Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Beginner Classes and Orientation on Real A.A. Roots

Consider making 2013 the year that you add an especially important element to your recovery work.

This includes A.A., A.A. History, N.A., 12 Step Meetings, and all aspects of Christian recovery that is growing by leaps and bounds right now.

The needed addition - done particularly well by Rock Recovery Ministries in San Diego - is a special orientation or beginners meeting for newcomers. Real basics on A.A. roots, the Christian upbringing of Bob and Bill, Vermont and A.A. history, how the first three AAs got sober, the original AA program of 1935, the "new" 12 Step design for living program introduced by Bill W. in 1939, the great compromise on God at that time, and the relative successes of the Akron program (at least  50%), the Cleveland  program (93%), and the remainder of A.A. in the 1935-1939 era.

Newcomers will never survive the higher powers, the nonsense gods, the "spirituality" thesis, the restrictions attempted as to books and pamphlets not "conference-approved," and the intimidation if and when they talk about God, Jesus Christ, the Bible, and their religion from their own experience and point of view.

In the beginning. . . teach the newcomer the elements of A.A. from 1850 through 1943. That means sponsors, speakers, groups, meetings, counselors, treatment programs, sober living, outpatient classes, Christian recovery fellowships, chaplains, and the work of recovery pastors.

The first thing you probably learned in grammar school was how to cross the street safely and get to the school and the classroom. You can't learn if you don't make it through the unpredictable traffic.

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