What is AA?
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a support group specifically designed for individuals struggling with alcohol addiction. It operates as an international fellowship of men and women who seek to overcome alcoholism by following a structured 12-step program and benefiting from peer support and spirituality, as outlined on https://www.wfmh.org/aa/missouri.
Across Missouri, USA, AA offers a free program with regular group meetings available in many cities. These meetings provide a safe, confidential space where members share their experiences and support each other in maintaining sobriety.
Kansas City Central Office
Address: 1055 Broadway Blvd Ste. 130, Kansas City, MO 64105
Meeting times: Daily at 12:00 pm and 6:00 pm
Meeting format: Open speaker meetings where AA members share personal stories of addiction and recovery to inspire and guide newcomers and peers. These sessions encourage honest sharing and mutual support in a welcoming environment.
SoulWinnin Tabernacle Church
Address: 3918 E. 27th St, Joplin, MO 64804
Meeting times: Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:00 pm
Meeting format: Open meetings featuring a speaker/participation style. Members share recovery experiences, and the interactive format allows attendees to participate actively, fostering a sense of community and empowerment.
Creve Coeur Methodist Church
Address: 10950 Olive Blvd, Creve Coeur, MO 63141
Meeting times: Daily at noon and 7:00 pm; Sunday night speaker meeting at 5:30 pm
Meeting format: Open meetings with a focus on member participation and storytelling. The Sunday speaker meeting highlights individual journeys toward sobriety, offering hope and resilience models for attendees.
The 12 Steps of AA
- We admitted we were powerless over alcohol — that our lives had become unmanageable.
Understanding and accepting powerlessness is the foundation for recovery, emphasizing the need for help beyond oneself. - Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
This step encourages openness to spiritual guidance or a higher power that can help heal the addiction. - Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
Members commit to actively surrendering control and trusting in their chosen higher power for support. - Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
This involves honest self-examination to identify personal flaws and behaviors contributing to addiction. - Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
Sharing this inventory promotes accountability and relief from guilt by verbalizing mistakes and burdens. - Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
Readiness to change personal shortcomings is key for emotional and spiritual growth. - Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
This step involves active humility and seeking strength to overcome character defects. - Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
Acknowledging past harm and preparing to repair relationships is essential for healing. - Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
Restoring trust and correcting wrongs is practiced carefully to avoid further harm. - Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.
Ongoing self-reflection and humility prevent relapse and maintain sobriety. - 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.
This promotes spiritual growth and daily guidance to live soberly. - 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.
Members commit to service, helping others achieve sobriety, and maintaining recovery principles in everyday life.
The 12 steps aim to motivate members across Missouri to foster positive personal change and sustain sobriety through self-awareness, spiritual connection, and mutual support.
Getting Started with AA in Missouri, USA
Individuals seeking help with alcohol addiction in Missouri are encouraged to search for local AA meetings on wfmh.org. This is the best resource to find meeting locations, times, and formats near you.
Most AA meetings in Missouri offer both in-person and online/virtual sessions, providing flexible options to accommodate various comfort levels and accessibility needs.
Attending Your First Local AA Meeting
When attending an AA meeting for the first time in Missouri, it is helpful to know about meeting types and etiquette.
| Meeting Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Open Meeting | Open to anyone interested in AA recovery, including alcoholics, family members, and friends. Participants can listen and share if comfortable. |
| Closed Meeting | Restricted to individuals who have a desire to stop drinking alcohol. This setting encourages more intimate sharing among recovering alcoholics. |
- Arrive early to introduce yourself as a new member and meet others in a relaxed manner.
- If comfortable, share your personal experiences with the group to gain support and strengthen your commitment.
- Most first-time attendees receive a welcome keychain tag to commemorate milestones in sobriety.
Keychain Tag Milestones in AA
| Milestone | Description |
|---|---|
| 30 days | Recognizes the achievement of one month of continuous sobriety, encouraging persistence during this early and challenging period. |
| 60 days | Celebrates two months of sustained recovery, reinforcing new coping strategies and commitment strength. |
| 1 year | Marks a significant milestone of one year sobriety, symbolizing long-term dedication and progress within the fellowship. |
| Further milestones | Additional tags may represent longer sobriety intervals such as 5 years, 10 years, and beyond, celebrating ongoing recovery success. |