Running Alpha Effectively

‘Getting Started’

Appoint a Course Administrator (Director)

• Spiritually mature with a heart for evangelism

• Understands and agrees with philosophy / theology of Alpha

• Willing & able to release responsibility

• A servant encourager

• E-mail and Internet friendly

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leWeek 1: Who Is Jesus? (Video 2)Week 2: Why Did Jesus Die? (Video 3)Week 3: How Can I Be Sure Of My Faith? (Video 4)Week 4: Why and How Do I Pray? (Video 6)Week 5: Why and How Should I Read the Bible? (Video 5)Week 6: How Does God Guide Us? (Video 7)

Weekend Retreat ScheduleWho is The Holy Spirit? (Video 8) What Does the Holy Spirit Do? (Video 9)How Can I Be Filled with the Spirit? (Video 10) How Can I Make the Most of the Rest of My Life? (Video 15)

Week 7: How Can I Resist Evil? (Video 11)Week 8: Why and How Should We Tell Others? (Video 12) Week 9: Does God Heal Today? (Video 13)Week 10: What About the Church? (Video 14)Week 11: Celebration (or Alpha) Dinner... Christianity: Boring, Untrue or Irrelevant? (Video 1)

Set a Date

• Best run as a rolling program run 3 times a year

• Ensure dates don’t conflict with a major holiday• Sept. to Christmas

• New Year to Easter

• Easter to Summer Holidays

Determine the dates for team training

Just before course starts . . .

• Leading Small Groups

• Pastoral Care

• Use the Alpha leaders training video

Determine the dates for team training

Just before weekend away

• Ministry on Alpha

• - the third session on the Alpha

Leaders training video

Register Your Course Online

www.alphacanada.org

Invite Your Team

Team Configuration

• Small Group Hosts – (leaders) & Helpers

• M/C

• Hospitality Coordinator

• Support Team (Task Force)

• Treasurer

• Worship Leader

• Registration and reception

Invite Your Team

Small Group Hosts (leaders) and Helpers

• Hosts facilitate the small group discussion

• Helpers assist hosts where needed with appropriate questions or practical duties, and prayer

• Helpers are hosts for the meal

Invite Your Team

Hospitality Coordinator

• Someone good at details, organizing and follow-up.

• Good at building a team of helpers (not taking it all on himself/herself)

Invite Your Team

Support Team (Task Force)

• Audio-visual person

• Cooking coordinator

• Kitchen coordinator, servers

• Who might cheerfully set up tables & chairs, decorate, clean up afterwards?

Invite Your Team

Treasurer

• Who will look after the funds associated with running your Alpha course?

• Need an account book

Invite Your Team

Worship Leader

• Live music or CDs – still need a leader

• Song selection

• Musicians

• Get “Alpha Worship” - ->

Invite Your Team

Invite Your Team

Dear Ann,

The next Alpha course at HTB begins on 3 October 2007, and I should like to invite you to join the team.

There will be three training sessions on:-Wednesday 12 SeptemberWednesday 26 September

Thursday 1 NovemberThese will be held in the church from 7.00pm to 9.30pm and supper will be provided.

It is extremely important that you come to them!

Helping on Alpha means that you need to be willing to help in any capacity. You may be asked to help in a Small Group or on the Task Force. Commitment from the hostship is of the utmost importance, so if you can help, please would you make all the dates (and the weekends) the highest priority in your diaries.

I do hope that you will be able to join us in September. If you can, please would you return the enclosed slip by 4 September and then come to the first training session on 12 September.I look forward to hearing from you.

Lots of loveNicky Gumbel

Prepare Invitations

• Use Alpha templates or be creative and make your own!

• Could be in the form of dinner tickets, greeting card-type invitations, flyers…

Advertising

• Personal invitations

• Tie in to other events, such as a special Easter or Christmas presentations

• Advertising in joint newspaper ads

• Alpha Canada Website

• Church bulletins

Location

• A ‘home’ is a great location for Alpha

• If it’s at church, make it ‘homey’

• Community centre

• Go where the people are!

Forming the Small Groups

• Ideal 2:1 ratio – 2 hosts, 2 helpers, 8 guests

• There will be people leaving the course

• Use age groups to help place guests

• Try to prevent ‘group hopping’

hosts and Helpers:

Prayer / Administration Meeting

• Small group hosts and helpers should come together to pray for the guests and for each other before each Alpha night dinner and talk

• Cover any administrative details necessary after praying together. At least one host from each group should be present for prayer

Intro Night

•Make sure greeting efforts are over the top!

•Keep it light and fun! It’s a party!

•Testimonies

•No music or small group discussion

•Application forms

The Meal

•Cater for special meals (eg vegetarians)

•Helpers - lead the conversation

•Seriously, no religious talk at the table!

•End dinner on time

6.00pm Leaders Pray and prepare

6:30pm Evening meal

7:30pm Welcome- Notices for the evening- 1 or 2 Jokes

7:45pm Worship

7:55 pm Break

8.00pm Talk / video

8:45pm Small groups

9.30pm End

Weekly Format6: 30 p.m. start

Weekend Away

•May need to book a venue before the course begins - ask Advisors for ideas

•Begin promoting week 2 or 3

•Decide on a 2 day or a 1 day weekend

Weekend Away

•It’s OK to join with other courses

•Select a leader to invite the Holy Spirit

•Build in ‘fun time’ and ‘leisure time’ so it’s not too intense and give time for personal reflection. Skits go down really well.

•Take photos including a group photo

Weekend Away

•Who Is the Holy Spirit?

•What Does the Holy Spirit Do?

•How Can I Be Filled with the Holy Spirit?

•How Can I Make the Most of the Rest of My Life?

Weekend Away

The Director’s Handbook includes:

• weekend sign-up form

• to do list for organizer

• entertainment guidelines

• weekend timetable

• one day timetable

Bookshop

• Arrange with local Christian bookstore

• Recommended reading list

• Loaner system

• Missed sessions, provide audio tape

• Inexpensive Bibles available

The last nightWhat about the Church?

•People may be sad

•Invite your pastor(s)

•Show the photos from the weekend

•Questionaire

•Certificates

•Follow with a celebration dinner?

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Alpha Questionnaire Name

Group 1. How did you hear about the Alpha course? Did you come to an Alpha Supper party before the course?

2. Why did you decide to do Alpha?

3. How many sessions did you attend?

4. a. i. Were you a Christian when you started the course?ii. Were you a regular churchgoer when you started the course?

b. How would you describe yourself now (in terms of the Christian faith?) c. If the answer to a. and b. is different, when and how did the change occur?

5. In what ways, if any, did you benefit from doing the Alpha course?

6. What did you enjoy most about Alpha?

7. What did you find most difficult?

8. a. Which, if any, tapes did you buy?b. Which, if any, books did you buy?c. Did you find them helpful and if so why?(please name any books or tapes which you found particularly helpful)

9. In what way could the course be improved?a. Talksb. Small groupsc. Generally

10. Any other comments?

11. Are you going to join a Homegroup?

Thank the Team

•Thank every team member after the course has completed

•Write notes of thanks mentioning specific contributions

•Keep records

Stick to the recipe

Keeping it Real

• Alpha:is tried and tested has been running for more than 20 years ~ every ingredient has important function

• Those courses that leave out an ingredient or aspect of the course diminish the impact of the course.

• Be prayerful & persevere

Leader Resourceswww.alphacanada.org/leaderdownloads  

Book: How to Run the Alpha Course

David C Cook Distribution 800-263-2664

Ontario SupportBarrie Davies

Regional Director ~ Ontario

barriedavies@alphacanada.org