Following the inspiration written by Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How Many Thousands of Men and Women Have Recovered from Alcoholism, How to be an Effective Sponsor makes the circle complete by being a Sponsor in AA. After sponsoring dozens of men and women into contented sobriety a plan is laid out for more effective sponsorship. What to look for in a sponsor, and what you need to be effective as a sponsor yourself. Use this guide and see how well AA and its principal's work.
Make no mistake, sponsorship is a scary proposition. Anyone who tells you otherwise doesn't understand what real sponsorship is. Even offering an honest guide for others to use will be criticized. I've listened to these people say this is a "dangerous" topic for discussion and then they sit on their butts by doing nothing to help. This has been going on for years! Well, I'll take the heat gladly. I've seen too many die from this disease so I will tell you what turned me around and helped me become an more effective sponsor for those who asked for help.
I don't speak for Alcoholics Anonymous. No one does. What I will be doing here is sharing the effective method pointed out in the Big Book and the experiences learned from 12 Step calls over a 30-year period. This is a guide to prepare a person in recovery for the job of helping another by following the path laid out by our Big Book of Recovery and depending on a Higher Power.
