...works very well in practice can be made to work in theory!" feel a little bit like that when we come to talk about a theology for Alpha but nevertheless it is still worth it.

Alpha is quite simply an introduction to the Christian faith that takes place in 15 sessions over 10 weeks. We advertise Alpha as an opportunity to explore the meaning of life, and it is designed primarily for those who would not say that they are Christian and who do not go to any church. As an opportunity to discover what becoming a Christian might involve, Alpha has proved to be extremely popular, partly through the hard work that Nicky Gumbel has put into the course in developing it and adapting it to the needs of enquirers as their questions develop and change over the years but partly because--and I say this reverently--the Holy Spirit seems to have adopted the course so that it is now running in so many totally different cultures and with a huge variety of cultural differences amongst the enquirers all over the world. In 1992, there were five Alpha courses of which we were aware. There are now something over 30,000 that we are aware of and we believe that something approaching seven million people worldwide have now completed the course in 154 different countries, and the materials have been translated into 61 languages. In the UK alone, 1.8 million people have done Alpha and there is an effective Alpha course running in 80% of the prisons. There are already national advertising initiatives in the UK, New Zealand, Canada and Australia, and others, including the United States, are planning to advertise in the near future.

Alpha works on a number of principles. For example, we believe that experience shows that in the current climate evangelism takes place best in a local church setting. We recognize, too, that evangelism or evangelization is a process. In the United Kingdom, for example, where there is today very little background of Sunday School attendance let alone adult Christian education, it is less likely now than it was in years past that someone will decide to become a Christian on the basis of a 25-minute sermon. We recognize, too, that evangelism has to appeal to the whole person, and Alpha recognizes the need to attempt to reach both the head and the heart, the soul and the conscience, where the Spirit of God can be active in drawing someone to faith in Jesus Christ. We want to assert, too, that evangelism needs to show a Christian concern not just for the soul and salvation in this world and the next, but a genuine...

NOTE: All illustrations and photos have been removed from this article.



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