» Danny on Alpha

It needs to be first stated that almost everyone who has attended the Alpha
course here has done so as a result of a Christian who is their good friend.
This pre-existing relational dynamic is, I believe, crucial to any
evangelistic course

When Alpha is done well, it serves relationships, which are the key to
evangelism. A participant feels welcome, included and affirmed throughout
the course. They get a chance to be a spectator to the propositional truths
of Christianity and to have their say without feeling threatened, and they
get a chance to hear what others think and feel. Friendships are made and
strengthened. They are allowed to decide if, when and how to respond to the
message, and are given several opportunities to do so through the course.

The ingredients of (i)a meal, (ii)a consistent and deliberate affirnming
environment, (iii)some God-content and (iv)a change to discuss it openly
without threat are crucial in this process.

It needs to be noted that these ingredients can work as well with other
material – we have used this model with the “Journeys” material,
“Boundaries”, the Willow Creek “Tough Questions” material, all to good
effect. The reason for this is that the Alpha content is primarily
cognitive, appealing to the “modern” mindset. Something like “Journeys” is
based on stories and experience and tends to appeal more to the
“post-modern” mindset.

I think that Alpha is effective primarily because the whole package values
people and maximises relationships, and secondarily because the content is
excellent.

Danny Holmes
Evangelism Intern
Mornington Baptist Church