What comes after Alpha? Beta

What comes after Alpha? Beta

Church Planting

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve explored some of the ways the Alpha Course intersects with Church Planting. There are more parallels than one might initially expect, especially in the relational ways people come to faith. The Alpha philosophy fits well with...
How people come to faith

How people come to faith

Church Planting

In last week’s blog entry, I wrote about how the Alpha process parallels church planting. In today’s entry, I’m thinking about how the end goals of Alpha and church planting fit together as well. Really, the cornerstone of church planting and of Alpha are the same:...
Alpha and church planting

Alpha and church planting

Church Planting

I was recently talking with someone about the intersection of Alpha and church planting. He works with Alpha—the well-known and effective evangelism tool. I have been working in the field of church planting in one way or another for over 40 years. It was interesting...

Bridging to discipleship

Discipleship, Missional

As ministry leaders, we’re all aware of the importance of disciplemaking. We engage culture, and as people come to Christ we get them connected into faith communities. But as I coach a lot of ministry leaders who are seeking to be incarnational and missional, one of...

Alpha as a church planting tool?

Church Planting, New Church Planting

Alpha– although not originally designed as an approach to church planting– is particularly well suited to that role. (If you’re not familiar with Alpha, you can find out more here.) It’s a relational, postmodern process geared toward people who don’t...

What comes after Alpha?

Leadership

]Alpha is a great example of my metaphor of the path. (You can read a description of that metaphor here if you’re not familiar with it.) Alpha focuses on finding seekers in the parking lot who want to explore spiritual things. The participants have dinner together...