Structure of an Alpha Course
An Alpha Course is usually structured in the following manner:
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- Week 0 – Alpha Dinner / Celebration Dinner
- Is there more to life than this?
- Week 1 – Who is Jesus?
- Week 2 – Why did Jesus die?
- Week 3 – How can I be sure of my faith?
- Week 4 – Why and how do I pray?
- Week 5 – Why and how should I read the Bible?
- Week 6 – How does God guide us?
- Week 7 – Alpha Retreat / Get-Away
- 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?
The three topics concerning the Holy Spirit are covered during a weekend or day retreat: a momentous time when guests frequently accept Christ in their hearts and form lasting relationships with one another.
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Each week, the format for each session is usually the same. We’ve found that guests usually feel a lot more comfortable in surroundings that they find are familiar and predictable. The guests share an informal meal, sing 1-2 songs, listen to a talk on how Christianity approaches the question at hand, then gather into small groups for discussion.
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- 07:15 pm – Dinner; coffee & tea service
- 08:00 pm – Welcome and Announcements
- 08:15 pm – Live Talk
- 08:50 pm – Small Group Q&A
- 09:45 pm – End & Refreshments
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The standard Alpha Course format and formula suggests that course guests celebrate the completion of an Alpha course with a formal dinner, the Celebration Dinner. Other people interested in attending the next Alpha Course join the Celebration Dinner, too. The first session talk – Is there more to life than this? – is then repeated to generate interest in the next Alpha Course. Those interested join the next course. Depending on the schedule and dates for each course, this may not be practical and when necessary, may be omitted.
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