2/21/2024 0 Comments Alpha course materials pdfAfter a welcome and some songs of worship, people listen to one of Gumbel’s talks. A typical Alpha evening begins with a light meal, preferably in a home, to help people relax and get acquainted. The plan for each session of a church-sponsored friendship evangelism may be instructive. 5:18), but what is meant by the Spirit’s filling? What are its results and purposes? Stay tuned… Believers repeatedly need to be filled with the Holy Spirit (Eph. Principle 6: “ Effective Evangelism requires the filling and refilling of the Spirit.” Yes, but not as defined by Alpha. None of us, however well trained or experienced, is sufficient to evangelize, regenerate human nature, or unite people to Christ and His body. Principle 5: “ Evangelism in the power of the Holy Spirit is both dynamic and effective.” 9 Yes. Biblical “power evangelism” preaches the classical gospel - the “power” of God unto salvation (Rom. Those that are of God can no more be manipulated than the wind. We must test to see whether they are from God, sleight-of-hand, psychology, or the devil. They did not always accompany the presentation of the gospel in biblical times. Signs and wonders also may provide a climate for believing the gospel, but miracles are not the essence of the gospel. The good news is about what Christ did once-for-all. What we must do for the poor is not the good news. Social work and divine miracles may contribute to a milieu for evangelism but do not, in themselves, communicate the gospel.Īdmittedly, evangelism and social action “go hand in hand,” and they are “fundamentally linked,” 8 but they are also fundamentally distinct. Principle 4: “ Models of Evangelism in the New Testament include Classical, Holistic and Power Evangelism.” 7 No! The New Testament has only one (classical) model of evangelism. Principle 3: “ Evangelism involves the whole person.” 6 Yes! The Alpha talks generally exemplify well-reasoned content for the mind and illustrations that appeal to the emotions and the will. People gradually see the picture and gradually build trust.” 5 Agreed! The Holy Spirit’s regeneration occurs during a moment of which we are unaware, but conversion, involving our conscious turning from idols of self and the world to Christ as Savior and Lord, often occurs over a longer period of time. “But missions are more likely to bear lasting fruit if they are based in an ongoing program of local church evangelism, which has the great advantage of continuity of relationships.” 4 Amen. Teams of trained evangelists can then go out to universities and elsewhere. It mobilizes a whole army of evangelists and is friendship based.” 3 Alpha assists churches that want to train members in friendship evangelism. Principle 1: “ Evangelism is most effective through the local church. We will begin with an evaluation of the six “New Testament principles” on which Alpha is based. Packer, Gordon Fee, and the late John Wimber.Īn evenhanded appraisal of Alpha will acknowledge both beneficial and detrimental aspects of the programs. George Carey (the Archbishop of Canterbury), J. Fuller Seminary promotes Alpha, with commendations coming from such theologically diverse sources as Dr. Testimonies to Alpha’s value have come from leaders in Roman Catholic, Anglican, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, and Pentecostal churches, as well as many other denominations. 2 In the United States, Alpha is offered in over 2,000 churches and in more than 48 denominations. Moreover, more than 10,000 Alpha Courses are now running in 77 countries, and it is quickly spreading to prisons, businesses, and schools. Since the early 1990s, with Nicky Gumbel and Sandy Millar leading, over 600 attend each week at Alpha’s home church, Holy Trinity Brompton. Under Nicky Lee in 1985, it grew at a rate of over 100 new students every week. In 1981, John Irvine lengthened the course to 10 weeks and added a weekend of teaching on the Holy Spirit. The course began in London in 1976 when Anglican pastor Charles Marnham invited people interested in the Christian faith to his home for a meal and discussion. Alpha is “a 15 session practical introduction to the Christian faith designed primarily for non-churchgoers and new Christians.” 1 If your church is looking for help in evangelism and discipling spiritual newborns, you might be asked to evaluate a popular course named for the first letter of the Greek alphabet, Alpha. For further information or to subscribe to the Christian Research Journal go to. This article first appeared in the Volume 23 / Number 3 issue of the Christian Research Journal.
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