Are You a Newcomer?

Resources to find meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous

• Online Intergroup of AA - A full directory of online meetings

• Houston Intergroup - Meetings - Find meeting local to Houston, TX

• Meeting Chair - Mobile App - Alcoholics Anonymous now has a mobile app to help find "Meetings near me" - App available for Android and iPhone

1. The book, “Alcoholic Anonymous”

The first 164 pages of this book contains the program of recovery. Feel free to ask the Host at any AA meeting to help you get a copy of the book. You will also hear the book Alcoholics Anonymous most frequently referred to as the “Big Book”.

2. A Sponsor

A sponsor in AA is someone who has recovered through the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous as outlined in the Big Book and is willing to take someone else through the same work.

3. A Home Group

AA members attend many different meetings but belong to one group that they call their “Home Group”. This is the group where they accept service responsibilities. With membership comes the right to vote on issues that affect the group and might also affect AA as a whole. As with all group-conscience matters, each AA member has one vote; this is voiced through the home group.

Understanding Sponsorship in A.A.

• In A.A., sponsorship is a partnership between two equals—just as it was for Bill W. and Dr. Bob. It’s a vital relationship where an alcoholic, who has made progress in recovery, shares their experience, strength, and hope with another alcoholic who is seeking to find or sustain sobriety.

• Starting in A.A. can feel overwhelming. Newcomers may feel lost, apprehensive, and unsure about how to “live sober.” Although questions are welcomed at meetings, they may not be enough to address the challenges we face between meetings. This is where the role of a sponsor becomes invaluable—a trusted A.A. member who offers continuous support, someone you can speak with freely and confidentially.

Finding a Sponsor

• Choosing a sponsor is a personal decision. Look for someone you feel comfortable with and can trust to guide you through the early stages of your recovery journey. Sponsors are available for the asking—whether you’re a newcomer hesitant to reach out or a member who has been navigating sobriety alone, don’t delay. Sponsorship is part of how A.A. members “give away” their sobriety to keep it, strengthening their own recovery by helping others. For a Sisters in Sobriety Texas "Phone and Sponsor List" email: sisitersinsobrietytexas@gmail.com. 

A Two-Way Street to Recovery

• Sponsorship, though informal and unwritten, is fundamental to A.A.’s approach to recovery through the Twelve Steps. It’s a rewarding, long-term connection that benefits both the sponsor and the sponsored.

• This page offers insights into sponsorship: for those seeking sponsors, for members eager to share their sobriety, and for groups interested in fostering sponsorship as part of their recovery community.

Text taken from the pamphlet: "Questions and Answers on Sponsorship" from AA.org. View pamphlet here.