Biblical Worldview Application of the Alcoholics Anonymous Community
Name;
Institution affiliation;
Course;
Facilitator;
Date;
Alcoholics Anonymous Organization
Name and Brief History of Organization
I choose to hold several online gatherings with an Alcoholics Anonymous club called
Founder's Group (hybrid), which is hosted on the Zoom virtual website. The group is based out
in Bismarck, ND 58504 and meets every Wednesday,-7:00 pm-to 8:00 pm, Eastern Standard
Time. According to Alcoholics Anonymous, (2020) the Alcoholics Anonymous program was
established when Bill W, a stockbroker from New York, and Dr. Bob, a surgeon from Ohio, met
in Akron, Ohio in 1935 to converse about their shared problems with alcoholism. These two
individuals are referred to as the spiritual forefathers of the twelve-step method, which aims to
provide those pursuing rehabilitation from alcoholism with a sense of acceptance and culture
through which abstinence and recovery from alcoholism is tangible and feasible through the
recommended twelve steps. The online meeting I joined generally aims to go past the traditional
objective of the Alcoholics Anonymous organization, by providing a supportive and welcoming
reception for anyone who suffers from malady as according to AA.
How the Meetings are Run/Organized
The link to join the meeting via zoom is https://zoom.us/j/309918100#success with a
password: 752152. This meeting is open and anyone may attend via the zoom platform. The
format for the Wednesday online meeting at Founder's Group (hybrid), generally follows a
predetermined flow of events. The facilitator (Karl M. from Covina, CA) opens the Zoom
meeting room thirty minutes before the planned meeting start time to allow attendees to
socialize. The moderator calls the meeting to order at 7 p.m., and everybody says the Serenity
Prayer. Following the prayer, the facilitator asks numerous volunteers to hold a conversation
based on the “Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous,” that is titled "How It Works." This book
provides an explanation of the Alcoholics Anonymous program as well as the formula for getting
the best out of it. Following that, a volunteer reads the “Twelve Traditions of AA,” which are
close to the rules and regulations of other organizations.
These benchmarks will range from a single day of sobriety to several years of abstinence
from alcohol. The entire community congratulates those who are marking successes and invites
new guests, which is deeply humbling to watch. At this point, the volunteer acting as the
meeting's moderator reads the day's chosen reading and hold discussion with the audience why
they choose that material, (normally chosen from an Alcoholics Anonymous Intergroup-
approved source) and why it was relevant to them individually. Other attendees are then invited
to share their views; this can be in relation to the reading, which can be on something related to
addiction and sobriety. Another volunteer speaker reads the “Promises” of Alcoholics
Anonymous towards this meeting's planned conclusion, reminding audience members of what
they ought to seek as they want to take the recommended course of Alcoholics Anonymous that
so several people prior to them have faithfully pursued into a number of years of sustained
soberness. Finally, another community memorization of the calm prayer is made and the meeting
is usually left open for another thirty minutes for further friendship and social interaction.
Additionally, Founder’s Group (hybrid) holds Yearly birthdays celebrated every last Wednesday
of the month at 6:00 pm outside in the smoking area available.
Personal comments of the Meetings
Despite the fact that I have attended a variety of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, for
educational purposes, this specific gathering is what I refer to as my "home party." Over the past
four months, I've been attending this meeting every week, and I've formed close bonds with
several members of such a small faction. All through my experience in the halls, I've learned a
lot of touching and positive stories, but one that especially struck home for me lately was when
we were about handing out our mobile phone numbers and contact addresses so that people
might reach out to us in situations of need or when they're battling with their alcohol addiction.
Somebody at the meeting said that this was her first time to post her mobile phone
number directly in the chat for someone else to contact her for assistance. Further, she made an
explanation that she hadn't done so at first because she felt that many would do so and she might
not need to or that her details wouldn't reach out in the chat. This ignited something in me
because I had just heard about the behaviorist approach in psychology. At last, I chose to tell the
group that I was grateful of this lady for overcoming the Genovese syndrome (though somewhat
without realizing it) and stepping forward to share her knowledge. She had no idea that no one
else had seen her address until she put it in the chat pane. She paved the way for others to follow
as she revealed her phone number. I praised the lady for her encouraging ability to share and for
the unintended impact she built on those in the meeting that hour.
Application in the Biblical Worldview
Just like I said earlier, Alcoholics Anonymous is a spiritual-based organization in which
members are empowered to take refuge and accountability from what is referred to as their
"Higher Power." According to Piderman et al., (2010), Spirituality has many different and
personal meanings, and inside the AA culture, spirituality appears to deviate away from
mainstream faith and incline towards seeking peace of mind and recovery in a more systematic
manner. Kelly et al., (2011) argues that Alcoholics Anonymous actively urges participants to
recognise a personal "Higher Power," whatever it is to them, as a way to hold themselves
accountable and find value in their acts and experiences. This recognizes that several addicts
have previously said that they have difficulty finding sense or reason in their lives.
According to Kelly et al., (2011), AA is based on the belief that a defined path to healing
is dependent on a spiritual realization that will be achieved by following the twelve prescribed
steps in order. This demands for help and assistance of a mentor and the AA organization. A
motivated being, is indeed an agency of someone's determination which provides the individuals
with a sense of relief, confidence, motivation, and responsibility. This allows the individual keep
off from alcoholism for more than twenty-four hours. The organization does not typically order
what an individual's "motivated being" should be. This shows the AA does not require that
individuals imitate traditional image of God as they believe; a motivated being is an agency of
one's own determination that provides to an individual a feeling of relief and resilience.
Conclusion
While I had continued attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings on a regular basis prior
to the study, participating with a student mentality enabled me to view my group and the
Alcoholics Anonymous organization as complete from a new perspective. AA organization,
which was founded in 1935, has evolved and developed over the years and decades to admit
people from all aspect of society, from all aspects of life, and with a diverse range of personal
convictions. The Alcoholics Anonymous organization not only provides a prescription, tested,
and tested form of spiritual experience and the possibility of permanent rehabilitation, but it also
provides the guidance and services necessary to pursue the procedures and develop beyond the
limits of recovery from addiction.
Reference
https://aanorthdakota.org/meetings/founders-group/
Kelly, J. F., Stout, R. L., Magill, M., Tonigan, J. S., & Pagano, M. E. (2011). Spirituality in
recovery: A lagged mediational analysis of Alcoholics Anonymous’ principal theoretical
mechanism of behavior change.-Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research,-35(3),
454-463.
Piderman, K. M., Schneekloth, T. D., Shane Pankratz, V., Maloney, S. D., & Altchuler, S. I.
(2007). Spirituality in alcoholics during treatment.-American Journal on
Addictions,-16(3), 232-237.
