What is a Sunday Night House Meeting?

Sunday Night House Meetings are a common, mandatory rule of sober houses, depending on the specific location. According to the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, it is usually “a two hour meeting where residents share what they did for their recovery that week as well as set goals for the following week and share how their week went overall.” Other important matters and issues are sometimes brought up at Sunday Night House Meetings too.

What is Discussed at a Sunday Night House Meeting?

Usually, these meetings are mandatory, which means every resident must be there and sometimes, the managers or owners of the house are there too. In general, though, the residents themselves run these meetings in order to strengthen their sense of leadership as well as their ability to govern themselves.

At these meetings, residents will likely discuss their progress in a turn-based dialogue, and everyone is asked to share something. These meetings are meant to be non-judgmental, similar to 12-step meetings, unless there is a need to discuss important business. Sometimes, household issues can be brought up during the meeting if they are ones that require a quick discussion or a vote, but longstanding issues or possible evictions are not usually brought up at this time. These are more suitable for the residents’ council as well as for discussion by the management.

What is the Purpose of These Meetings?

Sunday Night House Meetings give residents the chance to get to know each other better.

Like in 12-step programs, they allow the residents to discuss their progress with other individuals who are going through the same process they are, as well as feel included in the matters of the household. They are actually extremely important because they help regulate the household matters as well as the recovery of its residents. Though some sober homes do not have meetings specifically every Sunday or for an agreed-upon span of two hours, nearly every facility of this type has some sort of conference schedule for its residents.

Sober living houses are places where many different people from different walks of life can go to be in a sober environment and get a home experience that is conducive to their recovery. However, if these individuals are never asked to meet and talk with one another, relationships can become strained. This is why it is so important for these meetings to occur. Even if household matters are not brought up, it strengthens the community of the sober home and allows residents to get to know one another better, which fortifies the relationships between all residents.

And, in addition to helping the group as a whole, every individual resident benefits from the sense of community they gain through these meetings, allowing them to widen their support system and become more open with others. Residents of a sober living home are all trying to live their own lives as well as strengthen their recoveries, and these meetings are just another helpful tool for this purpose.

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