St. Andrew’s and Alpha

 

Back in 1999, St. Andrew’s (then, New Covenant Community Church) launched our first Alpha Course.  Over the years, the Alpha Course has become not only a means for evangelizing the unchurched, but also a required course for anyone desiring to be a part of our parish.  The course has proven to be a wonderful foundational teaching on which we as a parish can build and strengthen people in their walk with Christ.

 When our church entered into the Charismatic Episcopal Church in 2000, Alpha proved to be a perfect fit for our new theological and spiritual understanding.  The Charismatic Episcopal Church is a fully evangelical, fully charismatic, and fully sacramental communion and so is Alpha.  Although the course is fully applicable to non-sacramental contexts, it fits nicely into a sacramental context having been birthed and developed in a fully charismatic and evangelical Anglican church, Holy Trinity in Brompton, England. 

The course continues to be wildly successful across the denominational spectrum which is a sign not only of its quality and effectiveness but the hand of the Lord himself.  One of the most fascinating developments in the spread of the Alpha course is how it has transitioned into use with the Roman Catholic Church another sign that God is blessing this course.  Click here to view the following clip Alpha and Catholics.

If you are not a Christian and would like to explore the meaning of the Christian faith in a non-threatening environment in which you ask whatever questions you may have, you need to go on an Alpha Course.  If you are a Christian who would like to be strengthened in your understanding of the Christian faith, you need to go on an Alpha Course.  And if you are a parish looking for a way to both disciple your people and evangelize your community, you need to go on an Alpha Course.

St. Andrew’s runs Alpha each year.  If you are interested in joining us on our next Alpha you may contact us by phone at 770-784-5100 or by email at pastorrandall@aol.com

Final Week To Register

If you were unable to make the start of The Alpha Course this weekend, you have one more week to register. The Alpha Course is a 10-week, 15-session basic introduction to Christianity. Every Sunday afternoon beginning at 5:00 PM we gather for a meal, a short talk, dessert, and discussion. If you would like to participate in the course, call 678-371-6498 to register. Next Sunday’s talk will be “Why Did Jesus Die?”

Alpha Team Training

Please note that our Alpha Team Training will be this Friday and Saturday, August 17-18. Training will take place at the St. Andrew’s. Location not yet determined. The training schedule is as follows:

Friday, August 17 Session I (Session will begin at 6:00 PM)
Saturday, August 18 Session II (Session will begin at 10:00 AM)
Break for Lunch
Session II (Immediately following lunch)
Training should be finished on Saturday no later than 2:00 PM. If you have any questions, please contact Fr. Randall @ 770-784-5100.

Alpha Begins Sunday

This past Sunday, St. Andrew’s hosted an Alpha Dinner and Talk to introduce The Alpha Course to a group of invited guests. Of the twenty-one in attendance, twelve registered to go on The Alpha Course starting this coming Sunday, September 16.

The Alpha Course is a ten-week basic introduction to the Christian Faith. It is designed to allow anyone interested in exploring the beliefs and claims of Christianity to do so in a non-threatening, relaxed, and fun environment. Each week consists of a light dinner, a short talk, and some group discussion. Click here to learn more about The Alpha Course.

St. Andrew’s Alpha Course will be held each Sunday afternoon, beginning at 5:00 PM. There is still room available. If you or someone you know would like to go on The Alpha Course with us, please contact Randall Allen at 678-371-6498.

Alpha Day of Prayer

Saturday, September 8th has been set aside at St. Andrew’s as a Day of Prayer for our upcoming Alpha Course. The church will be open from 6 am to 9 pm for prayer with prayer services occuring at regular intervals throughout the day. We encourage all of our St. Andrew’s family to spend time on Saturday in prayer for this very special ministry.

Service times on Saturday will be as follows:
6:00 AM - Morning Prayer (Fr.Randall Allen)
9:00 AM - Morning Prayer (Dcn. Kerry Wells)
12:00 PM- Noonday Prayer (Fr. Guido Gonzalez)
3:00 PM - Evening Prayer (Jack Herbert)
6:00 PM - Evening Prayer (Tommy Stubbs)
9:00 PM - Compline (Fr. Randall Allen)
A prayer guide will be provided. You may come and pray at your convenience during the day. Whether you come during the scheduled prayer services or some other time, thank you for your continued prayers and support of Alpha.

You Are Invited!

If you live within driving distance of St. Andrew’s Church, you are invited to join us for A Dinner and A Talk to be given this Sunday evening, September 9th. Dinners at St. Andrew’s are always a treat and we know you will find the talk of great interest. A DVD presentation, the talk by Nicky Gumbel is entitled: Christianity: Boring, Untrue and Irrelevant?

The dinner and talk will be held in the downstairs fellowship hall of the church. The dinner and talk will begin at 5:00 PM and end promptly at 7:00 PM. Come and join us for a relaxing and enjoyable evening.

If you will be joining us for the evening, please call 678-371-6498 to reserve your table.

St. Andrew’s and Alpha: Helping To Spread The Gospel In Kenya

A year ago in October, my family and I had the privilege to travel to Nyaharuru, Kenya as guest speakers at a Pastor and Wives Conference sponsored by Grace Evangel Ministries. While at the conference we met a delightful young pastor and his wife, the Ndungus, attempting to serve God under some very difficult circumstances. It was our delight to hear their testimony and their committment to sharing the Gospel.

While speaking with this precious couple, Pastor Ndungu and his wife expressed the desire to find a way to better disciple their people and to lead them into the baptism and gifts of the Holy Spirit. Hearing their heart we took the opportunity to share with them about the The Alpha Course. Upon our return home we put together a gift pack from St. Andrew’s of Alpha videos and materials - enough to run their own course. The materials were delivered by missionaries Larry and Barbara Hardin upon their return to Kenya after a brief furlough to the States this summer. Two weeks ago, I received word that pastor and his wife received the materials with great joy.

Please keep the Ndungus in your prayers especially as they prepare to host their first Alpha Course among their people.

“May the Lord grant them a tremendous harvest for their faithful labors,” is our prayer.

Youth Alpha Begins Sunday

Youth Alpha (Ages 12-17) to begin this coming Sunday, September 17th. A basic introduction to the Christian Faith designed to allow open and honest discussion in a fun and relaxing environment, Alpha provides youth a venue to honestly explore the claims of Christianity and to decide for themselves what they believe. Starting Sunday, Youth Alpha will meet weekly in the Church Fellowship Hall for a light meal and an informal talk on a topic regarding the Christian Faith. If you or someone you know is ages 12-17 and would like to join in our weekly discussions, please be sure to come and join us this coming Sunday. For more information or directions to St. Andrew’s, contact the church office at 770-784-5100.

Youth Alpha Coming To St. Andrew’s

This September, St. Andrew’s will host a Youth Alpha Course. Youth Alpha is a basic introduction to Christianity designed to allow young people the opportunity to examine the claims of Christianity and to decide for themselves what they believe about Jesus, the Bible, the Church, and many other topics. Whether you are a Christian or not, everyone is welcome to come, listen, ask questions, and decide. If you are a teen and you would like to learn more about Christianity in a fun and engaging environment where you can ask the tough questions, then Alpha is for you. For more information, contact St. Andrew’s Church at 770-784-5100.