(from the Introduction)
One evening a woman came to her covenant group with a heavy heart. She had just been diagnosed with breast cancer, her second bout with the disease. From her experience twenty years earlier, she knew how much the treatment would take out of her, and she dreaded what was to come. She told her group that she had spent the past two days bowing out of responsibilities and activities-but that she had decided to stay in her covenant group. "I may need a ride now and then," she said, "but I need your support to get through this."
As the group listened to their distressed member, they became distressed themselves. When she finished her check-in, the leader said simply, "Alicia, we will support you however we can." When the group took its time of silence, Alicia felt waves of support coming toward her from the other group members, and after the meeting, people plied her with offers of rides and meals. "I don't need anything yet," she said, "but if I do, I know where to go."…
Deep listening means listening from the heart rather than the mind or ego. It grows out of silence. Deep listening happens when people listen without responding, so they don't have to worry about what to say, what the other person needs to hear, or how to heal the person or solve the problem. In Soul to Soul groups, we listen and breathe, holding the other in our hearts. When someone has shared deeply, our silence tells them we've given them all our attention and that we are holding their story in our hearts. This silence connects us with one another in a way that is deeper than using words or questions.
Heart to Heart opened a way to learn about the power of Soul to Soul groups. Many have seen how these groups enable their members to "grow their souls" and build deeper connections, both within church and neighborhood groups, and between individuals. This book uses the same format with different topics. The structure of a Soul to Soul group allows everyone to talk without being interrupted or questioned.