Zoom link Beginner meeting 

8:00 pm Wednesdays

Meeting Format

Meeting Opening

You can follow along with the meeting format on the Came to Believe Website which is linked in the chat. Will you join me with a moment of silence for family and friends affected by alcoholism. Please remain muted while we all say the Serenity Prayer. The words to the Serenity prayer can be found in the chat and on the Came to Believe Website. 

Serenity Prayer

God, grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, 

courage to change the things we can, 

and the wisdom to know the difference.

Reprinted with permission of Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA. 

Welcome

We welcome you to the Came to Believe Al-Anon Family group.  We are so happy that you are here. You are not alone in living with the problem of another's alcoholism. The primary purpose of Al-Anon is to bring help and comfort to the family and friends of alcoholics. The sharing of experience, strength, and hope by those who understand the devastating effects of living with alcoholism helps us to put our problems into perspective, recognize options, and find peace. The Al-Anon program follows the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. In Al-Anon, we respect anonymity, holding everything that is said here in confidence. If you are new, we would like to get to know you. Please stay on after we say the closing. We would like to get to know you. That is when we have fellowship and answer questions.

The 20 Questions

Al-Anon is for families, relatives, and friends whose lives have been affected by someone else’s drinking. If someone close to you, such as a family member, friend, coworker, or neighbor, has or has had a drinking problem, the following questions may help you determine if Al-Anon is for you.

1. Do you constantly seek approval and affirmation? 

2. Do you fail to recognize your accomplishments? 

3. Do you fear criticism? 

4. Do you overextend yourself? 

5. Have you had problems with your own compulsive behavior? 

6. Do you have a need for perfection? 

7. Are you uneasy when your life is going smoothly, continually anticipating problems? 

8. Do you feel more alive in the midst of a crisis? 

9. Do you still feel responsible for others, as you did for the problem drinker in your life? 

10. Do you care for others easily, yet find it difficult to care for yourself? 

11. Do you isolate yourself from other people? 

12. Do you respond with fear to authority figures and angry people? 

13. Do you feel that individuals and society in general are taking advantage of you? 

14. Do you have trouble with intimate relationships? 

15. Do you confuse pity with love, as you did with the problem drinker? 

16. Do you attract and/or seek people who tend to be compulsive and/or abusive? 

17. Do you cling to relationships because you are afraid of being alone? 

18. Do you often mistrust your own feelings and the feelings expressed by others? 

19. Do you find it difficult to identify and express your emotions? 

20. Do you think someone’s drinking may have affected you? 

Alcoholism is a family disease. Those of us who have lived with this disease as children sometimes have problems which the Al-Anon program can help us to resolve. If you have answered yes to any of the above questions, Al-Anon may help. 

Reprinted with permission of Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA. 

The Twelve Steps, Traditions, and Concepts

In Al-Anon there are 36 spiritual principles guiding our recovery. The principles are the twelve steps, the twelve traditions, and the twelve concepts of service. In this beginner meeting, we focus on the steps.  Step 1 is "We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable."

Announcements

Al-Anon literature is available online and can also be purchased at any in-person meeting.  This meeting meets in person every Monday at 6:00 p.m. at Saint Luke's Lutheran Church on Chippenham and Custis. Please join us in person. Please see our Came to Believe website for a map to our meeting, our event calendar, and links to information from Al-Anon.org.  Al-Anon groups are self-supporting through our own contributions. If you are so inclined, please click the PayPal link in the chat or here on the website. Contribute via PayPal 

The Program

Tonight, our prayerfully prepared program is ____________. 

The Closing

In closing I would like to say that you are not alone. There are those among us who share the same problems and challenges that come with living with alcoholism in family or a friend. Please remember that sharing was spoken in confidence.  We invite you to our in-person meeting every Monday at 6:00 pm. We want to get to know you. Please remain on after the meeting ends to talk and have any questions answered. Everyone, please mute and join me in the Al-Anon declaration and Serenity Prayer. 

Al-Anon Declaration

Let it Begin with Me

When anyone anywhere reaches out for help, let the hand of Al-Anon always be there, and--let it begin with me.

Serenity Prayer

God, grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change, 

courage to change the things we can, 

and the wisdom to know the difference.

Reprinted with permission of Al-Anon Family Group Headquarters, Inc., Virginia Beach, VA.