Connection Rep
About the Connection Rep Service Position, from Gratitude in Action, FA's Newsletter about Service
As your meeting’s Connection Representative, you:
- Stand and introduce yourself as the Connection Representative at the end of the Connection announcement
- Order/renew your meeting’s Connection subscription
- Place Connection on the literature table after receiving it by mail
- Raise awareness about Connection among FA fellows at meetings, on phone calls, and at business meetings
- Encourage members to write and/or create artwork for Connection
- Participate in Connection Rep Network conference calls
Personal Reflections...Connection Rep
“After I got 90 days of abstinence, I had heard that being the Connection Representative was “one of the easiest service positions,” so that seemed like a good one for me to try. When the Web and Directory Contact of my meeting successfully switched the subscription to my name and address, it became my responsibility to maintain the subscription and to deliver the magazine to the meeting. I remember admitting to my sponsor that I had been forgetting the recent edition at home for weeks. With some helpful suggestions from my sponsor, I eventually got the magazine to the meeting. Doing service in FA gives me a great opportunity to see clearly the areas where I still need to grow. Every commitment I make to this program gives me a chance to practice following through with the important details of life.”
“My listening skills have improved greatly since becoming a Connection magazine representative. When fellows share from the front of the room, I often think about how these shares might work as a Connection article. I have then asked several fellows if they’d be willing to write their stories for Connection. If they can’t quite “remember“ what they said from the front of the room, I describe what was so meaningful to me and tell them that others might also benefit from their sharing. It reinforces for me the power of their shares, and it encourages those who do not feel they are writers to try writing anyway.
Listening with my “Connection ears” began as an exercise in doing my job. Now my listening has become a gift to my own recovery, as I find myself hearing everyone on a deeper level.”
“Each year our local service group plans two Connection writing workshops, one in January and another in July. We usually do this on a Saturday afternoon, and we have met in many different locations: the common room at an apartment complex, a member’s bed and breakfast, and—my favorite—members’ homes. Everyone is invited to come, whether they have 90 days of abstinence or not, to practice the tool of writing. We begin by sharing a fellowship lunch, and then we follow the simple format available from the Connection website. These sessions are very relaxed. First, examples of articles and suggested topics are shared. When individuals write, they are encouraged to find a comfortable chair, table, or floor space to sit (at one July writing session, I sat on someone’s deck in the warm sunshine). Once we find our spot, we are asked to sit and write for 30 minutes. That sounds like a long time, but it passes very quickly. Finally, after writing, fellows are invited to share. I really look forward to these writing sessions and the fellowship they provide.”
Connection-Related Resources
- submit articles and artwork online
- request a format to host a writing session
- get information on the bimonthly Connection Rep conference calls
- receive talking points that will help encourage FA members to submit art and articles
- obtain contact information for Connection writing coaches, who can assist FA members with their submissions
- subscribe to Connection in print ($25) or in digital ($20) formats
Gratitude in Action (GIA) is a newsletter filled with tips, tools, and encouragement for FA members doing service to reach the still suffering food addict. To read about a specific service position, click the link below.