Need help Leading my First Meeting

[Sober4life]

Calling all drunks

I have been asked to lead my first AA meeting on 12/7/09 where we average about 75-100 guys at the Men Stag on every Monday nights at 7:30-9:00 and I'm a little nervious about it, but at the sane time I feel very privielged to be asked to do something so special. (In Redondo Beach, CA)

I'm asking if anyone has any ideas or support to what I should talk about I know that a pretty personel question but I'd like to hear your ideas and thoughts, I was reading today and a paragraph on pages 152-153 of the BIG BOOK kind of hit home a little

sorry about the spelling I'm not very good, but I think you get the point


Thank you in advance for all your help

[AAthlete]

Need help Leading my First Meeting

Is this an Open Speaker meeting? If so, you could read that paragraph and then talk about what life was like for you before you believed in a Higher Power, what happened to make you believe in a Higher Power, and what your life is like now that you do believe.

That is the hardest part to convey to the person who still suffers, right? That belief in a Higher Power will solve your drinking problems? Cause that is the last thing someone usually want to hear when the come to AA, right (at least I didn't)? "AA isn't for me - I don't want God shoved down my throat - besides what has he done for me?" For me, little by little, God started creeping into my life, until one day I realized He was doing for me what I could not do for myself and everything had come full circle...

Sound familiar? Anyway, speak from the heart and you'll be fine. If you're really in doubt talk to your sponsor about it - he/she should be able to offer some suggestions.

[hippie37]

Need help Leading my First Meeting

Hi Sober. I did my first main share at a meeting only last Wednesday night. It was only a small group (about 20 max) but I'm sure the feelings you have are no different from the ones I had. I like you was asked 2 weeks prior to doing the chair and it taught me a good lesson if nothing else about keeping things in the day. All my pre-conceived ideas and the way I wanted to express some great message of recovery went completely out of the window anyway after about the first few sentences. I was still trying to play God and read from the script so as to speak. I had all these expectations that things were going to go horribly wrong and I was going to 'fluff my lines'. Whilst my choice of reading was being read out I just asked God to help me speak the truth and be honest. I had an idea that I was going to start with talking about how I grew up and my childhood etc but from there it just came out how it came out. My nerves were already shot because I don't like having he spotlight on me at meetings but I was amazed how long I went on for. Once the flood gates where opened It just came flooding out. The shares I got back were really nice to. I had a powerful message already unbeknown to me because I just told it how it was for me and that honesty came through with God's help. I wasn't expected to come out with something so profound or enlightened as the 'elders' of the tribe because I wasn't there yet. I was where I was supposed to be and my share reflected that.

Just be true to who you are and where you are in your recovery. Don't think too much about whether it is going to be a good message or not either. It will be, if people can feel your honesty. Don't try to be something you're not and that in itself is a message of hope is it not? Most of us have not known who the hell we are for years so for someone seeing you share openly about yourself, that gives them hope. I've always warmed to people who are honest even when they tell me something I'm not particularly fond of or when it's about me. I learn from this stuff all the time and so will others if you do the same.

Love and Light
Phil
xx

[Sober4life]

Need help Leading my First Meeting

Thank you so much Guys, This is what I need to hear please keep it coming :thanks:

[rubywillow]

Need help Leading my First Meeting

What always meant the most to me was hearing the unvarnished truth from people about their past, espcially how they THOUGHT during their drinking, how they rationalized everything, and how suddenly (or slowly) the truth dawned on them they were lying to themselves, seeing the world through the eyes of AL. One man said 'the veil was lifted, the curtains opened, and I saw the past as though someone else had lived it. I cried when I realized that someone was me.' It was a profound moment for me.

[Sober4life]

Need help Leading my First Meeting

My meeting last night went so good, Thank you all for the postive input :thanks:

all your thoughts and suggestion were very helpful