Twelve Concepts for NA Service
Twelve Concepts for NA Service
This is NA Fellowship-approved literature.
Copyright © 1989, 1990, 1991 by
Narcotics Anonymous World Services, Inc.
All rights reserved. Published 1991. Approved Edition 1992.
The Short Explanation below each Concept was taken from the Single Paged Sheet from NA called Twelve Concepts for NA Service which has “Excepts from Twelve Concepts for NA Service” at the bottom.
First Concept
To fulfill our fellowship’s primary purpose,
the NA groups have joined together to create
a structure which develops, coordinates, and
maintains services on behalf of NA as a whole.
The primary responsibility of an NA group is to conduct
its recovery meetings, carrying the message directly to the
addict who still suffers. Groups join their strength in the
service structure, ensuring that other services—H&I, PI,
literature development, for example—are fulfilled effectively
and without distracting the groups from their own primary purpose.
Second Concept
The final responsibility and authority for
NA services rests with the NA groups.
The groups have final responsibility for and authority
over the service structure they have created. By fulfilling
their responsibility to provide their service structure with
the conscience and ideas, people, and money it needs, the
groups also exercise their authority. Conversely, the service
structure must always look to the groups for support and
direction.
Third Concept
The NA groups delegate to the service structure
the authority necessary to fulfill the
responsibilities assigned to it.
In day-to-day matters, the groups have given our service
boards and committees the practical authority necessary to
do the jobs assigned them. This is not a blank check issued
to the service structure; the groups still bear final authority.
To make Concept Three work, we must carefully select
trusted servants.
Fourth Concept
Effective leadership is highly valued in Narcotics
Anonymous. Leadership qualities should be carefully
considered when selecting trusted servants.
Leadership is very important to the welfare of our fellowship.
The essay on this concept describes an array of leadership
qualities to be considered when selecting trusted
servants.
Fifth Concept
For each responsibility assigned to the service
structure, a single point of decision and accountability
should be clearly defined.
In defining a single point of decision for each service assignment,
we eliminate confusion about who has authority
to do what. We also clarify accountability for our services:
whoever is given the authority for a particular task will be
held accountable for the fulfillment of that task.
Sixth Concept
Group conscience is the spiritual means
by which we invite a loving God to influence
our decisions.
Group conscience is the means by which we bring the
spiritual awakening of the Twelve Steps to bear in making
service-related decisions. It is fundamental to our fellowship’s
decision-making process. It is not, however, merely a
euphemism for “voting” and is not itself the NA decision making
process.
Seventh Concept
All members of a service body bear substantial
responsibility for that body’s decisions and should
be allowed to fully participate in its decision making
processes.
All members of a service body bear substantial responsibility
for that body’s decisions; therefore, all of them should
be allowed to fully participate in its decision-making processes.
NA service is a team effort. The full participation of
each member of the team is of great value as we seek to express
the collective conscience of the whole.
Eighth Concept
Our service structure depends
on the integrity and effectiveness
of our communications.
Regular communication is essential to the fulfillment of
all these concepts, and to the integrity and effectiveness of
our services themselves.
Ninth Concept
All elements of our service structure have the responsibility
to carefully consider all viewpoints in
their decision-making processes.
To check judgment, to guard against hasty or misinformed
decisions, and to invite the sharing of new ideas, our
services must consider all viewpoints when making plans.
This is essential to the development of a fair, wise, balanced
group conscience.
Tenth Concept
Any member of a service body can petition that
body for the redress of a personal grievance,
without fear of reprisal.
The Tenth Concept encourages us to treat each other
with respect in the service environment, and provides us
with a means of making amends when we wrong others. The
essay describes ways in which an individual who feels he or
she has been wronged can go about seeking redress of his or
her grievance.
Eleventh Concept
NA funds are to be used to further
our primary purpose, and must be
managed responsibly.
The Eleventh Concept establishes the sole absolute priority
for the use of NA funds: to carry the message. The importance
of that priority calls for total fiscal accountability.
Direct contributions to each level of service help us focus on
our primary purpose, and enhance accountability.
Twelfth Concept
In keeping with the spiritual nature of Narcotics
Anonymous, our structure should always be one of
service, never of government.
Within the context of the Twelve Concepts, as a body,
this concept serves much the same function as Tradition
Twelve in the context of the traditions. It brings our consideration
of concepts for NA service back to the spiritual root
of selfless service. “A structure based on that foundation
could only be one of service, never of government.”
