Written by: Jo Advincula (Scribes Ministry)
Sis Techie (Sor) Rodriguez, Elder-Founder of The Lord’s Flock Catholic Charismatic Community, met the Alpha Group during the Global2023 Gathering of Leaders last February 2023 in Rome. She was impressed with their evangelistic course which introduces the basics of the Christian faith to non-believers. The course consists of 3C’s: CONNECT means to invite and forge rapport with guests; CONTENT focuses on programs, guidelines and videos to support the discussions; and CONVERSATIONS pertain to casual discussions in a small group setting. Moreover, Sis Techie underscored the Alpha course an effective tool for the Community’s Evangelization and Pastoring initiatives. Hence, Alpha is aimed at winning friends at the local levels and eventually immersing them to the Lord’s Flock’s programs, based on the Alpha Course of 3C’s.
Last Sunday, March 26, 2023, the Lord’s Flock stewards and leaders eagerly engaged in a program introduction facilitated by Ralph Lumo of the Alpha organization. His teaching was interspersed with videos, games and group discussions. It was followed by a live demonstration of how to start small group meetings anywhere (even under a mango tree) to gradually introduce Christ to non-believers.
What is the Alpha Way?
The Alpha way flips the traditional / old way of evangelization upside down:
- BELONG: Guests feel welcomed, accepted, listened to and loved …
- BELIEVE: Guests begin to feel safe to open-up, explore and believe…
- BEHAVE: Guests respond to God and have their lives transformed.
The following are critical to ensure that guests feel safe and accepted:
- Permission To PASS: “it’s ok if you’re not ready.”
- Permission To ASK OR SAY ANYTHING: but, be brief and respectful.
- Permission To DISAGREE. Everyone comes from different backgrounds and it’s accepted if there are different views without being judged.
Group Discussions simulate the experience of an Alpha session
The participants were organized into groups of 8 to 10 throughout the meeting.
A Host and a Helper were appointed in each group, and they jointly led the discussion of the following questions:
- If you had 24 hours to do anything, what would you do?
- What makes you happy?
- If it turned out that God existed after all, and you could ask one question, what would it be?
In closing, Ralph Lumo emphasized that with the Alpha program, guests can just be themselves in a safe space and feel accepted while exploring questions on faith and life.
Finally, Sis Techie thanked Ralph for showing the Alpha course as a benefitting tool to overcome the challenges in bringing relatives and friends to Christ. By simply starting with one group, it can quickly accelerate into 1,000 groups. At the end of the 11-week Alpha Course, the guests will then be directed to the Lord’s Flock Spirit Empowerment Seminar, and subsequently immersed to other formation programs and ministries.
To God be the Glory!
Edited by: Sis Vera I. Tuplano, Scribes Ministry
