Starfish & Spider III AA

“Bill Wilson started Alcoholics Anonymous, but nobody owns AA. Bill realized when AA became a huge success, and when people from all over the world wanted to start their own AA chapter, that he had a crucial decision to make. He could go with the spider approach and control what the chapters could and couldn’t do. Under this scenario, he’d have had to manage the brand and train applicants in the AA methodology. Or he could go with the starfish approach and get out of the way. Bill chose the latter. He let go.”

“He trusted each chapter to do what it thought was right. And so, today, whether you’re in Anchorage, or Santiago, Chile, you can find an AA meeting. And if you feel like it you can start your own. Members have always been able to directly help each other without asking permission or getting approval from Bill Wilson. This quality enables open systems to quickly adapt and respond.”

“When other addicts took note of AA’s success, they borrowed the 12-step model and launched organizations combating a variety of addictions, including narcotics, food, and gambling. AA’s response? Good for you. Go right ahead. It’s all a part of the design.”

Bill Wilson and AA found a sweet spot, where incredible freedom and mutations were designed into the very fabric of these ‘open’ systems. It started with a unified commitment to the mission; whether you’re at AA or Narcotics Anonymous or whatever, the mission is to set the captives free, to bring healing, restoration, and freedom to those who are enslaved by addiction. From there, each mutation (new group) takes with it an adaptation of the 12-step process and the AA handbook.

The mission is always the same, and the tools are an adaptation of the originals, but these groups thrive in a diverse range of populations, cultures, languages, and ethnicities around the world. Similar to the early church and the Apaches, Bill Wilson said “This is what we’re doing (freeing people from addiction). This is our strategy (the 12-step plan and handbook). Now let’s get out of the way - empowering people to take this organization and customize it to best reach their friends and neighbors.

In Nebraska Catalytic we’ve done a very similar thing: our mission is to put the gospel within arms-reach of every student in Nebraska. Our approach is to launch movements everywhere. We’ve created the ‘Movement Launcher’ as our version of AA’s 12-step plan and handbook; the core DNA of our organization is in the Movement Launcher. Now we’ve let go, saying that Hastings College students can reach their friends and classmates better than we can. International students at UNK can reach their peers more effectively than I can.

Innovate, customize, create….figure it out! We’re behind you all the way. The challenge for you will be to enter a group on campus and launch a movement while praying for groups on campus where there is currently no spiritual movement. Once a movment is launched you’ll get to do what the apostle Paul, and the Apaches did…inject God's core DNA into the new movement (from the Movement Launcher) and begin to let go. Allow the new believers and new movement members to mature through their experience of Jesus and his mission to reach every student on campus.

-Ethan