Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Alpha - Admin Handbook PDF
Alpha - Admin Handbook PDF
There are timetables for each section with checklists to help you, Administrator’s Handbook
and blank forms you may wish to use.
alpha.org
7070-06-01
publications@alpha.org
3
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
4 Introduction 38 WEEK 6 – HOW DOES GOD GUIDE US?
6 First Steps 40 WEEK 7 – HOW CAN I RESIST EVIL?
8 Help Available 42 WEEK 8 – WHY AND HOW SHOULD
10 Planning and Preparation I TELL OTHERS?
INTRODUCTION
6
FIRST
STEPS
WHAT’S INVOLVED IN RUNNING AN ALPHA
COURSE?
The course is based on ten evenings (or mornings/
afternoons). A typical Alpha evening would be:
7.00 pm Supper/light meal
7.35 pm Welcome & notices
7.45 pm Worship (if appropriate)
7.55 pm Talk (live/DVD)
8.45 pm Coffee & small groups
9.30 pm Finish
For daytime Alpha Course timetable, please see page 26
FIRST STEPS
8
HELP
AVAILABLE
9
ALPHA RESOURCES If you are unable to attend a conference or
Accelerate day before you start your course,
These guidelines refer to a number of it would be helpful to read Questions of Life
resources that have been developed to assist and Telling Others (both by Nicky Gumbel), to
you in running your Alpha Course. To get hold familiarise yourself with both the content and
of these please go to alphashop.org, the structure of the course.
alphaprintshop.org or contact the Alpha
Publications Hotline (0845 758 1278
or alpha@marston.co.uk) (or your nearest For a list of forthcoming Alpha
Alpha stockist) for the latest Alpha
Publications brochure. conferences, please visit
The Alpha website (alpha.org) serves leaders alpha.org
and potential guests on the course.
The leaders area is your main source of
information for events, guidelines, news,
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL ALPHA
free downloadable resources, podcasts and
ADVISER OR RESOURCE CHURCH
much more. It also has information on Alpha There is an established support network
Courses running in different contexts, eg: of volunteer Alpha Advisers and Resource
Prisons, Forces, Workplace, etc. Churches to help you to both set up and
sustain your Alpha Course. Each Adviser or
Your nearest Alpha Office is available to
Resource Church has experience of running
answer any other questions that you have
Alpha and is there to provide practical advice
regarding the Alpha Course. The addresses
and support. The contact details of your
of the Alpha Offices in the UK and around
nearest Alpha Adviser or Resource Church
the world can be found in Alpha News or by
can be found on alpha.org.
visiting alpha.org. If your country does not
have an Alpha Office, you can contact Alpha Your Alpha Adviser or Resource Church will
International in London on +44 845 644 7544 not only provide you with answers to your
or alphaoffice@alpha.org. general questions about the Alpha Course, but
may also be able to inform you of joint Alpha
events taking place in the local area, such
ATTEND AN ALPHA as joint prayer meetings, joint Alpha Team
CONFERENCE OR ACCELERATE Training, joint Alpha launch events and joint
DAY Alpha Weekends/Days. They can point you in
The Alpha Conference or regional Accelerate the direction of speakers or venues for various
days are excellent preparation to run an events, and assist in promoting Alpha to your
Alpha Course. They cover the principles and church leadership. More information on events
the practicalities of the Alpha Course, and near you can be found on alpha.org.
everything you need to know about how to run
an Alpha Course.
HELP AVAILABLE
10
PLANNING
AND PREPARATION
SETTING THE DATES DATE
For an organiser, the Alpha Alpha Training 1 - Hosting Small Groups
Course is 13/14 weeks long,
Alpha Training 2 - Pastoral Care
including the two training
sessions before the course Alpha Guest Service (Sunday)
starts, and the Alpha
Introductory Alpha Event
Celebration Supper at the end. (First course & autumn courses only. If you are running one
course a year you also should have an Introductory Alpha Event.)
Some courses hold an
Introductory Launch Event Alpha Week 1 - Who is Jesus?
or Alpha Supper at the
Alpha Week 2 - Why Did Jesus Die?
beginning of the first course.
This is a good way for people Alpha Week 3 - How Can We Have Faith?
to invite their friends to do Alpha Week 4 -Why and How Do I Pray?
the first Alpha Course. This
format is exactly the same as Alpha Week 5 - Why and How Should
an Alpha Celebration Supper I Read the Bible?
Party in terms of content and Alpha Week 6 - How Does God Guide Us?
planning (see page 58).
Alpha Training 3 - Prayer Ministry on Alpha
Alpha Weekend/Day Away
Alpha Week 7 - How Can I Resist Evil?
Alpha Week 8 - Why and How Should
I Tell Others?
Alpha Week 9 - Does God Heal Today?
Alpha Week 10 - What About the Church?
Alpha Celebration Supper/Drinks Party
11
REGISTER YOUR ALPHA COURSE of small groups, make sure that your
venue has enough places for the small
If you haven’t yet told us about your course and it groups to meet in private.
is not listed on the official Alpha website, please
go to alpha.org/alpha/run-alpha-course or
contact your Alpha Office for a registration form. BOOK THE WEEKEND AWAY
Registration is free of charge and provides the Book a venue for your Alpha Weekend/Day
following advantages: Away as early as possible – up to a year in
• Y our course will be listed on the official advance. See the Weekend section (pages
Alpha website, enabling potential guests to 48–57) for more information.
contact you Obtain a written agreement from the venue,
• A
lpha International can provide details specifying everything you have discussed.
of your course to enquirers looking for a Bear in mind a deposit may be payable before
course in their local area you have collected money from your guests.
The venue, preferably away from the Alpha
In the UK, your Alpha Course will be listed on Course venue, should be somewhere that is
alpha.org as an annual course – running every accessible, has a choice of activities and is
January and September – until you inform us somewhere where guests can relax.
of any changes or request it to be removed.
Also look into the option of joining a joint
To make changes, please email ukalpha@ weekend away with other churches. Contact
alpha.org or telephone Alpha UK on 0845 644 your local Alpha Adviser for more information
7544. on this and look on alpha.org.
Small group space - If you have a number • Alpha Weekend/Day Away
• R
un the first Alpha Course for the • E
ncourage your congregation to invite
congregation, so that they feel their friends and family to the Alpha
comfortable inviting their non-church Launch Event (see page 58) before your
going friends to the next course first course
• Invite your Alpha Adviser or Resource • E
ncourage your congregation to invite
Church Leader to give a presentation their friends and family to the Alpha Guest
to your congregation about the Alpha Service before the course starts
Course, or show the Introduction to The
Alpha Course DVD
15
PLAN YOUR ALPHA COURSE INSERT A FLYER ABOUT ALPHA
INVITATION IN YOUR SERVICE SHEET
Alpha Course invitations can be ordered from
alphashop.org or the Alpha Publications
Explain that Alpha is a practical
Hotline. You can overprint them with the
introduction to the Christian faith
specific details of your church’s Alpha Course
for all those interested in finding
and slip in an insert with the specific dates
out more about it.
and times of your Alpha Course. You can also
electronically personalise these invitations
at alphaprintshop.org. Alternatively, you Mention that there will be an Alpha Guest
can make your own invitation. Make them as Service to which people can bring their
professional looking as possible, as they will friends the following week. Encourage the
be the first impression many guests have of congregation to pray about who they would
the course. You can download the Alpha logo like to invite, and to invite them.
or the current Alpha invitation graphic from
alpha.org. We cannot emphasise enough how
valuable churches have found it to join in with ADVERTISE YOUR COURSE
the national Alpha Invitation each year, which INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE
means ensuring that your advertising matches CHURCH
the nationwide campaign. You can use Alpha posters, available from
Invitations should be available well in advance, alphashop.org, alphaprintshop.org, or the
so people can register before the course Alpha Publications Hotline (0845 758 1278), to
starts so that you can gain approximate advertise your course. Although the majority
figures for small groups and meals. of your guests will come along to the Alpha
Course as a result of a personal invitation, it is
It is essential that Alpha invitations are readily
important that this is against a backdrop of Alpha
available at the church information stand at all
advertising. If you can, put posters up on your
church services so that potential guests can
church notice board and around your community,
sign up, and congregation members can invite
in your church newsletter and display an Alpha
their friends/family along to the next course.
banner outside your church. It is helpful when
You also might like to have these invitations your community becomes familiar with the fact
available for: that you run an Alpha Course.
• Alpha Guest Services
• Alpha Celebration Suppers HOLD A GUEST SERVICE
• A
ny enquirers or fringe members Make the Sunday services evangelistically
(eg: weddings, funerals, Christmas focussed on the Sunday before the course
carols, baptisms) starts and encourage everyone to bring
friends. (See page 21 for more details on this.)
TEAM
ALPHA SMALL GROUP HOSTS
AND HELPERS
The ideal small group ratio is one host/helper
to three guests with a maximum of twelve in
a group, so you will need four hosts/helpers
in each small group of twelve. The group
host’s role is to facilitate discussion, to draw
conversation out of the small group, rather
than ‘teach’ them. Remember to constantly
remind your small group hosts that they
are to facilitate discussion and not provide
a ‘Christian response’ to the guests’ points.
The less the host needs to be involved in the
discussion, the better!
Pray before putting the groups together, and to
bear the following in mind:
• T
he age range you expect to have. If at all
possible, try to keep hosts and helpers of
similar ages in the same group
• T
he ratio of one host/helper to three
guests in each small group of with a mix of
male and females
17
The Alpha ‘test’: When selecting your Alpha COMMITMENT
team you need to ask the question ‘Would I
trust my best non-Christian friend with this Being part of an Alpha group as a host or
person?’ If the answer is ‘no’ then they might helper is one of the most rewarding things
not be the best choice to be an Alpha small that you can be involved in. It is also a big
group host or helper. commitment, and your team need to be
aware of this before they agree to participate.
Helpers are often new Christians and may have Advise the team that they will be expected to
just finished the Alpha Course themselves. commit to:
They are a key part of the small group as they
are excited and lack church jargon which may • 10 weeks of the Alpha Course itself
confuse new guests. These helpers also play • 3
team training sessions – 2 before the
an important role in building friendships with course and 1 before the Alpha Weekend/
guests and supporting the hosts. Day Away
Start by looking for group hosts and helpers in • The Alpha Weekend/Day Away
existing small groups (eg: cell or home groups)
• Possible social occasions with their group
that you may already have running in the
church as this will lead to a natural transition • T
he Alpha Celebration Supper Party at the
for guests from Alpha into the church. People end of the course
who have previously led church groups need • K
eeping in contact with guests when the
to attend the Alpha training to understand how course is over
Alpha group leadership is unique.
• Praying for each group member every day
Encourage small group hosts and helpers
to read Questions of Life and Searching Issues If the team is not committed to the group then
(also by Nicky Gumbel) before the Alpha the guests are less likely to be committed
Course starts. Questions of Life is the Alpha to the Alpha Course. It is therefore very
Course in book form. Searching Issues tackles important that the team understand the
the seven most common issues raised by importance of their commitment.
guests on the Alpha Course. It may therefore
be wise if your Alpha group hosts and helpers
are familiar with the material before running
the course.
GUEST
SERVICE
22
ON THE SUNDAY BEFORE ALPHA • T
he sermon should present the gospel
STARTS clearly
The Alpha Guest Service is one of the most You will need to:
significant ways of encouraging people • G
ive out Alpha Course invitations with your
to attend your Alpha Course. It should be service sheets
broadly similar to your usual service, with the
• B
e available to answer questions at the
following differences:
end of the guest service
• T
he service is particularly focused on the
• H
ave free copies of Why Jesus? available to
guests your congregation have brought
distribute at the end of the service for any
along
guests
• D
uring the service there is a brief
explanation of what the Alpha Course
is and when the next course will be MAKE A FINAL ESTIMATE OF THE
running. Before the sermon you might NUMBER OF EXPECTED GUESTS
like to ask one or two people who have FOR CATERING
just completed a course to give their Bear in mind that some people who have not
testimonies in an interview style, or ask registered for the course may turn up on the
your Alpha Adviser if they can recommend first night, and that some who have registered
someone to do this. The aim of this is to will not turn up.
encourage them to talk about Jesus, not
the Alpha Course. You could ask them two
or three of the following questions:
- Were you a churchgoer before you did
the Alpha Course?
- How did you find out about the Alpha
Course?
- What was the Alpha Course like?
- Tell us what happened to you on the
course?
- What difference has Jesus made to your
life?
- What would you say to someone who has
not yet done the Alpha Course?
JESUS?
The first session is a key evening, and
making the best possible first impression
ensures that people will come back for
the second night. Do however be aware
that there will always be unforeseen
circumstances.
29
ADDITIONAL PREPARATION: However, leading the first night of Alpha
can be quite daunting
1. Prepare lists for the registration team
For larger courses an alphabetical list of • T
ry and get on first name terms as quickly
pre-registered guests and their assigned as possible – have the name badges ready
groups and a breakdown of the small • S
pread out and not sit together –
groups listing the average age and how particularly small group hosts and
many men and women has proved very helpers
useful in allocating unregistered guests
• E
nsure that the guests have a good view of
who turn up on the night to a small group.
the speaker during the talk
Remember that some pre-registered guests
• A
ccompany people when they collect
may not attend, but others, who have not
supper
pre-registered, may arrive on the night.
• Smile!
2. Name badges
Name badges are useful for the first three
weeks whilst everyone gets to know each
other. Simply use sheets of stickers with a NOTICES
marker pen.
• R
eview the location of the small groups,
3. Supply Alpha Course Manuals to all the their size and the arrangements for
guests, hosts and helpers getting coffee
Give these manuals to the guests
• S
tand up when people enter their group,
(see the Alpha Copyright Statement
and move towards them to greet them and
explained, page 64).
make introductions
• R
emember the following in the small
PRAYER/ADMINISTRATION groups:
MEETING - Name Game, Desert Island Game, ‘How
did you come to be here?’
FIRST NIGHT WELCOMING TIPS - Discussion questions. ‘If there is a
God and you could ask one question
• R
emember that the first night is the
and be sure of getting an answer, what
most important and the most difficult.
would you ask?’ ‘What do you think or
It becomes easier to lead as the weeks
feel about the content/issues raised in
go on and people become friends. On
tonight’s talk?’
previous Alpha Courses the first evening
has proved to be the toughest night to • G
et to supper early – people tend to arrive
lead, as guests can be deeply suspicious. early on week 1
It does get easier as the weeks progress.
FAITH?
33
ADDITIONAL PREPARATION TEAM TRAINING
• M
ake the Weekend/Day Away booking The team should be instructed to:
form available (see sample, page 64).
• Keep an eye out for any new guests
Ensure you let the small group hosts
know that no one should be prevented • D
raw any vocal Christians in your group
from coming on an Alpha Weekend/ aside and tactfully ask them to be quieter
Day Away for financial reasons. Make during the discussion, to help draw out the
bursaries available to those who cannot other non-Christian guests. This could be
afford it, and recoup the money during done during the meal
the collection on the Weekend/Day Away. • B
e flexible on the direction of the group
Continue to offer this form to guests until discussion
you go on the Alpha Weekend/Day Away,
to allow undecided guests to sign up at the • C
onsider beginning the small group
last minute discussion with: ‘What do people feel about
the idea of having a relationship with God?’
Provide a money envelope for group hosts • B
egin chatting to people over supper
to collect payment for the weekend. Mark to see who might be able to attend the
on it to whom cheques should be made weekend. Start with the keenest person,
payable, and continue to distribute the as this fills others with confidence that
envelopes to team members until you go they will not be the only ones attending
on the Alpha Weekend/Day Away
• L
et guests know the cost of the weekend,
• S
tart planning the Alpha Weekend/Day and that bursaries will be available
Away – see page 50
PRAYER/ADMINISTRATION
MEETING
NOTICES
Hosts and helpers should be instructed to:
• Be aware that this is the last week for
name badges
• P
ass on the dates and the cost of the
weekend to their group members
• L
et guests know the childcare provisions
for the weekend
• R
emember the date of the third training
session
Hosts and helpers should be advised to: - Did you find it really boring?
• S
tart confirming numbers for the • F
or guests who are interested in reading
weekend/day and asking guests to pay the Bible, you can recommend the book,
30 Days by Nicky Gumbel (visit alphashop.
• C
ollect names of people attending the org). For guests who are ready for more
weekend/day of a challenge, you can recommend The
• E
xplain methods of payment available to Bible in One Year. See alpha.org/alpha/
guests eg. cheques, cash or credit cards read-bible for more details.
• Give transport details to the guests
• R
emember to attend the ‘Prayer Ministry
on Alpha’ training session
OTHERS?
43
ADDITIONAL PREPARATION TEAM TRAINING
• P
repare the following handouts: Hosts’ The team should be instructed to:
Questionnaires, Alpha Celebration Supper • O
btain numbers for the suppers by the
money envelope, Supper Form end of this evening
• B
egin this week’s discussion with the
PRAYER/ADMINISTRATION question: ‘Has anyone told anybody that
MEETING they’re doing the Alpha Course?’ That can
then be followed up with: ‘How did that
NOTICES person react?’
Hosts and helpers should be instructed to:
• S
tart to think about praying together
• G
ive reminders of the date(s) of the Alpha towards the end of the small group time.
Celebration Supper, and mark on their Ideally all of the group should pray tonight
forms in their packs how many group – silent prayers are fine
members will be attending
• D
istribute supper invites to guests. In
the admin packs there are envelopes to
collect money for the supper, and the cost
to guests is [£X] a head
TODAY?
45
ADDITIONAL PREPARATION following term. They may wish to come
back to help on the next Alpha Course,
• A
lpha Celebration Supper form and money
or join a pastorate/home group. All team
envelope
members should be made aware of these
• G
uest questionnaires. These are essential opportunities. It is important that any guest
to improving your next course, assisting who completes the course continues to
those who will run a course after you be pastored and becomes fully integrated
and can also help with finding guests to into the church. Existing church structures
interview at the Alpha Supper (see the can be used to determine how to go about
sample questionnaire on pages 62–63) providing a follow-up programme
CHURCH?
47
ADDITIONAL PREPARATION TEAM TRAINING
If you haven’t already done so, prepare The team should be instructed to:
the following handouts: Hosts and Guest
• O
btain final numbers for the supper, and
questionnaire (see papers 62–63), Celebration
encourage guests who have not yet paid
Supper Invitations, Alpha Celebration Supper
form and money envelope. • Fix a date for a group reunion
• T
hink about potential helpers for the next
course. Particularly consider guests who
FOLLOW UP AFTER WEEK TEN
were non-Christians at the start of the
• A
fter the session, obtain final numbers for course, even if they are not yet Christians
the Alpha Celebration Supper
• C
onsider asking the following questions
• W
rite thank you letters to the small group this evening:
hosts, helpers, and the task force team to
thank them for all their hard work. - How have you got on during the course?
(Pick an open and positive person to
start.)
PRAYER / ADMINISTRATION - What would you like to do now? (Join a
MEETING pastorate/home group? Be involved in
NOTICES the next Alpha Course? The host needs
to make suggestions.)
Hosts and helpers should be advised to:
- Is there anything anyone would like
• V
olunteer to help with the Alpha
to pray about? (If there are no prayer
Celebration Supper, if possible
requests, then close in giving thanks –
• R
eturn all hosts’ questionnaires to the otherwise, end in prayer.)
Alpha Administrator
• F
eel free to photocopy guest address lists
and hand out to the group, permission
permitting
• R
emember to organise a social event for
the group, to take place after the course
has finished
FAMILIES
As churches we want to encourage family life.
Invite family members of those on the course
to come on the Alpha Weekend. They do not
have to come to talks and are welcome to join
in the entertainments and meals.
TRANSPORT
Encourage people to arrange their own lifts/
transport within the small groups. You may
want to provide a coach if you have a large
course.
SATURDAY
8.30 am Breakfast
9.30 am Worship
Who is the Holy Spirit?
10.45 am Coffee
56
11.15 am What Does the Holy Spirit Do?
12.00 pm Small groups
1.00 pm Lunch
Afternoon - free
4.15 pm Tea - optional!
5.00 pm Worship
How Can I Be Filled with the Holy Spirit?
7.00 pm Supper
8.30 pm Entertainment - if you would like to contribute a song, sketch or anything, come
prepared!
SUNDAY
9.00 am Breakfast
9.45 am Small groups
10.30 am How Can I Make the Most of the Rest of My Life?
Informal Holy Communion
1.00 pm Lunch
AFTER
ALPHA?
Before you start your course, you may want to and building a secure future. This is an ideal
think about how you will encourage those who resource for small groups to use after Alpha.
have completed the course to develop their faith.
A Life Worth Living – a nine-session course
This can be done in a number of ways. You may
based on Philippians. This course is ideal for
like to integrate those completing the course into
new Christians, and is available on DVD with an
existing home groups, or choose to establish new
accompanying guest manual.
ones. Alternatively, you may like to run a follow-
up course based upon the Alpha model. There Searching Issues – the seven issues most often
are many options that your local Alpha Adviser raised on Alpha including suffering, other
or Resource Church leader will be happy to talk religions and New Age beliefs.
through with you. The Heart of Revival – ten Bible studies based on
All of these follow-up courses are available as books Isaiah 40–66, drawing out important truths for
with study guides, audio recordings and manuals. today.
The Jesus Lifestyle Series 1, 2 and 3 – a series God at Work is a course designed for small or
of eighteen talks over three DVDs (each with mid-sized groups, which can be run in either
accompanying guest manuals) based on the church groups or workplace fellowships. The
teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. course aims to equip people to find purpose in
Series 1 include topics such as, ‘How to find the every aspect of their working life and to empower
secret of happiness’ and ‘How to change the them to live this out with the utmost integrity. It
world around you’, as well as the Old Testament, is based on Ken Costa’s book God at Work and
sex, divorce and anger. Series 2 covers subjects consists of six sessions.
including, ‘How to live and act with integrity’ and
These can be obtained from alphashop.org
‘How to handle difficult people’. Series 3 features
or the Alpha Publications Hotline, 0845 758 1278.
topics such as worry, criticism, false prophets
62
APPENDICES
3) Which of the following reasons best describe why you came on Alpha? Tick all that apply:
❏ Curiosity ❏ Spiritual search
❏ Had questions / wanted to find out more ❏ Came with a friend
❏ Looking for meaning / purpose in life ❏ Brought a friend / colleague / family member
❏ Other:
6) How would you have described yourself before the course, in terms of the Christian faith?
❏ Christian ❏ Undecided ❏ Non-Christian ❏ Atheist
❏ Agnostic ❏ Other
7) How would you describe yourself now, in terms of the Christian faith?
❏ Christian ❏ Undecided ❏ Non – Christian ❏ Atheist ❏ Agnostic ❏ Other
APPENDICES
63
9) In what ways, if any, did you benefit from doing the Alpha Course? Tick all that apply:
❏ Discovered a relationship with God through Jesus ❏ Made new friends
❏ Strengthened existing faith ❏ Feel more love / loved ❏ Found new purpose for life
❏ Feel more at peace ❏ Other
Further comments:
11) How could the course be improved eg talks, small groups, weekend etc?
15) Would you like to find out more about the work of Alpha?
❏ Yes ❏ No
APPENDICES
THE
ALPHA COURSE
AT HTB
Your details
Gender M F Group number
First name
Student Y N
Last name
Student Y N
2 Name
Spouse Child Age
Student Y N
3 Name
Spouse Child Age
I can pay £_______________ and would like a bursary for the difference
Cost Payment
How many? Sub-total
Adult £80 Amount paid £ Cheque Cash
Student £30 Please charge my credit / debit card PLEASE CIRCLE CARD TYPE
Child 4-17 yrs £30 Visa / Visa Electron / Access / Switch / Maestro / MasterCard / AmericanExpress / JCB / Solo / or Other
Card number
Total £
Valid from Expiry date
Name as on card
Billing Address___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Authorised signature
Your details
Gender M F Group number
First name
Student Y N
Last name
Student Y N
2 Name
Spouse Child Age
Student Y N
3 Name
Spouse Child Age
I can pay £_______________ and would like a bursary for the difference
Cost Payment
How many? Sub-total
Adult £80 Amount paid £ Cheque Cash
Student £30 Please charge my credit / debit card PLEASE CIRCLE CARD TYPE
Child 4-17 yrs £30 Visa / Visa Electron / Access / Switch / Maestro / MasterCard / AmericanExpress / JCB / Solo / or Other
Card number
Total £
Valid from Expiry date
Name as on card
Billing Address___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Authorised signature
1) With the exception of books (in which the 3) Use of Alpha International publications
author is stated to hold the copyright), all is permitted only when in conjunction
Alpha International resources, including with the running or promotion of Alpha
written material, audio visual resources, International courses. Resale, or the
graphics and software are copyright to obtaining of payment in any other
Alpha International. Alpha International connection with any Alpha International
resources cover a wide range of ministries publication is not permitted.
including the Alpha Course and post-Alpha
4) Alpha International asks that the name
resources, The Marriage Course and
of any Alpha International course, or
Relationship Central, Worship Central, St
names similar to it should not be used
Paul’s Theological Centre, and God at Work.
in connection with any other Christian
2) In no circumstances may any part of course. This request is made in order to:
any Alpha International publication be • a
void confusion caused by different
reproduced or transmitted in any form or courses having similar titles
by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopying, recording, or any • e
nsure the uniformity and integrity of
information storage or retrieval system the Alpha Course
without permission in writing from the • M
aintain confidence in courses listed
copyright holder or that holder’s agent. on the Alpha Course Directory
APPENDICES
67
5) Alpha International accepts that minor
adaptations to Alpha International courses
may occasionally be desirable. These
should only concern the length of the talks
or the number of sessions. In each case the
essential character of the course must be
retained.
If an Alpha International course is adapted the
person responsible must:
• o
nly use such a course in their own church
or parish
• n
ot allow such a course to be used
elsewhere
• not publish or promote such a course.
This statement supersedes all previous
statements relating to copyright in any Alpha
International resources.
Revised April 2010
APPENDICES
68
THE ALPHA COPYRIGHT STATEMENT
EXPLAINED
Unfortunately it has been necessary for us to write a copyright
statement. Below are some frequently asked questions
concerning the copyright of Alpha resources and the answers
to those questions. Please read the Alpha Copyright Statement
very carefully as this will answer many questions. The Alpha
copyright will always remain with Alpha International, so if
you encounter an issue or query outside the boundaries of the
answers provided, you should always refer the query to Alpha
International Publications at Holy Trinity Brompton.
Can I download the Alpha logo and use it for Can I photocopy all or part of the manuals?
brochures, newsletters, invitations, etc? No. All aspects of the Alpha Course revolve
Yes. This is on the understanding that it is used around providing guests with the best
solely for the promotion of your particular possible treatment (food, comfort, welcome,
Alpha Course, and is not for resale in any way. etc), and the quality of the resources should
reflect this attitude. It is worth mentioning
that it is actually very difficult to photocopy
Can I make a single/several duplicate copies
the course manual for less than £1.50, or the
of the DVD/audio tapes for the use of our
equivalent price in your country. Also many
home groups?
bookshops would give a discount on larger
No. Alpha resources should only be used in
orders.
conjunction with the running or promotion of
an Alpha Course, no one, whether they are There may be the odd exception to the rule.
a guest or a host, should be exposed to sub- Please liase with Alpha International for
standard copies. more information.
APPENDICES
The ALPHA COURSE
Administrator’s Handbook The
ALPHA
COURSE
If you are the administrator of an Alpha course
then this handbook details everything you need to know!
There are timetables for each section with checklists to help you, Administrator’s Handbook
and blank forms you may wish to use.
alpha.org
7070-06-01