What is Alcoholics Anonymous?
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a free support group for those struggling with alcohol addiction. Regular group meetings are available throughout Minneapolis and Hennepin County.
Lake Harriet Spiritual Center
Address: 4401 Upton Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55410
- Monday 8:00 p.m.: closed men’s meeting
- Tuesday 8:00 p.m.: closed women’s meeting
- Wednesday 8:00 p.m.: open speaker meeting
- Saturday 9:00 a.m.: open speaker meeting
Minnehaha United Methodist Church
Address: 3701 East 50th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55417
- Monday 8:00 p.m.: closed men’s meeting
- Tuesday 8:00 p.m.: open speaker meeting
- Friday 8:00 p.m.: open speaker meeting
- Sunday 6:30 p.m.: open beginner’s meeting
St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church
Address: 4537 3rd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55419
- Monday 8:30 p.m.: open speaker meeting
- Wednesday 8:30 p.m.: open literature study meeting
- Friday 8:30 p.m.: open discussion meeting
- Saturday 10:00 a.m.: open speaker meeting
AA provides a supportive community and resources for achieving and maintaining sobriety. Attendees share their experiences in alcohol abuse and recovery. Meetings are open to anyone seeking help with alcohol addiction.
The 12 Steps of AA
The 12 Steps are the guiding principles of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) that members follow to achieve and maintain sobriety. Here is an overview of each step as practiced in AA groups across Minneapolis and Hennepin County:
The 12 Steps
- We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.
- We came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
- We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.
- Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
- Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being is the exact nature of our wrongs.
- We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
- We humblely asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
- We made a list of all the people we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
- Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when doing so would injure them or others.
- We continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, we promptly admitted it.
- We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
- Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics and to practice these principles in all our affairs.
AA groups across Minneapolis provide support for members to work through the 12 steps to achieve sobriety from alcoholism. The steps aim to motivate members to make positive changes in their lives.
Getting Started with AA in Minneapolis
Use the meeting search on udetc.org to find local AA meetings in your area of Minneapolis and Hennepin County. Both in-person and online/virtual meetings are available.
Attending Your First Local AA Meeting
There are two main types of AA meetings in Minneapolis and Hennepin County:
| Open Meetings | Closed Meetings |
| Open to anyone interested in AA program | Only for those who have a desire to stop drinking |
| Family and friends can attend | For alcoholics only |
| Beginners encouraged to observe | Promotes anonymity |
Arrive early and introduce yourself to the group as a new local member interested in the AA program. Share your experiences if you feel comfortable. You may receive welcome keychain tags marking periods of sobriety at your first meeting or when reaching sobriety milestones, such as:
- 30 days
- 60 days
- 90 days
- 6 months
- 9 months
- 1 year
The tags serve as motivation to continue on the path of sobriety. Keep attending meetings for support from the local AA community in maintaining your sobriety over the long term.