By Apostle Dr. Rebecca Michael
We will start this series of informative
articles which follow for addictions
recovery and overcoming by posting
the 12 steps common to most recovery
groups fi rst. We will post aft er that the
Christian form of these 12 steps for
those who want to follow these. Th is
will be followed by the 12 traditions as
used complimentarily with the steps.
We will follow this with some famous
recovery prose and Aaron’s blessing
prayer. We will use this corner in future
magazine issues to discuss these
steps and traditions in specifi c ways
that can be applied.
12 Steps ( from http://www.12step.org )
Step 1 - We admitted we were powerless
over our addiction - that our lives
had become unmanageable.
Step 2 - Came to believe that a Power
greater than ourselves could restore us
to sanity.
Step 3 - Made a decision to turn our will
and our lives over to the care of God as
we understood God.
Step 4 - Made a searching and fearless
moral inventory of ourselves.
Step 5 - Admitted to God, to ourselves
and to another human being the exact
nature of our wrongs.
Step 6 - Were entirely ready to have God
remove all these defects of character.
Step 7 - Humbly asked God to remove
our shortcomings.
Step 8 - Made a list of all persons we
had harmed, and became willing to
make amends to them all.
Step 9 - Made direct amends to such
people wherever possible, except when
to do so would injure them or others.
Step 10 - Continued to take personal
inventory and when we were wrong
promptly admitted it.
Step 11 - Sought through prayer and
meditation to improve our conscious
contact with God as we understood
God, praying only for knowledge of
God’s will for us and the power to carry
that out.
Step 12 - Having had a spiritual awakening
as the result of these steps, we
tried to carry this message to other addicts,
and to practice these principles
in all our aff airs.
Th is version of the 12 steps is an adaptation
from the original 12 Steps of
Alcoholics Anonymous and is intended
for general use with any addictive
or dysfunctional behavior.
THE TWELVE TRADITIONS OF
ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS
(from Overcomers Outreach Group
Traditions)
1. Our common welfare should come
fi rst. Personal recovery depends upon
God’s grace and our willingness to get
help.
2. For our group purpose there is but
one ultimate authority—a loving God
as He ex-presses Himself through His
Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Our leaders are but trusted servants;
they do not govern.
3. Th e only requirement for Overcomers
Outreach membership is a desire
to stop addictive or compulsive behavior.
4. Each group should be autonomous
except in matters aff ecting other
groups or Over-comers Outreach as a
whole.
5. Th e primary purpose of each group
is to serve as a “bridge” between traditional
12 Step groups and the church.
We carry the message of Christ’s delivering
power to individuals and family
members both within and without the
church who still suff er.
6. An Overcomers Outreach group
uses Th e Holy Bible along with the 12
Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous for
(Continued on Page 17)
12 Steps To Recovery, Part 1
(Continued fr om Page 12)
its tools of recovery. Outside enterprises
are prayerfully evaluated lest problems
of money, property and prestige
divert us from our primary purpose.
7. Every Overcomers Outreach group
ought to be fully self-supporting,
declining outside contributions.
8. Overcomers Outreach groups should remain
for-ever non-professional, but our Service
Centers may employ special workers.
9. Overcomers Outreach, as such, ought
never be organized, but group coordinators
net-work with the Central Service Center,
seeing that the group is facilitated through
adherence to the Freed Book’s “Meeting
Format” and rotation of leadership.
10. Overcomers Outreach is, without
apology, a Christ-centered recovery
group; however, persons of
all faiths are welcome. Discussions of
doctrine should be avoided; our focus
must be upon our mutual recovery.
11. Our public relations policy is based
upon attraction rather than promotion; we
need to always seek the Holy Spirit’s discernment
whenever sharing in the media,
in order to maintain personal anonymity of
all Overcomers Outreach group members.
12. Jesus Christ is the spiritual foundation
of all our traditions, ever reminding
us to place principles before
personalities. We claim God’spromise
that His power can set us FREE!
Michael is Apostle for
Phoenix Alive Christian
Ministries, Inc. in
Maple Ridge, BC. She
has over two decades
in education, mental
health, and many
years experience in
ministry. She is also
an independent songwriter/producer, publishing blues, rock, and Gospel. To
contact Apostle Dr. Rebecca, visit her
website at http://PhoenixHorizons.webs.com
