Step 12 — Carrying the Message – Kathleen B. – 2026 Wilson House Big Book Workshop Retreat – with Andy B. and Kathleen B.

About This Speaker Tape

Andy and Kathleen tackle the heavy lifting of Step 12, framing sponsorship not as a chore, but as the only thing keeping them from the drink. Andy describes the 'pyramid scheme for spirituality' and the danger of the 'squirrely' feeling that creeps in when service stops, recalling a period during COVID where Zoom meetings left him staring at people picking their noses rather than connecting. Kathleen warns against the 'holier than thou' attitude, reminding the room that a sponsor is just another 'bozo on the bus.' They discuss the grit of 'sick meetings'—where the solution cuts through the room like a knife—and the necessity of being a vault for a sponsee's secrets.

The talk closes with the metaphor of the spiritual bucket: as we grow, the bucket gets larger and takes longer to empty, but it also requires much more effort to fill back up.

Topics

Timestamps

• 0:00 Opening: Christine reads the Step 12 passage
• 3:15 Andy: The 'pyramid scheme for spirituality' and the impact of one person [LAUGHTER]
• 8:45 Andy: Story of the man in the pit (Doctor, Therapist, Priest)
• 13:30 Andy: Discussing spiritual awakening and the qualification to sponsor
• 18:10 Andy: Working with a sponsee relying on willpower (Step 3 reference)
• 21:45 Andy: Advice on attending 'sick meetings' to find new sponsees
• 26:20 Andy: Identifying with others beyond the substance used
• 31:10 Andy: Poem about the man at the door as a metaphor for sponsorship
• 33:00 Kathleen: The role of a sponsor and Dr. Bob's four reasons for sponsoring
• 36:40 Kathleen: The 'bucket' metaphor for long-term sobriety and spiritual insurance
• 38:15 Closing: Reading the final passage of the Big Book