Guiding Principles: What do we believe?
We believe that:
- All humans have worth and dignity.
- Every member is important.
- The church should be democratic; there are no leaders or paid positions.
- Our higher power is the one that judges us; we should not judge each other.
- Our higher power is the one that creates the changes and miracles. All we need is to invite that higher power into our lives.
- Our higher power is worthy of being praised.
- Prayer is powerful.
- Singing is a wonderful expression of gratitude.
- Baptism is the decision to hand our lives over to our higher power. All people must make, or have made, this decision to make progress.
- Community is essential.
- Service is a powerful way to help heal the world.
- We need to hand control over to our higher power on a daily basis, hourly if needed.
- We need each other to learn and to heal.
- No one is perfect.
- Everyone is welcome to join us.
- The only requirement for membership is a desire to be a better person.
For healing and miracles to occur, we believe that we must continually pray to turn our will and our lives over to a higher power. For us to have peace that supasses all understanding, we must nurture this connection to a higher power.
Miracles can happen if we just have the courage to ask for help. We must ask for the ability to get out of our own way.
What We Offer: What can you get from us?
We offer everyone a community free of judgement. We are offering a safe place to share our struggles. We are going to learn, grow, and serve together. You can visit as often as you like. You can be as involved as you like. We offer a flexible, relevant, democratic, and inclusive church body where all are welcome. Come as you are.
We pray that all members grow personally in these areas*:
- Honesty
- Hope
- Surrender
- Courage
- Integrity
- Willingness
- Humility
- Love
- Responsibility
- Discipline
- Awareness
- Service
*These principles are taken from AA’s twelve steps and amended for our setting.
We will maintain these traditions to guide decisions and operations*:
- Our common welfare should come first; personal success depends upon our church unity.
- There is one ultimate authority – a loving higher power. Our leaders are trusted servants; they do not govern.
- The only requirement for church membership is a desire to be a better person.
- Each church group should be autonomous, except in matters affecting other groups or our church community as a whole.
- Each church group has one primary purpose – to carry our message to those who still suffer.
- Our church will not endorse, finance, or lend our name to any outside enterprise or related facility. This prevents money, property, and prestige from diverting us from our primary purpose.
- We are self-supporting. We shall decline all outside financial contributions.
- We shall remain non-professional. But special workers may be employed if necessary as the church grows.
- We ought never be organized, but we can create service boards or committees directly responsible to those they serve.
- Our church will have no opinion on outside issues so we are never brought into public controversy.
- For public relations, we want to attract without promotion. So we should never mention our church on social media, in the press, or in films. Our actions should draw people to us organically; promotion is not needed.
- Help maintain other members’ anonymity, especially when the information is intimate. “What you hear here, let it stay here.”
- Strive to be a PAL to members and outsiders: peaceful, accepting, and loving. Treat others with tolerance.
*These guidelines are based on AA Twelve Traditions and amended for our setting.
Philosophy: How can I benefit from recovery principles if I do not have substance abuse issues?
The website below has one good explanation. But, simply put, addiction is a symptom of a spiritual problem with a spiritual solution. The principles and the steps that are taught can help ALL people heal, grow, and become their best selves.
The recovery texts will be used in conjunction with other spiritual texts including the Bible.