Starting my own local meeting...

SoberSteve · MIP Old Timer

Starting my own local meeting...

soberdrunk · MIP Old Timer

I'm in the process of doing the same thing. Started last Friday, it's a newcomer/accountablility meeting focused on the steps.
We are doing it at the local Alano Club in my area where they hold meetings. Hopefully we will publish soon and get it on the schedules!

SoberSteve · MIP Old Timer

What steps did you take to get this started?

soberdrunk · MIP Old Timer

Pretty much me and one other guy decided to do it. The club is fine with it just want us to be there no matter what for the first six months.
A lot of meetings are held in church basements or hospitals if there is no club local to you. I would definitely suggest finding some people to guarantee that they will attend to get the meeting going and find a decent location and time for the meeting.
I wish you luck though. This is our second meeting tonight in a couple hours and I'm hoping a few of the new guys will show.
I'll update later if you want.

SoberSteve · MIP Old Timer

Yes please keep me updated, thanks

murrill · Veteran Member

SoberSteve wrote:

Any tips, suggestions etc on how I could start my own local AA meeting?

Steve,
Just curious, but is there something you're not getting from the established meetings in your area? What sort of meeting are you trying to start?

SoberSteve · MIP Old Timer

Well I try to go daily and on wed there is only 1 mens meeting that me and my sponsor dont care for, so I thought i might start one, also I was looking and my church has many life groups and says you can start your own so Im thinking maybe I can start a Christian based AA life group..?

Tessa · Senior Member

Do you really think you're up for this? Remember you've relapsed & have less than a month sober. You'd mentioned in another post doing an online meeting & now this. Just pointing out this could add stress to your life this soon. Take it slow! lol

SoberSteve · MIP Old Timer

Yes I know, I was just trying to get an idea of how to start it etc... Not nothing relatively soon... Thanks for looking out for my best interest!

Tessa · Senior Member

Somebodies got to do it! LOL

Jerry F · MIP Old Timer

Fly by the traditions Steve especially affiliations with other entities. I suggest you
go over the traditions slowly with your sponsor on this...Mens only means it is closed
to women in need? Christian based life group is an affliation with the church? Would
I get to have a HP of my own or will that be provided and what part of recovery from
alcoholism will be discussed?

My suggestion is also give yourself time as a follower before you try leading a group.
The first 164 pages of the Big Book is a solid source regarding getting before you give.

In support. smile

SoberSteve · MIP Old Timer

Thanks Jerry, I wasnt going to make it a mens meeting was just saying the only meeting on wed is mens and I like mixed more. I guess I will later on perhaps make a life group where we focus on the suffering alcoholic or chemical dependent person and it will not be affiliated with AA. Also what do you all think about holding AA meetings or study groups in your own house with a couple friends?

pinkchip · MIP Old Timer

Steve, your spirituality is yours and let it work it's miracles on you! Don't try and rewrite AA. I understand and admire your enthusiasm but AA works fine the way it is written. It's cool to find like minded AA's but always remember the traditions. One of the reasons the Oxford Groups failed is that they became tied to churches and such and then the churches deemed some alcoholics morally corrupt. For example, would a gay person such as myself really truly be welcomed into such a group? AA unity depends on us all. I want to help any alcoholic regardless of what they choose as their higher power. That, along with staying sober, is my primary purpose.

I am also wondering, where do the women go on Wednesdays? Is that a day for a women's meeting too? Are you sure there are no other choices in where you might go for a meeting on that day?

-- Edited by pinkchip on Saturday 20th of February 2010 07:01:09 AM

murrill · Veteran Member

SoberSteve wrote:

Well I try to go daily and on wed there is only 1 mens meeting that me and my sponsor dont care for, so I thought i might start one, also I was looking and my church has many life groups and says you can start your own so Im thinking maybe I can start a Christian based AA life group..?

Steve,
By now some other people have said what needed to be said: You are very young in sobriety, and there are issues larger than yours to consider, i. e. AA unity, the Traditions. This is what was on my mind when I asked why you were not finding what you needed in established meetings. I recall my early days when I'd get feedback on a personal topic. If I didn't like the answer I would think, "Nope, don't want that one. give me another one." I almost sounds like you are doing that with all this business of starting a new meeting or chairing an on-line meeting. And BTW: I take issue with a Christian-oriented AA meeting. It just seems that "God as I understand him" might not be welcomed there. I will suggest that this is a time for you to sit quietly in meetings, whether you like them or not, and hear the messages you need to hear. Right now it just seems that you are avoiding what is freely given. They told me that if I liked everyone I met in meetings then I wasn't going to enough meetings.

soberdrunk · MIP Old Timer

Yes, I agree with everyone's input on this. A Christian based 12 step group is good, but it's not A.A. We definitely have to look at all the traditions when starting a new meeting.
So far it has only been four of us at the meeting we started last Friday. It's in God's hands, if it will succeed it will, but I shall put forth the effort!

SoberSteve · MIP Old Timer

Thanks everyone for your input. I have thought it over and realize I am way to young in my sobriety to even think about starting one. I guess the greatness I have felt the past 19 days of being sober had me thinking I could save the world lol. Thanks for humbling me everyone.

murrill · Veteran Member

SoberSteve wrote:

Thanks everyone for your input. I have thought it over and realize I am way to young in my sobriety to even think about starting one. I guess the greatness I have felt the past 19 days of being sober had me thinking I could save the world lol. Thanks for humbling me everyone.

Steve,
I appreciate your enthusiasm and your eagerness to pass it on. I'm also glad that you are enjoying sobriety. When you thank people for "humbling" you, I hope that you mean we have helped you become "right sized." Humble is not the same thing as humilitation, and I truly hope you didn't take anything that was said as humiliating. It seems that you were open to feedback and that you accepted it in the spirit that it was given. good for you.

SoberSteve · MIP Old Timer

Yes not humilated, just humbled and pointed in the right direction, I appreciate all the feedback that helped me make my decision to wait. Thank you everyone!

Just Toni · MIP Old Timer

Good Morning Steve,

Hope you were able to just take in what others have said.....

I just wanted to share with you some trivia I read, well it was in the early or mid 90 there was a local newspaper (non denominatrional) that printed an article about the success of AA, and as a direct result, there were (then) about one hunred and twenty five Christian based Programs, and that did not include all the other off shoots, Over eaters. Anonymoua, SAlA.Anonymous,(Sex and Love Addicts. Anonymous, Smokers. Anonymous, well the lists go on and on. But from what I see today, the ones that were not included in the 125 Christian Based Programs are the ones that are still around.

If you are so inclined with your own Religous beliefs, I am sure, too, that you would be able to find a Christian Based program....you might have to really look in many churches.....it just would not be AA, but a program that was designed for turning your life around.

I say this because I have some relatives that are so involved in their church, if they ever encountered a drug or alcohol problem, regular AA would not work for them.
They have told me so, when also telling me that their own Church would be a better fit for me.....recoverying drunk....that was nothing I EVER wanted to look into.....but as they say, different strokes for different folks....

A Big Hug to you Dear..

Had to come back to this response and say what i meant, was you could have belong to both.

Toni

-- Edited by Just Toni on Saturday 20th of February 2010 03:10:05 PM

Sobrietyspell · MIP Old Timer

Bless you, Steve. Keep coming back & becoming seasoned in your sobriety. I find there's so much to learn & I'm glad this thing's bigger than you & I both ;) I'm happy & grateful to carry the baton & yet glad that mistakes made in the past have been documented for me to learn from. I want to continue the legacy of this fellowship from its beginnings. You & me both, brother.

The steps are my individual program for living. The principles in the traditions are what keep us safe as a whole. We can practice them better the more we come to study & know them. First Things First we establish our sobriety. Keep on your good work concentrating on you for now. When we've gained, we can give it away but we cannot transmit what we haven't first achieved.

This does make more sense the more time & experience we have in this program. Thank you for sharing your energy & your enthusiasm here@MIP! Keep coming back :) Danielle x

Jerry F · MIP Old Timer

I've done home meetings before but didn't make a habit of it because my home is
also home to others who were not in program as I was also although I have founded
some pretty successful long time meetings before I don't try to set myself up as the
"only" available member in support of sobriety. I still have fishing poles and diving
gear and places to go see with my spouse. Don't overly burden yourself. Many
alcoholics will turn to a drink when they are tired and complacent. Little bites chewed
well was the best suggestion for this alcoholic. I still don't gulp at things.

In support. smile