An aa sponsor is a person who has been abstinent for a long period and who is prepared to support a newly abstinent member. The process includes believing in a power greater than yourself, admitting past mistakes, making amends to people you have harmed through alcoholism and continuing to focus on spiritual growth. With no financial resources, big hopes were placed on sales of the big book. Take all 12 steps in just 4 hours download this aa big book step guide and work book. The combined approach will take approximately 40 sponsorship meetings. Chapter 7 working with others p ractical experience shows that nothing will so much insure immunity from drinking as intensive work with other alcoholics. I dont know that george ever formally worked the steps but he lived the steps. This was during the period when the big book was written to spread their message of recovery to other alcoholics. An independent guide to teaching and learning the program of a. But finding the right sponsor is critical to the success of the relationship. Literature questions and answers on sponsorship p15 questions and answers on sponsorship uses shared a. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Confessions of a big book sponsor big book sponsorship.
I practice the 12 step program as outlined in the big book of alcoholics anonymous, the original recipe for recovery as practiced by the original 100 who recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. In that relationship, a sponsee might meet with a sponsor either before or after a meeting, in order to learn about expectations and responsibilities. Since, i have only one authority as an active sponsor. Scott peck wrote, there is something of a tradition in 12 step programmes that it is ok to outgrow your sponsor. When the book was published in 1939 the aa fellowship was small and struggling.
Sponsor in big book alcoholics anonymous, 12 steps and 12. The 164 and more book, ebook, and web site are all concordances which display passages from the big book alcoholics anonymous, the twelve steps and twelve traditions, and the a. Aa big book didnt mention sponsorship, and there were no books written about it. It will, however, find all the forms of the word alcohol in their context. Abolish sponsorship from alcoholics anonymous gopetition. The support and stimulus of working the steps with a buddy, a sponsor, or both, leads to personal growth and change. What the big book really says by jay westbrook on december 29, 2014 in living in recovery, living with addiction alcoholics anonymous, and the myriad of other 12step programs, can be invaluable to the recovering alcoholic or addict. Your response is typical of the narrowmindedness of some members of a. Find all uses of this word in the big book alcoholics anonymous and the twelve steps and twelve traditions of a. Sorting and rendering passages in the proprietary format of the 164 and more concordance does not in any way imply affiliation with or endorsement by either alcoholics. The 12 and 12 approach will take approximately 20 sponsorship meetings. A sponsee might also have sponsor assigned tasks to complete, such as checking in via phone periodically or reading chapters of the big book and reporting back with key findings to discuss. These are some of the best tapes i have, and one of my personal favorites. Clarence gave me a copy of the manuscript of the big book we had to.
If you do not know the meaning of a word, just doubleclick left mouse button directly on the word and a. Sponsoring via the big book aa history alcoholics anonymous. How to find the right aa sponsor for achieving sobriety. Essentially, all 91 delegates raised their hands in assent. The aa leaflet on sponsorship states that the sponsor sponsee relationship is one of equals, and that the sponsor has no authority over the sponsee. Explaining the roles of sponsor and sponsee sunrise house. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the sponsors 12 step manual. This sober oldtimer composed this with the help of a sponsee. The role of the big book sponsor is to teach the newcomer how to work a twelve step program and show them how teach other newcomers to do the same. This is the workbook edition of the sponsor s 12 step manual. Each member of alcoholics anonymous is a potential sponsor of a new member and should clearly recognize the obligations and duties of such responsibility. Experience, availability and trustworthiness are among the traits to consider when choosing a sponsor. A sponsor is an experienced member of alcoholics anonymous who is using the 12 steps of aa successfully on a daytoday basis.
Nowhere in the big book or any of the orignial aa literature does it say anything about men only helping men and women only helping women. Daily reflections, a compilation of spiritual reflections contributed by members. Selecting a sponsor is a vital part of the 12step recovery journey and, for many, a key to maintaining sobriety. And in this respect i believe the sponsor system superior to traditional therapy. If sponsor is a person who the newcomer must call daily and meet with regularly, and who dictates what meetings should be attended, how and when to eat, pray, etc.
It is a jokey reference that goes back to aas humble beginnings. He encouraged me to get involved in all of aagroup, intergroup and general service. Its not about being sponsoredits about sponsoring others that is a predictor for recovery. I felt a need to formally work the steps and did with help from 12 step. Studying the steps is not the same as taking the steps. My current sponsor has become one of those lifelong friends which the big book says we will make in aa.
Sponsorship in aa 6 characteristics of a good sponsor discovery. If you note the subject of this website, its about big book sponsorship and its application to any and all addictions. Furthermore, it indicates your inability to think outside your dogmatic rhetoric. My second sponsor took me through the first three steps and was with. A guide to teaching and learning the program of aa. Sponsorship in aa 6 characteristics of a good sponsor i reached out to an oldtimer in alcoholics anonymous, and asked for his worksheet on sponsorship. Alcoholics anonymous how to be an effective sponsor in. Big book sponsors claim a place of priority for alcoholics anonymous and often reject other works, including aa approved literature, as inadequate deviations from the original. Many recovering alcoholics work the 12 steps with a sponsor.
Big book sponsorship was a style of aa unique to cleveland at that time, and has since become a vocal minority movement within the fellowship. While this is a nice ideal in theory, in reality the relationship is inherently unequal, particularly in relation to newcomers, who are often emotionally and psychologically vulnerable when they. In meetings hosted by a network of big book sponsors, one is likely to hear a great deal about god and how god has transformed the lives of those who have worked the twelve steps as they are laid out in the big book. Sponsorship in aa 6 characteristics of a good sponsor.
Confidence restored, i proceeded full speed ahead and the vital big book message was successfully carried. Because of this, the search will not answer how many times is alcohol used in the big book. As a matter of fact, the word sponsor does not come up in the big book until page 220, and that sponsor never got sober, dying as a drunk. Terry o on is it ok to use nonconference approved literature in meetings. Where does it say anything in the big book that you. Alcoholics anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recov er from alcoholism. The sponsorship idea is an integral part of the alcoholics anonymous set up, and part of its social support network. Each estimate includes a thorough reading and study of the source material and a complete path through. The big book says we are all friends sharing our experience strength and hope and there are clear responsibilities outlined on page 97 for being a friend in aa. In the big book, as the text alcoholics anonymous is known, we read the written words of the first 100 men and women of aa as they were put in the way of a.
The big book lays out the 12 steps of alcoholics anonymous and includes personal stories of those who found recovery in the program. Alcoholics anonymous how to be an effective sponsor in recovery with aa kindle edition by anonymous guest. General service conferenceapproved literature reflects the group conscience of the fellowship of a. Being a historyminded sort of guy, i have spent many years studying the ingredients and suggestions of the aa program. In relation to the rest of aa today, big book sponsorship tends to be more conservative. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading alcoholics anonymous how to be an effective sponsor in recovery with aa. We shall be interested to hear from those who are getting results from this book, particularly those who have commenced work with other addicts. I was scared to ask someone to sponsor me, so i put off getting one. The sponsor provides support, encouragement and a listening ear to the aa newcomer while sharing his or her experience with the alcohol recovery program. Twelve step sponsorshipits opportunities and its responsibilities. Big book sponsors also tend to place greater emphasis upon the spiritual aspects of the aa program.