resourcefile
Resource review: Alpha
Review by Cedric Hobbs, Oxfordshire, UK
Alpha has an obvious advantage compared to any other enquirers' course: increasingly people have seen it advertised, know of someone who has been on the course or had it recommended to them by an acquaintance.
Alpha aims to address the quest for faith not only intellectually and volitionally, but also on an experiential level, particularly through the day/weekend away when many people testify to having a living encounter with Jesus. This, plus the fellowship shared over meals and discussion conducted in a non-dogmatic way, is a tried and tested formula.
However, there is a fall-out rate from Alpha. Sometimes people have to do repeated Alphas to come into the full benefit of the course. They need more time to move “up the scale” towards faith. Is there a place for using the Y-Course and/or Christianity Explored prior to inviting people on Alpha? It would be unreasonable to invite the average non-Christian to 2 or 3 courses back to back. But there is a lot of scope for cell groups to select different Y-Course and Christianity Explored topics and open them up to non-Christians. Or how about individual church members, or a couple of friends or a prayer triplet using these materials now and again with the non-Christians they are praying for? Even suggesting going to the non-Christian’s house to do so. Individual church members would need some instruction in how to use the materials, but they are not difficult to use. This should lead to increased confidence in communicating the gospel among church members, who often are exhorted to do so, but not often shown how.
More details
| Type of resource | Huge impact nationally and internationally since 1992. Thousands of churches registered as running courses. |
| Based on | “Questions of Life” by Nicky Gumbel |
| Format |
15 talks recorded on 5 videos. Speaker: Nicky Gumbel. Live audience. Average length of talks: 40 minutes. Alpha manual. Fairly academic – follows the headings of the talk on the video or in “Questions of Life”. Whole range of conference material, team training, leader and helper material, guest material, Alpha Supper initiative promotional material, follow-up material, Alpha for prisons, Alpha for students, Alpha for youth, etc. (See Mail Order brochure) |
| Order details |
Cost of video pack: £89.95 Order on: 0845 758 1278 |
| Range of questions asked |
Wider ranging and faster moving than the Y-Course and Christianity Explored. 1. Who is Jesus? 2. Why did Jesus die?* 3. How can I be sure of my faith?* 4. Why & how should I read the Bible? 5. Why & how do I pray? Day or weekend away
6. How can I resist evil? 7. How does God guide us? 8. Why & how should we tell others? 9. Does God heal today? 10. What about the Church? *Opportunities to pray a prayer of repentance and commitment |