Running it
It works best when the small groups work really well. It’s
important that guests are made to feel welcomed and valued;
the ideal situation is when people feel comfortable sharing
their beliefs – however different they may be from anyone
else’s. Avoid confrontation and encourage people to
talk.
Publicise your course
The best advertising is personal invitation. Invariably most
students who come on your course will have because they were
invited. If you’re planning for a large course, then
why not contact Christian groups and churches and encourage
them to bring their friends along. Perhaps you are planning
for a smaller course – ensure that you’ve invited
your friends!
Other ways to advertise your course:
- Appetiser Event
Try planning an event such as a club night, 70’s night,
a live band and combine some testimonies and an evangelistic
talk using ‘Christianity: Boring, Untrue and Irrelevant?’
- Carol service
Christmas is a great opportunity to get students along to
a carol service. Combine the carols with some testimonies
and the ‘Christianity: Boring, Untrue and Irrelevant?’
talk.
- A meal
This is a good idea if you’re planning a smaller course.
Use it as an opportunity to invite your friends around,
prepare a meal and ask someone to share their testimony.
A talk may not be suitable – depending on the number
of people you have.
- Mission events
This is a great way to launch your course. If you or your
campus groups are setting up a mission – then why
not use Alpha as a follow up?
- Pre-Alpha service
You may wish to work alongside your local church or chapel
to hold a special service before your course begins –
invite your friends along – you can use it as a taster
for your course.
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Drink Mat |
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Postcard Invitation |
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Posters - A3/A4 |
Essential team training
It is essential that every leader and helper is trained, equipped
and committed to the vision of Alpha. There are three talks
we recommend you and your team listen to every time you run
the course. They are:
Leading Small Groups
Pastoral Care on Alpha
Ministry on Alpha
These talks can either be given by a live speaker or are
available to purchase on video or cassette.
Pray for your course
It is essential that the team meets to pray before each weekly
session. Group leaders and helpers are encouraged to pray
for the guests in their groups every day – it is very
important to support your course in prayer. Ask other Christian
groups on campus to pray for you and if you can, prepare a
prayer letter detailing your prayer requests and send it to
local churches.
Don’t forget the weekend away
The weekend away is a key element to any Alpha course; however
it’s the part that courses often miss out. If you cannot
organise a weekend away – then try and organise an away
day. It’s a time when people really get to know each
other, open up and often seriously think about the Christian
faith.
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