Alpha as a Church Planting Tool Revd Nicky Gumbel Vicar of HTB and Pioneer of Alpha

“Church planting is essential to church growth. This is something we at HTB learned from John Wimber and others in the 1980s and we can now speak from experience after planting around 30 churches in London and, in recent years, in some major cities around England.

The first thing our Church Planters have done on setting up in their new location has been to launch Alpha to enable people outside the church to hear about Jesus and join the community. I am so glad this booklet has been written to help every Church Planter to see how Alpha might have a place in their vision.”

Alpha as a Church Planting Tool 01 Alpha as a Church Planting Tool

Every church has a story. There is no surprise that Alpha is Church Planters are sometimes a great tool for church planters. young and often new to leadership. Every church planter is looking Starting a new church can be Whether your church has been for simple and effective ways a daunting and complicated meeting for a few hundred years for their team to connect the process. Alpha offers a tried and or just a few days, there is a story message of Jesus with the local tested place to start — an immediate of why and how that particular community. way to connect with people as local family of Christian people plans and strategy are being Alpha and church planting sit came into existence. That story formulated. well together because they share will include prayer, mission, the same values of mission, Alpha helps the Church Planter, Christian community and it might hospitality, raising leaders, building and their team, to begin with the include Alpha. community and loving the local most important thing: mission. Your church probably began church. By running Alpha, and sitting in with just a few people and a a small group with guests, you’ll Alpha is a flexible tool that makes vision to grow and connect quickly discover the thoughts of it easy for any church to offer with the local community. Great local people and the needs of people a way to explore the cathedrals, small house churches the community. basics of the Christian faith. and the gospel hall on the street We hope this short guide will corner all started because Christian If you are looking for an easy encourage you with some ideas people reached out in mission and effective way to do mission for how Alpha can be your to their friends and the local – and all Church Planters are – church planting tool. community. Alpha is a great place to start.

Alpha as a Church Planting Tool 02 What is Alpha? Alpha is an Idea

What if there was a space where people could come to talk about the questions they carry? “Alpha combines attractional and missional to A place to discuss issues of life, faith and God in a welcoming become a nuclear engine for church planting. environment. We believe that Alpha’s simple model of a meal, conversation everyone should have the chance to explore the Christian and unique teaching style is the discipleship faith, ask questions and share activator for so many of the church planting their point of view; wherever they are in the world. stories I know. Alpha can release a region in mission through an unprecedented trust factor Alpha is a Story given by nearly every global denomination.” Alpha began in 1977 at , an Anglican Revd Graham Singh Church in London, as a course Executive Director for people new to the Christian faith. In 1990, Nicky Gumbel took Church Planting Canada on Alpha and shifted the focus towards people who are not part of any church. Since then churches across the globe have used Alpha in churches, schools, universities, prisons, cafes, pubs, restaurants and homes to invite their friends to explore life, faith and God together.

Alpha is a Tool

Alpha is a flexible tool that makes it easy for anyone to explore the basics of the Christian faith. It has a structure that is tried and tested to create spaces for conversation, teaching and community which are welcoming, relaxed and low pressure for those not normally in church. It is made up of 15 sessions usually covered over 10 or 11 weeks including a weekend or day away. The sessions include social time centred around food,a short talk introducing an aspect of the Christian faith and a time of open discussion and questions together.

Alpha is a series of interactive sessions designed to help people explore the basics of the Christian faith.

No pressure. No follow up. Alpha as a Church Planting Tool No charge. 03 Why is Alpha Good for Church Planters?

Both in the UK and globally, church planting is a major way people come to faith, particularly those otherwise furthest from the church.

Planting a church is both an incredibly exciting adventure and a uniquely challenging undertaking. Church Planters are in the business of creating a space for community and mission but often face the challenges of limited resources, squeezed schedules, small teams and often struggles with limited or non existent buildings.

Alpha provides both the structure and the flexibility to be a great solution to many of these challenges.

Alpha Creates Time

Alpha is really easy to run. It can be run anywhere, all it takes is good food, a talk and hosting a discussion. The weekend or day away requires a little bit more effort but is flexible enough to be easy to put on Alpha Creates without a big cost or too much New Believers and delving into what it means organisation. Whilst Alpha can to live out the Christian faith. be run for hundreds of people The hope of most Church Planters in one venue, it works equally is to introduce new people to well when run on a small scale faith in Jesus and then disciple Alpha Creates Leaders in a home or coffee shop; many them. Alpha is a great way to churches run concurrent small introduce people to the Christian Church Planters are looking Alphas to reduce the complexity faith in a way that naturally leads for effective ways to train leaders. of administration. into whatever discipleship structure a church is using. Alpha has been By running Alpha several times Church Planters tend to be short incredibly effective in helping a year, perhaps once a term, on time, so having a flexible tool people get to the point of either you create a really simple that allows you to do mission out becoming a believer or wanting pipeline for training leaders. of the box makes all the difference. to keep finding out more and First someone comes as a guest Alpha can be run using live talks, come along to church. and comes to faith, then they but we also have several options come back and help in another of videos including the Alpha Many churches have a small Alpha group where they get to Film Series, a documentary style groups system and Alpha leads observe good leadership and video series that makes it even perfectly into gathering groups of gain some understanding of easier to run Alpha anywhere. believers to continue discussing what it is like leading a group.

Alpha as a Church Planting Tool 04 Then, once you feel they are Alpha is Repeatable, ready, they can host a group. Multipliable, Adaptable “I run a small Connect Eventually they may well find that they have an opportunity to Group at my church Alpha can be run again and again run Alpha for a particular group both as a tool for evangelisation entirely made up of they are involved in. One leader and as a pipeline for new leaders, recently told us: people who have done which then gives a huge

opportunity for sustainable Alpha in the last couple “There’s a girl who was in our church growth. Alpha group last term, she has of years. Some came joined our Connect Group It may be that you start by running to faith on Alpha, some and she is helping on Alpha Alpha in your home. Then once this term. She is already talking shortly after, a couple you’ve got a few more leaders about how she could find a way you might expand to run Alpha still aren’t sure! We now to run Alpha at work—she sees in a few homes and then send some that her friends are facing lots have a community of leaders to run Alpha in various of difficult life questions and she locations in schools, universities, people we are discipling wants to find a way to share her workplaces, and cafes. new faith with them.” who have come The idea is that Alpha works through Alpha. It just Alpha provides a natural pipeline really well in a whole variety for creating new leaders in the leads so naturally into of contexts and so whatever church. your particular mission field being part of a community looks like, you can adapt it to that share life together.” work for the people you want to reach. Joseph, London

Alpha as a Church Planting Tool 05 Story: Chris Sayburn

I didn’t ever think I’d ever we use the same principles, Sometimes people say, be a Christian let alone the same strength of “I can’t be a leader on Alpha a vicar! As I was coming welcome and well-trained because I don’t have all to the end of my small group hosts. the answers.” If you have training, we were asked the humility to listen and to be part of a new church learn from others, you are plant at St Philip’s Salford exactly who I want as a in Greater Manchester. leader on my team. There were big challenges Alpha has helped us to think in leaving our home and differently about how we uprooting the family, but do mission. we were sure that God was calling us there. The beauty of Alpha is that it can be run with three people As a church planting team on a sofa in someone’s we had loads of ideas living room — it’s not limited of things we could do. to a big venue. Alpha We wanted to do a few spearheads our culture things well. We decided of invitation and essentially to focus on Sundays and we want one of two things Alpha. from people; if you don’t In my last church, Alpha The new Alpha Film Series know Jesus, come to Alpha; had proved to be a resource has been quite if you do know Jesus, who massively valuable resource. incredible, especially for are you bringing to Alpha It’s contextual, easy to use the early days of our plant. and where are you serving? and it shares who Jesus is To know that all the The idea of building in such an accessible way. resources are online, are community, eating together, When people hear the gospel of immense quality and listening together and through coming on Alpha are free is such a relief! discussing together will they can’t fail to be changed Previously, I would spend remain the same and that by it. lots of time preparing a is why Alpha is at the core The experience of running live talk, but the Alpha Film of our church plant. Alpha at St Philip’s as a new Series has allowed me to church plant is hugely put my focus into giving different from how I have people a brilliant welcome run Alpha before. This is and building and training Alpha on a shoestring! my new team. Our entertainment might I passionately believe that just be someone playing Alpha is undersold as a In September 2016, Revd a piano at the front of the tool for raising up leaders. Chris Sayburn was sent from room. When the guests Starting a new church St George’s Leeds to be the walk in, there might not be plant has allowed us to at St Philip’s Salford a three course meal but take risks on a new team. in Greater Manchester.

Alpha as a Church Planting Tool 06 Story: Olly Ryder

In 2015 I was invited to To begin with we decided However, we had so much consider planting a Resource that we’d just focus on three on our plate getting the Church in Plymouth. As I things: Sunday morning, church up and running that was doing my daily Bible Sunday evening and Alpha. it was fantastic to be able reading, I was drawn to We wanted everyone we to download the Alpha Proverbs 18:10 which says came into contact with to Film Series for free and use “The name of the Lord is either help on Alpha or come that. The content is abso- a strong tower.” I’d read on Alpha. lutely phenomenal with so it many times before but many stories and interviews this time it was different, from all around the world. it leapt straight off the Everyone loved it! page and spoke to me And it’s beautifully filmed. in a different way. Without doubt, Alpha is the My wife and I had a lot church planter’s dream. of questions about moving Over 10 weeks, you take to Plymouth, so we did what a group of people on a most people do when they journey through all the have big life questions... foundational aspects of we turned to Wikipedia! the Christian life. It also As we glanced across the contains all the elements webpage we were drawn we wanted for our church to the right hand side. There going forward — a warm in Latin was the motto of We focused everything on welcome, great hospitality, the city: Turris fortissima est getting a great course up love, respect, fun, a vibrant nomen Jehova (“The name and running. If people experiential Christian life of the Lord is a strong tower”). wanted to start a home and a continuous culture At that moment, we knew group we said, “Come on of invitation and looking that God was asking us Alpha.” If they wanted to out to others. to consider this invitation help with homeless work seriously. we said, “Come on Alpha.” Our dream is to be a church for the whole city and region The more we learnt about If they wanted to do anything, for people from any Plymouth the more we got we said, “Come on Alpha!”. background and walk of excited about it. We felt this At our first Alpha, we had life. Alpha very much helps was an amazing opportunity. 12 groups with 120 people us begin to form this sort In September 2016 we in total. It created a sense of community. planted in St Matthias of community very quickly. In September 2016, Revd Church, Plymouth. It’s a city Other than Sunday services Olly Ryder led a team to of 250,00 people, 35,000 of Alpha was the main thing plant St Matthias Church them students. Just 1% that kickstarted the church. of the city’s population Plymouth, a city centre I’ve run Alpha for more than attend an Anglican church; resource church. Olly was 15 years and for many of 2% any other. previously Vicar of St Mark’s these I’ve given the talks live. Kensal Rise and a Curate at Holy Trinity Brompton.

Alpha as a Church Planting Tool 07 Story: Steve Whittington

Nearly 10 years ago, we We don’t have to scrabble Running Alpha is a really decided to take a step out of around for different materials, effective way of raising our comfort zone, moving it’s all in one place and it gives up and releasing the next to a completely new city to us complete confidence in generation of Church Planters plant a new church. what we are doing. to reach different parts Very early on, we found of our city and hopefully that we started to create further afield. One thing community around us and I have learned is that Alpha we needed a way of bringing cannot be an add on but people of faith and no faith it must be integral to together in a relaxed and everything we do. Every informal environment. outreach event we hold, Our church in Teesside had we invite people to come grown to over 200 members on Alpha. Everyone who and 100 of them had come comes through our debt to faith through going on advice centre, we invite Alpha and so, for us, there to try Alpha. was no decision to be made So for us, we carry on, – it had to be Alpha. inviting new people, Running Alpha has shaped our reaching out to those in We decided to run a bit church plant. It’s encouraged of a pilot and so we hired our city who need the good the church to look outwards news of Jesus and, as for a room in a pub in the city and to be more missional. centre and we invited Alpha, it will continue to be everybody we knew, People don’t feel the pressure a core part of that mission anybody we came into of being “the traditional that God has called us to. contact with, Christian or evangelist”, instead they not, to do Alpha together. embrace the culture of invitation and invite those The people of our city were they know to try Alpha. It has used to gathering together brought people together for a meal, granted not usually who would never usually with complete strangers, mix, from businessmen but it was an informal and to those who havxe walked friendly atmosphere and in off the streets. To anybody people loved it. From that thinking about using Alpha initial pilot to the present as a church planting tool day, we continue to run I would say go for it. Alpha and over 300 people We have just planted again have now been on Alpha In September 2006, at Jubilee Hull. into the east of the city and we plan to use Alpha again. Steve Whittington led Alpha is so easy to run, We sent the people who led a core team of people it’s well resourced and you Alpha to plant the new church. from Jubilee Church have everything you need Alpha has been a brilliant Teesside to plant Jubilee at hand. training ground. Church Hull.

Alpha as a Church Planting Tool 08 Models for Alpha in a Church Plant

Alpha to set the culture of your the “we’re launching this church There are lots of ways plant and as a simple way to for people like you, so come!” to run Alpha and your connect with new people. approach. Having a plan to run Alpha gives you something to model can change and invite people to, especially after Alpha Sunday develop over time. No natural opportunities like Christmas events or launch events. two church plants are Running Alpha on Sunday is a great way of building the same but there are up to launching a Sunday Alpha as Small service. People are often a number of common Groups 2 free on Sunday and this approaches to using is a good way to connect people Alpha is a great fit for with your intended meeting place. Alpha that work well small groups that can Hosting Alpha at a church venue run in homes or third with church planting. can actually be a positive thing. It spaces such as coffee gets people across the threshold of 4 shops and restaurants. the church venue and minimises From day one, every member Start with Alpha the fears of going into a church of the team can be involved building later on for other services Every church plant in mission by leading a small and occasions. needs an evangelistic Alpha. A really straightforward strategy and a simple pattern that has already been strategy is to start with Big Launch utilised in many church plants is 1 Alpha. Before you launch to run Alpha, then begin a small Sunday services and other Any Church Planter will group with those that came activities you can run Alpha. want to do just a few to faith, run Alpha again and Either as one big group, or things well. Alpha can create more small groups. in smaller groups that target act as a launch pad for different people. You can use 3 a big-bang approach,

Alpha as a Church Planting Tool 09 In 2016 we asked people around the globe to tell us about the impact Alpha has had in their church.

95% Guests say that Alpha had 95% a positive impact on their life.

82% Guests who would not have called 82% themselves Christian before Alpha say they now call themselves a follower of Jesus.

93% Alpha Leaders would recommend 93% Alpha to another organisation.

78% of guests identifying as Christian, 78% non-active church-goers, became more committed to regularly attending church.

81% Guests on Alpha said that they 81% felt the love of Jesus.

95% of churches said that Alpha is 95% effective for evangelisation, discipleship, and building community.

Alpha Global Impact Study Research carried out in 12 countries by Barna in 2016

Alpha as a Church Planting Tool 10 What Next?

01 Log on to Alpha Builder, register your Alpha for free and get access to resource previews and downloads.

02 Read Alpha Basics, available for free on Alpha Builder.

03 Visit alpha.org/uk for news, stories and information on upcoming training events.

Alpha as a Church Planting Tool 11 The Rt Revd Ric Thorpe

Ric is the Anglican bishop “Alpha and church planting have a good responsible for starting new worshipping communities history together. In all the church plants I have both within London and at been involved with directly, Alpha has always a national level, serving as a resource for the whole been the primary tool for inviting guests to come . and explore the good news about Jesus Christ. That’s because it works: it’s easy to invite people to; it’s format makes engagement accessible and enjoyable; and it enables people to encounter Jesus Christ personally.

It also helps the Church Planter to have at their fingertips a ready-made resource that doesn’t require a huge amount of preparation. And that is ideal for Church Planters who have so much to think about when they launch their plants. Most importantly, many people – in fact many of my friends – have come to Christ on Alpha and their lives have been turned around by him. And that still happens every day.”

Alpha as a Church Planting Tool 12 Christian Selvaratnam Head of Alpha UK [email protected] | +44 1904 624190

Christian Selvaratnam is the Head of Alpha UK and a church planting priest in the Church of England. He has personally led two church plants and has sent out and supported four others. More widely he is involved in training leaders and advising churches on church planting, innovation, mission and vocations. Christian is a part-time Doctoral student studying church planting with Millennials.

alpha.org/uk