(Charisma Magazine 8.99) Almost anyone on London's streets has heard of the Alpha Course. Throughout England, people are returning to church because of a simple class on basic Christianity: ALPHA? It is quietly reclaiming a nation for God: These young Alpha staff members are taking the Bible study into 140 prisons in England and Wales. ALPHA IS AN UNUSUAL EVANGELISTIC BIBLE COURSE, WHICH FOCUSES ON THE WORK AND MINISTRY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND SUPERNATURAL EXPERIENCES ARE OFTEN REPORTED. Nicky Gumbel, a former attorney who studied law at Cambridge University, spearheads alpha. He is now on staff at Holy Trinity Brompton Church, the London home of Alpha. "Alpha just changed the packaging," he said. Alpha presents the Gospel in digestible portions. More then 4,000 churches of all denominations joined forces to launch the $1.6 million campaign. More then 1,700 billboards, 4.5 million invitations, and thousands of church bulletin boards and regional newspaper ads encouraged the population to "explore the meaning of life" through the Alpha course. Major television and radio stations, a large number of national papers, and more than 850 local papers covered the initiative. The goal is to mobilize a million churchgoers to invite the entire population of Great Britain to attend an Alpha course. 1) It is based in a local church. 2) It puts premium on friendship. 3) It recognizes that evangelism is a process. 4) It appeals to the whole person, head and heart. 5) It involves different models of evangelism. Anyone can run it from Catholic parishes to home cell groups. [Comment: It is the perfect tool to foster ecumenism]

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