€¦ · web viewchristianity – boring, untrue, irrelevant? the christian bear. an atheist was...

Session Leader Manual-Alpha Course

Christ The King Catholic ChurchAnn Arbor, Michigan

Winter 2018

This manual is available online at http://www.ctkcc.net/alphateam

http://www.ctkcc.net/alphateam

Session Leader Manual Christ The King Catholic Church

Being An Alpha Session LeaderThe role of the session leader is unique because it not only requires you to be in front of the entire Alpha group of hosts, helpers, and guests during each session as the focal point, but also be a leader for the team pre-meeting.

You will be the primary contact each week for your entire team: hosts/helpers, set up, food and hospitality, etc. If you don’t already know them personally from parish activities, you will make new friends in Christ over the next eleven weeks.

In a certain sense, the relationship between the session leader and team is very similar to the bonds that will form between hosts, helpers and guests. To that end, everyone who attends one of your sessions is a guest. Please love and welcome them.

The Outline of the Session Leaders Responsibilities1. Between each session

Pray for your team. Email your team mid-week reminding them:

o to pray for their guestso of the topic for the week and to view the video before the sessiono of any important dates (Holy Spirit Weekend dates, celebration dinner, etc.).o encourage them to let you know if they have questions or concerns

Encourage and honor all team members as they serve in this vital role of creating an Alpha culture.

2. The team pre-meeting 45 minutes prior to each session Welcome them Make sure all individuals are accounted for Pass on administrative details (Alpha Holy Spirit Weekend, child care info, bible

availability, etc.) Answer any questions they may have Briefly introduce the session topic Pray with the group for their guests and the success of the session Dismiss them in time for them to greet their guests

3. Prior to the start of each session Check A/V equipment, set-up microphones and projectors, and load Alpha DVD into

player (instructions and help will be provided for technical tasks). Meet the Alpha meal helpers and understand how the release of tables will be

handled, who will be in charge, and what the menu is. Make sure hosts and helpers are ready to receive guests. Review with the song leader and make sure the words to the songs are available. Make sure the donation basket is set up. Adapt as needed for off-site Alpha situations.


4. At each session Greeting For the first two weeks, the hospitality team will have a general check-in table for

guests. Helpers will bring the guests to their assigned table. Start on time Welcome everyone and Introduce yourself Let everyone know how happy you are to have them present

Meal Begin the meal and introduce the volunteer who will “release” tables. If you know

the menu, feel free to announce it. Keep track of the time. The meal should last only 30-35 minutes. Five minutes before the end of the meal, announce that the next segment of the

session will begin in 5 minutes.

Introduction of session The session topic Any announcements Joke (don’t miss this step, and please do not substitute Catholic-oriented jokes!)

Time of worshipBegin the time of worship. As the sessions go forward the worship time will move towards greater participation. Each session will have a suggestion for worship. The initial weeks will feel awkward, however this will change as alpha progresses. Ask all to stand during this time.

The talk Play the DVD immediately after worship. After the DVD, allow a 5-minute break before group discussions begin.

Small group discussion Watch your time. Group discussion should last for approximately 30-35 minutes.

Some sessions or groups in later weeks may end earlier without your timekeeping. Give a 5-minute warning before the end of the night.

Dismissal End promptly. Some guests may linger, and you may find a host or helper who has

questions, but close the session on time. Collect the Host Feedback Forms. Make sure the entire building is empty and secure before leaving. Instructions will

be provided to you on how to lock up.


Session Leader Notes—Session 1: Is There More to Life than This?

(Review the Session Leader Responsibilities pp. 2-4)The team pre-meetingBegin the pre-meeting on time. This is a time for you to address administrative matters and to pray together.

Greeting“Welcome to Alpha!”

“Alpha is where we can discuss life’s big questions in a friendly environment. It’s designed primarily for those with minimal experience of Church, which is why Alpha keeps it simple. It also means that anyone can benefit from Alpha, because no assumptions are made about a persons’ level of knowledge, understanding, or engagement with Christianity. “

“In each session there will be a meal, a short talk, and a small group discussion. There are 11 sessions to the Alpha course.”

Meal“Time to start Alpha, let the meal begin!”There is no group prayer blessing before the meal.Give a five-minute warning to signal the end of the meal segment.

Introduction of session At this point, you may start the session with:

“I hope everyone had enough to eat and enjoyed the food.”

“I am looking forward to spending the next ten weeks with you. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to let me know.”

“You might be wondering,‘What have I gotten myself into?’ or more likely ‘What has my spouse or my friend gotten me into?’

“This reminds me of a story…I heard about a wealthy Texan who had an impressive ranch in Texas. On his ranch, he had a HUGE floodlit swimming pool and in this swimming pool he kept a SHARK.

The rich Texan loved to throw lavish dinner parties and would invite his guests up around the pool afterward. Then he would say to them,

Italicized text refers to proposed script for session leader to use.


“If any of you will swim a length of this pool then I will give you one of three things: $10 million, half of my estate, or the hand of my daughter in marriage.”

He always finished by telling everyone, “I must warn you before you jump in, there is a shark in the pool.”

Well, one evening as he was saying this, there was a splash, and a man, very nicely dressed, swam the entire length of the pool chased by the shark. He got out of the pool just in time as the shark thudded into the wall.

The Texan said, “Congratulations! You are the first person who has ever done that. Now what would you like? The $10 million dollars?”

The man gasped, “No, thank you.”

The Texan asked, “Would you like half of my estate?”

The man said, “No, thank you.”

The Texan asked, “Ahh, you want the hand of my daughter in marriage?”

The exasperated man said, “No, thank you!”

So the Texan asked him, “Well, what do you want?”

The man answered, “I want the name of the man who pushed me in!”

Time of worship Typically Week #1 simply uses one song – with voluntary participation. Suggest that they stand.

The talkPlay DVD immediately after worship and allow a 5-minute break before directing everyone into group discussion.

Small group discussionBegin small group discussion.Give a 5-minute warning to signal the end of the night.

DismissalEnd promptly.Collect the Host Feedback Forms.


Session Leader Notes—Session 2: Who Is Jesus?

(Review the Host and Helper Responsibilities pp. 2-4)The team pre-meeting Remind the hosts or helpers that they are to bring a dessert for their table starting next

week and they are to continue to do this for the remainder of this Alpha term. They may bake or buy the dessert, whatever they prefer. More than likely, over the course of a few weeks, guests will offer to bring the dessert. The idea behind the host or helper providing dessert is to build community.

Remind hosts to pray for their guests throughout the week. Ask hosts and helpers if they have any questions.

GreetingSince there may be new guests joining, be sure to re-introduce yourself at the opening of this session. Just to catch everyone up, repeat the basic structure of an Alpha session: “In each session there will be a meal, a short talk, and a small group discussion. There are 11 sessions to the Alpha course.”

In an effort to provide new guests with information about the structure of an Alpha session, please review:

1. Each session will start and end promptly.2. In my role as session leader I’ll be giving announcements throughout the night to keep

everything on track.3. I’ll make announcements, like the availability of guest books, key dates, etc.4. I also am the “joke” person!

Tonight’s announcement…your table hosts will be sharing the ground rules for table discussion.

MealBegin the mealGive a five-minute warning to signal the end of the meal segment.

Introduction of session “In tonight’s session, we explore the very existence of Jesus, who he was, what he did, and how we know that he did walk on this planet. What is the evidence and how do we know who Jesus was?”


The joke…At the pearly gates, a taxi driver and minister are waiting in line. St. Peter consults his list and says to the taxi driver, “Take this silken robe and golden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”St. Peter next greets the minister saying, “Take this cotton robe and wooden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”

“Just a minute,” says the minister. “That man was a taxi driver, and he gets a silken robe and golden staff while I get a cotton robe and wooden staff. How can this be?”

“Up here, we work by results,” says St. Peter. “While you preached, people slept; while he drove, people prayed.”

Time of worship Sing a song and ask the guests to participate. Ask them to stand.


Small group discussionGive a 5-minute warning to signal the end of the night.



Session Leader Notes—Session 3: Why Did Jesus Die?

(Review the Host and Helper Responsibilities pp. 2-4)The team pre-meeting There is no general guest check-in now. All guests should be able to go directly to their

tables. Each host will be responsible for checking-in their guests. Remind host/helpers to continue to bring a dessert to pass at their tables for remaining

sessions. Remind hosts/helpers to mention the Alpha Holy Spirit Weekend to their group and take

reservations and leave this information along with their Weekly Feedback Form at the end of the session.

Remind hosts/helpers to get the phone numbers and emails of their guests. This is useful in the event a guest should need to contact them if they won’t be able to make a session.

GreetingYour usual warm welcome.


Introduction of session “This week we will look at why Jesus died. We only have a short time to look at some very important theological questions related to Jesus and you might want to do more reading about this. There are a couple of books that I would like to recommend:

One is by C.S. Lewis, called Mere Christianity. This book has become a classic and has helped many people understand Jesus.

Another one is by G.K. Chesterton and it’s called Orthodoxy. You might find both of these books very helpful.

“Alpha is somewhat like a jigsaw puzzle, with each talk presenting a different piece of the puzzle. One part of the course is the Alpha Holy Spirit Weekend. We encourage your group to attend together, however we understand that may not be possible for everyone. The Alpha Holy Spirit Weekend is a very important part of the course. Please mark your calendars and let your hosts know you will be attending.”


The joke…There was a couple from Wisconsin who decided to go to Florida for a few days to thaw out during one particularly week of extreme cold weather. Since both spouses worked, they had difficulty coordinating their schedules, so the decision was made to have the husband leave for Florida on a certain day, with the wife following him one day later. The man made it down to Florida and arrived at his hotel. Upon getting to his room, he decided to open his laptop and send his wife, back in Wisconsin, an email. However, he left off one letter in typing his wife's email address and sent the email off without realizing his error.

In another part of the country, a widow had just returned from the funeral of her husband, a pastor of many years who had been called to glory just a few days earlier. She decided to check her email because she was expecting to hear from her husband’s relatives and friends. Upon reading the first email, she let out a loud scream, fainted, and fell to the floor. The woman’s son rushed into the room and found his mother on the floor. He glanced up at the computer screen and saw the following email message:

To My Loving Wife: I’ve just checked in. Everything has been prepared for your arrival here tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then.

Your Devoted HusbandP.S. It sure is hot down here!

Time of worship Sing a song and ask the guests to participate if they feel comfortable doing so. Ask them to stand. Set the stage and help bring them into a prayerful mode. Perhaps you may say something like, “Let us now stand and lift our hearts and voices in song to the Lord.“ If it’s evening, dim the lights.

The talkPlay DVD immediately after worship and allow a 5-minute break before group discussion begins.


DismissalEnd promptly at the stated time.Ask everyone to help in the clean up. This will allow the people serving get home earlier. Collect the Host Feedback Forms.


Session Leader Notes—Session 4: How Can I Have Faith?

(Review the Host and Helper Responsibilities pp. 2-4)The team pre-meeting: Give thanks for all the good things happening in the course. Pray for hosts and helpers with challenging groups and arrange for help if needed. Pray that people would be eager to attend the upcoming Alpha Holy Spirit Weekend, and

that God would transform their lives. Take a few moments to ask for feedback from the groups on how the course is going. Remind your hosts and helpers of the upcoming training in preparation for the Alpha Holy

Spirit Weekend and to get Alpha Holy Spirit Weekend reservations.


MealBegin the meal. A meal blessing at each group may begin this week.Give a five-minute warning to signal the end of the meal segment.

Introduction of session “Welcome. It’s wonderful to see all of you return for Session 4. For the past two sessions, we have talked about who Jesus is and why He died. The topic for this week is ‘How Can We Have Faith?’ Many people who come on the Alpha course may not be churchgoers, but they do see themselves as Christians. ‘How Can We Have Faith?’ is really about coming to faith in Jesus.

“An excellent book to read about his own coming to faith is Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis. In 1931, while riding on a motorbike on his way to the zoo, Lewis came to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He was converted. It was not dramatic, nothing like St. Paul's Road to Damascus experience. He himself described the experience, ‘It was more like when a man, still lying motionless in bed, becomes aware that he is now awake.’ After his conversion, Lewis was never the same—and the world has never been the same either. Most individuals who are converted from living in sin to following Jesus are surprised by something and this is why Lewis titled his autobiography, Surprised by Joy.

“Another book which was a best seller in 1970 and then made into a movie is The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson. It's based on the true story of the life of Mr. Wilkerson, who was a small town preacher who found himself in the midst of a crime-ridden neighborhood in New York City. There he ministered to youth in order to get them to turn away from drugs and violence. An especially thought provoking quote from the book and so applicable to today’s session is: ‘What is it about tears that should be so terrifying? The touch of God is marked by tears...deep, soul-shaking tears, weeping...it comes when that last barrier is down and you surrender yourself to health and wholeness.’


“At the Alpha Holy Spirit Weekend, we take the day to look at a really important part of the course: the Person and work of the Holy Spirit.”

The joke…Tonight we are looking at being sure of our faith. It reminds me of this story:A pastor was teaching children and began to ask them questions. “If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale, and then gave all my money to the church, would that get me into Heaven?”

“NO!” the children answered.

“If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into Heaven? “

Again the answer was “NO!”

“Well, then, if I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children, and loved my wife, would that get me into Heaven?” he asked them again.

Again, they all answered, “NO!”

“Well, then, how can I get into Heaven?” the pastor asked.

A five-year-old boy shouted out, “YOU GOTTA BE DEAD!”

Time of worship Sing a song and afterwards encourage participation as a way to help us open our hearts and minds to God. Worship is different than singing; God responds to us and blesses us in ways we can’t understand. Sing another song that is especially worshipful.



DismissalEnd promptly at the stated time.Remind everyone to help in the clean up. This will allow the people serving get home earlier. Collect the Host Feedback Forms.


Session Leader Notes—Session 5: Why and How Do I Pray?

(Review the Host and Helper Responsibilities pp. 2-4)The team pre-meeting Ask for feedback from the groups on how the course is going. Mention prayer is being introduced in the small groups at this session. Table hosts may

close their table discussion with a simple prayer. Remind your hosts and helpers of the upcoming training in preparation for the Alpha Holy

Spirit Weekend and to get Alpha Holy Spirit Weekend reservations. Here are some thoughts as you pray with your hosts and helpers before the session:

o Thank God for the good things happening on the course.o Pray for the session and all the participants.o Pray for the upcoming Alpha Holy Spirit Weekend and that the love and power of

the Holy Spirit will be active in the lives of everyone.


MealBegin the meal.Give a five-minute warning to signal the end of the meal segment.

Introduction of session “Welcome, it's wonderful to see all of you return for Session 5!”

“We have looked at the person of Jesus, why He died, and last week we started to look at the topic of faith. If you missed any of the talks, you can find many of them on YouTube.”

“In the weeks to follow, we will be looking at what it means to be in a relationship with God. I mean, you can’t see God! How can you have a relationship with a person that you can’t see? How do you speak to them?”

“That’s the subject of this session’s talk—prayer.”


The joke…Tonight’s subject is prayer. Some people are very proud of the fact that they pray, others are proud of the fact that they don’t pray.

I heard of one family who had some visitors coming to lunch and they wanted to show-off to their visitors how well they had brought up their children and how well their children prayed.

When it came time for lunch, they said to their son, “Johnny, why don’t you pray?”

Johnny looked rather embarrassed and said, “I can't.”

So, the mother whispered to him and said, “Johnny, just say what daddy said at breakfast this morning.”

Johnny shut his eyes and said, “Oh God, (pause), why do we have to have these awful people over for lunch today?”

Time of worship Don’t forget to ask guests to stand when they sing for praise and worship.



DismissalEnd promptly at the stated time.Remind everyone to help in the clean up. This will allow the people serving get home earlier. Collect the Host Feedback Forms.


Session Leader Notes—Session 6: Why and How Should I Read the Bible?

(Review the Host and Helper Responsibilities pp. 2-4)The team pre-meeting Remind your hosts that now that their groups are starting to gel, it’s more likely they will

get off track in their discussion. Please remind them of the ground rules and to redirect back to the DVD and the questions provided.

Remind the hosts to close with prayer.


MealBegin the meal.Give a five-minute warning to signal the end of the meal segment.

Introduction of session “Hello and Welcome!

In the second week, we looked at the heart of Christianity, who Jesus is. The third week, we looked at why Jesus died and what was really going on. The fourth week, we looked at how it is possible for us to come into a relationship with God. Last week , we explored prayer as a way to build a relationship with God. This week , we start to look at how we communicate with God and how God communicates

with us as we listen to the talk ‘How and Why We Should Read the Bible?’

“The Bible is a book that truly comes alive to believing Christians but lacks impact for those who do not believe. We encourage you to get a Bible that is accurate to the original text if you don't already have one. (You may recommend the Ignatius Bible, The New Jerusalem Bible, The New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE), or one that you prefer to use.) Which version is best to use depends on whether you want it primarily for prayer, for study, or to take to Church to follow the readings. This week we will look at how to read the Bible.”


The joke…I heard about a pastor who was out visiting his parishioners in a rural area of Northern Michigan. One of whom was a middle-aged woman. He went to the door, he rang the doorbell, and there was no response. He rang again since he could see there was a light on, but there was still no response.

He went round and saw there was a radio and a light on. This is strange, he thought, and he decided to just leave a note.

Revelation 3, verse 20 came to mind and he wrote a little note to her saying, ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with them and they with me.’

He thought this was a very appropriate verse, so he put it in the mailbox and walked away.

The following Sunday, he saw the woman in church. She came up to him and handed him a little note.

When he looked at the note, he saw that she had also written a verse. She had written this: Genesis 3, verse 10, ‘I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid.’

Time of worship Continue encouragement of prayer and worship in an ongoing and natural and manner.





Session Leader Notes—Session 7: How Does God Guide Us?

(Review the Host and Helper Responsibilities pp. 2-4)The team pre-meeting Remind hosts and helpers to share with guests the Holy Spirit Holy Spirit Weekend trailer at

http://www.ctkcc.net/alphateam . Pray for the session and all the participants and thank God for the good things happening

on the course. Pray for the upcoming Alpha Holy Spirit Weekend and that the love and power of the Holy

Spirit will be active in the lives of everyone. Remind the hosts to close with prayer.



Introduction of session “Hello and welcome to Session 7. Just a reminder that our Alpha Holy Spirit Weekend is quickly approaching. I would really like to encourage anyone who has not yet made a decision to attend the Alpha Holy Spirit Weekend to please try to come. It’s going to be a very blessed opportunity for all those who attend.

In this session, we’re looking at ‘How Does God Guide Us?’” The talk is important since “hearing from God” is one of the ways the Holy Spirit moves in our lives. Realizing this makes the Alpha Holy Spirit Weekend talks easier to understand and see that God really does have a beautiful plan for our lives.


http://www.ctkcc.net/alphateam

The joke…God can guide us in many different ways. Here is an example from a newly engaged couple:

A man was very eager to meet his future son-in-law. His daughter had gotten engaged unexpectedly and this Holy Spirit Weekend would be their first time meeting him. He told all of his friends at work that he had a whole list of questions to ask this young man.

On Saturday morning, he invited his soon to be son-in-law for a cup of coffee. As they began to talk, the father quickly found himself asking the questions that were weighing on his mind.

“Do you have a job? I know you just finished college and all, but how do you plan to support yourself and my daughter?”

The young man paused and said, “Well, God will provide. “

The father then asked his second question. “Where do you intend to live? Do you have a house or an apartment lined up for after the wedding? “

The young man paused, and again, and with much conviction, said, “God will provide. “

The father waited a few moments before launching into his third question. “Son, do you have any money? Any savings? A financial nest egg? “

The young man looked him right in the eye and said again, “God will provide. “

The following Monday, all of the father's co-workers were curious to find out how it had gone meeting his future son-in-law.

The father smiled and said, “I kind of like the kid. He thinks I am God! “






Session Leader Notes—Alpha Holy Spirit Weekend

Check with your Alpha Coordinator for opportunities to assist at one or more of the Alpha Holy Spirit Weekend days.

Be sure to pray for the hosts, helpers, and guests attending the Alpha Holy Spirit Weekend.

Pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the guests.

Pray that the Holy Spirit will reveal Himself to them in new ways.


Session Leader Notes—Session 8: How Can I Resist Evil?

(Review the Host and Helper Responsibilities pp. 2-4)The team pre-meeting• Thank God for the good things that happened on the Alpha Holy Spirit Weekend• Encourage those who did not attend the Alpha Holy Spirit Weekend to receive prayer at the

make-up session.



Introduction of session “Spiritual warfare is real. Ever since the Garden of Eden, Satan has been trying to get us to doubt God and each other. As a result, we are isolated and more open to temptation. This session on ‘How Can I Resist Evil’ is intended to come after the Alpha Holy Spirit Weekend, since there is often backlash from the enemy after the Alpha Holy Spirit Weekend as many have come to Christ for the first time or had their faith renewed. Please be sure to encourage and strengthen your group. Pray for each other before you end the session. “


The joke…On the outskirts of town, there was a big old pecan tree by the cemetery fence. One day, two boys filled up a bucketful of nuts and sat down by a tree, out of sight, and began dividing the nuts.

“One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me,” said one boy.

Several were dropped and rolled down toward the fence.

Another boy came riding along the road on his bicycle. As he passed, he thought he heard voices from inside the cemetery. He slowed down to investigate. Sure enough, he heard, “One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me.”

He just knew what it was. “Oh my,” he shuddered. “It’s Satan and St. Peter dividing the souls at the cemetery.” He jumped back on his bike and rode off. Just around the bend he met an old man with a cane, hobbling along.

“Come here quick,” said the boy, “you won’t believe what I heard. Satan and St. Peter are down at the cemetery dividing up the souls.”

The man said, “Beat it, kid, can’t you see it’s hard for me to walk.” When the boy insisted, though, the man hobbled to the cemetery.

Standing by the fence they heard, “One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me.”

The old man whispered, “Boy, you’ve been tellin’ the truth. Let’s see if we can see the devil himself.”

Shaking with fear, they peered through the fence, yet were still unable to see anything. The old man and the boy gripped the wrought iron bars of the fence tighter and tighter as they tried to get a glimpse of Satan.

At last they heard, “One for you, one for me, and the last one for you. That’s all. Now let’s go get those nuts by the fence, and we’ll be done.”

Time of worship Refer to the Holy Spirit Weekend and encourage prayer and worship to help resist evil.



Dismissal End promptly.Collect the Host Feedback Forms.


Session Leader Notes—Session 9: Why and How Should I Tell Others?

(Review the Host and Helper Responsibilities pp. 2-4)The team pre-meeting Remind the hosts that there will be follow-up and future small group options available.

More information will be handed out near the end of this term as to what will actually be offered.

Ask hosts to register guests who will be attending the Alpha Celebration. Have the hosts think about who in their group may have a testimony to share at the Alpha

Celebration and also who would make an effective team member on a future course.



Introduction of session “Welcome Everyone! We are approaching the end of Alpha and we have an Alpha Celebration to look forward to.

“Today’s session is about us spreading the Good News about what Jesus has done for us.”

It can be difficult to talk to others about the deep or personal matters in our lives. Certainly our faith in Christ falls into this category. Some people feel that one’s faith is a private matter and should not be discussed with others. So …


The Joke…One of the reasons that there are so many misunderstandings about the Church is that we as the Church often send out misleading messages about what we’re about.

This is particularly true in church bulletins. I don’t know whether you are familiar with the sort of information in these bulletins, but someone made a list of some of the most humorous ones. These are examples from actual printed church bulletins.

One church had this, “This afternoon there will be a meeting in the south and north ends of the church. Children will be baptized at both ends.”

Another one wrote this, “Tuesday at 4pm there will be an ice-cream social. All ladies giving milk, come early.”

“This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mr. Johnson to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.”

“On Sunday, a special collection will be taken to defray the expenses of the new carpet. All those wishing to do something on the new carpet, come forward and get a piece of paper.”

Another church had this notice: “A bean supper will be held on Saturday evening in the church basement. Music will follow.”

Finally this, “Tonight’s sermon: ‘What is hell?’ Come early and listen to our choir practice.”






Session Leader Notes—Session 10: Does God Heal Today?

(Review the Host and Helper Responsibilities pp. 2-4)The team pre-meeting Review the format for this session. There is no small group discussion but rather it focuses

on praying with our guests for healing. The deliberate following of an Alpha recipe is loosened during the time of healing prayer;

rather an attention to the voice of the Spirit is encouraged together with an eye towards the guests for cues for appropriate action.

Before your session pray as a group that God’s healing power would be present and he that will use us as we pray with people for healing tonight.

Please try to get as many final registrations for the Alpha Celebration as possible. We will offer Alpha again, so if they are interested in serving again to please let us know. Encourage hosts and helpers to set a date for a group reunion.



Introduction of session “Welcome everyone! We are approaching the end of Alpha and we have our Alpha

Celebration to look forward to. Reservations must be made, so please reserve your seat with your group host. If anyone has a personal testimony in their group for the Alpha Celebration, please let your host know.

“Next week, your host will distribute guest questionnaires that we ask each guest to complete and return to us so that we can take your comments into consideration for the next course.

“This week’s topic is, ‘Does God Heal Today?’ This is the session where there is no group discussion. Instead, the groups will pray together for healing. The Greek word that means ‘I save’ also means ‘I heal’. God is concerned not just about our spiritual salvation, but our whole being. One day we shall have a new and perfect body. In this life, we will never reach perfection. When God heals someone miraculously today, we get a glimpse of the future when the final redemption of our bodies will take place (Romans 8:23).

The joke…Q: Did you know that they had automobiles in Jesus’ time? A: Yes, the Bible says that the disciples were all of one Accord.

A married couple was arguing about who should make the coffee. The wife said that in the Bible it says that men should make the coffee. The husband asked her where it said that. The wife opened the Bible and said, “Right here in HEBREWS!


The Talk – (this week the talk precedes worship so the worship is right before healing prayer)Play DVD immediately after the joke and allow a 5-minute break before directing everyone into worship.

Time of worshipContinue encouragement of prayer and worship in an ongoing and natural and manner. Encourage the use of praying in tongues in ministry prayer.

Group prayerWe are allowing at least 45 minutes for the prayer time together. Give general instructions to all the groups. Each group forms a circle of chairs. Worship music will be used to create an atmosphere of prayer and privacy. Remind guests this is a time for them to experience a personal healing by Jesus; not prayers

for relatives, friends or world peace. Guests do not have to receive prayer if they don’t feel comfortable. The guests not being prayed with are invited to also pray however they feel comfortable for

the person who is being prayed for, silently, quietly in tongues, etc. After all the guests have been prayed with there will be the opportunity to continue the

experience of praying with each other as the Spirit may lead. Turn the prayer time over to each host who will pray for the Holy Spirit to come and be

present among the group and lead the time of prayer.

Dismissal There will be no formal conclusion to the session. When prayer groups are finished, they

may quietly leave. Groups leave when finished, no formal dismissal Collect the Host Feedback Forms.


Session Leader Notes—Session 11: What About The Church?

(Review the Host and Helper Responsibilities pp. 2-4)The team pre-meeting Hosts need to allow time for guests to fill out Guest Questionnaires. A basket will be

available to collect the forms. Pray in thanksgiving for what God has done and in thanksgiving for the hosts and helpers

and their dedication to Alpha and the guests. Pray that those who have participated in Alpha will become fully integrated into the life of

our Church. Our goal in this session is to help guests:

o rethink their understanding of the church as an organization;o begin to understand the value of Christian fellowship; ando to see how their involvement could have a positive impact in their lives.



Introduction of session “We made it! Congratulations and thank you for being with us for eleven weeks. We are looking forward to seeing you at the Alpha Celebration. If you haven’t registered, you still may do so.

“Today the Church, as an institution, gets a lot of negative press. Some see the Church as an organization that abuses people or has some political agenda. This is certainly a different picture than what Jesus drew for his disciples when he described a Church that would ‘prevail against the gates of hell and become hope for the world.’”


The joke…A man went to the doctor for his annual physical examination. After the doctor had examined the man, he asked, “Is there anything else you’d like to discuss today?”

The man thought a moment and said, “Yes, as a matter of fact there is. My wife has gotten so hard of hearing that often she doesn’t hear me and refuses to get her hearing checked. What can I do about this?” The doctor thought for a while and then said, “I have an idea for you. Next time you see her and she is not looking, say something to her and see if she hears you. Then see how close you have to get before she hears you. Let me know what happens.” So the man went home and went into the Great Room with the living room, eating room, and kitchen. He saw his wife with her back to him. She was at the kitchen counter getting dinner ready. He stood at the far end of the Great Room. He asked in a reasonable voice, “What’s for dinner tonight, honey?” As usual, she did not respond. He took a few steps closer and asked again “What’s for dinner tonight, honey?” Again, she did not hear him and there was no response. He took a few steps closer and asked a third time, “What’s for dinner tonight, honey?” Again there was absolutely no response. So he gets right up behind her and asks again, “What’s for dinner tonight, honey?”At this point she turns around, faces him, and says, “For the FOURTH time, Beef Stew!!!!”

Time of worship One of the goals of Alpha is that our guests will develop a comfort with various forms of worship and a desire to turn to Jesus in prayer. Encourage a lively time of worship thanking God for all he’s done during Alpha.





Session Leader Appendix— Jokes

Christianity – Boring, Untrue, Irrelevant?

THE CHRISTIAN BEAR

An atheist was taking a walk through the woods.

“What majestic trees! What powerful rivers! What beautiful animals!” he said to himself. As he continued walking alongside the river he heard a rustling in the bushes. Turning to look, he saw a 7 foot grizzly charging towards him. He ran as fast as he could up the path. Looking over his shoulder he saw that the bear was closing in on him. His heart was pumping frantically and he tried to run even faster. He tripped and fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw the bear raising his paw to take a swipe at him.

At that instant the atheist cried out: “Oh my God!...”

Time stopped.

The bear froze.

The forest was silent.

It was then that bright light shone upon the man and a voice came out of the sky saying, “You deny my existence for all these years, teach others I don’t exist and even credit creation to a cosmic accident. Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament?

Am I to count you as a believer?”

The atheist looked directly into the light, “It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps, could you make the BEAR a Christian?” “Very well”, said the voice.

The light went out.

And the sounds of the forest resumed.

And then the bear lowered his paw, bowed his head and spoke,

“Lord, bless this food which I am about to receive and for which I am truly thankful.”



Who is Jesus?

THE FLIGHT TO EGYPT

A Sunday school class was learning about the birth of baby Jesus. They read the exciting tale of the Flight to Egypt where Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus had to flee to Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod, who was trying to kill Jesus. After they finished the story, the teacher asked them all to draw what they thought the flight to Egypt looked like.

The first little girl got up and showed her picture. It had Mary and Jesus riding on a big gray donkey with Joseph walking alongside.

The next little boy had a fantastic picture of the family riding a camel through the desert, complete with pyramids in the background and even a couple of mummies lying around!

The next little boy got up, and there was picture of a big old jet airliner streaking through the sky with 4 people in it.

The teacher tried not to laugh, and said, “Well, Johnny. I can kind of see where you would have come up with an airplane… the story is called the Flight to Egypt, but who are these people in the plane?”

Little Johnny pointed to the first and said, “That’s Joseph”. The teacher nodded. “This is mother Mary” He pointed to the next person “This is the baby Jesus”. The teacher said, “ Yes, but who is this fourth person?”

“Well, that’s Pontius – the Pilot of course!”

Why and how should I read the Bible?

THE DEAL

A young boy had just gotten his driving permit. He asked his father, who was a minister, if they could discuss the use of the car. His father took him to his study and said to him, “I’ll make a deal with you. You bring your grades up, study your bible a little and get your hair cut and we’ll talk about it.”

After about a month, the boy came back and again asked his father if they could discuss use of the car. They again went to the father’s study where his father said, “Son, I’ve been real proud of you. You have brought your grades up, you’ve studied your Bible diligently, but you didn’t get your hair cut!”

The young man waiting a moment and replied, “You know Dad, I’ve been thinking about that. You know Samson had long hair, Moses had long hair, Noah had long hair, and even Jesus had long hair…”

To which the father replied…”Yes, and they WALKED everywhere they went!”



What about the church?

THE ARMY OF THE LORD

A friend was in front of me coming out of church one day, and the preacher was standing at the door, as he always is, to shake hands. He grabbed my friend by the hand and pulled him aside.

The Pastor said to him, “You need to join the Army of the Lord!”

My friend replied, “I’m already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor.”

Pastor questioned, “How come I don’t see you except at Christmas and Easter?”

He whispered back, “I’m in the Secret Service.”


HEAVENLY BASEBALL

Two buddies Bob and Earl were two of the biggest baseball fans in America. For their entire adult lives,

Bob and Earl discussed baseball history in the winter and they pored over every box score during the

season. They went to 60 games a year. They even agreed that whoever died first would try to come back

and tell the other if there was baseball in heaven. One summer night, Bob passed away in his sleep after

watching the Yankee victory earlier in the evening. He died happy. A few night later, his buddy Earl

awoke to the sound of Bob’s voice from beyond. “Bob is that you?” Earl asked. “Of course it’s me,” Bob

replied. “ This is unbelievable!” Earl exclaimed. “So tell me, is there baseball in heaven?” “Well I have

some good news and some bad news for you. Which do you want to hear first?” “Tell me the good news

first.” “Well, the good news is that, yes, there is baseball in heaven, Earl.” “Oh, that is wonderful! So

what could possibly be the bad news?” “ You’re pitching tomorrow night.”



How can I make the most of the rest of my life?

SORRY, I DIDN’T RECOGNIZE YOU!!

A middle-aged woman has a heart attack and is taken to the hospital. While on the operating table she

has a near death experience. During that experience she sees God and asks if this is it. God says no and

explains that she has another 30-40 years to live. Upon her recovery she decides to just stay in the

hospital and have a face lift, liposuction, breast augmentation, tummy tuck, etc. She even has someone

come in and change her hair color. She figures since she’s got another 30 or 40 years she might as well

make the most of it. She walks out of the hospital after the last operation and is killed by an ambulance

speeding up to the hospital. She arrives in front of God and asks, “I thought you said I had another 30-

40 years?” God replies, “Sorry, I didn’t recognize you.”

Extra jokes for Holy Spirit Saturday and other times

THE REMARKABLE PARROT

Three sons left home, went out on their own and prospered. They’d always been a bit competitive. One year each was bragging about the gifts they were able to give their elderly mother, each secretly hoping Mom would like their gift the best.

The first said: “I built a big house for our mother.”

The second said: “I sent her a Mercedes with a driver.”

The third said: “You remember how our mother enjoys reading the Bible? Now she can’t see very well. So I sent her a remarkable parrot that recites the entire Bible. It took elders in the church 12 years to teach him. Mama just has to name the chapter and verse and the parrot recites it.”

Soon thereafter, their mother sent out her letters of thanks.

“Milton,” she said, “the house you built is so huge. I live only in one room, but I have to clean the whole house. It’s really too much.”

The other two smiled, as Milton’s face fell.

“Gerald,” she said, “I am too old to travel. I stay most of the time at home so I rarely use the Mercedes. And that driver is so rude! He’s a pain!”

Gerald looked dejected as he youngest son beamed with joy because he was sure his gift was most appreciated!

“But Donald,” she said, “the little chicken you sent was delicious!”


€¦ · web viewchristianity – boring, untrue, irrelevant? the christian bear. an atheist was...

Documents