Alpha in a Catholic Context

7 simple steps to running an Alpha course in a Catholic Context

1. Be informed and inspired

In addition to this website, the Alpha in a Catholic Context Introductory Guide and DVD, as well as a booklet from Fr Raniero Cantalamessa, are available to inform you about how Alpha works in a Catholic Context.   

When it comes to learning how to actually run an Alpha course, the best preparation is to either attend a Local or Global Alpha Training event or an Alpha conference. All of these events effectively introduce the basics of the Alpha course, providing the principles and practicalities of running an Alpha course and ways to avoid some common mistakes. Contact us if you need any further information.

2. Get Connected

It is useful to connect with an Alpha in a Catholic Context coordinator or adviser in your region or country. They will be able to share best practice and put you in touch with other Catholic parishes that are running Alpha courses in your area. 

3. Reflect & Pray

Take time to think through the planning of your Alpha course, even if this takes several months or a year. Alpha only produces fruit if the course is supported by the parish priest and the parish Council, and if it is well integrated into the rest of the activities of the community. 

Prayer is also vital to the success of the course and should be very much a part of the planning, preparation and during the course.  

'No course succeeds without prayer. One parish that I know of spends every evening backed up by people praying. Where prayer is, there the Holy Spirit can work; there the Lord Jesus comes to people. Prayer is essential.'

Bishop Ambrose Griffiths OSB, Bishop Emeritus of Hexham and Newcastle, England 

4. Select a team

It is important to select the right team to lead the course.  The course can be led very effectively by laity.  The team needs to be made up of dedicated, prayerful people who have a real desire to evangelise, whilst at the same time being welcoming and sensitive to the needs of others. 

The Alpha course offers a great opportunity for individuals to serve in different ways, be it hosting a small group, serving food or giving a talk.  As soon as a team has been finalised, it is then important that every member of the team receives Alpha team training, which provides valuable teaching on how to lead discussions, provide pastoral care, and prayer ministry.

You can either run an Alpha team training event by using the Alpha team training materials or attending a Local or Global Alpha Training event.

5. Plan

An Alpha course lasts ten weeks, as well as having a celebration supper at the end of the course and an Alpha Day or Weekend Away on the Holy Spirit during the course.  To retain the momentum of the course, it is important to plan several courses a year and to integrate the course into the overall vision for the parish. The most successful courses are often linked to parishes that have planned well and run regularly throughout the year. 

When planning, it is worth considering the following: 

Venue – It is important to find the right venue for your Alpha course.  Choose a venue that is warm and welcoming: a home, a parish hall, or the church itself.  Use decoration and lighting – it makes a difference. 

Time – Alpha is most often run in the evenings, but courses are also run in the daytime. Choose the best time for you and your guests.

A typical evening:

6.15pm Preparation meeting – the leaders meet to pray

7.00pm Supper – guests arrive and are allocated into groups for supper

7.40pm Welcome – the evening is opened by the course leader

7.45pm Worship – as the course is a practical introduction to the Christian faith, each evening begins with a short time of worship

8.00pm Talk – the talk for the evening begins

8.45pm Small groups – after the talk guests split into their pre-arranged small groups for coffee and biscuits to discuss the talk.

9.30pm End 

6. The Talks

The underlying theme of the talks is that Christianity is not a set of rules or dogmas, but it is a personal relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit, and that this relationship, lived out in the parish community, is life changing. 

The series of talks given are as follows:

1. Who Is Jesus?

2. Why Did Jesus Die?

3. How Can We Have Faith?

4. Why and How Do I Pray?

5. Why and How Should I Read the Bible?

6. How Does God Guide us?

7. How Can I Resist Evil?

8. Why and How Should I Tell Others?

9. Does God Heal Today?

10. What about the Church? 

The course also includes the Weekend / Day Away, which normally takes place half way through the course, looking at the person and work of the Holy Spirit. As well as the subject matter, the Weekend or Day Away is normally the time when friendships really grow in the groups. Topics during this time include: Who is the Holy Spirit? How Can I Make the Most of the Rest of my Life? 

7. Celebration

At the end of every course there is normally a celebration supper or drinks for guests to celebrate the completion of the course and invite friends to hear about Alpha. During the celebration there is a short talk entitled ‘Is there more to Life than this?’ and guests are invited to share their experience of the course.