Forming A Group

Sun  Apr 13, 2008  4:54 am

It's been a while since I made a post about forming a group. Here's some basic information that may be helpful.

Now I know that many of you wish the group could be together on a physical level, but there is something within our reach which is just as good. No matter where you live there are seekers out there who are looking for knowledge that you have.

The great part is you do not have to be a teaching whiz. All you would have to do is throw out a few of the questions we discuss on this list and you'll have to chase them home. Many will be hungry for more.

Question:   "Sounds good, but how does an amateur like me get started?"

Start with your friends. Most of us know at least a couple people with a metaphysical bent. Call them and tell them you are going to form a study group and study some new teachings you discovered on the Internet and see if they are interested. If you do not know anyone interested in metaphysics you probably need to get out more, but all is not lost. I am always here to support you with ideas.

First, select a place that will accommodate at least a dozen people. There is nothing wrong with starting with a home or apartment.

If your place is small it is quite possible that one of your first students will have a large comfortable home that they would be happy to share.

There are also some places that may allow you to meet on a free basis. Some libraries have rooms for meetings that are either free or very inexpensive. Also check with your bookstores. Some of them will let you have meetings there in hope of selling your group some books. Many restaurants have meeting rooms they will give groups for free if they buy $50 or more worth of food.

If you have a little money to work with you could find a meeting room connected with a local Motel, YMCA, New Age Center, Judo Club or some other organization and rent it on a weekly basis. If you do this you will need to collect some dues from members so you will not have to bear the whole burden. Once you get ten people or so the expense will not be much of a burden on any one individual.

Once you select a definite meeting place then you must do some promotion.

First let's cover what you can do for free.

1. Many newspapers have sections that are totally free where you can announce on a weekly basis details about any weekly meetings your group may have. Call then up and see what they have available. You can also advertise local classes on Cragslist.org.
2. Local TV and Cable channels also have places for free announcements. Check them out.
3. Hold a press conference. Select a place like a room at the local, library and send an announcement to all the media -- Newspaper, TV, radio in your area with an announcement that you are forming a local study group based on the book "The Immortal" about a guy who just may have met John the Revelator. In a typical area you should be able to send out about 20 press conference announcements and get 2-5 responses. There's a good chance you would get on TV this way.
4. Print up flyers (or I'll print them for you) announcing your project and circulate them in book stores, metaphysical centers, health food stores and so on.
5. Newspapers love doing features that have something to do with the Internet. Call the features editor and tell him or her that you have been participating with a study group on the Internet and are going to extend it to the local people. Chat a while with this person and he may want to write about you.
6. Now you have exhausted the free methods you should spend a few dollars in regular advertising. Check around and see if there are any metaphysical or alternative health newsletters in your area and run a small ad there. Then run a small display ad in your local newspaper. In addition to this the classifieds in the local free give-away advertisers are often very effective depending on the area and they are often very inexpensive -- sometimes just a couple dollars a week.
7. If you are bold enough to do public speaking then work one up around the Molecular Relationship, the Gathering of Lights or some other topic that interests you.

You'll need a name for the physical group. May I suggest "The Synthesis Group."

To synthesize means to gather together various unrelated parts and to put them together into a working whole which wholeness is greater than the sum of the parts.

For instance our discussion group is a synthesis of some of the best people on the Internet.

When your group gets started and you do your part it will take on a life of its own and grow by word of mouth.

Copyright © 2008 by JJ Dewey, All Rights Reserved