Each group has but one primary purpose—to carry its message to the sex and love addict who still suffers.
Tradition 5
At all levels of service in S.L.A.A., we work together to achieve our primary purpose: to help the sex and love addict.
For some of us, this spiritual wisdom of the ages has led to a life in which we have found satisfaction, happiness, and fulfillment in learning to be of service to others on a give and take basis.
The spirit of service, both within S.L.A.A. and with the rest of humankind, has brought to us a deep sense of communion with our inner selves, with the human community, and with God.
S.L.A.A. Basic Text, page 141
Service is essential to Sobriety
To counter the destructive consequences of sex and love addiction, in S.L.A.A. we draw on five major resources, one of which is Service.
Service is how we work our recovery.
Service takes us out of the isolation and loneliness of addiction and connects us with ourselves, our fellow sex and love addicts, and the healing Love of our own Higher Power.
Concept 1: Ultimate responsibility and authority for S.L.A.A. world services always reside in the collective conscience of our whole Fellowship.
The Twelve Concepts for World Service of S.L.A.A.
In S.L.A.A., we describe our Service Structure as the inverted triangle. Our trusted leaders serve—not govern—which is fundamental to our fellowship.
Trusted servants are needed from the group level all the way up to our international conference.
Service in S.L.A.A. ranges from:
- One-on-one outreach and participating in meetings, to
- Serving your Intergroup, to
- Serving S.L.A.A. as a whole
Groups consist of Members. Any two or more individuals can gather to form an S.L.A.A. Group if they have no other affiliation.
How can I serve my Group?
Our meetings are the foundation of our personal recovery. You can help keep online meetings open for all those in need of S.L.A.A. by:
- Welcoming newcomers and long-timers alike
- Sharing at meetings and even chairing if asked
- Ensuring there is an associated chat group available for members to ask questions and obtain literature
- Using the chat group as a way to swap phone numbers for fellowship and support between meetings
- Managing the Group’s donations to our Intergroup
- Keeping our meeting and fellowship spaces safe
- Volunteering to take up a Service Position for your Group
What else can I do?
Create new meetings: You can also start new online Groups, Zoom Meetings, and other ways of carrying the message. See the SLAAvirtual Tips for starting meetings on our website.
Donate: You can contribute to the work of SLAAvirtual and its Groups by giving a small monthly donation via our website. Our 7th tradition states: “Every group ought to be fully self-supporting, declining outside contributions”.
Write for the Journal: If you have recovery in S.L.A.A. and want to share your story, consider writing for the Journal. Suggested length is 500 to 2000 words. To find out more, see the Journal page on the F.W.S. Website.
Outreach: Consider reaching out to other members, sharing about your experience, strength and hope. Asking how your fellow is doing is also a way to be of service. SLAAvirtual hosts many Outreach Groups on WhatsApp.
Be a co-sponsor or accountability partner: If you are willing to share in your recovery, you could consider being somebody’s co-sponsor or accountability partner. SLAAvirtual hosts many co-sponsorship Groups and Meetings.
Be a sponsor: If you have sobriety and experience in working the steps, consider sponsoring another member. Sponsorship is a great way to help others and usually helps your own recovery as much, if not more. See SLAAvirtual Members’ Tips on How to Sponsor.
How can my Group serve?
Groups meet regularly, often once a month, to discuss the business of their meeting and make decisions in Group Conscience.
- The main topic of a business meeting is how well the Group is achieving its Primary Purpose: to carry the message to suffering sex and love addicts.
- Group business meetings are an opportunity to build connection and practice the principles of the Steps and Traditions.
- Many Groups hold a Group Inventory whenever one is required and at least once a year to take stock of how they are doing as a Group.
- Two or more Groups can join together to form a S.L.A.A. Intergroup and each Group may elect a Representative to that Intergroup.
S.L.A.A. Groups may elect Representatives to form an Intergroup (or act as their own Intergroup).
What does SLAAvirtual do?
Since 1 June 2021, SLAAvirtual Intergroup, Inc. has been one of S.L.A.A.’s 75 registered Intergroups.
Like all Intergroups, SLAAvirtual exists to provide Services to Members that Groups cannot provide on their own. We serve and support our Groups; never govern (Tradition 2).
Intergroup meets every month on the second Sunday at 4:00 PM ET. All members of SLAAvirtual are welcome to attend, but only our properly elected Representatives and Officers may be heard and vote.
Representatives are elected to Intergroup by each Group that has decided to join SLAAvirtual. SLAAvirtual then elects one Delegate to Conference for every five Groups that are registered with FWS nominating SLAAvirtual as their Intergroup.
What does my Intergroup Rep do?
Representatives do Service on Intergroup such as:
- Maintain the slaavirtual.org website to carry the message to suffering addicts worldwide
- Maintain our shared Team Up Online Calendar
- Provide shared services like Zoom to assist Groups
- Help maintain the accounts and records of SLAAvirtual as required by law
- Conduct fundraising and other events for Members
- Outreach and support on the SLAA Infoline
- Report news from S.L.A.A. and SLAAvirtual including the outcome of the annual meeting of Conference
- Help admin WhatsApp Groups used to do service for Intergroup and our Groups
Each Intergroup elects Delegates to the Annual Business Conference to vote on their behalf and report back the decisions made with Conference Approval.
What does Conference do?
At the international level, Conference—and its legal and business arm, Fellowship Wide Services—provide Services to Members that other Groups and Intergroups cannot on their own.
Conference meets once a year at the Annual Business Conference meeting of S.L.A.A. (ABM) held usually in the first week of August.
Concept 2: The Annual Business Conference, by delegation, is the voice and conscience for our world services and of S.L.A.A. as a whole.
The Twelve Concepts for World Service of S.L.A.A.
Trustees are Conference members elected, or affirmed, by the ABM to the Board of F.W.S. to:
- Help ensure that the S.L.A.A. message remains uniform
- Help new Groups that are starting up
- Publish S.L.A.A. literature in multiple languages
S.L.A.A. has fifteen Conference Committees. For more information about each Conference Committee and when they meet, see the most current S.L.A.A. Conference Service Manual.
To volunteer to serve on any Conference Committee, see Conference Service on the F.W.S. website.
Conference creates committees to do much of S.L.A.A.’s work during the year and elects a Board of Trustees to manage the legal and business affairs of the fellowship. The Board appoints and manages staff that are responsible for the day-to-day operations of literature sales and maintaining the F.W.S. website.
The work of the Board is largely done in Committees appointed straight after the Annual Business meeting of Conference each year. The Board chooses a Chair of each Committee and that Chair then prepares a plan of activities for the Conference Year and invites suitable members of S.L.A.A. to assist the Committee that year.
To express interest in being a member of a Board Committee, contact our Board of Trustees through the F.W.S. Website.
Service saves lives
I began to feel dignity and respect for myself.
Anonymous, S.L.A.A. Basic Text, page 213
The loneliness subsided and I began to enjoy being alone.
When I shared the company of friends, I was with them in body and mind.
I was no longer plagued by an unceasing sense of longing.
I started to pursue interests and activities that I desired for myself.
I became increasingly involved in the Fellowship, doing service at the group and Intergroup level.
I began to have the ability to exercise choice.
My life felt complete and purposeful.
Prayer for trusted servants
Higher Power, we ask for your guidance in carrying out this work in service to the S.L.A.A. fellowship. Relieve us of the burdens of our egos and perfectionism. Grant us the grace of humility. Remind us to place principles before personalities. Help us to focus only on the greater good of the fellowship. Let us know that we are responsible only for doing the leg work, not the outcome. Give us the faith to trust in You and the group conscience.
And grant us the serenity
To accept the things we cannot change,
The courage to change the things we can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.