Community of Grace

steps of grace

Steps of Grace

Location:

Community of Grace

380 Elmhurst Street Hayward, CA 94544

We meet in the Main Auditorium building

For more information please call 510-783-8062 ext. 17

Starting and ending times: Tuesdays at 6:45 pm to 9:00 pm

Steps of Grace is not just a Christ centered 12-Step recovery program, it is also a healing and discipleship ministry as well. Whether people wish to find healing and freedom from past hurts, addictions or compulsive behaviors, or wish to grow and mature in their relationship with God, and grow in Christian community with fellow believers who also wish to find healing and growth, Steps of Grace can be of help to you.

The Steps of Grace ministry is under the leadership of Community of Grace’s Senior Pastor Jim Newman, who has been working on his own healing from the wounds of his past as well as freedom from the bonds of Codependency since 1987, and has been serving in the church’s recovery ministry for over 20 years, working with people in various addictions to help them find healing and freedom.

Over 10 years ago, the church was introduced to material from the Shepherd’s House Organization called Life Model which was inserted into the Steps of Grace ministry. We are a registered site for Life Model and the various modules that they offer. The result of this material has been amazing, producing results in the lives of individuals who complete the classes that is unlike anything that has been seen in past years. Steps of Grace’s weekly meetings are part of a class that runs for 6 months, at the end of the 6 month class, another class will begin. These classes all build on one another creating a healing and growth opportunities for those who attend. The topics covered in these classes include such things as discovering and living out of who you really are in Christ, growing in maturity, developing a healthy community which supports healing and growth, and developing a conversational prayer life with God, healing of our traumas and hurts, and freedom from our cravings and the attachments to the behaviors, events, experiences, people and all kinds of substances that people use to manage their emotions, increase their pleasure and decrease pain, which leads to addictions. Although the classes run for 6 months at a time, people can join at any time. There is no cost for attending the classes, the only cost will be for the book that the class is using at the time, but the book is not mandatory.

Currently, the full cycle of classes is two and a half years, at which time the class cycle starts over, so if people have missed one of the past classes, it will be offered again, but certain elements of these classes run through the other courses. Steps of Grace focuses on process and not on coping skills, our goal is to see people healed and permanently free instead of just learning to live with their addictions and behaviors, but to see this, individuals will need to commit to staying with the class for the 6 month duration, and do all of the prescribed work in order get the full effect of what is offered in the class.

Materials:

Purchasing a book is not mandatory but you will get more out of the class if you did.

You can purchase the book from either the Life Model website at www.Lifemodelworks.org

and go to resources, then shop or go to www.amazon.com.

The books cost around $25 plus postage.

Our Purpose

We provide Christ centered healing, restoration and growth for individuals, couples and families through our weekly meetings, group interaction, community, teachings, exercises, and counseling.

Who Are We

We are a community of individuals who are at different levels of growth and healing, coming out of various backgrounds and circumstances. We are united in our faith and our desire to heal and grow so we can live fuller lives and impact the world around us as well as bring healing and growth to others as people who have been healed ourselves.

What We Do

Through our weekly meetings and classes, counseling and community, we take people through a process to grow and heal from where they are in their lives, to find freedom from the bonds and wounds of their past, and to grow in the knowledge of who they are in Christ, so they can walk out their God given destiny.

We currently meet as one group, although depending on what we are doing each week we may break off into smaller groups. The materials we are using are foundational to healing and cover a wide range of areas, so whatever you are struggling with there is a good chance that you will find help for your situation. What we are doing is trauma recovery, trauma has two basic categories: Trauma from the thing good things that we did not receive, and trauma from the bad things that we have experienced. In addition to these two things, there is also something called attachment pain, which is the pain and hurt that we experience when we are separated from the person, place or things that we have grown an attachment to. These areas are the foundations for Codependency and addictive compulsive behavior.

GROUPS

We believe that when the foundation is healed, then there is no longer a need for the addition or the codependent behaviors, resulting in people seeing healing and freedom. The other thing that impacts the healing of the individual is having a safe community go help them mature and grow, this too is a focus here at Steps of Grace.

Because of our approach, we are co-ed, but we do try to ensure the safety of those who attend. Because part of what is damaged in woundedness and dysfunction is the healthy relationships between men and women, we feel that part of being all together in our meetings helps individuals learn how to be around the other gender in a safe way. Healthy community is a mix of men and women in various stages of maturity so people can find healing and see healthy community modeled and practiced.

What to Expect ?

A typical evening at Steps of Grace may play out as follows. We usually begin our time at 6:45 pm with everyone gathered together. We will start off with a brief prayer and then briefly go over ground rules on how to communicate and interact during our time together. Group safety is very important and vital to what we are trying to accomplish at Steps of Grace, and so we go over ground rules that guide us in how to honor and respect one another in our interactions. After that we will tend to any unfinished business from the previous meetings, and address any questions people might have, our meetings have a very relaxed and open atmosphere so that people will feel comfortable. Having done these things we then proceed into the main business for the evening which consists of a combination of videos, teachings, sharing, interactions with the large group or deeper interactions in smaller groups, doing various exercises to help participants build community, learn more about themselves and find healing and freedom from the things that have held them back. The Steps of Grace classes run for 6 months and change every January and July. As we near the close of the evening, announcements will be shared, an offering will be taken, and we will end at approximately 9:00 pm. After this people will assist in cleaning up, as well as “hang out” and fellowship with others, this, and the break time, which is at the middle of the evening, are good opportunities to further develop relationships that may have started through the course of the evening in the group time.

Next Steps of Grace:

Joy Start Here

Jan. 10, 2017 – June 27, 2017

6:45 P.M. – 9:00 P.M.

The group is open for anyone who wishes to attend, with no pre-requisites. Please complete the registration form below.

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JOY STARTS HERE

A module at STEPS OF GRACE

What is JOY Starts Here?

JOY Starts Here is the beginning, and focuses on finding joy in the Lord, joy in ourselves and joy with one another. The book is full of material and exercises to help us come into our true godly selves, transforming us into who we were created and designed to be in Christ, and not what the hurt and influences of this world have turned us into. If you are at all familiar with the Life Model, this is the first book, the starting point. Beginning on January 10th we will begin Joy Starts Here, the class will run 6 months and will end at the end of June.

Along the way we will be incorporating many of the things that we have picked up in Life Model, Restarting, Forming and Belonging.

Some of what will be covered?

• Finding my joyful identity

• Identifying the masks we wear and finding freedom

• Developing in maturity and community

• Learning and practicing joy skills

• Experiencing healing and growth

What you need to have:

You will need to purchase the book JOY Starts Here which can be ordered on the Life Model website at www.lifemodelworks.com. There is nothing else required for you to attend except for returning this form with it fully completed to the address listed below. There is also no charge for attending. Deadline for returning this form is Tuesday, December 20th.

Tuesday nights 6:45 pm to 9:00 pm January 10, 2017 to June 27, 2017

The Life Model

(The Essentials of Christian Living) (Also known as “Living From The Heart Jesus Gave You” in its newer printings)

There is so much pain and hurt in this world that has touched all of us, The Life Model helps develops maturity, as well as helping participants face their suffering and trauma. The Life Model also identifies the stages of life we are in and where we need to go, even though this course continues where Joy Starts Here left off, those new to the course can still benefit from this course even if they have not taken Joy Starts Here. The Life Model will cover how to find wholeness though the power of building joy in our lives, we will look at some of the things that hinder people finding belonging in relationships, and knowing and living from our hearts as Jesus intended. Steps of Grace will begin “The Life Model” on Tuesday, January 6th, which will run through June 30th.

What you will need for the class: You will need the book: “The Life Model” which can be ordered on the Life Model website at www.lifemodelworks.com This book has recently been reformatted but you can either bring your old book and workbook if you already have them or you can order a new book from the Life Model website that has the workbook incorporated into the book, either one will work. There is no other cost for attending. The deadline for completing and returning this form is Tuesday, December 16th.

Tuesday nights 6:45 pm to 9:00 pm July 2017 to December 2017

Life Model RESTARTING

Brain Training Exercises for:
• Joy building
• Handling difficult emotions
• Changing from damaging habits to healthier ones
• Relationship Skills• Sensing the Presence of Jesus in daily life

Teaching how to:
• Grow in Maturity
• Have healthier relationships
• Connect more deeply with God and people
• Get Inner Healing• Discover your true identity

Tuesday nights 6:45 pm to 9:00 pm January 2018 to June 2018

The most important part of healing, growth, maturity and recovery is our relationship with Jesus Christ. Without Jesus there is no lasting recovery and healing and growth are hindered. In Forming we will learn how to be with God, developing genuine relationship with Him, and engaging with Him for transformation. Forming is about how to be formed more and more into the image of Christ, so that the life of Christ comes out of who we are.

Most Christians experience a significant period of growth immediately after they make a decision to follow Jesus that includes seeing and thinking in a new way, new relationships, changing behaviors and learning about the Christian lifestyle and seeing personal victory in their lives. A few years down the road, however, many find themselves in a place where their growth is slowing down and a level of discontent and even relapse has set in.

Spiritual stagnation occurs because there many areas of a person’s heart that cannot be truly changed by an act of the will alone. The more one tries to make that change, the more discouraged a person can become. Sometimes people can give up hope of lifelong ongoing spiritual growth because of disappointment at being stuck.

Forming offers a way for people to move forward in their journey of life. The sessions offered during Steps of Grace are designed to jump-start your spiritual life and help develop a greater intimacy with God, and see people grow in their relationship with God and see greater victory in their life.

The sessions with be a combination of live and DVD teaching, combined with exercises to help participants take in and understand the material and actually experience more of God.

Sessions will include:

• How to engage with God and how to receive life from Him.

• Develop a relationship with God that changes us from the inside out.

• Learn how to have conversation with God.

• Learn to live in grace to receive life from God.

• Examine the actual process for renewing the mind, including what that means and how it will happen.

• A number of common problems that people have will be addressed such as self-hate, and our own anxious thoughts.

• You will receive a workable understanding of maturity and how human development and spiritual development are integrated.

The group is free, the only cost to you is the purchase of a book, which is $24.95 and can be purchased online at www.Lifemodelworks.com

Whether you are new to Steps of Grace or returning for Forming, you will get something out of the class, Whether we are talking about healing, growth or recovery, it is a process, to get the most out of this class attenders are encouraged to be as consistent as possible because it is a process, with current sessions building on the previous ones

We hope that you will join us as we move away from performance-driven effort s to live the Christian life and develop a relationship with God that is vibrant enough to change us from the inside out.

Forming

Some of what will be covered?

How Simple Belonging can be
How to see and have healthier relationships
Connect more deeply with God and people
Relationship restoration
Healthy relationship boundaries

BELONGING

What is Belonging?

Belonging is a six month group that focuses on building healthy community. Since so many people have been hurt in relationships, it is important to learn what healthy community is so that we can have healthy relationships with others, and we can be healthy relational people as well. Healthy community is important to our growth and healing and is the next chapter in the journey within Steps of Grace.

﻿BELONGING﻿

BELONGING