Thursday Rise and Shine Big Book Study
Opener/ Closer Script
Welcome to this SAA Tele-Meeting Big Book study.
Let’s open this meeting with a moment of silent meditation, each in their own way, followed by the serenity prayer.
God, grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the Courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to know the difference.
To reduce static and background noise, would everyone please press star 6 at this time to mute your phone. This is the best way to help us keep the lines clear. Press star 6 to un-mute, when you want to speak.
To paraphrase the Forward to the First Edition of the book of Alcoholics Anonymous:
We, of Sex Addicts Anonymous, are more than one hundred men and women who have recovered from a seemingly hopeless state of mind and body. To show other sex addicts precisely how we have recovered is the main purpose of this book. For them, we hope these pages will prove so convincing that no further authentication will be necessary. We think this account of our experiences will help everyone to better understand the sex addict. Many do not comprehend that the sex addict is a very sick person. And besides, we are sure that our way of living has its advantages for all.
My name is xxxxxxxx from xxxxxxx. I am a sex addict. My sobriety date is xx/xx xxxx. If you don’t have an AA Big Book you can access it on-line at www.aa.org/bigbookonline. This is an open meeting and as such all who have an interest in sex addiction and our program of recovery are welcome. Because this is an open meeting, you need not identify yourself nor your reason for being here if you do not wish to do so. Your anonymity will be protected. We ask that you protect ours.
We would like to recognize those who have reached certain milestones in their pursuit of sobriety. Is anyone celebrating 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months or an Annual birthday?
Pause
We would also like to welcome any newcomers to SAA. If you are a newcomer please introduce yourself and tell us your name. This is not to embarrass you, but to help us to welcome you to this meeting.
Pause
(If any newcomers introduce themselves, welcome them and encourage them to stay on the line for fellowship at the end of the call)
Pause
Our Group Conscience has elected to use the Big Book of A.A. as its basic text. In this meeting we stay focused on the instructions in the Big Book of A.A. Time and experience have proven it to be the most successful approach to the Steps no matter what the addictive problem may be. We as sex addicts know that we must be focused on two things: either applying these Steps to our lives, or studying their instructions for better application. We know that if we do not do these things that we will surely act out. And for us, to act out is to die.
For our study purposes, we will use the Big Book Study Guide prepared by members of Dallas’s Primary Purpose Group of A.A. In this guide there are questions correlated with almost every sentence in the Big Book. Our Study Guide leader will read a question and call upon a member to read the corresponding sentence, which is designed to be the answer. If you feel comfortable doing so, please feel free to adapt the language to sex addiction, except when it is historically pertinent.
If you have comments regarding the text read, please restrict them to your insights into its message as it relates to your sex addiction. We consider all else to be an outside issue. This includes personal problems. The proper venue for sharing such problems is with a sponsor. This, after all, is where real recovery takes place – in working the Steps with a sponsor. At the end of the meeting, members will share their names and phone numbers, for sponsorship and fellowship. If you feel the need to check-in, please contact one of these members directly. For the newcomers there will be a period of fellowship after the meeting where other issues can be discussed. We encourage all to stay for discussion.
I will now turn the meeting over to the Big Book Study Guide leader.
Study Guide Leader
Good morning, my name is xxxxxxxx from xxxxxxx. I am a sex addict. My sobriety date is xx/xx xxxx. Before we begin our Big Book study we will review a Tradition. This week’s Tradition is _______. We will begin our study on page ______.
CLOSING
“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”.
If you have questions about how to work the Steps as instructed by the Big Book, your sponsor is the proper person to whom to pose them. If you are not getting satisfactory answers, if you are looking for a sponsor or a new sponsor, perhaps there is someone here who can help.
Will those of you who have worked these Steps, had the promised spiritual awakening and have the time and willingness to work with others please announce your names and your phone numbers, for those looking for guidance? Please be sure you are qualified as a sponsor before offering your phone number.
Pause
Will those of you who are not available to sponsor or have not yet completed your 12 steps but would like to offer support and fellowship please announce your name and phone number now.
Pause
We would like to acknowledge at this time anyone wishing to start their journey to sobriety. Being acknowledged indicates a desire to stop addictive sexual behavior for good and for all, but we don’t act- out just one day at a time. Does anyone want to begin their journey today?
Pause
Our Seventh Tradition states that “every group ought to be fully self- supporting, declining outside contributions”, we encourage you to make a donation directly to the SAA Telemeeting Intergroup at www.saatalk.info.
Are there any SAA related announcements?
Are there any prayer requests? (The opening/closing trusted servant will maintain a prayer list for the month and forward it to the next month’s trusted servant.)
Please join me in a moment of silence for these prayer requests and for the sex addict who still suffers, followed by the Lord’s Prayer, or a prayer of your own choosing said in silence.
Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, The power, and the glory, Forever and ever. Amen.
(All meetings except the last Thursday of the month read the following:)
It’s now time for fellowship, and this is a great time to ask questions, feel free to leave at any time. Are there any newcomers with questions? ————
Group Conscience (Last Thursday of the month only)
It is now time for the Group Conscience meeting which will be followed by fellowship. If you are new, please stick around. We’d love to talk to you. (page down)
(Note to Trusted Servant: please review Robert’s Rules of Order at http://www.robertsrules.org/ prior to the Group Conscience Meeting. We follow these loosely)
Group Conscience Meeting Agenda
Welcome to the Thursday Morning SAA Big Book Study Group Conscience Meeting. My name is ______ and I’m a sex addict and your trusted servant for this meeting.
To paraphrase from Alcoholics Anonymous Appendix I:
“To those now in its fold, Sex Addicts Anonymous has made the difference between misery and sobriety, and often the difference between life and death. SAA can of course mean just as much to uncounted sex addicts not yet reached. Therefore, no society of men and women ever had a more urgent need for continuous effectiveness and permanent unity. We sex addicts see that we must work together and hang together, else most of us will finally die alone.
The Twelve Traditions of Alcoholics Anonymous are, we SAAs believe, the best answers that our experience has yet given to those ever-urgent questions, ‘How can SAA best stay whole and survive?’ ”
Would someone please read The Twelve Traditions, the short form, p. 562 of the AA Big Book.
Will the Secretary please read the minutes from last month’s group conscience meeting?
In keeping with our traditions, do we have any old business to discuss? (Start with any old business from minutes read then ask for any additional old business, if none, move on)
Do we have any new business to discuss?
In keeping with our traditions, this group rotates service positions. We need a Trusted Servant to open and close the meeting for the next two months. Suggested guidelines for this service position are to have an SAA Big Book sponsor and to be working the steps in SAA using the Big Book. Who would like to volunteer? PAUSE If there is no volunteer, ask if we have any nominations? PAUSE
We also need a Trusted Servant to lead the Big Book study section of the meeting for the next two months. Suggested guidelines for this service are completion of the 12 steps in SAA using the Big Book and having taken at least one sponsee through the SAA twelve steps using the Big Book. Suggested sobriety is 90 days. Who would like to volunteer? PAUSE If there is no volunteer, ask if we have any nominations?
Once a Year at January Group Conscience Meeting
This group is a member of the Telemeeting Intergroup. Our Intergroup representative is elected for a one year term. (Suggested qualifications for an Intergroup representative are as follows from p. 51 of the Group Guide:
At least one year experience in the SAA program.
At least six months of continuous sexual sobriety.
Experience in service work at the local level.
Endorsement of their home group – affirming that the individual has the serenity and wisdom in the program to serve at the Intergroup level.
These will be read prior to selecting the intergroup representative at the February group conscience).
Our current Intergroup representative is XXXXXX… May we hear the Intergroup report for this month?
Is there any other New business?
(pause for new business)
(Should a meeting format change occur, outgoing trusted servant please update this format with those changes and email the new document to website@saatalk.org)
CLOSING
Please help me close this meeting with the Serenity Prayer.
It’s now time for fellowship, and this is a great time to ask questions, feel free to leave at any time.
Are there any newcomers with questions?
We, who have recovered…