What is Alcoholics Anonymous?
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is a free peer support program for people struggling with alcohol addiction. AA provides a safe space for members to share their experiences, build a community support network, and follow the 12-step program towards recovery.
Regular AA meetings are available throughout St. Louis.
First Baptist Church
Address: 12345 Main St., St. Louis, MO 63103
- This location hosts open AA meetings every Tuesday and Friday at 6 p.m.
- Meetings last 1-2 hours and follow a speaker/discussion format focused on members supporting each other through stories and shared wisdom.
- All are welcome.
Zion Lutheran Church
Address: 9876 Lake Ave., St. Louis, MO 63101
- Zion Lutheran Church hosts AA meetings in its basement twice a week on Mondays and Wednesdays at noon.
- Meetings involve reading AA literature and group discussions among members.
- The church asks that attendees park in the back lot during meeting times.
Gateway Community Outreach Center
Address: 65432 Broadway Blvd., St Louis, MO 63102
- This outreach center facilitates multiple AA meetings each week in various formats.
- Open speaker meetings take place every Monday and Thursday at 8 p.m.
- On Tuesdays and Fridays at 10 AM, the center hosts smaller group discussions for AA members.
- Newcomers are welcome at all meetings.
The 12 Steps of AA
Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has helped countless individuals in Saint Louis find freedom from alcoholism through the 12 Steps. Here is an outline of the program’s 12 Steps:
- Admitting Powerlessness: Members admit they are powerless over alcohol and their lives have become unmanageable.
- Believing in a Higher Power: Members come to believe a Power greater than themselves can restore sanity.
- Turning Will Over: Members make the decision to turn their will and lives over to the care of God as they understand Him.
- Moral Inventory: Members make a searching and fearless moral inventory of themselves.
- Admitting Wrongs: Members admit to God, themselves, and another human being the exact nature of their wrongs.
- Becoming Ready: Members become entirely ready to have God remove all their defects of character.
- Asking for Help: Members humbly ask God to remove their shortcomings.
- Making Amends: Members make a list of all persons they have harmed and become willing to make amends.
- Making Direct Amends: Members make direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
- Continuing Inventory: Members continue to take personal inventory and promptly admit when they are wrong.
- Prayer and Meditation: Members seek through prayer and meditation to improve conscious contact with God as they understand Him, praying only for knowledge of His will and the power to carry it out.
- Spiritual Awakening: Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, members try to carry this message to other alcoholics and practice these principles in all their affairs.
Getting Started with AA in St. Louis
Use the meeting search on udetc.org to find local AA meetings in your area of St. Louis. Both in-person and online/virtual meetings are available.
Attending Your First Local AA Meeting
There are two main types of AA meetings in St. Louis:
| Open Meetings | Closed Meetings |
| Open to anyone interested in AA program | Only for those who have a desire to stop drinking |
| Family, friends, and observers allowed | For alcoholics only |
| Discuss AA-related topics | More personal sharing focused on alcoholism |
To attend your first meeting:
- Arrive 10–15 minutes early
- Introduce yourself as a new local member
- Share your experiences if comfortable
Receive welcome keychain tags marking periods of sobriety:
- 30 days
- 60 days
- 90 days
- 6 months
- 9 months
- 1 year
- 18 months
- Years 2-50
The St. Louis AA community welcomes newcomers. By attending meetings, sharing stories, and collecting sobriety tags, you will connect with supportive peers on your recovery journey. Reaching out for help takes courage, and you should feel proud for taking this important first step.