Alpha course
The Alpha Course ( Alpha Live in Switzerland ) is a course on the fundamentals of the Christian faith. Originally it was developed in the 1970s at Holy Trinity Brompton Church, an Anglican church in London.
Structure
The Alpha course consists of a series of 10 nights and often a weekend. The evenings begin with a dinner, followed by a lecture. After the lecture, small groups offer the opportunity to discuss the topic of the lecture. The lecture topics cover while the basic themes of the Christian faith from:
- Who is Jesus?
- Why Jesus Died?
- What can I enter in the faith certainty?
- How do you read the Bible?
- Why and how do I pray?
- As God leads us?
- Who is the Holy Spirit?
- How can I resist evil?
- Why talk about it with others?
- Does God Heal even today?
- How important is the Church?
Alpha courses are offered free for the visitors and addressed to various groups of people:
- People with no or little prior knowledge about the Christian faith, who are interested in this or would like to inform you without obligation.
- Persons who have become only recently Christians and want to deal with the core tenets of Christian faith in a structured form.
- Community members who want to refresh their basic knowledge.
The lectures were published as a book by Nicky Gumbel (see literature). They are available as video films available, but we recommend the lecture by a local speakers. This often submits its own texts on the topic frame. The national associations offer organizers also offers training courses for organization and group management.
History
The Alpha course has its origin in the Holy Trinity Brompton Church, an Anglican church in London. Back in 1977, Charles Marnham, a pastor of the church, the Alpha course as a way for new Christians to deal with the basics of the Christian faith. In 1990, Nicky Gumbel the management of the Alpha Course. Under his leadership, the Alpha course concept spread beyond the borders of Holy Trinity Brompton Church also. In 1996, the concept was brought by the clergy in the Evangelical Church Renewal ( GGE ) to Germany.
Currently, more than 30,000 Alpha courses in 152 countries by local multiple confessions are offered. There are separate versions of the Alpha course for specific demographic groups, such as youth alpha - alpha for teens Alpha for students, Alpha Alpha in prison or in the workplace. It is estimated that to date more than 7 million people have attended an Alpha Course worldwide.
The Alpha course is supported by many church leaders, including the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury or by Wolfgang Huber, former President of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany. And the various evangelical free churches of the Alpha Course is widespread. Thus, the Alpha Course is a term used in many different Christian denominations of Faith course. In Germany, the Alpha course is offered in more than 1,200 communities (as of October 2006).
In Switzerland, the name Alpha Live was chosen because Alpha Course is occupied as a brand name of a company.
Criticism
The Alpha Course is criticized from different sides:
Strictly pietistic circles are offended by the treatment of the Holy Spirit, which also includes the gifts of the Spirit, and gradually the Alpha course therefore as (too) charismatic one.
The Reformed Church of the Canton of Zurich, who is the Alpha course clearly evangelical, has its own faith course, Glauben12 issued a nationwide church Reformed Introduction to the Christian faith. From this page the exchange rate voraufklärerisches thinking and dualistic worldview is accused.