Meeting Preamble
Hello, my name is ________________ and I am an addict. Welcome to the ________________ meeting of NA. Let us open the meeting with a moment of silence for the addict who still suffers, followed by the Serenity Prayer.
God, please 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.
Please turn your cell phones off, or put them on silent. For the protection of the group as well as the meeting facility, we ask that you have no drugs or paraphernalia on your person at the meeting. If you have any, please leave, dispose of them, and return to the meeting as quickly as possible.
Reading #1: Who is an Addict
Reading #2: "What is the NA Program"
Reading #3: "Why are we here"
Reading #4: "How it works"
Reading #5: "The Twelve Traditions"
Reading #6 (Optional): What is Service in NA?
Ask:
• Is anyone here attending their first NA meeting?
• Is anyone visiting from out of town? If so, let us know your name and where you’re visiting from.
• Is anyone here in their first 30 days of recovery?
• Is anyone celebrating a birthday of clean time?
Clarity Statement: At NA meetings, we introduce ourselves s addicts. When NA members identify as addicts and alcoholics or talk about living clean and sober, the clarity of the NA message is blurred. To speak in this manner suggest that there are two diseases, that one drug is somehow separate from the rest, requiring special recognition. Narcotics Anonymous makes no distinction between drugs. Our identification as addicts is all inclusive, allowing us to concentrate on our similarities, not our differences.
Introductions: This is an open/closed meeting of NA. Let’s go around and introduce ourselves by first name.
(Optional Reading: Just for Today Daily Meditation)
Format: This is an open share/tag/step study/other meeting of NA.
Open the Meeting for Sharing: If you have used in the past 24 hours, please listen and share with someone after the meeting. To the rest: please kindly limit your sharing to _______ minutes or less to allow everyone the opportunity to share. Remember that part of sharing is sharing the time. The floor is now open for sharing. [If someone is well over the time limit, consider tapping your watch.]
Burning Desire: Before closing the meeting, ask if anyone has a burning desire. “A burning desire is an urge to use or harm yourself.”
Seventh Tradition: “Let’s not forget the Seventh Tradition, which states that every NA meeting ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions.” Pass the basket and announce that it is only for addicts, not visitors.
Ask: Are there any NA related announcements?
Closing: We Do Recover | Just for Today
God, please grant us the serenity to accept the things we cannot change,
The courage to change the things we can,
And the wisdom to know the difference!