The Impact of Alpha in the Parish

Alpha is most effective in parishes that run it as part of an ongoing process of evangelisation – watch Father John Riccardo share the impact of running Alpha at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Plymouth, Michigan:

In addition to being a time-tested tool for healthy and effective evangelization in the context of friendship, Alpha’s greatest impact might be the way it assists parish leadership in renewing the culture of their parishes.

For parishioners who participate in alpha as guests or on the Alpha Team, they often have the opportunity to come away with a renewed passion for certain values that can pair well with any renewal effort in the life of your parish:

Listening

On Alpha, guests are given a place to say what they really think and express what they really feel without judgment or expectation. This enables them to grow in trust and in friendship.  It frees them to discover the presence of God and for most, to come to conviction to follow them as committed disciples of Jesus.

Hospitality 

On Alpha, guests encounter a unique level of warmth, generosity, and attentiveness from Christians hosting the experience. When run properly, this is an expression of love which perhaps only those participating in the fruits of the spirit are capable of providing. This both enables guests to get a taste of what is special about Christian charity, and it convicts members of their own need to continue growing in hospitality and Christian charity.

Empowerment of Others 

Alpha is very intentional about developing people in order that they might develop their gifts and abilities in service to the kingdom. Guests are invited to become helpers, helpers to become hosts, hosts to be key leaders, and key leaders are set loose to be a blessing to another part of the mission of the parish. In this way, Alpha functions as a kind of leadership pipeline to be a blessing to the whole Church.

Dependence on the Holy Spirit

One of the things we like to say about Alpha is that it is designed to fail unless God shows up.  It trains team members to undergird all they do with prayer. It prepares guests to encounter God and his Holy Spirit, and it models a lifestyle of prayer and dependence upon God for all involved.

Evangelistic Intentionality

When run well, Alpha focuses not simply on encouraging those who already attend church, but especially on reaching those member of your extended community who are on the spiritual margins of society, those farthest from faith in Jesus.

Taken together, these values can assist parish leadership in shifting the temperature of the whole community, enabling everyone involved in the church to grow in their commitments to Listening, Hospitality, Empowerment of Others, Dependence on the Holy Spirit, and Evangelistic Intentionality.

If you are a pastor or a parish staff member who would like first-hand experience of Alpha, we would love to invite to be part of one of our upcoming Alpha Online Preview Experiences.  To learn more, please email catholics@alphausa.org 

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ENCOUNTER

This track is full of amazing main-stage speakers who will showcase the power of prayer in every generation, equip you to live a naturally supernatural life and train you to heal as Jesus did. Senior pastors, church leaders, non-profit leaders, this track is you!

Workshops in this Track

Learnings from Asbury on the Power of Prayer

Speaker: Angela Chadwick, Global Director of Prayer, Alpha USA

Alpha’s Global Director of Prayer will interview some of the spiritual leaders involved in the Asbury revival where a chapel worship service caught the attention of our country. You’ll hear stories of how the students were deeply moved by God through the simplest forms of worship and how the leaders made sure the only celebrity on stage was Jesus. You’ll also be amazed by the powerful breakthroughs in young people’s lives through the gentlest of prayers.

Additionally, we will explore how the resurgence of faith in one small American town is relevant to every person in the Church and how it shapes how we share the good news in a good way with this generation.

How to Facilitate Eternal Connections with Jesus

Speaker: Danielle Strickland, Spiritual Leader, Justice Advocate, Communicator, Peacemaker

Encounter is God’s favorite way to spiritual revelation. Why do we emphasize information-formation as our primary means of discipleship? What if we put more time, energy, and effort into facilitating more encounters? Be prepared to discuss together how cultivating curiosity becomes a means to do just that. We will talk techniques, experiences, and new ideas.

Everyday Miracles

Speakers: Dr. Chloe Swart, Associate National Director for Alpha UK, and Dr. Russo Swart, New Wine Cymru Prophetic and Healing Team

This workshop will look at how to heal the sick as a part of our everyday missional lives. Following Chloe’s PhD studying healing miracles in Wales, Chloe found that Christians in Wales were praying for their friends, family, and colleagues, in the gym, in the supermarket, at work; wherever they found themselves, as well as in church services, and Alpha courses. Healing is a missional tool that points toward Jesus. Unpack the theology of healing, while also hearing very practical teaching and demonstration of how to heal the sick in an everyday way.

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