Contemplative Outreach of Central Iowa
12 Step Outreach
Contemplative Dimensions of the 12 Steps
Exploring Centering Prayer as an 11th Step Practice
12 Step Outreach Is One of the Service Teams of Contemplative Outreach, Ltd.
Our Vision: The vision of 12 Step Outreach is to pass on the gift of Centering Prayer and related spiritual practices to improve our conscious contact with a God of our understanding , wherever there is a desire for deeper healing from anyone in 12 Step recovery.
Our Mission: We are 12 Step people who practice Centering Prayer as our 11th Step and pass it on to others in 12 Step recovery.
Our Purpose: The purpose of 12 Step Outreach is to support one another in the process of spiritual transformation through the practice of Centering Prayer.
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More information on Centering Prayer as the 11th Step visit the 12 Step Outreach website.
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Local Resources:
Contemplative Outreach of Central Iowa supports the contemplative recovering community with a variety of weekly, monthly and annual opportunities to be in prayer and meditation together. For more information, contact Paul Witmer at paulwitmer@msn.com.
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Weekly: Meditation to Support Health and Recovery at Full Circle Recovery on Thursday afternoons at 1:15 (for about 30 minutes). Some instruction is offered for folks new to meditation with a shared 20 minute sit.
Monthly: Second Saturday Morning Meditation at Full Circle Recovery. Join us on the second Saturday of each month, 9-11 a.m. for a morning of meditation. We gather for three consecutive periods of Centering Prayer (about 25 minutes each) with breaks and conversation to support the practice.
Annually: We offer a 12-step supported Centering Prayer Weekend Retreat each year. In 2026 we have two such retreats planned in collaboration with two different retreat centers: Prairiewoods, Cedar Rapids; and Our Lady of the Prairie, Wheatland. This year’s retreats are offered by Paul Witmer of COCI and Dick Jensen from Mississippi Valley Contemplative Outreach.
Friday, March 27 through Sunday, March 29, 2026
Prairiewoods Retreat Center
Addiction, Recovery and the Spiritual Journey: A Meditation Retreat for those in recovery
“Sought through Prayer and Meditation to improve our conscious contact with God . . .” Step 11, Alcoholic Anonymous
May 15-17, 2026
Our Lady of the Prairie
Addiction, Recovery and the Spiritual Journey: A Meditation Retreat for those in recovery
“Sought through Prayer and Meditation to improve our conscious contact with God . . .” Step 11, Alcoholic Anonymous
Registration Links will be available in 2026
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More Background on 12-Step Outreach
In 2001, The 12 Step Outreach program of Contemplative Outreach was established to offer Centering Prayer to people in all 12 Step fellowships as an 11th Step prayer/meditation practice. We help individuals and groups establish contemplative prayer practices through workshops, retreats and formation programs. Thomas Keating's recent work, Divine Therapy and Addiction, reflects on the wisdom and the legacy of Alcoholics Anonymous and all 12 Step programs. The practice of Centering Prayer has parallels with other spiritual traditions and is easy to do.
For those who live by the 12 Steps found in AA, Al-Anon, SCA, OA, DA, NA, GA, and other programs, a Centering Prayer practice can be a key support system in the process of recovery and transformation.
Centering Prayer can help deepen our application of the 12 Steps generally, and the 11th Step specifically, through daily immersion in prayer and meditation. We believe that, when applied as a daily supplement to the 12 Steps, Centering Prayer open us to the deepest dimension of spirituality.