That Reflect Your Values and Don’t Cost the Earth; To Celebrate: Reshaping Holidays & Rites of Passage (excerpts); How to Celebrate Any Day; 10 Tips for a Simpler, More Meaningful Christmas & Easter; The Alternative Wedding Book: Create a Beautiful Wedding That Reflects Your Values and Doesn’t Cost the Earth. (recycled paper)

to the top

More Resources for Groups

Examples

Joan Bleidorn facilitated a “Peace Study Circle on Simple Living” [SL] on four Wednesday evenings in Milwaukee, including “SL and Nonviolence,” “SL and Corporate Power,” SL and the Environment” and “SL and Spirituality.” Click here.

Books

Simplicity Study Circles: A Step-by-Step Guide by Mark Burch. Alternatives recommends not going alone into voluntary simplicity, but going into community through voluntary simplicity. Here is the book to lead us into that community. A 10-session curriculae with an 18-page list of additional sources. 64 pp. $10.

Organizations & Publications

Focus on Study Circles: FOCUS is the free quarterly newsletter of the Study Circles Resource Center, PO Box 203, 697 Pomfret St., Pomfret, CT 06258 (860/928-2616; fax-3713) email: scrc@neca.com. The Study Circle Resource Center (SCRC) is a project of the Topsfield Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit, nonpartisan foundation dedicated to advancing deliberative democracy and improving the quality of public life in the United States. SCRC carries out this mission by helping communities organize study circles – small-group, democratic, highly-participatory discussions. Contact SCRC for information on topical issues guides, “how-to” publications, and organizing and networking assistance. Organizers of large-scale programs receive free materials and assistance.

Harbinger Institute, Michelle Archie, PO Box 618, Kapaau, HI 96755 (808-889-5985; fax 808-889-5987) email: harbinger@aloha.net. Website: www.harbingerinstitute.org

Seeds & Circles: Quarterly Newsletter of Seeds of Simplicity /The Simplicity Circle Project. Seeds of Simplicity is dedicated to helping adults and children enjoy freedom from our country’s possession obsession. It is a Los Angeles-based, nonprofit, secular program of the Center for Religion, Ethics & Social Policy at Cornell University. An Advisory Board of educators, counselors and environmentalists meets regularly to help forge a strong link between voluntary simplicity and overall well-being, especially for children. Seeds’ free services to members include educational materials, simplicity circle consultation, a quarterly newsletter, special events/presentations and a chance to link with others in your community. Carol Benson Holst, Program Director; Cecile Andrews, Director and Editor, The Simplicity Circles Project. Seeds of Simplicity, PO Box 9955, Glendale, CA 91226 (877-UNSTUFF) Seeds@SeedsOfSimplicity.org; www.SeedsOfSimplicity.org

to the top 

Learning/Action Guides for Bible Classes and Study Circles

For more titles, see Alternatives’ current free Resource Guide.

Christmas & Advent Resources

Alternatives’ Audio Series at SimpleLivingWorks.org >> Archives >> Audio

Carols with Justice. 3-in-1 CD: vocal, accompaniment, text. 60 min. Free Sing-along on YouTube. CWJ-A

Christmas Audio Trilogy. 65 min.

  • The Celebration Revolution of Alexander Scrooge: A Modern “Christmas Carol”*
  • Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas*
  • Let’s Get Off the Christmas Roller Coaster(inspired by the book “Unplug the Christmas Machine”)

    • *videos on YouTube

Let Jesus Come, Let Santa Go: Celebrating an Alternate Christmas. 3 hours. Visit Archives >> Audio.

What Does JESUS Want for Christmas? Pageant based on Carols with Justice. 60 min. Visit Archives >> Carols

Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway? 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 70+ min. each. Visit Archives >> Audio.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas VIDEO or AUDIO: Explore creative ways to decommercialize Christmas with this provocative video. Vivid photography, music and interviews help us rethink how we observe this holy day. It is an ideal way to introduce people to the idea of celebrating more simply and meaningfully. 18 min. Visit Archives >> Audio/Video

Non-seasonal Audio

Living Simply and Loving It! 70+ min. Visit Archives >> Audio.

Stories & Songs of Simple Living. 10 selections. book & CD.

Discussion/Activity Guides

All are included on “Simply the Best: Over 30 Years of Alternatives” CD-ROM and free at Archives.

“Reclaiming Christmas” Discussion Guides.

“What Makes a Perfect Christmas?”

“The Gift of Giving”

“What About Santa?”

“Christmas Traditions That Work for You”

  • “Guidelines for Alternative Giving.” p. 40.
  • “Looking Behind the Cost of Christmas: Four-session Resource for Group Reflection.” 12 pages
  • “Organize for Peace: How to Start a Peacemaking Group in Your Church.” 10 pages.
  • “Preparing to Celebrate the Birth of Christ:” Four-session series, 6-8 pages each – Intergenera-tional, Adult , Youth, Older Children, Young Children
  • “War Toys and Christmas: A Contradiction in Terms.” 4 pages.
  • “Welcoming the Prince of Peace: Graded Four-session Activity Guides.” 8 pages each. All are included in Gifts of Peace -- Young Children (ages 5-8), Older Children (9-11), Youth (12-14), Senior High (15-18), Young Adults, Adults
  • “What Is a Gift? Reflection/Action Resource.” 8 pages
  • “Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway?” 1995 to 2007. 32 pages each

Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway? Our primary Christmas resource includes provocative Biblical reflections, worshipful ceremonies, a daily calendar, ideas on gift giving and more. Ideal for individuals, families and study groups. All editions free in Archives.

 

to the top

Peace & Justice Resources

How to Teach Peace to Children–New edition by Anne Meyer Byler. 72 pp. $9.

Kids Creating Circles of Peace
Anne Marie Witchger, Susan Vogt
Real life situations KIDS face, like dealing with bullies, getting along with kids who are different, feeling mad and what to do about it. The United Nations declared 2000-2010 the Decade of Peace and Nonviolence for all the children of the world. Story starters and activities for kids who want to build peace. 40 pp. $5. Posters (*=laminated)

Acts of Mercy (8 posters*) $25.

Beatitudes (8 posters*) $20.

Gandhi: 7 Deadly Social Sins (1 poster) $10.

Living More with Less (1 poster) $12.

Ten Commandments (10 posters*) $25.

Way of the Cross Continues (15* + DVD) $25.

to the top

Voluntary Simplicity & Sustainability

Affluenza & Escape from Affluenza VIDEOS. DVD, 60 min. each. $30 each. BOOK $17.

Break Forth into Joy!: Beyond a Consumer Lifestyle VIDEO. Examines our search for fulfillment and security through material possessions. By sharing feelings, thoughts and practical ideas from a variety of people, it explores consumerism and its effects on people, the Earth and the human spirit. With a call for change, it encourages people to nurture their communities and their spirits by living more responsibly and joyfully.

Following the main 15-minute video are three additional 10-minute sections for further thought and discussion on freedom and possessions, family and children, and taking action. Use this video to provoke thought on lifestyle issues in your congregation or community. Use it to introduce a special event, workshop or conference. For more in-depth study, use the accompanying study guide with a Sunday school class or small group. 45 min. total. DVD or free online at Archives >> Audio/Video. (DVD includes “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” also free at Archives.)

The Circle of Simplicity: Return to the Good Life – Cecile Andrews. An inviting introduction to one of today’s most vibrant, life-affirming movements – voluntary simplicity. Andrews offers us a pragmatic guide to forming truly democratic study circles that in turn will enable us to “develop the authentic self – to say and express what we really feel, what we really think, and then to act in congruence with those feelings – to be who we are. 256 pp.

Living More with Less – Doris Janzen Longacre. “At the heart of this exciting book are personal testimonies – scores of absorbing personal accounts of individuals and families struggling to be free from society’s suffocating affluence.” Practical suggestions on living with less are contained in chapters on clothing, housing, transportation, recreation and more. THE classic of modern Christian voluntary simplicity. 294 pp. $13.

Living More with Less Study/Action Guide UPDATED – Delores Histand Friesen. Accompanying Longacre’s “Living More with Less,” this study guide helps ecumenical groups or home study groups explore lifestyle changes. 111 pp. $10.

Living Simply: Studies in Learning to Live as Jesus Did. Murray Sheard. 45 pp. $5.

Simpler Living, Compassion Life: Voluntary Simplicity from a Christian Perspective – Michael Schut, ed. This 4-12 session, self-directed (leaderless) curriculum, can be used in an adult or college-age education forum, Sunday School hour, for an evening study/support group or by individuals. It introduces participants to the practical dimensions of living sustainably, to the moral considerations of the wider societal impacts (economic and environmental) of a less consumptive, more compassionate life-style, and to the historic Christian traditions supporting such a life. Within the context of a supportive group, participants will become acquainted with voluntary simplicity as a Christian spiritual practice, gain practical help in taking incremental steps toward “living more lightly on the planet,” and become aware of the multiple impacts of daily choices on the Earth and its people. $15.

Simple Living Investments – Michael Phillips and Catherine Campbell. “A person who knows the meaning of elegant frugality is better prepared for aging than one who has spent decades hustling money to stuff into bank accounts and property.” Three magnificent retirement plans and a history of the Voluntary Simplicity movement in the USA. 58 pp. $6.

Six Weeks to a Simpler Lifestyle – Barbara DeGrote-Sorensen and David Allen Sorensen. Based on themes explored in ’Tis a Gift to Be Simple, this book offers practical ideas toward leading a more integrated, meaningful life. It includes ideas for goal setting, journal keeping, decision making and a discussion guide ideal for groups. 128 pp. $11.

‘Tis a Gift to Be Simple: Embracing the Freedom of Living with Less – Barbara DeGrote-Sorensen and David Allen Sorensen. This story of one couple’s decision to follow the proddings of both scripture and their hearts offers advice for people who are seeking the joys of simple living. For those who have felt gentle nudges toward a less hectic life, this book is a primer for getting lives, possessions, attitudes and actions back in rhythm with the Creator. 110 pp. $11.

The Good Life Curriculum: 5 sessions for children or intergenerational Vacation Bible School, gatherings, retreats, camps, midweek school. Basic curriculum free in Archives.

Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship with Money and Achieving Financial Independence – Joe Dominguez & Vicki Robin. What do you value most? How do you know? How important a role does money play in your life? Find these answers and more by working through this important book. Learn a great deal about yourself. A classic. 384 pp. $15.

Your Money or Your Life Workbook – New Road Map Foundation. Designed to be used with the bestselling book, this workbook offers six two-hour sessions and a follow up session for small groups interested in exploring attitudes and practices concerning money. Discussion questions, small group exercises, scripture references and prayer. 40 pp. Visit FinancialIntegrity.org and SimpleLivingForum.net

Please buy books from your local, independent bookstore.

to the top
Page updated 26 Jan. 2014
©Creative Commons attribution, non-commercial, share-alike license (originally 2000, 2005, 2007 Alternatives for Simple Living)

Simple Living Works! * SimpleLivingWorks@Yahoo.com
BLOG: SimpleLivingWorks.WordPress.com | Blog INDEX
PODCAST | Podcast INDEX
VIDEOS: YouTube.com/SimpleLivingWorks
MISSION: Equipping people of faith to challenge consumerism, live justly and celebrate responsibly // An all volunteer educational organization.