What's Next

 

The Alpha course works best as part of an ongoing process of evangelisation and catechesis within a parish. There is a range of different follow-up materials and courses available to help people grow in their faith. Many parishes have adopted or developed post-Alpha groups that retain the key ingredients of Alpha: friendship, food, worship, teaching, Bible study, discussion and prayer. 

Below are some of the resources that have been used as follow up to Alpha in Catholic parishes:

Catholicism 201:

Father James Mallon, a parish priest from the Archdiocese of Halifax, Canada, has created a course called Catholicism 201, which was originally designed as a follow-up course to Alpha in a Catholic parish context. This 8 session DVD resource is intended to directly follow the last talk of the Alpha course, 'What about the Church?'. The talks cover topics such as the Church, Sacraments and Sacraments of Initiation, Mary and the Saints, Introduction to Christian Morality, Sacraments of Healing, The Eucharist, The Thorny Issues, and Sacraments of Vocation.  Fr James Mallon

For further information about Catholicism 201 resources please contact:  

John Paul II Media Institute • E-mail: jp2mi@mac.com • Telephone: 902-422-1349 • Mailing address: 1725 Oxford Street, Halifax, NS B3H 3Z7, Canada • www.catholicism201.ca

CaFE (Catholic Faith Exploration) & Christlife

CaFE (Catholic Faith Exploration), based in the UK, and Christlife, based in the US, have developed a range of video resources that maintain the small-group dynamic of Alpha while teaching more about the Catholic Church.

CaFE

The videos, which are filmed in a similar type to Alpha, help Catholics grow deeper in their faith as they explore the sacraments and teaching of the Catholic Church in a fun way. Here are some of their recommended post-Alpha resources:

  • Knowing God Better – an introduction to God’s love, grace and forgiveness through the sacraments, prayer and scripture.
  • Knowing God Even Better – takes Catholics deeper into their faith.
  • Exploring the Catholic Church – includes teaching on why we need the Church, an explanation of the Mass, and Mary and the Saints.
  • Plugged In Youth CaFE – A fast-moving MTV-style series looking at the basics of the Catholic faith; it is an idea follow-up to Youth Alpha for Catholic teenagers.

"Alpha has been run several times in our parish and has been a good starting point for finding out how to lead a Christian life, teaching us the basics such as God's great love for each one of us, and the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. CaFE puts this into a Catholic context and encourages us to explore our Catholic teachings." Liz Howe, St Joseph's Church, Gerrards Cross

For further information about CaFE resources please contact:  

Catholic Faith Exploration  • E-mail: info@faithcafe.org • Telephone: 0845 050 9428 or +44 207 717 9133 • Mailing address: CaFE PO Box 333, St Albans, Herts AL2 1EL UK • www.faithcafe.org

Christlife

Christlife follows a similar format to CaFE, but is specifically designed for use in the USA. Sessions include:

  • Touching Jesus through the Church – includes teaching on why we need the Church, an explanation of the Mass, and Mary and the Saints.
  • Catholics Listening to God – focuses on scripture, tradition and the teaching of the Church.
  • Sharing Christ – equips Catholics with the practical skills to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.  

For further information about these and other resources please contact:

Christlife: Catholic Mission for Evangelization • E-mail: info@christlife.org • Telephone: +1 888 498 8474 or +1 40 531 7710 • Fax: +1 410 531 7702 • Mailing address: 12290A Folly Quarter Road, Ellicott City, MD  21042, USA • www.christlife.org

Also available from both Christlife and CaFE are two series by Father Raniero Cantalamessa, Preacher to the Papal Household:

  • Life in Christ
  • Drink from the Wells of the Church  

 

RCIA

People who have had no prior experience of the Catholic Church and are interested in finding out more are encouraged to consider joining the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) process at their local parish. The process is designed to help people learn more about Christ and the life of discipleship in the Catholic Church, leading people through various levels of commitment, culminating in the celebration of the sacraments of Initiation, Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist.