what is the catholic alpha course?

What does the Alpha course believe?

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".

What is good about 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

How much is the Alpha course?

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).

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.

What is the purpose of Alpha?

Alpha and Omega, in Christianity, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, used to designate the comprehensiveness of God, implying that God includes all that can be. In the New Testament Revelation to John, the term is used as the self-designation of God and of Christ.

How many weeks is the Alpha program?

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.

How long do alpha meetings last?

There are sixteen episodes made up of fifteen sessions (30 minutes each) and one introduction the Alpha Day/Weekend (10 minutes), as well as two training videos (30 minutes each). The first two episodes are available for you to download right now from alpha.org/run.Jan 19, 2016

How long are alpha videos?

around thirty minutesIt's no different at Alpha. Most sessions start with food because it's a great way to build community and get to know each other. The videos/talks are designed to engage and inspire conversation. Usually the Alpha videos we use at Millpool are around thirty minutes long and delivered over about eleven weeks.

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.

What does the GDC warn about?

Citing Paul VI’s Evangelii Nuntiandi, the GDC warns of "the risk of impoverishing … or even of distorting" evangelization. It "must develop its ‘totality’ and completely incorporate its intrinsic bipolarity: witness and proclamation, word and sacrament, interior change and social transformation.

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 object of catechesis?

The object of catechesis is communion with Jesus Christ. Again, we can affirm the central emphasis of Alpha. "‘The definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch, but also in communion and intimacy, with Jesus Christ.’. All evangelizing activity is understood as promoting communion with Jesus Christ.

What is the thrust of Alpha?

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 the purpose of the ecumenical church?

is ecumenical in that it covers the basic Christian truths shared by all traditions.

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.

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 ...

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.

Question

Our parish is about to start the Alpha series. I need to be assured that it is ok for Catholics to take part in Alpha. Is it?

Answer

If faithfully implemented, the Alpha for Catholics program is definitely a worthwhile one, as the U.S. Bishops have noted.

What is Alpha Film Series?

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 Gumbel, Toby Flint (a curate at Holy Trinity Brompton) and Gemma Hunt.

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 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 does St Paul mean by "God breathes"?

St Paul's reference to scripture being " God breathed " (2 Timothy 3:16) is referred to, although whether this view of scripture implies strict inerrancy is not made clear. Within evangelical Protestantism the most controversial element of Alpha is what is considered to be its charismatic slant.

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.

How many courses were there in 1998?

A peak was reached in 1998, when 10,500 courses were run. By 2001 this had fallen to 7,300. 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 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.

What is the Alpha Course?

The Alpha Course, though teaching some truth, also lays truth alongside error. The wooing of people using the gospel message, only to later enslave them in ritualism, works salvation, and occult manifestations is one of the great deceptions of our time.

Who is the architect of Alpha?

After Marnham's initial input, Alpha gradually evolved. One of the key figures in this and the main architect of the Alpha course as it now exists is Nicky Gumbel, currently curate at Holy Trinity Brompton. It was through Gumbel's vision and work that Alpha grew to have the impact it has today.

When was Alpha 10-3-98 made?

Alpha 10-3-98. Blessings! The foundations of the Alpha course were originally laid in 1979 through the work of Charles Marnham. During his time at Holy Trinity Brompton in west London (one of the main proponants of the Toronto "Blessing" and where Steve Hill of Brownsville picked up his ability to "slay people in the spirit"), ...

What is the Alpha for Catholics website?

The "Alpha for Catholics" website is where you can find the names of all their supporters. In general, it is a Protestant approach to Christianity with a little Catholicism tacked on at the end.

Who warned against Alpha?

Raymond Burke. Cardinal Burke has warned against using Alpha, and has forbidden any members of the Marian Catechist Apostolate from using its materials because of the danger to the Faith. His email is reproduced below: International Director of the Marian Catechist Apostolate.

What is the dominant pastoral paradigm?

The dominant pastoral paradigm, operative in the vast majority of parishes today, dictates that we evangelize and bring people to Christ primarily through didache (teaching and instruction in the faith, or catechesis).

Does catechesis replace the kergygma?

While catechesis ( didache) is an important component in the process of evangelization, it does not replace the proclamation of the kergygma, but should complement it. Bl. John Paul II, in his 1979 apostolic exhortation Catechesi Tradendae, describes how catechesis (didache) builds upon the kerygma: Thus through catechesis the Gospel kerygma (the ...