how to lead alpha course

by Prof. Eliseo Bartoletti IV 5 min read

Training. Set 3 weeks of training. Divide the Alpha Training video into two parts. Run the evening just like you will run the regular Alpha courses only use the training videos as your video and discuss the video as your table discussion. The third week walk through the whole process, talk about the importance of inviting pre-Christians, pray, talk through ways to invite and pray some more.

Full Answer

What is the Alpha course?

I’ve had the opportunity to lead the Alpha Course several times. This course was originally developed as a discipleship program at Holy Trinity Brompton in the Church of England, but it was later found that it served very well as an evangelism program, also. I’ve used it for both purposes.

What has Alpha got to do with it?

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.

How many people have taken the Alpha course?

In 2018, the Alpha website described the course as running in over 100 countries and over 100 languages, with over 24 million people having taken the course.

What makes a good Alpha Dog leader?

A strong alpha leader is a confident guide that instructs and follows through on his commands with silent, controlled dominance. This alpha-pack relationship is due to a series of learned behaviors and sound leadership that is essentially a two-way street between yourself and your dog.

How do I run an Alpha course?

5 point plan for hosting a successful Alpha courseBringing an Alpha course to life.Find a shared vision.Identify your team's strengths.Line up your strengths with the course.Maximize the course's strengths.Plan for a course's weaknesses.Remember, God is always in the room.

How do you lead an Alpha small group?

1:1511:55Alpha Small Group Training Video - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipI would best describe it as a host. So think about if you were having a dinner party or a lunch andMoreI would best describe it as a host. So think about if you were having a dinner party or a lunch and you're hosting it you're not leading it. And you wouldn't lead the conversation.

How much does it cost to run Alpha?

Everyone is welcome. How Much Will It 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 many weeks does the Alpha course run?

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 the Alpha experience?

"Alpha is a series of sessions exploring the Christian faith. Each talk looks at a different question around faith and is designed to create conversation. Alpha is run all around the globe, and everyone's welcome. It runs in cafés, churches, universities, homes—you name it.

How do I start a small group?

Great Small Group leaders are prepared for the group meeting.Don't do all the talking. ... Decide to be comfortable with silence. ... Be a good listener. ... Remind the group why it exists. ... Involve everyone. ... Here are more tips for facilitating weekly Small Group discussion.

Where does Nicky Gumbel preach?

Since 2005, he has been Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton in the Diocese of London, Church of England.

Is Alpha good for Catholics?

Alpha is proven to awaken faith in lapsed Catholics, those on the fringe of parish life and those outside the faith. It gives faithful Catholics a path and a language to fulfill their baptismal call to evangelize.

How long does Alpha last?

Alphas tend to last between 6 and 8 weeks. Which means you should book your alpha assessment within a fortnight of starting your alpha.

Who started Alpha course?

The Alpha Course had been founded in 1977, by the Reverend Charles Marnham, but Gumbel developed it into its current format. Courses involve sessions over a 10-week period, which are preceded by informal suppers.

What is Alpha Youth Series?

Read allThe Alpha Youth Series is a brand new interactive series exploring life, faith and meaning. Re-imagined for today's youth culture, each episode looks at a different question around faith and is designed to create conversation. It's for young people with no Christian or church background.

What is the Christianity Explored course?

Christianity Explored is an informal Christian evangelistic teaching course developed by Rico Tice and Barry Cooper at All Souls Church, Langham Place, a leading Anglican church, and published by The Good Book Company. The course is considered to stand within the conservative evangelical tradition.

Requirements

No previous knowledge or experience is required as the information in this course will either add to what you already know or give you a good baseline to start from on your leadership journey.

Description

This course is for all existing leaders, as well as those who aspire to move into leadership positions in the future. The course offers insights as to how tuning into the biology of your tribe members can assist you with learning how to lead them into a state of excellence - consistently.

Who this course is for

This leadership course is meant for all those who are already in leadership positions and who are seeking to improve upon their current skill set in a way which manifests tangible results.

Instructor

My passion for learning and teaching has withstood the test of time as I began my career as a high school teacher after leaving university with a degree in Social Science, majoring in Industrial Psychology and Industrial Sociology.

Student feedback

Excellent course. It was a lot to take in for 3.5 hours but I gutted through it. I took this course to learn about leadership and I'm glad I did because I have never taken a leadership course and I learned a ton. I'm going to use this in my music business career. Thank you. :)

What is an alpha job?

Alpha provides job descriptions for the leader, the director, the small group coordinator, small group leaders, small group helpers, greeters, runners, the task force coordinator, the dinner coordinator, task force members, the book table coordinator, the treasurer, the worship leader, the weekend retreat coordinator, and the weekend entertainment coordinator. 14

What denominations are Alpha?

Testimonies to Alpha’s value have come from leaders in Roman Catholic, Anglican, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, and Pentecostal churches , as well as many other denominations. Fuller Seminary promotes Alpha, with commendations coming from such theologically diverse sources as Dr. George Carey (the Archbishop of Canterbury), J. I. Packer, Gordon Fee, and the late John Wimber.

What is the first letter of the Greek alphabet?

If your church is looking for help in evangelism and discipling spiritual newborns, you might be asked to evaluate a popular course named for the first letter of the Greek alphabet, Alpha. Alpha is “a 15 session practical introduction to the Christian faith designed primarily for non-churchgoers and new Christians.” 1.

What is an evenhanded appraisal of Alpha?

An evenhanded appraisal of Alpha will acknowledge both beneficial and detrimental aspects of the programs. We will begin with an evaluation of the six “New Testament principles” on which Alpha is based.

How does Gumbel find reliable guidance?

Reliable guidance comes through verses in their literary context. Gumbel also finds biblical instances of guidance through strong impressions, desires, dreams, visions, angels, circumstances, and the counsel of friends. “In this area of guidance,” Gumbel admits, “we all make mistakes.” 25.

What is the Alpha Course?

One of the fastest growing evangelization programs in Evangelical and Charismatic Protestant circles these days is the "Alpha Course," developed over 20 years ago at a charismatic Anglican parish in London, Holy Trinity Brompton, and currently directed by Nicky Gumbel. It has been promoted to Catholics in the United States for six years by ChristLife Catholic Evangelization Services in Baltimore, which claims that "hundreds of Catholic parishes" are now using it. The purpose of this paper is to describe the process and content of the "Alpha Course", and to evaluate whether "Alpha", either in its original form or in the "Alpha for Catholics" model, should be recommended to Catholic parishes looking for evangelization tools.

How many courses are there in Alpha?

Alpha claims that there are currently 5000 courses being offered around the world. The Alpha webpage lists over 60 sites in the counties covered by the Diocese of Galveston-Houston, sponsored by churches of diverse background: Lutheran, Methodist, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Baptist, Vineyard, Disciples, Foursquare, and three Catholic parishes. 3

What is the Charismatic Agenda in Alpha?

A Charismatic Agenda. If we compare the amount of space given to different topics, we see that Alpha is not interested in giving "common Christian teaching" but is in fact advancing a specific theological agenda. Contrasting the one small paragraph on Baptism, and the two pages on "Holy Communion," with the eight pages on "speaking in tongues" 15 and sixteen pages on "healing," 16 we get a truer sense of what Alpha is about. Though Gumbel says not all have to speak in tongues, he encourages people to ask for it, and then to start speaking, starting with a limited vocabulary and developing the "prayer" "language." 17 The extensive chapter on healing presents the distinctive claims of the "signs and wonders" school of thought associated with John Wimber. Recall that these chapters precede mention of the Church (understood in a congregationalist way) or the sacraments (reduced to two, and understood in an Evangelical way). Recall as well that Catholics are told that "denominational distinctives" must be left out of Alpha, which only wants to present "common Christian teaching." Clearly the claim is false.

Where did Alpha come from?

As mentioned out the outset, Alpha was developed by a parish of the Church of England, Holy Trinity Brompton in London. From Anglicanism, it has spread to other Christian groups. Yet one of the first detailed criticisms of the course came from an Anglican source—an M.A. dissertation written by Rev. Mark Ireland, Diocesan Missioner for the Diocese of Lichfield, in the year 2000. Ireland questioned the 426 parishes in the diocese about the evangelization programs they were using, and then his Bishop followed up with a letter to the parishes which used Alpha, asking if they had any concerns. "The main theological areas of concern centred on lack of teaching on the sacraments, social ethics and the resurrection, and the perceived over-emphasis on tongues, physical healing and substitutionary atonement." These issues were then raised in a meeting between Ireland and the Area Bishop of Shrewsbury with Sandy Millar and Nicky Gumbel at Holy Trinity Brompton. 18

What is the evaluation of alpha?

An evaluation of Alpha materials reveals that Alpha does not offer simply "basic Christian truths" common to all, but presents specific teachings on the Church, the Sacraments, and the gifts of the Holy Spirit that constitute the theology of the Charismatic Protestantism which gave birth to Alpha.

What is the Alpha faith?

The basic thrust of Alpha is to communicate the essentials of the Christian faith, with its understanding of God the Father, of Jesus Christ—his incarnation, death and resurrection—and the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is the historic faith expressed in the ancient creeds.

What is Catholic Alpha?

The Houston Catholic parishes hosting Alpha use " Alpha for Catholics, " as developed by ChristLife and a Catholic Alpha Office in the UK. This is not a Catholic adaptation of the Protestant program, but is the Protestant program with Catholic teaching presented afterwards as a supplement. As the British office says, "Catholic Alpha uses the Alpha course as it stands, but recognizes that for Catholics, and those wishing to become Catholics, much more teaching is needed after Alpha. Courses such as Exploring the Catholic Church and Drink from the Wells of the Church may be used as the first step in the sharing of specifically Catholic teaching." 4

How to manage a team?

By the end of this course you will be able to: 1 Understand the important differences between managing and leading 2 Communicate your vision to gain team commitment 3 Motivate people in the right way 4 Coach others to achieve key objectives 5 Manage your own and others’ time 6 Praise appropriately 7 Deal with underperformance 8 Use strategic planning tools 9 Build and influence important relationships 10 Manage conflicts 11 Manage stress levels in yourself and others

What are coaching skills?

Coaching skills: practise using a proven structure to get the most from your team. Handling time and pressure: strategies to make the most of your time and cope with stress. Strategic planning: some useful tools to help you understand the environment in which you operate.

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 ...

What is the Alpha Talks series?

The Alpha Talks have been repackaged for today’s audience in the Alpha Film Series and the Alpha Youth Series was created to reach a younger generation with the Gospel. Even as times have changed, the Alpha course has continued to be used by the church as an effective tool to reach the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

When was Alpha filmed?

As interest grew Alpha conferences were organized internationally and the original Alpha Film Series was filmed in 1994 to make it accessible to the widest possible audience. Now all over the world millions of people have tried Alpha and it has been translated into 112 different languages.

Can you preview all the videos before running Alpha?

Before you run Alpha, you can preview all the videos for all of the Alpha series.

What is an alpha leader?

A strong alpha leader is a confident guide that instructs and follows through on his commands with silent, controlled dominance. This alpha-pack relationship is due to a series of learned behaviors and sound leadership that is essentially a two-way street between yourself and your dog.

What is an alpha roll?

An alpha roll includes pinning a dog to the ground by their collar while pointing their feet away from you. One hand holds the head down, and the other grips the groin area. 5.

How Do I Make Myself the Pack Leader of My Dog?

A firm pack leader asserts dominance in everything they do. It doesn’t mean you have to scare your dog to be submissive. You just have to ensure that your relationship with your dog has balance and respect. Here are some tips on how to show your dominance while being a good alpha leader:

Do Alpha dogs walk around?

Alpha dogs will never walk around other members of the pack. If he’s in your way, remind him where his spot for napping is by making a gentle noise with your feet. And there’s jumping, which is another sign of dominance, especially if your dog is bigger than you and it gives him a chance to look down on you.

Should a submissive dog always back down to an alpha?

Eye contact: A submissive dog should always back down to an alpha in a staring contest.

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Overview

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. The course began in Britain and is run around the world by …

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…

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…

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 Baptist teachings on baptism. Instead, individua…

Influenced by

Possibly Alpha's greatest influence came from 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 Minster in 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 evangelical perspective) have complai…

See also

• Awareness Course
• Cursillo
• Living the Questions