BDA Help for Debtors
(now consolidated with BDA Workshops)
Spiritual Ground Rules

We constantly remind ourselves and each other that Higher Power oversees our efforts and our interactions; we ALL attempt to channel the Higher Power’s will for us, for our efforts and actions together, and for our fellow debtors and business owners. 

When our discussion grows heated, we are encouraged to ask for a “Serenity Moment” when we will stop the discussion and say the Serenity Prayer together before continuing.  

On significant matters, our service leader and coordinators make recommendations, and our service group makes decisions at service meetings. We are the group conscience; we uphold the decisions we make together as Higher Power’s will for us.  

New information provides opportunity for new group conscience. The opposite is also true: If there is no new information, there will be no re-treading — as in “treading water” — of topics previously reviewed and decided upon and no undermining of existing, documented decisions. “I was absent” and / or “I wasn’t paying attention” will NOT be considered new information. 

​

Our service meetings are where we discuss and decide about the work we are doing individually and through coordination. Our service meetings are NOT usually where “the work” happens, yet there are exceptions when details and actions, usually initiated by one of our service coordinators, must be worked out formally together. 

​

 We simply do not have available time nor desire to discuss every detail of every initiative; we trust our service leader and coordinators to guide us to the decisions we need to make together. 

​

We follow through on our commitments and constantly strive to do our best. 

We reason things out together, offering support and encouragement. We neither avoid nor unnecessarily create conflict either within or related to our service group.

We practice principles before personalities and seek at least third-party support before acting against and / or speaking against any of our fellow service group members; that is, avoiding gossip and controversy both within the service group and outside of it. 

We have fun together and laugh at ourselves and each other a LOT. Bleeding deacons, drama kings and queens, Eeyores, Debbie Downers, and party poopers need not apply!

​