Welcome to Alpha Training

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Welcome to Alpha Training
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Welcome to Alpha Training
Pastoral Care
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Welcome to Alpha Training
AIM
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WE AIM TO INCLUDE ALL!
Even though we had some standing as Christs
apostles, we never threw our weight around or
tried to come across as important, with you or
anyone else. We werent aloof with you. We took
you just as you were. We were never patronizing,
never condescending, but we cared for you the way
a mother cares for her children. We loved you
dearly. Not content to just pass on the Message,
we wanted to give you our hearts. And we did. 1
THESSALONIANS 27-12
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GOD IS LOVE

• God Loves You Proven By the Cross
• God Gave Us the Gift of the Holy Spirit - We Are
  Important to Him !
• We Then Return Gods Love - It Is An Intimate
  Relationship
• We Then Love One Another, -Having Been Loved
  Into Life

KEY You must first love yourself with all your
warts, before you can love others. Only the
Fatherhood of God makes this kind of love
possible.
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Alpha Creating Relationships

• The Alpha Course Is All About Creating
  Relationships
• We Offer Intimacy And Kindness To Our
  Guests -To Exemplify His Love For Us -To
  Exemplify His Love For Others
• There Is a Risk! -Rejection -Unjust
  Characterization By Others

KEY ALPHA means you no longer believe in a holy
huddle. Its OK to embrace the outcast person.
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Alpha Is Not Good Works!

• We Must Be Motivated By
• A Belief That Jesus First Came To Save
• A Belief That Sin Is Serious, But That There Is
  A Remedy
• An Acknowledge That The Remedy Is His
• A Confidence That He Will Meet Us, And Assist
  Us, To His Greater Glory

KEY The mystics say, God does not need us,
yet, can do nothing without us. God is a
slave to His own Love for us.
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Integrity Of Heart
The mystery in a nutshell is just this Christ is
in you, therefore you can look forward to sharing
in Gods glory. Its that simple. That is the
substance of our Message. We preach Christ,
warning people not to add to the Message. We
teach in a spirit of profound common sense so
that we can bring each person to maturity. To be
mature is to be basic. Christ! No more, no less.
Thats what Im working so hard at, day after
day, year after year, doing my best with the
energy god so generously gives me. Colossians
123-29
KEY ALPHA is a place where we pass on survival
skills, -for the uninitiated.
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Small Groups

• A Place Where
• Everyone Is Looked After
• Leadership Takes On The Responsibility To Pray
  For Guests
• Leadership Encourages Dependence on God, And
  Not An Attachment To Leadership

KEY Good parents encourage their children to be
independent, but subject to rightful authority.
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Small Groups

• Video Discussions Are Like A Deluge -LOTS Of
  Water -LOTS Of Run Off
• Discussion Groups Are Like Watering Your
  Favorite Plant -Personal, And Up
  Close -Time To Prune, Observe

KEY Truth across the table works best.
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Small Groups

• A Place Were We Can
• Trust The Process -Evangelization Is A Process
• Recognize Time As Another Helper -There Are 15
  Sessions

KEY We must recognize that that while God keeps
raising the standard, He is patient with us, and
bears with us in our weakness. We must be
like-minded.
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METHOD

• A Proclamation Of The Gospel In An Environment Of
  Trust
• A Gradual Introduction To The Message Of The
  Cross
• A Gradual Introduction To The Power of Prayer
• A Gradual Introduction To The Power/Role Of
  Scripture
• A Gradual Introduction To the Power/Role Of The
  Holy Spirit

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METHOD

• While Prayer Is Not At First Highlighted There
  Are Opportunities For Prayer
• Each Video Ends With Prayer Some With An
  Invitation To Pray The Prayer of Jesus
• Grace At Meals Can Be Gradually Introduced As
  Prayer
• Opportunities Of Individual Prayer May Present
  Themselves

KEY To pray with a person for healing (interior
or physical) takes courage, but to the other, it
is a great encouragement.
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METHOD

• The Jesus Prayer
• Use The Why Jesus Booklet
• An Effective Prayer Yet -Requires
  Understanding Of Its Purpose -Requires A
  Recognition That This Is Only The Beginning
• Does Not Dispense With The Need For
  Reconciliation With The Church Community And
  With Others

KEY The key to acceptance of Christ is often
found in the forgiveness of others.
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BE AN ENCOURAGER!
God didnt set up up for an angry rejection but
for salvation by our Master, Jesus Christ. He
died for us, a death that triggered life. Whether
were awake with the living , or asleep with the
dead, were alive with him! So speak encouraging
words to one another. Build up hope so youll all
be together in this, not one left out, no one
left behind. I know you're already doing this,
just keep on doing it.. 1 THESSALONIANS 512
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BE A LISTENER!
Dont fool yourself into thinking that you are a
listerner when you are anything but, letting the
Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what
you hear! Those who hear and dont act are like
those who glance in the mirror, walk away, and
two minutes later have no idea of who they are,
what they look like. James 119
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BE A LISTENER!

• Consider Your Guests To Be Of Greater Value Than
  Yourself
• Remember, Wounded People Often Have No Voice
  -Empower Them By Listening
• Express A Genuine Interest In The Comments of
  Your Guests

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BE A PEACEMAKER!
Youre blessed when you can show people how to
cooperate instead of compete or fight. Thats
when you discover who you really are, and your
place in Gods family. Matthew 59
KEY Try to reconcile differences relieve
tensions, and diplomatically explore reasons
for differences.
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BE A PEACEMAKER!

• Remember, A Legalistic Attitude Breeds Contempt,
  And Hardness Of Heart
• Try To See Others As Jesus Sees
  Them -perfected in Heaven -free of guilt and
  shame
• Remember, Do Not Criticize Other Religious
  Traditions
• Try To Be In Unity With One Another, Let This Be
  Seen

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COMMITMENT
We Need Gods Grace To Meet Our Responsibilities

• We Need To Pray
• We Need To Come Early
• We Need To Work Hard, -Every Week
• We Need To Overcome Discouragement -Some People
  Will Leave

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COMMITMENT
We Need Gods Grace To Meet Our Responsibilities

• We Need To Obey The 100 Rule -The Best
  Food, -The Best Coffee -Always Warm And
  Welcoming
• We Need To Use All The Gifts God Has Given
  Us -In Submission To One Another -In Harmony
  And In Love

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CATHOLICS
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Catholic Issues Perspective

• Where Is The Blessed Mother? (Mariology)
• What About Church Authority? (Ecclesiology)
• What About The Sacraments? (Sacramentology)
• Ministry In The Holy Spirit, Whats THAT !!

KEY ALPHA requires follow-up planning.