Christian AA Meetings: How to Find One, Online Too

There’s no official “Christian AA,” because AA isn’t tied to any religion. But Christian-friendly 12-step meetings are easy to find. Many meetings are held in church buildings and full of believers, and some groups of Christians meet specifically to work the steps with the Bible open. You can find both near you and online with a little searching.

Here’s how to find them, how to tell what kind of meeting you’ve found, and what to expect when you walk in.

Three kinds of meeting you might mean

When people search “Christian AA meetings,” they usually want one of these:

1. A regular 12-step meeting in a church. Many AA groups rent rooms in church basements and fellowship halls. The meeting follows the usual format and welcomes people of every belief. Being in a church doesn’t make it Christian, but believers often feel at home there.

2. A Christian 12-step group. A group, often hosted by a church, that works the Twelve Steps with Jesus named as the God of the steps. Scripture is read and prayers are said in Jesus’ name. These are less common and usually aren’t part of AA’s meeting lists.

3. A church recovery ministry. A Christ-centered group that may or may not use the Twelve Steps. See Recovery ministry for what those are like.

All three can help. If you’re not sure which you want, try one of each.

How to find 12-step meetings near you

AA’s main website doesn’t keep its own meeting lists. Instead, it points you to local offices, often called intergroups or central offices, which keep the meeting schedules for each area. Use its find AA near you page to search by city or zip code.

AA also offers a phone app called Meeting Guide. It pulls listings from local offices and shows in-person and online meetings. You can search by place without sharing your location.

Things to look for in a listing:

• Open or closed. Open meetings welcome anyone. Closed meetings are for people who want to stop drinking. Either is fine for you if you have a drinking problem.
• Format. Speaker meetings have one person tell their story. Discussion meetings go around the room. Step meetings or Big Book meetings read and talk about the literature.
• Location. A church address tells you where it meets, not what it believes, but it’s a reasonable place to start.
• Notes. Some listings say men’s, women’s, beginners, or other details.

How to find Christian 12-step groups and church groups

These are usually listed by churches, not by AA.

• Ask your pastor and two or three other local pastors.
• Call larger churches and ask, “Do you have a recovery ministry or a 12-step group?”
• Search your town’s name plus “Christian 12 step” or “Christian recovery group.”
• Ask people at a regular meeting. Believers in the rooms usually know which local groups are Christ-centered.

Online meetings

If you can’t get to a meeting, or you’re not ready to be seen, start online.

• 12-step meetings online. The Online Intergroup of AA lists phone and video meetings around the world at aa-intergroup.org. Meeting Guide also has a tab for online meetings.
• Church groups online. Many church recovery ministries run video small groups or stream their teaching. Check church websites, or call.
• What to expect. Most online meetings let you keep your camera off and type in the chat instead of speaking. You can listen for a whole meeting without saying a word.

Online meetings are a real help, especially at first. Over time, most people find that people they can sit with in a room matter even more.

What to expect as a Christian in a mixed meeting

In most 12-step meetings you’ll hear people speak of God, or of a higher power. Some will clearly be believers. Some won’t. A few might be wary of religion because of how church treated them.

• You don’t have to hide your faith. Speak of God, or Jesus, as part of your own story.
• You don’t have to preach either. Meetings work because people share their own experience, not advice for others. Your story will carry more weight than an argument.
• Look for believers. After a few meetings, you’ll usually know who they are. Ask one of them to coffee.
• Find a sponsor who respects your faith. See sponsor in the glossary.

For the bigger question of whether AA fits a Christian, read Is AA Christian?, and for other paths, Christian alternatives to AA.

Before your first meeting

• Pick one meeting and write down the time and address.
• Arrive five minutes early. Tell whoever greets you it’s your first time. People are usually kind.
• Sit near the door if that helps.
• Take a meeting list or phone numbers if they’re offered.
• Plan to go back at least once. One meeting is a poor sample.

If you’ve been drinking heavily every day, talk to a doctor too.

A word from Scripture

Jesus promised to be present where even two or three gather in His name. Bring Him with you to whatever room you walk into.

A prayer before you go

“Lord, I’m nervous about walking into that room. Go in ahead of me. Help me listen, help me be honest, and put the right person beside me. Let me be a quiet light, not a lecture. Amen.”

If you’d rather talk it through first, start here.

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