HLM Manuals on the RUN!
WE NEED MANUALS ....
NOW an excerpt on the proposed ALPHA idea under MISSIONS.
As we are gathering information here and there to make sure that we RUN things the way it has to be (in the spirit of Standardization, Inspiration and Excellence), we are also doing modeling for the upcoming takers, leaders, hosts and helpers of "ALPHA" His Life. We determine that every SITE, NETWORK and GROUP consider this tool of INTRODUCING Christ to the world around them.
CONTRIBUTION from DANIEL BAGAYO
FOR ALPHA SECTION (HLM Missions Manual Creation 2022)
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WE RUN ALPHA:
A Missions Tool in His Life
ALPHA, at its most basic intention, is to initiate a journey of discovering Jesus.
It leads with relevant questions that welcome those participating to interact in conversation that shares personal experiences which are always fun and engaging.
It also opens the mind and especially the heart to consider ideas about the Christian faith and share them with others that create new relationships and strengthen old ones.
This is the hook of ALPHA and why it is such an efficient tool for missions.
There are so many tools for evangelism and Alpha is considered one of them but is significantly more than that. Alpha employs an evangelism strategy called “relationship evangelism” but Alpha stretches the relationship experience to a 9-11 weeks journey of breaking bread together, asking life’s most important questions together, listening to one another, and serving one another, therefore, providing a stage for Christian values to be employed in realtime.
One finds a community that acts like the church, loves like the church, and cares like the church should but doesn’t look like a typical church in its elements.
Nobody mistakes Alpha for a church at first because there is no preaching, there is no singing, and no visible prayer, but only at first.
Don’t get it wrong though, prayer is one of the most essential weapons in running an ALPHA as it is the way we depend on the Holy Spirit to move in the lives of the participants, after all, we cannot preach nor sing!
Only pray, listen, and serve.
This also means that Alpha is a discipleship tool.
Disclaimer: Alpha does not make disciples, YOU make disciples of Jesus.
Alpha naturally creates an avenue by which we are intended to apply faith, pray, and practice Christian values in a loving and energized atmosphere.
Discipleship is applied in Alpha and this is also a teaser of the church a missionary may want to launch in the kairos time of God.
The participants will eventually ask: “What’s next after Alpha?”
What event will follow is completely up to the one running the Alpha but for all involved, CROSSROADS is what’s next naturally as we will already be placing them in LifeGroups gradually after the Weekend Away to continue journeying with them.
After the CrossRoads comes the CROSSOVER WEEKEND that greatly fortifies their faith and belongingness to God’s family.
In this respect, ALPHA also becomes a training tool, especially for potential leaders in the church. Since ALPHA employs some serious planning and administrating, the Pastor/Team Administrator can delegate certain tasks to potential leaders that would give them a chance to minister and love people in a way that evaluates progress and reveals various needs that they can meet as they lead people to Jesus.
With this, Running an ALPHA is undoubtedly a move for Missions.
Daniel Bagayo
for HLM Missions Manual
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*ALPHA introducing people to JESUS -- a WIN DEPARTMETN TOO and must be supported by MISSIONS!
