Alpha Couse
don’t be put off by the ‘hearsay’

I have met a number of church leaders who say that they won’t do Alpha because of its theology or the fact that it comes from Holy Trinity Brompton which is a large, charismatic church. I would encourage you not to be deterred by this.

I have led a number of Alpha courses in a variety of settings and the overwhelming response has been to bring people either to a first time faith or a deeper experience of the faith which they have been brought up with. I have not seen these people emerge as card-carrying members of the Evangelical Alliance nor strong supporters of right-wing theology, nor do they necessarily become charismatic in their churchmanship. Instead they have emerged as people who a) recognise that mission is an essential part of the church’s agenda, not an optional one b) are hungry to explore the faith further and c) are more committed to church than they were previously.

If there is a weakness with Alpha it is in the pre-evangelism area, but it is not alone. The problem for many Christians, Methodists in particular, is having the courage and confidence to invite people along in the first place.

If this hurdle can be overcome, the benefits of running a course like Alpha are there for all to see.

Community

Invariably people come to the end of a Alpha course having made new friendships which they wish to continue. The modern-day thinking behind church is that belonging comes before believing. Therefore when people join a course like Alpha, their faith grows naturally out of the relationships they develop with Christian people.

Journey

Another important facet of today’s evangelism is the recognition that faith is a journey and not a final destination. Being part of Alpha enables people to explore and question in a way that they can’t in a normal church service.

It is also noteworthy that many Fresh Expressions of Church evolve out of a meal-centred Alpha-style group which has bonded together.

Please call me if you need further help with starting or leading Alpha.

Alpha Web Site