# Alpha Course Question: Ditch it?



## Classical Presbyterian (Jan 27, 2009)

My congregation bought and used the Alpha Course for a few years before I arrived this August as pastor. It was used for all new member classes and even for some officer training, I think.

I have not even watched the videos and I know only the basics of what it is. My question is whether or not I should keep it in the drawer or if any here have used it to any benefit in our congregations.

If not, is there something better, at least for introducing new people to the basics of our faith? Most of the time, I just pass out the Shorter Catechism in Modern English published by P&R, but there is no video component! 

Should I ditch Alpha or use it?


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## Marrow Man (Jan 27, 2009)

Toby, try Christianity Explored. It's Reformed, and the ARP actually endorses it. It's recommended by Sinclair Ferguson!


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## he beholds (Jan 27, 2009)

What is the alpha course? I see signs in the yards of neighbors and in the yard of a big Baptist church in town. Could that mean this Baptist church is Reformed??


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## Jimmy the Greek (Jan 27, 2009)

Alpha Course was discussed in earlier thread here:
http://www.puritanboard.com/f15/what-alpha-course-35284/

Basically, it was developed by _charismatic_ Anglican Nicky Gumbel and smacks of Arminianism in it's soteriological understanding.


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## JonathanHunt (Jan 27, 2009)

Marrow Man said:


> Toby, try Christianity Explored. It's Reformed, and the ARP actually endorses it. It's recommended by Sinclair Ferguson!



Precisely what I was going to say. Alpha is charismatic and not sufficiently centered upon Christ.

This is a good critique of Alpha:

Books - Modern Issues - Alpha - Falling Short - Day One - Christian Book Publications

-----Added 1/27/2009 at 01:00:50 EST-----



he beholds said:


> What is the alpha course? I see signs in the yards of neighbors and in the yard of a big Baptist church in town. Could that mean this Baptist church is Reformed??



Roman Catholic churches have been known to use it. Alpha is not an indication of ANYTHING other than that a church has a desire to win new 'converts'. Converts to what is another question entirely.


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## Marrow Man (Jan 27, 2009)

I believe that Alpha's charismatic element led to the creation of a course called Christianity Explained. But that wasn't Reformed (I don't think), which led a tweaking of it, and the result was Christianity Explored. The folks who produce it don't promote it as a "program" (they disdain that sort of title); instead, it is basically just a study through the book of Mark. You can do it with or without the videos. They want you to be trained first, but they come to the States all the time doing one day seminars for the training.

I applaud any church that wants to reach out to the community with the gospel. But hopefully they aren't just trying to get people in the door, but genuinely reach them for Christ. If that is the case with Toby's church, he is a blessed pastor. However, as Jonathan warns us, we must be very careful that we are reaching them with the gospel. As James White is fond of saying, "What you win them with is what you win them to."


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## Classical Presbyterian (Jan 27, 2009)

OK! I've read the thread recommended and I think it goes to the drawer to stay. I'll give Christianity Explored a try!


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## Marrow Man (Jan 27, 2009)

It looks like they'll be having training sessions in Mechanicsburg, PA and Springfield, MA in late Feb and early March of this year.


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## yeutter (Jan 27, 2009)

*weak on the atonement*

The Alpha Course is pentacostal and weak on the atonement.
another previous thread can be found at:
http://www.puritanboard.com/f19/alpha-course-14713/


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## jonmo (Jan 27, 2009)

I have done both Alpha and Christianity Explored as a "user" over the years and would unreservedly back CE. I have just started to attend an evangelical Anglican church in London (All Souls' Langham Place) and one of the ministers (Rico Tice) is involved in writing and presenting the CE course and he is sound.


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## Tim (Jan 28, 2009)

Alpha: nay.
Catechisms: yay.


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## Rich Koster (Jan 28, 2009)

If you listen to the parts where Nicky Gumbel talks about being filled with the spirit from a visiting preacher and the laughter experiences when people are "filled", you may want to ditch it permanently. These are later elements, not in the first few week sessions. I went through Alpha and consider it safe for the first few sessions, then it goes into questionable stuff big time.


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## FenderPriest (Jan 28, 2009)

We use it, but our pastors do the teaching, not the videos. So we've modified the teaching in it.


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## Tim (Jan 29, 2009)

Isn't the "rule" (set by the Alpha people) that you are supposed to present the course in its entirety, without modification? I think that is the problem: they _insist_ you include all of their material. At least, that is what I heard.


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## FenderPriest (Jan 29, 2009)

Tim said:


> Isn't the "rule" (set by the Alpha people) that you are supposed to present the course in its entirety, without modification? I think that is the problem: they _insist_ you include all of their material. At least, that is what I heard.



I'm honestly not sure. I do know that we've almost always done it "our way" _and_ hosted Alpha conferences in our building! Not sure if that answers your question, but that's what we've done...


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## Tim (Jan 29, 2009)

Well, it's just something I heard. I didn't know for sure. But frankly, I am glad if you changed it to be more Biblical.


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## kvanlaan (Jan 29, 2009)

My sister-in-law went through it, and from what I have heard, it sounds a lot like Seeker-Sensitive-in-a-Box.


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## Kevin (Jan 30, 2009)

jonmo said:


> I have done both Alpha and Christianity Explored as a "user" over the years and would unreservedly back CE. I have just started to attend an evangelical Anglican church in London (All Souls' Langham Place) and one of the ministers (Rico Tice) is involved in writing and presenting the CE course and he is sound.



Jon, we have a friend here, that just moved from London & he was a member at All Souls' Langham Place. Small world.

He told me that the motivating force behind developing CE was the weaknesses of Alpha as discussed here.


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## FenderPriest (Jan 30, 2009)

Tim said:


> Well, it's just something I heard. I didn't know for sure. But frankly, I am glad if you changed it to be more Biblical.



It's worked very well for us. I believe the pastors said we had something like 400 people go through it last year, and I guess 100-200 or so (I'm guessing here) became members. It's been an effective way of sharing the Gospel with people in a "non-threatening" way. God's used it to save people and add to our local church.


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