A.A. Hanoi

Alcoholics Anonymous

Thursday Meeting – Big Book Study

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the Thursday noon Big Book Study of Hanoi AA. This is a closed meeting. Closed meetings are for those who have a desire to stop drinking. If you do not consider yourself to be alcoholic or do not have a desire to stop drinking we kindly ask you leave now. You may attend one of our open meetings which can be found on the website as an observer. 

Please silence your cell phone.

PREAMBLE

Alcoholics Anonymous is a fellowship of people who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from Alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for AA membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. AA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy; neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.

12 STEPS

Thank you. Will someone please read the 12 steps starting at “here are the steps we took, which are suggested as a program of recovery…”? 

  1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol – that our lives had become
    unmanageable.
  2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
  3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we
    understood Him.
  4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
  5. Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
  6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
  7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
  8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
  9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
  10. Continued to take a personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
  11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
  12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

INTRODUCTIONS – MILESTONES

Thank you. Introduce ourselves. Is there anyone here for the first meeting?Are there any AA birthdays or milestones? Is there anyone from out of town? 

FORMAT OF MEETING

The format of this meeting is that we will each take turns reading a paragraph from the big book. Once we have each read, those who wish to may share for 3-5 minutes about their experience from the reading or with recovery from alcoholism. Out of respect for the meetings purpose and each members time, we will conclude the meeting after each person has had a chance to share. We are on page:__________

END OF MEETING 

7TH TRADITION

AA’s 7th tradition states that we are self supporting declining outside contributions. If you would like to contribute, now is the time.

cLOSING THE MEETING

We will close the meeting with a reading from page 164 in the chapter entitled “A vision for you” and the serenity prayer. Will someone please read the last 2 paragraphs on page 164?

“Our book is meant to be suggestive only. We realize we know only a little. God will constantly disclose more to you and to us. Ask Him in your morning meditation what you can do each day for the man who is still sick. The answers will come, if your own house is in order. But obviously you cannot transmit something you haven’t got. See to it that your relationship with Him is right, and great events will come to pass for you and countless others. This is the Great Fact for us.

Abandon yourself to God as you understand God. Admit your faults to Him and to your fellows. Clear away the wreckage of your past. Give freely of what you find and join us. We shall be with you in the fellowship of the Spirit and you will surely meet some of us as you trudge the Road of Happy Destiny. May God bless you and keep you – until then.”

Thank you. For joining the meeting. The business meeting is held on the first Sunday of the month directly after the Sunday night meeting.

Are there any AA related announcements?