how many weeks is alpha course

by Rose Hegmann 7 min read

What is Alpha? Alpha is a series of sessions exploring the basics of the Christian faith. Typically run over eleven weeks, each session looks at a different question that people can have about faith and is designed to create conversation.

What is an Alpha course?

Alpha is a series of sessions exploring the basics of the Christian faith. Typically run over eleven weeks, each session looks at a different question around faith, and the talks are designed to create conversation in small groups afterwards. It’s totally free, it’s run all over the globe, and everyone’s welcome. Find out more about Alpha.

What happens in an Alpha session?

Jan 04, 2022 · Although there are many positive things about the Alpha Course, due to its ecumenicalism, it is easy for false and dangerous ideas to be introduced. The apostle Paul said, “a little leaven, leavens the whole lump” (1 Corinthians 5:6; Galatians 5:9).

How is alpha organised?

About Alpha We are by the Church, for the Church and through the Church Alpha began at a church called Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) in London in 1977, it was taken by Nicky Gumbel in 1990 and repositioned as a course for those outside the congregation. The number of people attending Alpha at HTB grew […]

How many people have taken the Alpha course?

13 Talks – 9 weeks / Ben Woodman & Jason Ballard. The brand new Alpha Youth Series has been totally reimagined for today’s youth culture. Through 13 sessions filmed in Vancouver, London, Paris, Rome, Israel, and many other incredible locations, the Alpha Youth Series explores timeless questions about life, faith and God for a new generation.The series offers compelling stories, …

How long does Alpha course last?

Structure. Alpha is organised as a series of sessions over 10 weeks, including a day or weekend away. Each session starts with a meal, followed by a talk and then discussion in small groups. The talks aim to cover the basic beliefs of the Christian faith.

How many sessions are there in Alpha?

Alpha takes place across eleven sessions with the option of a day or weekend away in the middle. How does it work? Each session includes food (in-person), a short talk and a discussion at the end where you can share your thoughts.

How much does Alpha course cost?

There is no charge for attending the Alpha course. There will be a $3 fee for adult dinners (Kids eat free and free childcare is available during class).

How long is an alpha meeting?

approximately 2 hoursEach Alpha session lasts approximately 2 hours (meal, video, and discussion), and there are 12 sessions (11 weekly meetings and one retreat).

Why was alphas canceled?

After the strike, ABC had to alter its plans for the show. That and creative differences over the show's sci-fi elements, which the network was uncomfortable with, led to ABC eventually dropping the project.Jan 16, 2013

Is Alpha good for Catholics?

Alpha is a practical tool inspiring Catholic renewal by answering the call to the New Evangelization, the call of Christ and His Church to "go and make disciples of all nations". Alpha is proven to awaken faith in lapsed Catholics, those on the fringe of parish life and those outside the faith.

Is Alpha free to run?

Each Alpha session includes food, fun, a video and discussion. Everything you need to run Alpha is instantly at your fingertips, completely free to download online.

How long are alpha videos?

Each episode is about 20 minutes with built-in discussion breaks. The typical format on Alpha includes food, fun, a talk (video or live) and discussion.

Who can run an Alpha course?

Alpha is an opportunity for anyone wishing to explore the Christian faith, this free course consists of a series of talks exploring the basic beliefs of the Christian faith over eleven sessions.

Should I do the Alpha Course?

The Alpha Course is a great way to find out more about God and learn what having faith is all about. It's also good for new Christians who want to learn more about the journey with God. You will likely make new friends at the course and it's an ideal way to join in with church life.Sep 13, 2017

What is an alpha weekend?

The typical Alpha Weekend runs from Friday night to Sunday morning. This creates unhurried time and space to watch all the talks about the Holy Spirit, for waiting on God and praying together, and for people to relax and have fun. For some groups getting away for a whole weekend is not possible.

What topics are covered in alpha?

The Alpha talks are designed to engage people from all walks of life and inspire conversation. They explore the big issues of life and faith and unpack the basics of Christian belief, addressing questions like “Who is Jesus?”, “Why and how do I pray?” and “How does God guide us?”

What is an alpha course?

The Alpha course is an evangelistic course which seeks to introduce the basics of the Christian faith through a series of talks and discussions. It is described by its organisers as "an opportunity to explore the meaning of life". Alpha courses are run in churches, homes, workplaces, prisons, universities and a wide variety of other locations.

How long is Alpha?

Alpha is organised as a series of sessions over 10 weeks, including a day or weekend away. Each session starts with a meal, followed by a talk and then discussion in small groups. The talks aim to cover the basic beliefs of the Christian faith.

When was Alpha founded?

Alpha was started in 1977 by Charles Marnham, a curate at Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB), a parish of the Church of England in London. It started as a course for church members regarding the basics of beliefs commonly held by many believers in Christ but then began to be used as an introduction for those interested in the faith.

What is Explore for kids?

In conjunction with Youth for Christ, Alpha International produces two study programmes designed for children aged 11–14, exploRE: The Christian Faith a 12-week programme on the Christian faith, and exploRE: The Life of Jesus, a 14-lesson study of Jesus' birth, life, death and resurrection. The capitalised RE is a reference to religious education, part of the British curriculum. The materials are aimed at religious education teachers.

What is the Alpha for Prisons course?

Caring for ex-offenders is a follow-up to the Alpha for Prisons course, supporting released prisoners by providing them with material assistance including accommodation, work, food, and pastoral support through church life. It operates in Britain, Canada, South Africa and the United States.

What is St Paul's Theological Centre?

St Paul's Theological Centre. St Paul's Theological Centre is Alpha/Holy Trinity Brompton's theological institution , with aims to provide lay and clerical training in theology and resources for theological training in churches across the world, as well as theological guidance for Alpha.

Is Alpha a charismatic course?

Alpha has been criticised for having a charismatic emphasis, with some non-charismayic evangelicals criticising Gumbel's emphasis upon the person and work of the Holy Spirit in particular. As a result, some churches have chosen to teach a different view of the Holy Spirit in the course, although this is discouraged in Gumbel's book How to Run the Alpha Course .

What is the Alpha Course?

The Alpha Course is ecumenical, and any course that can appeal to the wide range of traditions and denominations, as the Alpha Course does, has to sacrifice many essential Bible truths. A wide tent that is inclusive of those who hold teachings contrary to the tenets of the faith for which we are to contend ...

Where was Alpha Course started?

We must be discerning in evaluating the qualifications of the person or people teaching the course. The Alpha Course was started in the United Kingdom, at Holy Trinity Brompton Church, by Nicky Gumbel and Sandy Millar in 1977.

What is the Alpha Course?

The Alpha Course is an effective form of evangelism when done by and through the local church. By focussing on the essentials of the Christian faith, it opens the door for Alpha to be used in almost any context so that everyone has the opportunity to see their friends’ lives transformed by the gospel.

Where did Alpha start?

Alpha began at a church called Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) in London in 1977, it was taken by Nicky Gumbel in 1990 and repositioned as a course for those outside the church. The number of people attending Alpha at HTB grew quickly into the hundreds and attracted the attention of other churches across denominations seeking to find an effective tool ...

Where was Alpha Youth Series filmed?

The brand new Alpha Youth Series has been totally reimagined for today's youth culture. Through 13 sessions filmed in Vancouver, London, Paris, Rome, Israel, and many other incredible locations, the Alpha Youth Series explores timeless questions about life, faith and God for a new generation.

Who is Nicky Gumbel?

Nicky Gumbel. Nicky is the pioneer of Alpha, pastor of Holy Trinity Brompton, author of many books including Questions of Life and Searching Issues, and the author of the free Bible reading app Bible in One Year.

Who are the presenters of Alpha Film Series?

The Alpha Film Series is emotive, engaging and epic in scale and scope. Nicky Gumbel and two new presenters, Toby Flint and Gemma Hunt, walk through the basics of the Christian faith in a way that everyone can relate to.

Where was Alpha Youth filmed?

Completely reimagined, rewritten, and redesigned. Through 13 episodes filmed in Vancouver, London, Paris, Rome and Jerusalem, and many other incredible locations, the Alpha Youth Series explores timeless questions about life, faith and God for a new generation.

What is an alpha?

Alpha is a series of interactive sessions that freely explore the basics of the Christian faith. Last year, approximately 30,000 churches and organisations ran Alpha with over 1.3 million participants.

How to pray for a group?

1. Break out into smaller groups and pray for each other. 2. Breakout one-on-one and pray individually. 3. Invite guests to request prayer from the group host via chat or email. The group host can then reach out individually to the guests to setup time for a quick prayer.

Sunday, 30 October 2011

I forgot to remove my chewing gum before I arrived for the third session of The Alpha Course at Brighton’s St Peter’s Church.

Alpha Course, Week 3: Why Did Jesus Die?

I forgot to remove my chewing gum before I arrived for the third session of The Alpha Course at Brighton’s St Peter’s Church.

image

Overview

Structure

Alpha is organised as a series of sessions over 10 weeks, including a day or weekend away. Each session starts with a meal, followed by a talk and then discussion in small groups. The talks aim to cover the basic beliefs of the Christian faith.
In April 2016, Alpha introduced the Alpha Film Series, where traditional Alpha content is shown in a series of films, featuring stories and interviews. This series is mainly presented by Nicky Gumb…

History

Alpha originated in 1977 with the work of Charles Marnham, a curate at Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB), a parish of the Church of England in London. It started as a course for church members regarding the basics of beliefs commonly held by many believers in Christ, but then began to be used as an introduction for those interested in the faith. John Irvine, Marnham's successor curate at HTB, took over the running of the course in 1981 and developed the 10-week format which co…

Doctrine

Alpha's teachings are intended to centre upon aspects of Christian faith on which all denominations are in general agreement. Nicky Gumbel says (quoting the current Apostolic Preacher Raniero Cantalamessa), "What unites us is infinitely greater than what divides us."
Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox distinctives, such as those concerning the Virgin Mary and certain sacramental teachings are absent, as are Baptistteachings on baptism. Instead, individua…

Influences

Possibly Alpha's greatest influence has been on the ministry of John Wimber, who visited Holy Trinity Brompton a number of times during the 1980s and 1990s. Nicky Gumbel's approach can also be linked to the ministry of E. J. H. Nash, an influential Anglican cleric who set out to evangelise "top boys at top schools" and who organised summer camps at Iwerne Minsterin Dorset. David Fletcher, who took responsibility for the camps after Nash, described Alpha as: "ba…

Usage

Although originating from the evangelical Anglican tradition, Alpha is now used in various denominations around the world. Its supporters include many Catholic cardinals, Anglican archbishops and bishops, and leading figures of all denominations. Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey described the courses as "superb." Rowan Williams was an enthusiastic supporter when he was Bishop o…

Criticism

Alpha has been criticised for having a charismatic emphasis, with some non-charismatic evangelicals criticising Gumbel's emphasis upon the person and work of the Holy Spirit in particular. As a result, some churches have chosen to teach a different view of the Holy Spirit in the course, although this is discouraged in Gumbel's book How to Run the Alpha Course.
More conservative critics (especially from a Reformed and evangelicalperspective) have complai…

See also

• Awareness Course
• Cursillo
• Living the Questions