Paul,

Thanks; I could not have said it better. Plus, it is more powerful coming from someone like you; I could just sound like a salesman. But I see the dymanics you are talking about.

Todd

Hi Todd,

Good to get an update on what you are doing. I'm still reading and rereading Divine Conspiracy, still having a lot of folks in recovery coming to our church, and still learning what it means to be an apprentice of Jesus. I was stirred by your intervew. Thanks for your honesty, and for you reminder that Jesus, His words, and His works, still bring people into the Kingdom!

A great fit for Toddly-Todd's weird gift-mix (evangelism, teaching, leadership, admin., etc.) and Alpha!

We're doing our 12th course and having a blast. We have people with Hindu, Buddhist, RC, secularist, Mormon, liberal and fundy backgrounds who speak 4.5 different languages; a foretaste of the coming kingdom in my living room. And the food ain't bad.

Todd, my grasp of PoMo churches is limited, but am I right to wonder whether the "de-construction" of all things old school evangelistic yielded little conversion growth? It seems dependent on gathering mega church dropouts. Where it thrives it seems to be in a "alternative service" at the mega-church that helps prolong the after-glow of adolescence.

Anyway, welcome back to the radical, merry-middle. You haven't compromised Todd. We're for ya.

All blessings,
Jon Panner

Todd,

Glad to know you and Alpha are together. This may soudn a bit "extreme" but I've followed the Alpha "movement" for years, and have helped lead the worship and group times and, in my experience, Alpha is the single Christian activity I've ever been involved in terms of evangelism which actually delivers the goods. And it works best when you do it exactly the way they tell you to. If you start messing with it or leaving things out (deciding to de-emphasize the meal, for instance) it doesn't work as well. The early Christians broke bread together (Acts 2) and Alpha takes that very seriously. They don't let the "guests" do anything. The Alpha volunteers prepare the meal and serve it -- and it's a full course, with white tablecloths, silver and candlelight (at HolyTrinity Brompton, anyway). And no "guest" ever pays a single penny for anything but the lodging at the Holy Spirit Retreat. It comes straight out of the church budget for missions. Some churches don't do the Holy Spirit weekend, for instance, because it's "too charismatic." That's fatal. Those churches typically don't do Alpha more than once or twice, because they are missing the most important part of the Alpha experience. They forget so easily that the whole point is to bring seekers not only into relationship with the church, but with God, and without the Holy Spirit, all you've got is the typically Evangelical "knowing about God" stuff you get at the typical "Bible Church". ) It also works best if you use the teaching videos. Nicky is, I believe, an apostle, in almost every sense of the word. I've never actually said that before, and it's kind of scary to do so, but that's what I really believe in my heart. He's a Paul for this generation, as Billy Graham was for the last. You don't have to like that (and i'm nto sure I do), but when that's the way it is, you accept it and you go with it. He is uniquely gifted. I would never dream of trying to do the teaching. I wouldn't participate in an Alpha in which someone was going to try to do the teaching without the videos. Most important is the small group, in order to be a leader, you have to commit to listening without "fixing" or teaching or otherwise commenting on what's shared until you receive a direct request to do so. That addresses all the complaints the alternativer churchers have about evangelical style. The genius of Alpha, in fact, is the no-confrontation small groups. The leader's job is to encourage people to say what they really think, and accept anything they say (anything!) without judgement or correction. The two questions Nicky encourages them to ask are, "What do you think?" and "How do you feel?" Who in the world doesn't wnat to answer those kinds of questions. That's how we relate. it's the essence of communication: One person talksa bout what they think and feel, the other really listens. You do that, you've done a lot. So you need no special qualification to be a group leader. In fact, it's much better to have inexperienced people lead the groups, because they don't think they "know better" than what they're told to do by the program leaders. It's us "educated Christians" that really have to learn to hold our tongues and let the Holy Spirit does his work without having to get us out of the way first. Now this may sound like being "sold out to a program." But I'm the last person to sell out to programs. But Alpha isn't a program, and this is the msot important thing I think and fell, even though even the Alphs folks don't seem to grap this fully: Alpha is a blueprint for building a community. It's the best such blueprint I've ever heard of. A healthy family has a regular time that it gets together to eat. A healthy family gets together to fellowship -- those are planned, intentional events (It's the families who aren't intentional about these things who fail.) Alpha is a great model of how a call to repentance and commitment to Chirst can be combined with genuine regard and acceptance, the ability to listen and serve and be enormously effective. It is also a lot of work and takes the cooperation of a large band of people all very committed to going in the same direction for a long period of time. So you beocnme a community in the act of broadening the community to include the "lost." The reason Holy Trinity Brompton's Alpha is so effective and powerful is that it is at the center of what that church does. And it has been for 20 years. They do three Alphas a year (actually more, because at least part of the year, there is a daytime and a nighttime version running concurrently. Alpha feeds Alpha because Alpha is the community blueprint. And poeple go on form attending toe program, to helping run it, to simply making the pattern of worship, fellowship, instruction and acceptance-based outreach they learn in Alpha a natural part of their lives. My current church is talking aobut starting an Alpha. I cna hardly wait. Ministry in Alpha is the most freeing, effortless, joyful thing I've ever done in the church, and certainly the most exciting. I saw more lives changed in the first Alpha I participated in than I'd witnessed in many years prior to that. And it happened at the most sick, broken church I'd ever had the displeasure of being involved with. Alpha literally saved that church, despite the opposition, initially of a large group within the congregation. The pastor, having suffered a painful divorce, and at the height of congregational calls for his removal as a failure, took a chance and in desperation, really, started a fledgling Alpha with 12 participants. Six years later, he's still there. And Alpha still goes on. And several of those who most velemently opposed the move have gone through the program and found life they didn't know existed.

Blessings on you and on Nicky and all the faithful who cook, serve and lead groups week after week in service of the Kingdom.

Edited by author 05-07-2004 05:53 PM
Todd you sell out! Just kidding. I think its a great fit for you and I am excited for you. I believe God will continue to use ALPHA for the kingdom and Todd you bring a fresh and wondergul perspective to the job.

Hi Todd.
   Up here in Canada we talk about recapturing the early church alot. The Early church was doing a "program" over a period of time that initiated catechumens into the realities of the faith and life together. Alpha IS "doing the stuff." I don't see how that is a sell out. All the best Todd.

Todd,
We planted our church, Vineyard Sacramento (downtown) by using Alpha in our Sunday morning "program". We felt that we could not do Alpha in it's intended way until all our current members knew exactly what it was and how it impacted people. We started with food, set all our chairs in round circles (visitors were slated to join a specific group), amended worship as Alpha suggests, etc. The only difference, and we have maintained this, is that I reworked Nicky's teachings, exchanging Brit humor for American and simply shortening them to about 30 min. It went perfect and was a great launching point. Every subsequent series has been during the evenings.

Question? Do you consider yourself as part of the Vineyard, or one of its so-called "friends? If in the latter catorgory, are you still tracking with the Vineyard?

I am all for you! Bless you in this new leadership role.
Johnny Zapara

Hi Johnny,

Cool story; thanks. Yes, I am sill with the Vineyard in that I am an ordained Vineyard pastor, but I am not pastoring right now, so...some people wonder. I stay in good contact with Bert Waggaoner, Bill Twyman (my last overseer) and Tri Robbinson, the local Vinyard pastor.

Hope that helps,

Todd

Todd, remember us little people... Just kidding... Seems like a great fit for all that you have done and the pashion that has been in you for so long.

Todd: WOW. Remember, I am the Lutheran guy here in Colorado Springs. Since seeing you in London,Todd,I have done a two month sabbatical from Colorado to Minneapolis with Derek to Orange County with David Householder and your friend Marti.

 Todd, I didn't have your e mail or tel number so I found you on this site...interesting.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, we have a Denver co-ordinating meeting. Would it be good to talk before or after? Keith Knoff

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