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First Things First
The Alpha course presents the core truth of the Christian faith in a way that every denomination can get behind. It has been running for over 30 years so we've tried and tested every aspect of the course. If it's in there, it's there for a reason!
What are the key ingredients?
One thing proven to be essential in running a successful course is to follow this recipe:
Food – Eating together is an easy way to relax and get to know one another in the group. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, it's about creating space and time for the guests to settle in.
Read more about food on Alpha.
Talk – There is more than one way to give an Alpha talk; from having a live speaker to pressing play on a DVD.
Read our Five Ways to Give an Alpha Talk.
Small groups – After the talk, guests break into small groups and discuss the content. The hosts and helpers facilitate discussion, and with proper training they’ll feel confident in their roles.
Read about hosts and helpers training.
Register your course
Don’t miss out on free advertising for your course on the Alpha website. Add your course or update your course details so guests can easily find you when they search online.
Register / update your course.
Feeling inexperienced?
Drop your local Alpha Adviser a line or email. Tell them you are starting a course and ask what they can do to help make it even easier to get started.
Who are your audience?
Who are you running Alpha for? Is your venue somewhere they would feel comfortable? Are you running it at a convenient time of day? Are you using the best resources available?
Find out how to run Alpha in different contexts.
Who’s on your team?
Get your mates on board (the more sociable the better) to help share the load.
Tell your church leader
Ask for the blessing and backing of the person who leads your church. They can help promote the course from the front and encourage the congregation to get involved.
Prepare your ideas for after Alpha
As soon as your course finishes, you may want to continue the momentum you started with your group. To help plan for what’s next, think through some ideas before the course starts.
Aim for more than one course
The course works best when it is run two or three times a year. If each course ends in a party, guests invite their friends who in turn are invited onto the next course.