Post Alpha thread . . . .

[newbeliever]

Hi everyone

Happy New Year!

Here's the new thread for all of us continuing our journey of faith following the Alpha course. My 'Moving on' course starts on 11th January - I've really missed my Alpha group over the Christmas break - it's been lovely attending the Christmas services, especially as they held so much more meaning for me this year - but I do need my weekly group meet too! The 11th can't come soon enough for me

Really hope that our 'regulars' will continue to provide their fantastic advice and guidance.

Also, anyone attending Alpha in the New Year, do join in too.

I'll attempt to do a link from the old thread so we don't miss anyone. Look forward to hearing you all

Whats the Freedom in Christ book, and what are your reservations?

I am currently thinking about organising a Lent book for church, and running a couple of Lent groups to cover it. Not sure what we're going to do yet, though! The Lent group I ran last year is still going as a house group, so I'd look to see that group continue more or less "as is", with an evening group for those who can't make it during the day.

Mary, have a look on the old thread towards the end and there is a bit of discussion about it (including my reservations!). PA (so kindly!) sent me a copy of The Purpose Driven Life which she said she and lots of her friends found really good

I will dust my copy off and be ready to discuss with you.

How is everyone else? NB, Willow LivinginOZ ?

Oxo - that's funny,I've just finished reading the Purpose Driven Life. Like PA says don't be tempted to jump ahead - I did a couple of times and it doesn't help. Since I've finished it, I'm finding it quite a good book to dip in and out of as the mood takes me.

Got 'Moving on' tonight - no supper but there is coffee and cake .

Will report back - hope you are all having a good week.

Hi NB. I hope the cake group is good tonight.

I've done the Purpose Driven Life a couple of times. It's related to the book by the same author called The Purpose Driven Church which has given me and dh so much vision for our ministry :) I'm happy to do Christian books thread too, would be great.

Hope the group is good tonight nb. My first group is thurs, just an informal new year get together and will introduce what we'll be doing the next few weeks which is mainly home made stuff on prayer, worship, the bible and the Holy Spirit interspersed with Nooma DVDs (anyone come across them?)

Looking forward to our post alpha group discussions. Hope all is well with you all. Willow, how is your new found faith going? :)

NB how was the new group?

Oxo, how is the book going?

Can I join? I did Alpha last spring and became a Christian. Dh is just coming to the end of his. So we are beginning our new journey.

Things I am finding challenging is telling.friends.who have known me as an atheist, an RE teacher atheist!

Hi welcome, Practicallyimperfect, pleased you have found us.
Congratulations on starting your journey. Has your DH become a Christian on the course, too?

It is very difficult to tell friends, but actions speak louder than words and maybe they will notice something different about you and ask you, then it wouldn't be so scary to say something, maybe.

An atheist RE teacher....I am sure there are lots of those about!!

Have you done a post-alpha course?

No, but I go to a house group from the church and another worship group too.

Hi, sorry I haven't replied, kind of forgot about this thread!

Doing really well, just come back from church. I really really love going, I look forward to going every week. I've just joined a home group as well, which was interesting last week.

The only thing i'm struggling with is the fact that DH isn't a Christian. He hasn't ruled it out and is toying with the idea of doing the next Alpha, but I feel quite bad going out twice a week without him, especially as he is a SAHD and could probably do with the break.

Church is also a hard one - they have 2 family services but DS won't go in the creche on his own so DH usually ends up going in with him, so I've started going on my own without either of them!

Sorry, also needed to add that I'm reading "The Reasons for God" by Tim Keller, which is interesting. Its not so much convincing me, but is giving me the information to bat off any sceptics! :)

Dhaka has become a Christian during alpha. He has been coming to church with me since march, and done some of the social things. But last weekend he asked to be filled with the spirit.

I might ask about post alpha course as he is starting from nothing.

The main thing nagging at my brain at the moment is that we had a civil wedding ceremony and I just wish we could do it again in church. Silly I know.

Living in oz- before dh became Christian my friend used to just say pray that he.comes to God, and remember God is.big.enough.

PI, you could always have a blessing in church if your church does that kind of thing. Or even ask to be blessed by the Pastor/Vicar privately

Thanks. Not sure if it is necessary, think I'm probably being silly.

Sorry about the "Dhaka" I obviously meant dh, it is the predictive text on my phone!

I think it would be a lovely idea to have your marriage blessed in church. I know God is everywhere, but even so, its special to have it blessed in church, particularly if you are both believers. I would say, go for it! Not sure how long you've been married, but perhaps see it as a renewal of your vows?

LOL @ Dhaka!

Hi practicallyimperfect. So great to hear some of your story, would love to hear about more of your journey, ie what happened to change your mind etc :) I agree with Mary re the blessing idea, would be lovely and special for you and symbolic of a new life and journey together, not silly at all.

Sorry have been a bit quiet lately here, have not been well this week and dh's gran died today after a stroke last week. Am thinking of you all though. Had to postpone my seekers group til next week due to illness.

Mhd, it is long story! I have been backwards and forwards to church since a teenager. I was searching, and at University I did a small alpha-type course. But I couldn't commit to it. God kept on at me though. I read a version of the prodigal son and it spoke to me. I started going to a local church where some friends went.

I felt the holy spirit, and it overwhelmed me.

Sorry if that was long and.boring for people!

Hope you feel better soon Mhd, and sorry for your loss x

So sorry madhair.

Not sure if this really comes under the title of 'Post Alpha' but I went to the Alpha leader training last night which was very interesting. I am not, of course, an Alpha leader, but am merely helping out with the food, coffee, tea etc.

One of the important things I learned last night was how much everyone on the Alpha course is prayed for. It hadn't really occurred to me before but there are prayers by the leaders and helpers before, during and after the evening and everyone is allotted a couple of people to really focus on through the week, to ask God to support and help them. All very interesting.

My Beta course actually starts in 2 weeks - I got the date wrong! I seem to spend all of my free time in church or doing church related activities at the moment, although I am really enjoying it. Had church service yesterday, followed by a meeting about teaching English to non-native parishoners; Alpha meeting last night; meeting with church elder this morning; prayer group Wednesday evening . And to think that I first went to this church only 8 months ago to witness my friend's baptism, never really thinking I would go back

Hey guys :) Sorry for being quiet (dozing off in the beanbag in the corner perhaps?) but now that I'm back at school things are so hectic. Got home from parent's evening at 9.30 this evening :(

Missing Alpha. Decided against the Freedom in Christ course after our discussions on the previous thread as I don't think it would have been for me.

But this means that I've not got a 'replacement' for Alpha and has made my need to make a decision on which church to attend seem more urgent. This week I went to the church where I went for the Holy Spirit day and loved it. It was a lot bigger than my Alpha church which was different. The style of worship and the service in general is similar as they are both NF churches and one was a plant from the other. So it was 45 mins of worship followed by just over an hour of teaching. Went really quickly!

During the worship time they also had a time for prayer and the person who had been running the Alpha day, and had seen that I was there, came up to me and asked if he could pray for me and said something that was pretty accurate.

During the teaching time there was also some discussion and people where generally asked to split off into their cell groups for this. The discussion was about Abraham and how he didn't listen to God about having a son, but decided to do it his own way. And why do we do that and not put it all in God's hands. I actually met someone I already knew there and we ended up discussing it as a pair. They then went round some of the groups with a microphone asking for ideas that they had discussed.

Afterwards I spoke to the woman that runs the children's activities about what groups my two would be in (though at the moment DD is the only one who has been to church with me).

Next week is a baptism service and one of the people being baptised was on their Alpha course so I got to know her on the Holy Spirit day.

I'm definitely going to go back next week and I'll take DD with me this time. Basically the children are in the service for the first 30 mins and then they go out into their own sessions.

Oh, and I was chatting afterwards to the man who had been running the Alpha day and telling him how I'd become a Christian. He said that I'm the second person he has heard of now who has had that reaction after watching Voyage of the Dawn Treader!

Oops - mega post! Thanks for reading :)

Great to hear from you Willow. Sounds like you really enjoyed the church, too. It is important that you feel supported and "part of" a church. I hope the Baptism is good and DD likes it there!

NB how is the new job going?

That sounds great willow. Is it a new frontiers church? Our church is. We have a creche area for little children, then older ones (over five) go out to do other things. Tbh I spend most of my time running after ds (16mo)

Just a quick post before I go to work. Since becoming a Christian, I have been praying for my children to come to faith. They have been to church with me a few times out of curiosity, to keep me company and at Christmas, but have always said they do not believe. I have never pushed them into coming with me.

My 13 year old daughter came home from school yesterday and said she had made a New Year's Resolution to start coming to church with me. When I asked why, she said she supposed it was "to find out more about God"

Am delighted