On a beautiful January evening (January 4, 2019) in Grapevine Texas, 45 drunks from all over the D/FW area came to support our little group for its very first meeting.
Upon arriving at the Center of Unity in Grapevine (our new home), folks were greeted at the front door by handshakes, hugs, warm smiles, and warm hearts. There was an energy in the room that was palpable. Alcoholics coming together for one reason and one reason only – to experience a deep and rich personal experience of our basic text.
Terry C., one of our three founders, chaired our first meeting and did a bang up job. Thanks Terry! The hard work we had done to prepare us for this first meeting all came to fruition tonight. But no one could have foreseen what was to unfold when the book study actually started. The original format was to be that we would read the book (just read) from 7:45pm-8:15, take a 15 minute fellowship break, then come back from 8:30pm-9:00pm for sharing on what was just read.
God doing for us… in the moment, the format took a drastic change and open sharing began. Questions were asked… definitions we read from the dictionary, and a discussion that nobody saw coming was born. It was incredibly beautiful to sit back and watch it unfold – just the way God wanted it to be (regardless of what WE had wanted it to be). Terry would call on someone to read, they would share on what they had just read, and then anyone in the room who wanted to provide their experience on that passage, or ask a question about it jumped in and the discussion continued to unfold.
By the time the fellowship break came – the founders all just sort of looked at each other in amazement and realized in that moment that the format was taking on a life of its own. It’s not what we had planned, but it certainly was what was supposed to be. When we came back from break – we continued reading, the discussion continued and you could almost see the amazement in the room at what was taking place.
When the meeting was over, one of the women (not a member of the group) who was there came up to one Rick W. (one of the three founders) and said, “This is THE coolest A.A. meeting I have ever been to.” Stuart R. who was visiting from the Simply AA Group in Irving said after the meeting that he loved what the format morphed into and would definitely be back next week. It was our goal from the very beginning that members and visitors alike who came to tonight’s GITC meeting left with a little bit more information about our book than when they walked in. Time and time again we heard that we accomplished that goal.
Another very special experience for the members in attendance was the presence of the group of guys that “got in the car” and drove all the way from the Altered Boys Group in Oklahoma City for our first meeting. GITC owes a debt of gratitude to that amazing group in OKC because what we experienced tonight was due in large part to the incredible message of recovery and unity that group embodies. We cannot thank them enough for “getting in the car” and driving down to support us tonight. Thank you guys. We love you!
Finally, a massive thanks goes out to each member of GITC who showed up tonight to help setup and tear down. Our Hospitality committee did an amazing job of keeping the coffee flowing and the goodies at the ready. We are so lucky to have so many wonderful miracle people who have taken on trusted servant roles to ensure that GITC continues to stay focused on carrying a clear and adequate presentation of the program of A.A. We could not have done it without you. Thank you!
Now that the first meeting is over, we can begin to settle into a routine, make the minor adjustments we need to make and diligently work at our group’s primary purpose – to carry the message to the still suffering alcoholic.
#getinthecar