Alpha | RCIA | Sunday School | LWC | Parents Team

Putting a New Spark in Our Faith

From early on, Alpha has been run in Catholic parishes. ‘Alpha for Catholics’ involves the situating of the standard Alpha course within a Catholic parish or organisation.

Alpha is a very effective initial presentation of the core of the Gospel, ‘the Kerygma’, and involves very practical and down-to-earth discussions about the faith. It is wholly compatible with Catholic teaching, but it does not address specific Catholic teachings and ecclesiology. It does not seek to be a substitute for catechetical programs. Rather, it works best as part of an overall parish program of evangelisation or catechesis.
The Alpha course works best as part of an ongoing process of catechesis within a church. There is a range of different follow-up materials and courses available to help people to grow in their faith.

Benefits for the Parish

• Alpha helps to reach the un-churched and the lapsed
• Alpha feeds adult formation programs such as RCIA
• Alpha often encourages people to become more involved in the life of the parish
• Alpha provides a witness to Christian unity
• Alpha builds community – friendships grow
• Alpha encourages parishioners to look outward: “The person who has been evangelized goes on to evangelise others” (Pope Paul VII, Evangelii Nuntiandi)
  

How it Works

The course is normally run over a period of 10 weeks with a weekend or day away halfway through. At the end of the course a party is held to celebrate the completion of the course - which also gives guests a great opportunity to show their friends and family what Alpha is all about.

The courses at the Assumption are held during the evening to accommodate the office-going crowd. Normally, fellowship accompanies a talk on a subject central to the Christian faith.

After the talk, guests are divided into pre-aranged groups of ten to twelve people (in which they remain for the duration of the course) to discuss the talk in an environment where each person should feel free to ask or express whatever they wish. Each group has a leader and two helpers from the host church. Halfway or towards the end of the course, when the important subject of the Holy Spirit is addressed, a full-day or weekend retreat is organized for the participants. This is normally the time when friendships really grow in the groups.

The underlying theme of the talks is that Christianity is not a set of rules or dogmas, but a personal relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit. This relationship, lived out in the parish community, is life changing.
(Source: Adapted from http//:www.alpha.org)

Who’s Conducting the Course?

The courses are run by a team of facilitators made up of dedicated, prayerful people who have a real desire to evangelise while being welcoming and sensitive to the needs of others.
The Alpha team undergoes training to lead discussions, pastoral care, and prayer ministry.

The Alpha course at the Assumption Church PJ is led and supported by parish priest who offers spiritual direction to the Alpha Team and welcomes newcomers, although does not need to attend the course nights all the time. However the course is distinctive in that it mobilises the lay people of the parish to spread the Gospel.

When Do We Meet?

The course runs at least twice a year and the days of the sessions tend to vary, too. Parishioners will be notified as to when the new course will begin again. So keep an eye out for updates in the Church bulletin or announcements during Mass.
 
Alpha Meetings:
7:30pm, Assumption Hall
Sessions are weekly