AA Meetings at Lincoln Church Continue During Pandemic
April 6, 2020, 1:25 p.m. ·
Alcoholics Anonymous is just one of many aspects of regular life that has changed during the coronavirus pandemic.
Social distancing recommendations prompted AA meetings at First Presbyterian Church in Lincoln to change. In mid-March, the meetings shrunk from nearly 30 people to under 10 people.
For Sue Coller, First Presbyterian's pastor, AA meetings were essential because social isolation can be deadly for people battling addiction.
“It encourages people to relapse," Coller said. "Those, who are dealing with their addictions, sometimes act out in unhealthy ways. We see a rise in domestic violence when people are socially isolated. So, it’s just incredibly important that they have opportunities to get together and support each other, especially right now.”
The meetings, which First Presbyterian have hosted for 20 years, are now made up of 7 people to leave 6 feet of space in between people, and the church is making an effort to disinfect surfaces between every meetings, Coller said. AA meetings at First Presbyterian are Monday-Sunday at 8:15 a.m., noon, 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
The rest of church’s regular operations – like Sunday services and Wednesday prayer – are done electronically via Zoom, Facebook or YouTube streams.