THE 14 TOPICS

There are fourteen relationship topics – one topic per week. They continually cycle, and participants can join on any Tuesday night.

Each topic has teaching about two unhealthy extremes, and then the healthy “Third Option”. 

The topics are:

• Building a Climate of Respect
  Respect means how we treat each other. Granting each other our rights regardless of how we feel.

• Ending the Blame Game
  “My RESPONSE is my RESPONS-ibility”

• Understanding Expectations
  Unfulfilled Expectations feels like rejection

• Redefining the Power Struggle
  Battlegrounds may vary from finances, sex or children, but the issue is power. Get on the same team.

• Coping with Control Issues
  “Who or what is driving my life?

• Listening Beyond the Words
  “Being heard is so close to being loved that for the average person they are almost indistinguishable” – Augsburger

• Appreciating Personality Differences
  There is no such thing as a good or bad personality trait.

• Recognizing Childhood and Emotional Baggage
  We all have some “emotional baggage” and “unfinished business” from childhood.

• Handling Anger Constructively
  Angry feelings are OK….. Angry behavior may not be!

• Speaking the Truth in Love
  I am responsible for my half of the dialogue.

• Conflict Resolution
  Learning how to fight fair.

• Breaking the Hurt Spiral
  Feelings are OK and important, but we cannot base our behavior on them.

• Forgiveness and Repair
  Forgiveness is not a quick and easy act, it’s a process.

• Rebuilding Trust
  There are many levels of trust and it takes a long time to build. Rebuilding broken trust takes even longer.