Sunday Business Debtors Anonymous Online Group
Registered DA / BDA Group #968
On May 2nd, 2021 we became a weekly video conference rather than a phone meeting. Please click here to join the meeting.
Every Sunday
5-6:15pm Pacific
8-9:15pm Eastern
Business Meetings: 3rd Sundays
4:25-4:55pm Pacific
7:25-7:55pm Eastern
What Is Debtors Anonymous?
Debtors Anonymous is a fellowship of people who have a shared desire to stop incurring new unsecured debt. We define unsecured debt as any debt not backed up by some form of collateral, like a house or a car.
This desire to stop debting is the only requirement for membership in DA. We have neither membership dues nor fees for the support our members offer one another. We welcome anyone to attend our open meetings.
For people whose use of unsecured debt has caused a variety of problems and has made their lives unmanageable, DA offers a program that works. In DA meetings, our members share their experience, strength, and hope, and we help each other to not incur new unsecured debt one day at a time.
DA members offer direct support to each other through sponsorship and service. Ultimately, it’s debtors helping debtors.
What Is Business Debtors Anonymous?
Business Debtors Anonymous (BDA) is a distinct and dynamic but not separate part of DA, created to focus on the recovery of members of the fellowship who are business owners. Together, members of BDA support one another in applying the DA principles and tools when owning and running a business.
However, as part of DA, there is no separate membership for attending Business Debtors Anonymous meetings. As it states in DA’s 3rd Tradition, "the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop incurring unsecured debt." This applies to both personal and professional debt. It is understood that paying bills for goods and services rendered according to agreed-upon terms does not constitute debting.
With an Amendment from Sunday BDA Online
In modern times, BDA membership includes not only business owners, but also independent contractors and the self-employed. If you attend this or other BDA meetings, you will also hear members who are in management and sales positions, using the DA principles and BDA Tools to bring their recovery and spirituality into their work lives. Plus so many artists and writers and musicians. Oh, my!
Some BDA members are retired, or on fixed incomes for other reasons, and are working to develop multiple streams of income, some active income streams and some passive. Last but not least, BDA is home to countless members who have an idea or an inspiration for a business or simply a desire to be a business owner and are growing spiritually as they prepare to take new actions in pursuit of their visions.
All the DA members described here, and many more, are welcome to attend BDA meetings. Once more, because it's one of our most important DA and BDA principles, "The only requirement for DA membership is a desire to stop incurring unsecured debt." In our experience, every BDA meeting is a DA meeting, but not every DA meeting is a BDA meeting.
What Is Sunday BDA Online?
Now in our 19th year of service to the DA and BDA fellowship, we (BDA group # 968) have moved to a video conference platform, hosting a weekly BDA online meeting, 8-9:15pm Eastern US time on Sundays, and other BDA activities.
BDA meetings and recovery include an additional set of practical and spiritual tools especially developed for business owners and the self-employed, including artists and other creatives, as well as professional services and countless other occupations. For many of us, it was through failed business pursuits that we found ourselves out of control financially. DA and BDA have given us new meaning and purpose and provide us with a peace of mind we never imagined possible.
Once a month we have a speaker share experience, strength, and hope on the Promise of the month. On other weeks we read from the DA 12x12x12 on the Step, Tradition, or Concept of the month. On the third week of each month there is a 15-minute business meeting, begining 35 minutes before the regular meeting at 4:25 PDT/7:25 EDT. On the fourth week, we read from the BDA Tools pamphlet.
Come read and share with us!
Statement of Confidentiality
At BDA we practice anonymity, the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions. Anonymity means that BDA members do not reveal the names of anyone we see or hear at meetings nor what is shared at meetings, allowing us freedom of expression. Anonymity works by assuring that what we say at meetings or to other BDA members at any time will not be repeated. Anonymity protects all members from identification as compulsive debtors and provides the assurance that what we share will not be repeated.
Sunday BDA Meeting Readings
During our weekly BDA online meetings, we seek the widest possible participation, including the need for four readers each week. Click on the images below to open downloadable and printable versions of the DA and BDA readings we use. By clicking on those images, you can also immediately open the readings on your device of choice. You may even be able to expand the images until they are readable. So many options!
Are you looking for our Business Meeting agenda. Click here!
Script for our Newcomer Greeter, approved by group in April 2020:
Hello! My name is ___________. I'm a member of BDA and/or DA and your Newcomer Greeter tonight. This meeting requires Newcomer Greeters to have at least 30 days of not incurring any new unsecured debt and to have had at least one PRG. I am here to support newcomers to 12-Step recovery from compulsive debting.
First: We recommend beginners go to debtorsanonymous.org, click on GETTING STARTED on the top left, watch the video, and check out all the topics in the drop-down menu.
Second: Please attend as many meetings in 30 days as possible — phone, in-person, or online — identify yourself as a newcomer and take the risk of asking for help. We are here to pass on what has so generously been given to us.
We have 10-15 minutes. First, let's do contact information exchange. Is there anyone who would like to ask for or offer contact information?
[After contact info exchange is completed] Is there anyone who would like to ask a question or make a comment?
Practicing DA's 7th Tradition
This meeting has no dues or fees for BDA membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. By participating in 7th Tradition, we enjoy the privilege of giving back what has so generously been given to us. We collect contributions, through our general fund, used for our group needs, such as outreach materials, tech expenses, and support of the DA and BDA service structure.
We maintain a second, separate fund to pay for the expenses of our GSR as they attend the annual World Service Conference (WSC). Our GSR is fully funded for 2021.
Please use the 7th Tradition buttons in the footer of every page of this website if you would like to make a donation to either of our funds electronically. (If making a GSR donation, please include a note to specify that, so we account for your donation correctly. All donations without notes will go into our general fund.)
Please attend our business meetings to hear our monthly Treasurer’s reports. And visit here for access to previous months' Treasurer's reports.
Free Conference-Approved Literature
for BDA Newcomers and Members
Our group supports the distribution of free DA and BDA conference-approved literature to newcomers and members who request it, in both paper and eBook formats.
Please complete the literature request form at BDA Help for Debtors (registered group # 7720) today.
We think their monthly newsletter,
Doing Business Without Debting, is pretty helpful, too.
Sunday BDA Online Events
In addition to our weekly BDA Online meetings, we also host special BDA events. We do this primarily to support our fellow DAers and BDAers in practicing our program principles, especially the Steps — that's right, especially the Steps — which is the only thing we've found lead to long-term recovery from compulsive debting.
We don't have any BDA recovery events planned currently;
In the meantime, please visit Group Event Recordings to hear recordings of events our group has hosted since 2019. Enjoy!
The flyer below is for the next cycle of the BDA Solvency Immersion Conference, being hosted by BDA Workshops (registered group # 122319).
This will be a 26-part event helping us to take the 12 Steps with an emphasis on work and business, while we also immerse ourselves in the DA and BDA program, including all 36 principles, 24 tools, and 12 promises.
Please download and share the flyer below, visit the host group's website and register if you're interested by sending your $180 contribution via this link with a note that provides your preferred email address for recovery emails.
Scholarships are available: https://www.bdaworkshops.org/scholarships-available
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