Transcript Running Alpha Effectively - National Capital FreeNet

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
Week 1:
Week 2:
Week 3:
Week 4:
Week 5:
Week 6:
Who Is Jesus? (Video 2)
Why Did Jesus Die? (Video 3)
How Can I Be Sure Of My Faith? (Video 4)
Why and How Do I Pray? (Video 6)
Why and How Should I Read the Bible? (Video 5)
How Does God Guide Us? (Video 7)
Weekend Retreat Schedule
Who 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 September
Wednesday 26 September
Thursday 1 November
These 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 love
Nicky 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!
hosts and Helpers:
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’
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
6:30pm
Leaders Pray and prepare
Evening meal
7:45pm
Welcome
- Notices for the evening
- 1 or 2 Jokes
Worship
7:55 pm
Break
7:30pm
8.00pm
Talk / video
8:45pm
Small groups
9.30pm
End
Weekly
Format
6: 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 night
What about the Church?
• People may be sad
• Invite your pastor(s)
• Show the photos from the weekend
• Questionaire
• Certificates
• Follow with a celebration dinner?
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. Talks
b. Small groups
c. 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
Keeping it Real
Stick to the recipe
• 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 Resources
www.alphacanada.org/leaderdownloads
Book: How to Run the Alpha Course
David C Cook Distribution 800-263-2664
Ontario Support
Barrie Davies
Regional Director ~ Ontario
[email protected]