what is alpha christian 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 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.

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.

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 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 Alpha Course?

The Alpha course is run by churches that are not Biblical Christian churches to start with , in other words it is a non-Christian course run by non-Christians to swell their numbers. This they have the right to do and is of no concern to Christians.

What does the Bible say about salvation?

The Bible teaches that salvation is in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Scripture teaches that in order to be saved we must place our trust in Christ.

When were tee shirts invented?

Tee-shirts as Wikki states, were invented around the 1890’s as men’s undergarments. It was only in the 1950’s that rebellious youth started to wear them in public without an overshirt. The wearing of underclothing in public reached new heights in the ’60’s with the invention of the speedo and bikini.

What does the Bible say about sheep?

Sheep will be obedient to the Bible and goats will be rebellious, that is their nature . Sheep will practice male headship, i. e. no female elders or pastors. Sheep will practice modesty, no women with bare shoulders or in pants, no men in short pants or T-shirts.

Is Alpha a good course?

Indeed, as several people have commented, the Alpha course serves more as an introduction, and not an exhaustive Theological course. It may not be perfect, yes; but it is to a good extent suitable for its intended audience, and it has helped thousands of people come to the Christian faith.

Does Alpha recognize human depravity?

A person who does not see their depravity will never see their need for the Savior. Alpha does not recognize human depravity in the same way the Bible does, and in my opinion its biggest omission.

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.

How to do friendship evangelism?

A typical Alpha evening begins with a light meal, preferably in a home, to help people relax and get acquainted. After a welcome and some songs of worship, people listen to one of Gumbel’s talks. Following a coffee break, participants meet in prearranged groups of about 10 to 12 to discuss the topic. Three or four trained leaders from the church become involved with each group. 10

How is evangelism effective?

Principle 1: “ Evangelism is most effective through the local church. It mobilizes a whole army of evangelists and is friendship based .” 3 Alpha assists churches that want to train members in friendship evangelism. Teams of trained evangelists can then go out to universities and elsewhere. “But missions are more likely to bear lasting fruit if they are based in an ongoing program of local church evangelism, which has the great advantage of continuity of relationships.” 4 Amen. We can agree with that.

Who is Gordon Lewis?

Div.), and Syracuse University (Ph. D. in philosophy), Gordon R. Lewis is a senior professor of theology and philosophy at Denver Seminary. He is the author of numerous books including the three-volume Integrative Theology (Zondervan, 1996). 1 “Welcome to Alpha,” 3.

Overview

History

Structure

Doctrine

Influences

Usage

Criticism

See also