Sobriety date: September 1, 2010
Home Group: Path to Serenity – Tuesdays 7 p.m. in East Lansing
Service Commitment roles: Gopher, Greeter, meeting chairperson, GSR, Intergroup Representative, MCYPAA Bid Committee Co-chair, MCYPAA Host Committee Chair, MCYPAA Advisory Council, District 6 YPAA Liaison, District 6 DCM, Area 32 Hybrid-Technology Co-Chair, District 6 Website Chair
What made you start doing service work?
Bradley: Having a service commitment was one of the three main requirements for working with my first sponsor. In order to get everything out of the AA program, it was suggested to meet with my sponsor once a week and work the Steps out of the Big Book, have a service commitment with a Home Group, and to sponsor other men in the program when asked. I was fortunate to be part of a home group that would create a service position for me.
What’s the biggest surprise you’ve had doing service work?
Bradley: Making the coffee strong enough will help me win the favor of an AA group more so than my long AA service resume.
Can you recall a story of how you noticed your service helped another person in their sobriety journey?
Bradley: To me, the most important service work I can do is working the steps with a newcomer. This is the most rewarding experience and best insurance for my own sobriety. I try to be the best ambassador of AA I can be everywhere I go. I remember the phrase I heard early in my recovery that, “I may be the only Big Book somebody reads”, so I want to make sure I am able to present the AA program to people in the most attractive way possible. Seeing somebody stick around in AA that I was able to interact with during their first days of sobriety is one of the best gifts of the program.
Can you recall an instance of how your service work helped your sobriety or your program?
Bradley: There have been times where I was so overextended with AA service commitments that it made my life very stressful, but it helped me stay sober. Probably the most significant from me was my first official service commitment. It was my home group, on the Friday after Thanksgiving. The majority of home group members were either away with family or at the MCYPAA conference. It was my responsibility to get a cake for the last Friday of the month, and to fill in for the chair. It was my first time chairing a meeting. I was excited and nervous about having these responsibilities. There were only 4 people who showed up to the meeting, not nearly enough to finish the cake. But it was a great meeting. Having service commitments like this are what kept me coming to AA. If I didn’t need to bring that cake or chair the meeting, I don’t know that I’d still be sober today, 14 years later.
Do you encourage AA members to do service?
Bradley: Absolutely! While it may be possible to stay sober and have a spiritual experience just working the steps and sponsoring others, without a service commitment and home group, I’d be missing out on a lot of joy and growth that I’ve experienced. Service work in AA has given me experiences that have improved my life outside of the program as well. I would say that it is an experience you will not want to miss.