12 STEP OUTREACH 

"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".  
--- Step 11 of the 12 Step Programs---

If you have been practicing Centering Prayer on a regular basis and you are active in a 12 Step program of recovery, you may be added to the 12 Step Outreach database. Please send your email address to Becky Hannah:

We hope to be able to let you know of retreats, workshops or opportunities for service if you are interested. For those who are interested in service, 12 Step Outreach occasionally provides Internship possibilities for those who have attended Formation. For those who have not attended Formation, 12 Step Outreach hopes to have Formation for teaching the Introduction to Centering Prayer sometime in the next year.

If you are active in a 12 Step program of recovery and you are interested in learning about Centering Prayer as an 11^th Step Practice, you may want to attend one of the following retreats or workshops if there is one close to you. Or, if you are interested in hosting a retreat or workshop or if you want more information about 12 Step Outreach, please contact Jim McElroy 314-725-7944 or .

Download the 12 Step Fall 2007 Newsletter (pdf)

Synopsis of Recent Events:

A Contemplative Dimension of The 12-Step Weekend  Retreat was held Jan.4-6, 08, Boerne Texas, at the Omega Retreat Center.  There were 50 retreatants from  the San Antonio area, as well as Fort Worth, Dallas and Houston.  Fr Bill Sheehan was the guest speaker presenting the Welcoming  Prayer and the Spirituality of Forgiveness. We had 26 retreatants participating in the introductory workshop.  It was a weekend of recovery and transformation. Interns Bill W and Sandy E, along with Myrna T, presented the Introductory Workshop.

Eighteen members who serve12 Step Outreach gathered at Snowmass for 10 days in January. Beth B, Dave D and Jenny A served the 8 day retreat and a day of meetings was conducted to determine projects for the following year. Father Thomas addressed the group several times and advised the Leadership group on the direction of 12 Step Outreach. Jim M volunteered to be the new contact for the group. For information about 12 Step Outreach, contact him at 314-725-7944 or

Dates:

 “The Inner Room of Recovery -- A 12 Step Recovery Conference
   with Fr. Thomas Keating and Fr. Richard Rohr”

June 27 - 29, 2008 in Albuquerque, New Mexico (Albuquerque Hotel, Old Town)
For additional information contact Herb Kaighan: 310-377-3194, or email Dave Dierig or Jim McElroy

NOTE: See “Updates” section, #5, of the Newsletter for brochure details

Introductory 11th Step Retreats:
These are suggested for those in 12 Step recovery who want to learn or enrich the practice of Centering Prayer.

October 23 - 26
Jerome, Idaho
Br. Selby Coffman   208 324-2377x215

October 24 - 26, 2008
St. Charles Retreat Center, Louisiana
For additional information contact Myrna Toohey: 830-981-4151

October 31 - November 2
Sienna Center in Racine, Wisconsin
For additional information contact: Deb Ross 608-271-8479

November 4 - 16, 2008
Marianist Retreat Center, St. Louis, MO
For additional information contact: Michael Kramer 314-367-3885 

November 21 - 23, 2008
Mercy Center, Burlingame, CA
To register, please call 650-340-7454 or go to our web page at www.mercyburl.org
Friday, Nov 21, 6pm – Sunday, Nov 23, 1pm, 2008
Cost: $265

Contemplative Outreach of Middle Tennessee will host a 3-day Introduction to Centering Prayer retreat November 16-18 at St. Mary’s Retreat Center; Sewanee, Tenn. Centering Prayer is a simple prayer method, which is being used as an 11^th Step practice by many people who are in 12-Step recovery programs. This retreat is limited to any 12-Step recovery program members.
For more information, contact Roberta Oster at 404-299-2670 or  

Intensive Retreats:
 It is suggested that one has an established Centering Prayer practice of 6 months or more but all are welcome.

Tuesday, Sept 30 to Saturday, Oct 4, 2008
St. Benedict’s Monastery, Snowmass, Colorado
There will be optional 12-step meetings in the evenings. Members of the staff are actively working the 12 steps.

Cost of the retreat is $350. To register for this retreat, send a $50 check made out to Contemplative Outreach of Colorado to Carol DiMarcello, 3550 Capitol Creek Road, Snowmass, CO 81654. Please include your email, street address and phone number.
For more information: Beth Berkeley at (970) 927-3471 or email:

Thursday, February 26 to Tuesday, March 3, 2009
St. Benedict’s Monastery, Snowmass, Colorado
Members of the staff are actively working the 12 steps. There will be optional 12-step meetings in the evenings.

Cost of the retreat is $425.
For more information: Jenny Adamson at  or call (319) 266-8225

Step 11 is reprinted with permission of Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. ((AAWS). Permission to reprint this material does not mean that AAWS has reviewed or approved the contents of this publication, or that AAWS necessarily agrees with the views expressed herein. A.A. is a program of recovery from alcoholism only - use of AA materials in connection with programs and activities which are patterned after A.A., but which address other problems, or in any other non-A.A. context, does not imply otherwise. Additionally, while A.A. is a spiritual program, A.A. is not a religious program. Thus, A.A. is not affiliated or allied with any sect, denomination, or specific religious belief.