My first encounter with the Alpha Course
It will interest you to note that one of the most conservative parishes in the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) – The Cathedral was one of the first to embrace this Course with far-reaching spiritual impacts on the members and throughout the metropolis and even beyond. The Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos started running Alpha about two decades ago and I was part of the course, being a priest at the Cathedral at the time.
Many have come to know or learn about Alpha through the church because it’s a value-added course and a blessing to Christendom.
My experience running Alpha
Alpha is a veritable means of evangelism that I will wholeheartedly recommend to any pastor or church that is passionate about church growth, deepening the spirituality of its members and reaching out for lost souls. It was designed by Nicky Gumbel in England to present the Gospel in a very simple, modern and interactive way to non-Christians, non-church goers and also Christians that wish to deepen their spirituality.
The Course complements the efforts of pastors in the area of evangelism and does not replace it. It cuts across all the Christian denominations, It is not a means of income generation and neither is it a degree-awarding one. It is not an opportunity to get visas to travel out but presents a higher visa to the Kingdom of our God.
Getting started with Alpha
Alpha must be understood and well planned for before venturing into it. There are resource team that can be of assistance in the area of training and support for any interested church or pastor. Few of them are as follows:
- National Alpha Office – info@alphanigeria.org
- The Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos – Tel: +234 813 827 9428 , email: cathedral@thecathedrallagos.org
- Church of the Nativity, Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos – Tel: +234 1 850 4247, email: churchofdnativity@yahoo.com
Throughout my active ministry, I will support and run the Course in any parish that I may be serving because I know it will enhance my ministry there. I know from experience that when your members are deep-rooted Christians, it will give you a lot of respites and the ministry will be joyful. I want you to experience the transformative power of the Alpha Course hence, I’m inviting you to join and be blessed.
