ALPHA
TWELVE POINTERS WHEN MINISTERING ALPHA
1. Perseverance in prayer is the first essential. Ask the Lord to give you a heart for not only the lost, but the dispossessed.
2. If you are working in a church environment, and the support of the pastor is marginal, it is essential that you enter into a time or prayer asking the Lord to provide you with the necessary favor to proceed.
3. While it is not absolutely essential a pastor be fully supportive of Alpha, if he is only marginally interested, it is best to wait until a more favorable time. In every case, submission to, and respect for the pastor is critical.
4. Do not despise small beginnings and rejoice in the numbers of guests being sent to your course. The Lord may be preparing you and testing your heart.
5. Spiritual pride is a great enemy of the soul. It is certain that the Lord will both test and refine you during the Alpha course. Therefore, dealing humbly with any personal revelations the Lord may give you during the course regarding your lack of spiritual maturity will both refine and define your gift.
6. You do not have to become perfect (you never will) to lead Alpha, but you do have to first become aware of your own weaknesses (such as the spirit of judgment) before the Lord can trust you with more. These revelations can be difficult or even ugly. Yet, we must be grateful that the Lord is willing to shape and form us through his tough love.
7. Do not project how the Holy Spirit shall move among your guests at Alpha based upon your past experience. The Lord is uniquely able to reach souls where they are, and the rule of love is the only sure law. Do not judge, do not become anxious, and trust in his mercy.
8. There will be seasons of favor and seeming seasons of lack of favor. In fact, there is always favor, but the Lord may be exercising his right to change the spiritual landscape and to test our hearts. Rejoice in the down times, for this can the place of your spiritual growth and a time of needed rest for you.
9. Do not expect that the Holy Spirit shall always make himself known by a visible manifestation of his Presence. God knows what he is doing and how to reach and teach souls. We should not expect to understand but only to lovingly obey—testing all things by their fruit.
10. It is essential that you become a team builder and hold lightly onto the reins of control and authority. Failure to do this will lead to failure and frustration. The spirit of control is the domain of the enemy. You must be willing to pass the baton of authority allowing your identity to be in Christ alone.
11. It is essential that you provide follow up programs for guests as many will need further discipleship. You will have to be creative and learn how to think outside of the box. This will lead to new freedom in Christ and an increased spiritual imagination.
12. In Alpha we light fires and we do not fill buckets. We must avoid the historical teaching model which tells people what they should believe—but ignores the interior need for a personal relationship with Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. In this way guests will come to know the love of Christ.
