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ALPHA TEAM TRAINING #1 ALPHA ESSENTIALS TEAM TRAINING

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Alpha Team Training #RunAlpha ALPHA TEAM TRAINING ALPHA TEAM TRAINING #1 ESSENTIALS This outline follows the 3 Alpha Team Training videos hosted by Shaila Visser, Jason Ballard and Ben Woodman. THE IDEA At its heart, Alpha is an _________________. Imagine creating a space where people in your community, your friends, neighbours, and co-workers can come and have conversations about ___________, ___________ and ___________, in a way that is authentic and safe. THE STORY a. Alphas run from 10 to 12 weeks. b. Guests gather every week to have a meal together, listen to a talk on the Christian faith, and discuss it in small groups. c. The Alpha Weekend takes place at the halfway mark and covers a __________________ of the content. THE BASICS: FOOD, TALK, DISCUSSION FOOD Food is the ultimate icebreaker and one of the best ways for us to show ________________________. It’s the most natural place to build friendships and to create a space that is welcoming to everyone. TALK Each talk explores a different question about the Christian faith. This will either be presented by the Alpha videos or a live speaker. DISCUSSION The focus is on creating space for the guests to share their thoughts and ideas freely. It’s a time where we do a lot of ____________________, so guests can talk about what they just heard. TWO BONUS ELEMENTS Worship Music & Prayer FOUR VALUES (1 Corinthians 2:1-5) a. ________________: Be yourself! It’s okay if you don’t know what to say or how to answer a question. Sometimes the best thing to say is “I don’t know. What does everyone else think?” Be real about the ups and downs in our lives. b. ________________: Alpha is a place to find friendship, love, and community. The Gospel is all about relationships. (1 Thessalonians 2:8) c. ________________: on the Holy Spirit: Our job is to give people a place to share honestly and openly, and we trust that the Holy Spirit is at work in people’s lives. We trust that God will work in their lives in His own way and in His timing. (1 Corinthians 2:4-5) d. ________________: This is all about empowering others. When you experience the love of God, the natural response is to tell others. Alpha is a way that ordinary people like you and me can share our faith. Everyone can be involved with Alpha - as a host, helper, greeting guests, preparing food etc. There’s a place for everyone! PAUSE #1: Your Alpha details Discuss the who, what, where, when. PAUSE #2: Which value stands out the most to you? Why? How will you build your Alpha and small groups on these values?
Transcript
Page 1: ALPHA TEAM TRAINING #1 ALPHA ESSENTIALS TEAM TRAINING

Alpha Team Training #RunAlpha

ALPHA TEAM TRAINING

ALPHA TEAM TRAINING #1ESSENTIALS

This outline follows the 3 Alpha Team Training videos hosted by Shaila Visser, Jason Ballard and Ben Woodman.

THE IDEA At its heart, Alpha is an _________________. Imagine creating a space where people in your community, your friends, neighbours, and co-workers can come and have conversations about ___________, ___________ and ___________, in a way that is authentic and safe.

THE STORY a. Alphas run from 10 to 12 weeks. b. Guests gather every week to have a meal together, listen to a talk on the Christian faith, and discuss it in small groups. c. The Alpha Weekend takes place at the halfway mark and covers a __________________ of the content.

THE BASICS: FOOD, TALK, DISCUSSION FOOD Food is the ultimate icebreaker and one of the best ways for us to show ________________________. It’s the most natural place to build friendships and to create a space that is welcoming to everyone. TALK Each talk explores a different question about the Christian faith. This will either be presented by the Alpha videos or a live speaker. DISCUSSION The focus is on creating space for the guests to share their thoughts and ideas freely. It’s a time where we do a lot of ____________________, so guests can talk about what they just heard.

TWO BONUS ELEMENTS Worship Music & Prayer

FOUR VALUES (1 Corinthians 2:1-5) a. ________________: Be yourself! It’s okay if you don’t know what to say or how to answer a question. Sometimes the best thing to say is “I don’t know. What does everyone else think?” Be real about the ups and downs in our lives. b. ________________: Alpha is a place to find friendship, love, and community. The Gospel is all about relationships. (1 Thessalonians 2:8) c. ________________: on the Holy Spirit: Our job is to give people a place to share honestly and openly, and we trust that the Holy Spirit is at work in people’s lives. We trust that God will work in their lives in His own way and in His timing. (1 Corinthians 2:4-5) d. ________________: This is all about empowering others. When you experience the love of God, the natural response is to tell others. Alpha is a way that ordinary people like you and me can share our faith. Everyone can be involved with Alpha - as a host, helper, greeting guests, preparing food etc. There’s a place for everyone!

PAUSE #1: Your Alpha details Discuss the who, what, where, when.

PAUSE #2: Which value stands out the most to you? Why? How will you build your Alpha

and small groups on these values?

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ALPHA TEAM TRAINING

ALPHA TEAM TRAINING #2SMALL GROUPS

This outline follows the 3 Alpha Team Training videos hosted by Shaila Visser, Jason Ballard and Ben Woodman.

PURPOSE Alpha is a _____________________, not a monologue. It’s so much more than just showing a video. The Alpha talks share key aspects of the Christian faith, and in the small groups, guests have a chance to share about what they believe and have a conversation about it together.

SMALL GROUP DETAILS • The ideal size for a small group on Alpha is between _____ - _____ people with 2 hosts and 2 helpers. • Each week, small groups eat together and should sit near each other during the talk. • After the talk, it’s time for the discussion, unless you’re using the Alpha Youth Series (discussion throughout the video and after the video). HOST: Spark conversation / Facilitate discussion / Serve the group / Pray HELPER: Welcome guests / Support the Host / Often quiet during discussion / Serve / Pray

THREE GOALS OF HOSTS AND HELPERS a. ______________________:

• Welcome guests; introduce people to each other, and make sure they feel at home.

• Make sure that people get their food. If they have any allergies, talk to the cooks for them. • End on time, respect their schedules. • People come to Alpha for lots of different reasons but keep coming back because of the friendships. b. ______________________:

• The teaching is in the Alpha talk and the small group is a space for guests to share their opinions, where they should feel free to agree or disagree, and explore the Christian faith at their own pace. Resist the temptation to do another talk even if it’s just a short monologue. • The best hosts and helpers are not necessarily great speakers, but they’re always great listeners. • Our job as hosts and helpers is to as authentically and simply as possible facilitate a conversation.

6 TIPS FOR GREAT DISCUSSION

1. Ask open-ended questions. 2. Be encouraging. 3. Be yourself. 4. Don’t answer all the questions. 5. Don’t be afraid of silence. 6. Redirect or rephrase the questions.

PAUSE #1: What is the role of Hosts & Helpers? What can hosts and helpers do to make people’s

Alpha experience as meaningful as possible?

PAUSE #2: What can hosts & helpers do to facilitate open, honest and respectful

conversation?

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ALPHA TEAM TRAINING #2SMALL GROUPS CONT’D

This outline follows the 3 Alpha Team Training videos hosted by Shaila Visser, Jason Ballard and Ben Woodman.

FIRST SMALL GROUP Welcome, introduce yourself, and explain the purpose: open, honest conversation ICEBREAKERS: • Name Game • How & why did you end up coming to Alpha? • If it turned out that God existed, and you could ask one question, what would it be?

ONE LAST THING: Small group hosts and helpers invite people! Take a moment right now to think about who you could invite. Don’t feel like you have to make people come, but rather you can invite them and then leave the results to God.

PAUSE #3: Small Group Scenario

c. ______________________:

• We encourage you to not say a prayer at the beginning of each Alpha session or before the meal. • After the talk on prayer, give guests an opportunity to share prayer requests and/or to pray. - Introduce prayer - Ask for prayer requests - Model short & simple prayers - Leave space - Close It’s God who changes lives! We get to _______________, _______________ and be a _______________. God loves to work through ordinary people who feel nervous and unqualified but are willing to show up and help.

FAMILY FRIENDS

COLLEAGUES / NEIGHBOURS

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ALPHA TEAM TRAINING #3PRAYER MINISTRY

This outline follows the 3 Alpha Team Training videos hosted by Shaila Visser, Jason Ballard and Ben Woodman.

PRAYER MINISTRY • The word “ministry” simply means ______________. • “Prayer ministry is meeting the needs of others with God’s resources, not our own.” (John Wimber) • Acts 3:6 - Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have, I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!

THE ALPHA WEEKEND • Gives people the time to relax, make some memories with friends, and to think, pray, and receive prayer. • Will look different depending on the context that you’re in. • In some cases, groups will only do an Alpha Day instead of the Alpha Weekend. • Alpha talks*: Who is the Holy Spirit? What does the Holy Spirit do? How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit? How can I make the most of the rest of my life? *These are different for the Alpha Youth Series

SPIRITUAL GIFTS • 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 is the Bible passage that talks about spiritual gifts and is referred to in the talk.

• Most common areas of discussion are around the gift of prophecy and the gift of tongues. • 2 extremes to avoid: 1. To be overly ________________ and avoid them altogether. But St. Paul writes in the letter to the Corinthians, that we should eagerly desire the gifts of the Spirit. 2. The other extreme is to _________________, which Paul says in the same chapter, can lead to disorder and confusion. • Our desire for guests on Alpha is not about one specific spiritual gift over another. Our hope is that they would experience God’s love, joy, and peace in a personal way. We pray that by His Spirit, God would confirm in their hearts that they are His children.

THREE VALUES OF PRAYER MINISTRY 1. ______________________:

• Do everything we can to make them feel as comfortable as possible. • Ask if they want to be prayed for, and don’t just assume that they do. • If they say no, just simply say, “Okay.” We don’t want anyone to feel pressured. • You could ask where they’re at on their journey of faith, or if they made a decision to follow Jesus. • If they feel ready and would like to, you could lead them in a simple prayer (Sorry, Thank You, Please). • Ask before you put your hand on their shoulder. • Men can pray with men and women with women so people feel more at ease.

PAUSE #1: Your Alpha Weekend Details Discuss the who, what, where and when.

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ALPHA TEAM TRAINING #3PRAYER MINISTRY CONT’D

This outline follows the 3 Alpha Team Training videos hosted by Shaila Visser, Jason Ballard and Ben Woodman.

• Sit close to your small group during the sessions on the weekend so transition to prayer is quick. • Keep a breath mint handy before you pray. • Keep information confidential (exceptions: If someone shares suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming others or themselves, or if someone tells you that they were victims of abuse, then you need to pass it on to the appropriate leader. This is particularly important when you’re working with youth.) 2. ______________________:

• Pray for love, peace, power, hope and fruit of the Spirit. • Start by asking God to fill them with His Holy Spirit, then simply wait a few moments in silence. • If you get an idea, picture or phrase for someone, it should always agree with what the Bible teaches. • Share a passage of Scripture about God’s promises (eg. mercy, love). • Take time to pray, don’t rush, and wait on God. 3. ______________________:

• We’re just like waiters serving others by bringing their requests to God. • We can have faith that God is willing and wants to impact people’s lives. • When you are praying, don’t base success on whether or not you see a response. • Each prayer time is an opportunity for us to trust God. It’s an expression of humility.

PAUSE #2: Take a few minutes to pray for each other.

HEALING • After the talk about healing, take time to pray with each other. • Spend time in prayer with your team as usual but take extra time listening to God. • Invite God to speak to your team; share thoughts with each other and have someone write them down. • Don’t hold back sharing the words they sense God is speaking, or the pictures that come to mind. • Following the video talk, share those things with the guests and invite them to come for prayer. • The greatest miracle is the miracle of salvation and there will be a day when every tear will be wiped away, and every disease and sickness will be healed. • But in this time, we can experience the healing power of Jesus. • For some people on Alpha, this will be the time that they decide to intentionally follow Jesus. • God often uses healing to demonstrate His love, and His power. • Often when people are not healed, they still leave feeling very loved, and cared for.

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