Sponsor

Randjet · Member

Sponsor

happycamper · MIP Old Timer

HI Randjet, welcome to MIP !!

A sponsor is someone who is ( or should be ) sober of course. They should be the same sex as you and have a fair decent amount of sobriety time. It is preferred that they have worked the steps and experienced a spiritual awakening.

They should know the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous and be prepared to guide you thru the 12 steps with the book too.

They should have a sponsor themselves. It is nice if they are involved in service work and have & attend a regular home group.

A really good sought after guide is the phamlet titled: Questions & Answers on Sponsorship. You should be able to find this at almost any AA meeting.

Good luck on your search for this all important, God given friend that you will share a wonderful journey with on the road of recovery.

Rob84 · MIP Old Timer

Hi Randjet,

Welcome to the forum!

http://aa.org/pdf/products/p-15_Q&AonSpon.pdf

Here is a link which sould hopefuly pull up the AA brocure "Questions and Answers on Sponsorship". if Not google it.

Hope this helps, keep coming back.

Rob

-- Edited by StPeteDean on Tuesday 25th of January 2011 08:20:42 AM

Randjet · Member

Thanks Rob

billyjack · Senior Member

A sponsor is a guide through our text book. And the purpose of our text book is to:

This is the Foreword as it appeared in the first
printing of the first edition in 1939.

WE, OF Alcoholics Anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. To show other alcoholics precisely how we have recovered is the main purpose of this book.

The first thing my first sponsor told me after he asked me what I was willing to do to stay sober for the rest of my life one day at a time was......I will never tell you what to do, thats between you and your God..but before you do anything, ask yourself " if this blows up in my face, am I willing to except the consequences, and not drink or hurt my self or anyone else " A sponsor is a guide to lead you through the steps and lead you to a God of your understanding that will help you recover from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. Not some who will tell you how to run your life...AA boiled down is monkey see monkey do, just hope you pick the right monkey.

-- Edited by billyjack on Tuesday 25th of January 2011 01:17:45 PM

Mike B. · MIP Old Timer

Basic answer: A Sponsor is someone who has stayed sober and is willing to share/show another how they did it.

From my experience- here are some of the things that worked best for me;

- I picked a Sponsor who had something I wanted- they were Happy, Joyous and Free. This was displayed through their actions. They walked the walked so to speak.

- they had a Sponsor and so on........

- they had worked the Steps, continue to work the Steps and works with others.

- one who I could trust to reveal my inner most feelings and thoughts.

- This individual already walked the road I was heading down. This was important, because he could help me navigate around the potholes and speedbumps etc.......

odat · Senior Member

A sponsor is someone who can take you by the hand and guide you through the 12 steps in Alcoholics Anonymous. It's important to be sure they know the program of recovery (the steps) and have been through them and continue to practice them. Welcome!