Run a Course

We spend an average of forty hours a week with our colleagues, but you can only talk about the weather and your plans for the weekend for so long. Why not discuss things that really matter?

Alpha is a practical introduction to the Christian faith. It is sociable and informative; everyone is guaranteed to have an opportunity to share their opinions and questions about Christianity in a relaxed and non-threatening atmosphere. 

Alpha in the Workplace has been designed to fit into any busy schedule, while retaining the qualities that make Alpha so special. Many people would not be prepared to attend an Alpha course in a church but would welcome the opportunity to discuss the big questions of life over a coffee in the canteen, in an office meeting room or at breakfast with a group of their colleagues. Running an Alpha course in your workplace or at a local offsite venue provides an unparalleled opportunity to engage in meaningful conversation, providing your co-workers with an opportunity to better understand the Christian faith. 

The content of an Alpha in the Workplace course is exactly the same as the Alpha course. However, because of the unique workplace environment, it is necessary to tailor the course accordingly. The course is comprised of a series of thought-provoking talks, with the option to have a day or weekend away halfway through, either with your workplace group or joining up with a local church. There are many ways to run an Alpha course at work; we provide the materials but how you use them is up to you! 

How is Alpha in the Workplace different?

  • Time constraints: the weekly meeting is shorter than the Alpha course, usually occupying a one-hour session
  • Condensed talks: talks run for a maximum of twenty to twenty-five minutes, either using live speakers, downloadable talks or the DVDs
  • Resources: if sufficient funding exists, some courses provide the book Questions of Life for each guest
  • Worship: worship is usually not introduced until the Alpha weekend or day away
  • Social interaction: there is less time to get to know the guests, so the team may need to make a special effort to build relationships, eg, arranging drinks after work or catching up over coffee
  • Follow-up: the team need to be proactive about integrating guests into the local church and providing additional follow-up courses in the workplace environment, such as:

Course talks

Alpha in the Workplace has three different options for presenting the Alpha talks, depending on your audience.

Live talks with Alpha talk transcripts

Scripts are available if you wish to use a live speaker. We recommend tailoring the script by using your own life experiences whenever possible. Guest notes are also available for each of these talks.

Alpha in the Workplace talks

These talks are presented by Jamie Haith and consist of seven sessions, including talks suitable for a day away. The sessions are each approximately 30 minutes in length and free to download or view online. 

View the talks

Alpha Express

This DVD resource is presented by Nicky Gumbel and consists of 10 shortened sessions edited from Alpha. Alpha Express can be purchased online from the Alpha Shop.

Course materials

Before running Alpha in the Workplace we suggest you read the Leaders' Guide, which will help you to plan your team more effectively and think about any issues you may encounter in advance. After selecting your team, the Alpha Course Team Manual gives helpful advice and questions for the group section of each session.

The Alpha Course Team Manual is also available in the UK as both an Apple and Android app through the App Store – simply search Alpha UK and install on your device.

If you are using the new Alpha in the Workplace talks, there is no hard-copy version of the guest manual. Instead, each weekly talk is available online with downloadable guest notes. If you are running your course with the Alpha Express DVDs, purchase the Alpha Course Manual from the Alpha Shop.

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