When is the next ALPHA Course?

The next ALPHA Course will begin on February 25, 2008 at the church. Child care will be provided for all dates with the exception of the Weekend Away.

A typical Alpha program consists of:

• 6:00pm - Welcome & Dinner
• 7:00pm - Talk
• 7:45pm - Coffee
• 8:00pm - Small Groups
• 9:00pm - End

To learn more about the course, call the Dover Baptist Church office at 742-5452 Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00am and 3:00pm or come to the ALPHA dinner on February 25, at the church.

What is ALPHA?

First of all where and how did ALPHA start?

Alpha has evolved from what was essentially a basic introduction for new Christians to something which is aimed primarily at those outside the church. Alpha began as a home group in 1976 in the living room of Charles Marnham, a clergyman at HTB (Holy Trinity Brompton Anglican Church in England). Charles had a desire to reach others around him with the simple truths of the Christian faith. He began looking for a means of presenting the basic principles of the Christian faith to new Christians in a relaxed and informal setting. With this goal in mind, he devised the concept of the Alpha Course.

A few people gathered together in his living room each Wednesday evening for a light meal, a talk, and discussion groups. When Charles moved on, John Irvine took it over in 1981. He lengthened the course to ten weeks and added a weekend for teaching on the person and work of the Holy Spirit. When Nicky Lee took it over in 1985, there were about thirty-five people attending each of three annual courses and under his leadership that grew to well over a hundred. By the time I (Nicky Gumbel) took over the Alpha Course in the early 1990’s Alpha was central to the church’s life. Since then it has grown again to 1,000 people (including the leadership team) on each course (three a year).

During my (Nicky Gumbel’s) second Alpha Course I made a discovery which transformed the church’s approach to the course and latter brought Alpha to the attention of churches through the UK and internationally. As I looked around at the 13 members of my small group, I was surprised that besides the three Christian helpers, all other members were nonchurchgoers.

It was astonishing. This group raised all the normal objections: “What about other religions?” “What about suffering?” and so on. We had a stormy first six weeks, but the entire group went on the weekend away.

At the weekend away, which focuses on the person and work of the Holy Spirit, all 10 announced their Christian conversion. When we came back from the weekend away, we had the most amazing evening listening to all their testimonies.

This experience transformed my thinking about Alpha. I realized how this simple course in basic Christianity could become a powerful tool for evangelism.

Adjustments were made in the method of welcome, the atmosphere of the mall groups, the food, the seating, the flowers, the sound, and the content of the actual talks. We emphasized that everyone should be allowed to ask any question they liked in their small groups. Nothing should be treated as too trivial, threatening, or illogical. Every question would be addressed courteously and thoughtfully. It also became a policy that people were given the freedom to return or not. No one was going to pursue them. The course grew quickly – so quickly that the location had to be changed and the Alpha Team of helpers massively increased.” (“How To Run The Alpha Course”, Nicky Gumbel, pg. 11)

Next, why is the course called ALPHA? ALPHA is an acronym for:

Anyone can come – Anyone interested in finding out more about the Christian faith can be invited on this 10-week introduction designed for non-churchgoers and new Christians. It can also be used as a refresher course for mature Christians.

Learning and Laughter – The course is based on a series of fifteen talks which tackle the key questions of the heart of the Christian faith. (These can be given by a leader or a tapes or videos available if the group is small.) We believe it is possible to learn about the Christian faith and to enjoy the experience. Laughter and fun are a key part of the course, breaking down barriers and enabling everyone to relax together.

Pasta – Eating together gives people the chance to get to know each other and to develop Christian friendships. It is important that the course be held in a welcoming environment.

Helping one another – The small groups encourage everyone to participate and help each other along the way, as they discuss the talks, study the Bible and pray for each other. For the helpers themselves the course provides an opportunity to help bring others to faith. People often come back and help on the next course or bring their friends along to see what it’s all about.

Ask anything – ALPHA is a place where no question is regarded as too simple or too hostile. People are given a chance to raise their questions and discuss relevant topics in small groups after the talks.” (“Telling Others”, by Nicky Gumbel, pg 41)