(Number refers to segments in the Suggested Meeting Format
available from the WSO; please refer to this format if you do not have opening and closing standards in your own group.)

1. “Welcome to the __________ Lifeline Discussion Meeting of Overeaters Anonymous. My name is ____________. I am a compulsive overeater and the leader for this meeting.”

2-13. Refer to the Suggested Meeting Format or use your group’s choice of opening remarks.

14. “Lifeline is OA’s worldwide journal published 10 months a year. In this meeting, we read and discuss Lifeline articles written by our fellow OAers. By printing our stories in Lifeline, we carry the message far beyond the meeting level to overeaters everywhere. Through Lifeline, we share our experience, strength and hope with members who both can and cannot attend meetings; with those in remote areas, institutions and foreign countries; and with those outside the Fellowship.

“When we hold a Lifeline Discussion Meeting, we are, in a sense, meeting with OA members from around the world. We are able, through Lifeline, to bring fresh experiences and renewed strength and hope into our home meeting. We broaden the extent of our knowledge and caring within the Fellowship and gain new perspectives on our recovery.

“Remember that Lifeline articles reflect the opinions of the authors and publication of any article does not imply endorsement, either by Overeaters Anonymous or Lifeline.”

Reading: Choose readings that will provide good subjects for discussion. (It is always nice when a long reading is shared, so that many can participate and the sound of the same voice does not become dulling.) Some suggestions:

• Read some of the articles mentioned in For Discussion.

• Pick a topic that Lifeline has featured, and read several articles on that same topic. Think up motivating questions about the subject.

• Pick a topic that has aroused interest recently in your group, and locate articles from a variety of Lifeline issues.

Discussion:

• Use the For Discussion section of Lifeline to help get ideas for discussion.

• Read the articles yourself, and jot down questions and comments that come to your mind; use these to spark comments from others.

15. Follow the “Suggested Guidelines for Sharing” in the Suggested Meeting Format or the sharing guidelines your group has chosen.

Optional writing: Ask each member to write on a discussion topic from the previous session and sign his or her initials. Collect the writings and send them to Lifeline for publication. This works best if the topic is not too broad. Instead of writing about relapse as a whole, for example, write on how one prevents relapse every day.

Optional Lifeline promo: Make this an opportunity to read something short and positive from Lifeline to end the previous session, such as a positive Share It letter or a humorous Side Dish. Then take the opportunity to open a copy of Lifeline and show some of the featured sections. Mention the different departments and describe them briefly, indicating any that are new. Tell how Lifeline informs us about the organization and service structure of OA, as well as publishes stories of personal recovery written by OA members.

Show how a person could have a meeting with Lifeline, using the Steps and Traditions, the Serenity Prayer on the back and the recovery articles along with the For Discussion feature.

Introduce the group’s Lifeline representative (if other than yourself), and say that subscriptions can be obtained through him/her. Make subscription order forms available either now or after the meeting.

Closing the Lifeline portion: “We encourage our members to submit articles and letters to Lifeline, using writing as one of the tools in the recovery process. If you read something in our magazine that helps your recovery, send a letter to the editor. If you have an experience you would like to share, send an article. [Offer copies of Writers’ Guidelines to those who are interested. The guidelines are also available on OA’s Web Site] Any article may be published anonymously, but first name and last initial, city and state are used unless requested otherwise.

“Thank you for allowing me to introduce you to our OA publication. If you would like to volunteer to lead a Lifeline Discussion Meeting, contact the Lifeline representative.”

16. Follow the Suggested Meeting Format or use your group’s customary closing procedure.