Alpha Course Manual

Christ The King Catholic Church

Ann Arbor, Michigan*

Fall 2017

This manual is available online at

*With grateful acknowledgement of Mary Guilfoyle of OLGC for providing the original source of this material.

Serving on the Alpha Team

Thank you forserving on the Alpha Team. While there are many aspects to this task, there are a few basic ground rules that will ensure a rewarding outcome for your guests during the Alpha Course:

  • Review the upcoming weekly session ahead of time, see
  • Remember that everything said in a session is confidential to the group. The group is intended to be a “safe” place for all guests.
  • Please do not distribute any material to your guests, Catholic or otherwise, during the course.
  • Most importantly, pray for theguestsdaily.

Typical Alpha Session Timeline

  • Arrive 45 minutes prior to the start of the session. Please be prompt for the pre-session meeting as this is a time to gather with their session leader to address administrative matters and to pray together.
  • Guests begin to arrive; greeting by the welcoming team and hosts and helpers.
  • Sessionbegins promptly at stated time; session leader welcomes all and briefly outlines the stages of the Alpha Course.
  • Meal blessing (begins in Week #4).
  • Mealtypically runs 30-35 minutes in length.
  • Opening introduction of topic and a joke by the session leader.
  • Praise & Worship (begins in Week 1).
  • View DVD presentation for that particularweekly topic (this may be followed by a small break announced by the session leader.) DVDs range between 28-30 minutes in length.
  • Begin small group discussion (45 minutes).
  • Dismissal. Alpha sessions begin and end promptly.

The 6 Aims of an Alpha Small Group

There are many activities taking place within an Alpha session, e.g., serving food, music, small group discussions, announcements, and set up.The overall goal of Alpha is for the guests to have a conversion experience to Jesus and the infilling of the Holy Spirit. This is achieved by the teamwork of all the Alpha team. Although you are not a host or helper, it would be helpful for you to understand the purpose of the small group discussion.

  1. To have a vibrant discussion:

a)Start with simple questions – What do you think? How do you feel?

b)Give people the opportunity to respond to what they have heard and ask questions.

c)Show mutual respect for all, no one has to talk.

d)Do not allow one person to dominate the discussion and make sure only one person talks at a time.

e)Encourage the group to give answersto questions that are brought up, rather than answering yourself.

f)There is no such thing as a dumb question.

g)Be encouraging, look at guests and be interested in what they are saying.

h)For many of our guests, the discussion in the small group will be the opportunity for them to be heard for the first time.

i)See appendix for additional help regarding group dynamics.

j)See training video 301 #1

  1. To encourage guests to turn to scripture as an important part of their life:

a)Encourage guests to acquire a Bible if they do not own one.

b)Should a Bible text be used in a presentation, the host should be prepared with a short explanation if questions arise about a passage.

c)Avoid using Christian or Catholic jargon to explain a passage.

d)Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know the answer but I’ll find out”.

  1. To encourage the guests towards prayer:

a)Alpha uses a progressive approach to prayer, i.e., it is introduced gradually with increasing focus, as explained later in each session’s instructions.

b)When a host opens in prayer it should be done sensitively and simply, “Dear Lord, bless this group this week”.

c)In the later sessions it’s OK to ask others to lead in prayer, ask beforehand so as not to embarrass them and suggest a prayer (“Will you ask God to give us wisdom to understand tonight’s talk?”). Tell the group before starting that you’ve asked X to open in prayer tonight.

d)Later when closing in prayer, model first, again with a simple prayer. Ask others to join. However, do not use the “Round Robin” approach to prevent anxiety among guests.

e)Encourage simple prayer uncluttered by jargon. Model prayer that comes straight from the heart.

f)See training video 301 #3

  1. To develop lasting relationships within the body of Christ

a)“People come to church for many reasons, but they stay there for only one: that they make friends.”

b)Learn the guest’s names the first night and get to know each person.

c)During each dinner the host and helper facilitate conversations.

d)If guests are comfortable with each other, the group can participate in after Alpha activities such as CTK’s Upper Room prayer meeting.

  1. To experience the act of ministering to one another

a)The aspect of lay people praying aloud in a group and with one another will be new for many.

b)However, it opens up a new dimension of the love and power of God and is aninspiring witness.

c)Minister to the guests with the power of the Holy Spirit. It is by your example that they will minister to each other.

d)See training video 301 #5

  1. To train others to be hosts or helpers

a)Alpha continually needs new hosts and helpers.

b)Continual training is available to prepare helpers for the host role.

c)Watching good hosts “in action” is the best way for helpers and guests to assess their calling to either role as a next step.

d)Invite guests that show anaptitude to become helpers and eventually hosts.

Other helpful resources,at

Bishop Byrnes: Alpha is Thoroughly Catholic

“ Small Groups” training video

“The Weekend Away” training video

“An Alpha Session” video, 101 #4

“Creating the environment” video, 201 #1

“Integrating Worship Music” video, 301 #2

Reminders

  • Adopt a mission-minded approach to your ministry.
  • Attend the pre-session meetings at the start of the each Alpha session.Please note,attendance at the pre-session meetings is not optional.This meeting is an integral component of the Alpha Course.
  • Pray throughout the week for your guests, Alpha co-workers, and the entire Alpha Course.
  • Refrain from using Christian or Catholic jargon or references that may be unknown to the guests.
  • Cultivate a safe and comfortable environment.
  • Stay spiritually strong. Be attentive to the Holy Spirit and remember that it is His job to reveal the love of Jesus.

Roles on the Alpha Team

1. Session Leader: Leads the Session

2. Music Leader: Leads the music at the beginning of the session

3. Host/Helper: Hosts the tables and guides discussion of the video

4. Hospitality/Food: Helps to create an environment of radical hospitality

5. Set-up/Take-Down/Tech Support: Helps to ensure that everything runs smoothly

6. Greeters: Helps to create an environment of radical hospitality

List of Alpha Topics

Week #1: Is There More to Life Than This?

Week #2: Who is Jesus?

Week #3: Why Did Jesus Die?

Week #4: How Can I Have Faith?

Week #5: Why and How Should I Pray?

Week #6: Why and How Should I Read The Bible?

Week #7: How Does God Guide Us?

Holy Spirit Weekend:

Introduction To The Weekend

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?

Week #8: How Can I Resist Evil?

Week #9: Why and How Should I Tell Others?

Week #10: Does God Heal Today?

Week #11: What About The Church?

To listen to the talks:

Go to

Click on “Alpha Builder”

Click on “login”

Login: , Password: ctkalpha2016

Scroll down to “Preview Resources” and choose “Alpha Film Series”

Alpha Host/Helper ManualChrist The King Catholic Church