alpha india newsFOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION ONLY | TO SEE THE EVANGELISATION OF THE SUBCONTINENT & THE TRANSFORMATION OF OUR SOCIETIES | ALPHAINDIA.ORG

THE QUARTERLY NEWSPAPER OF ALPHA INDIAVOLUME 4, ISSUE 2 | APRIL - JUNE 2013

news in BRieF

Worship Central:The FCC feels their foundations have been laid by going through the Worship Central course.Pg. 4

Prison Alpha:Prisoners in Odisha are really interested in listening to the Alpha talks.Pg. 5

Master Training:444 Master Trainers from across India were equipped in the Alpha course.Pg. 6-7

GAT in Mangalore:Organised for the largest Catholicdiocese of India.Pg. 8

Stories from South:Read about trainings, courses and testimonies from various places in South India.Pg. 8-9

A time to ride:Know more about Joshua John a Delhi biker and pastor.Pg. 11

Financial PartnershipWe appreciate your financial partnership. If you are inspired to support Alpha India please use the details below, or contact Josy Joseph at the Alpha India Office.

Alpha India Account:

Account Number: 911020054880929 NAME: ALPHA INDIABANK NAME : AXIS BANK LTDIFSC CODE : UTIB0000734BRANCH : KALYAN NAGAR BANGALORE.Acc Type: Current Account

The Alpha course has been running in Malaysia for many years. At the Grace Assembly, Petaling Jaya, it has been a blessing to many. Members of the Church write the names of people whom they desire to come to the course on a star fish cutout and put it up on a board, so the whole church prays for these people to come on the course and come to faith. Read more about this wonderful Assembly on Pg 10

An inspiring interview of the Biker-artist-photographer-pastor with his innovative way of sharing the Gospel on Pg 11

ALPHA BLESSING MALAYSIA

ADVENTURE PAINTINGS BY JOSHUA JOHN

2 alpha notes

READERS STORIES & PHOTOSThank you for the testimonies, stories and photos that were sent to us. Once again in this issue your stories have been printed throughout the newspaper, along with other encouraging stories that we have received from across the nation.

Please send your stories to:Email: stories.alphaindia@gmail.com

Postal address: Alpha India National Office219, 5th A Main Road, HRBR 2nd Block, Kalyan Nagar, Bangalore - 560 043

ALPHA INDIA NEWSAPRIL - JUNE 2013

RESPONSE CARDSThese are a few responses from people who have attended Alpha

National Alpha Office contact details:Alpha India:219, 5th A Main Road, HRBR 2nd Block, Kalyan Nagar, Bangalore - 560 043Tel: 080 2542 0902 IDD: +91 80 2542 0902Email: contact@alphaindia.org, Web: www.alphaindia.org

National Director: Mr J. Varadaraj

Board Members:Chris Sadler, Chairman of Alpha Asia-Pacific Scott Norling, Chairman of Alpha IndiaJ Varadaraj, National Director of Alpha IndiaDon Anderson, Advisor to Petroleum Ministry of QatarClarissa Anderson, Entreprenuer and InvesterMathew Anthony, Secretary for Evangelisation, Archdiocese of DelhiChurch Advisory Board:Archbishop Vincent ConcessaoBishop Rt. Rev. V. M. MalaviyaRev. Dr. D. Mohan, Superintendant of AOG India

Alpha India Regional Offices:North West Region, Chandigarh: Rupak NayakEmail : rupak.alphaindia@gmail.comMob : 090233-91414West Region, Ahmedabad: Jimmy HarshkantEmail : damorejimmy@gmail.comPh : 09825-444197East Region, Kolkata: Prabir MandalEmail : prabir.alphaindia@gmail.comPh : 096744-61951North East Region, Shillong : P.O Ryn Jah, Shillong - 793006Ph : 090851-57153

National Coordinator’s Contact details:Alpha in the Workplace: Santosh ChetriMob: 090070-22889Alpha for Prisons: Peace Khapai Mob: 09597-421832Student & Youth Alpha : James Michael David Mob : 097429-98618North-East Diaspora: Rampan MuivahMob : 099029-90313

Coordinators’ Contact details:Andhra Pradesh: Susheel K Chattar Mob: 098660-99184 Andhra Pradesh - Hindupur: Paul J L Mob: 094408-61979Bihar: George Muller Mob: 094310-16124South Karnataka: Sam Victor Mob: 099646-98118North Karnataka (Hubli): Abraham VinayMob: 095914-22225Kerala : Mon C GeorgeMob: 094464 83577Odisha: Tushar K BeheraMob: 093371-41600Odisha: Jayadeep SamantroyMob: 098535-03813Rajasthan: Kamlesh ParmarMob: 099830-03637Rajasthan: Johnson JamesMob:098290-77374Uttarakhand: Janus Peter Mob: 094581-90983Uttar Pradesh: Vinay P Dayal Mob: 093594-86843West Bengal: Dilip Debnath Mob: 098742-07760Tamil Nadu : John RajanMob : 098434-95572Northeast : Ninghor K Shimray Mob: 090851-57153Northeast : Subhas LyngdohMob: 097740-59873Kathmandu : Rupa ChetriMob: 00977 98132-81683Kathmandu: Reuben PradhanMob: 00977- 98020-25522Assoc. Coordinator, Chandigarh : Vikram Sathyarahi, Mob: 096467-76120

© Alpha India 2013, edited and published by J.V. Raj for Alpha India

LETTER FROM BISHOP PHILLIP S. MASIH

Dear Mr Vardaraj

I am really thankful to Alpha India for their participation in the Lucknow Episcopal area.

Alpha has the ability to bring about a revolution and awareness amongst the church members for evangelization in their local areas. The Alpha course acts as a catalyst in the divine process of church growth. Hence, I highly recommend the Alpha course to all my collogues and pastors to make effective use of it in the process of evangelism and in bringing a transformational change in the society.

I really appreciate the partnership of Alpha India with Lucknow and Bengal Regional conference of MCI.

We look forward to working together for the extension of His kingdom.

Thanking you,

Yours sincerely,

BISHOP PHILLIP S. MASIH

• “I enjoyed the group sharing and interactions amongst us… Also the fellowship meal at the end… So ultimately, I would say, I liked the bonding that took place!

• “My faith in Christ has become stronger, thanks to the Alpha course”

• “I did not know what exactly to expect on the Holy Spirit Day but I wanted to receive Him and I believe I have. I have never felt anything like this before!”

• “Looks like God planned it!”

• “I enjoyed everything from the singing, the talks, the videos, the warm hospitality of our hosts, and of course the dinner at the end!”

• “I got a chance to voice so many questions. I also make it a point to read my Bible everyday now.”

• “I have become a tad more patient than before, learning to accept differences… I believe that God is faithful and will fulfill his plan for us.”

3alpha notesALPHA INDIA NEWSAPRIL - JUNE 2013

FROM THE NATIONAL DIRECTOR

“Someone died for you”

Aftersomanyyearsofhavingknownthistruth,Icontinuetobeamazedthat“someonediedforme”.Itisalwaysdifficulttobringmyselftofacetherealityofthisfact.Itisactuallyunbelievable.ThisneedsfaithwhichcomesbyhearingthewordofGod.Livinginanutterlyselfishworldwheremanjustifieshisactionandmovesfromonecrisesoffaithtoyetanother,eventuallydevoidoftheunspeakablegiftofGod.Inmathematics,wheninfinityisaddedtoafinitenumber,thetotalbecomesinfinite.Nomatterwhatthevalueofthefinitenumber,itstillwillbeknownasaninfinitenumber.Thisiswhathappenedwhensomeonediedformeonthatcross.Worthlessinmyself,theworthinessofJesusisimputedtome.Thisgreatvalueimputedonmecreatesunlimitedpossibilitiesandcontinuestoenhancethecapacitytolivetheabundantlife.

AtAlphaIndia,weareagroupofveryordinaryandsimplepeopleandlookingatallthathashappened,wearemorethansurethatthisisaworkofGod.Wearealsosure,ifGodwasnotwithus,wecouldnothavedoneanythingthathashappened.

ThisissuehasfocusedonMasterTrainers,Ps.JoshuaJohnandAlpha’sworkinTamilNadu&Malaysia.ThenetworkofMasterTrainershasmultipliedthenumberofleaderstrainedeachmonth.

IwasthrilledtoseehowGodhashonouredsimplestepsofacouple—Dr.HendricksChiaandKim,andhowtheirworkhasmultipliedinmanywaysinGraceAssembliesinPetalingJaya.AnumberofleadershavecomeupthroughtheAlphacoursesandmanyhavecometofaith.TheresponsefromtheTamilchurchesrecentlyisoverwhelming.Wecanexpectarichharvestinthemonthstocome.MyheartycongratulationstomydearfriendsFooLaiWei,IsiangandtheteamofAlphaMalaysia.ThomasandDr.FelsieEarnestaredoingaverygoodjobamongtheTamilChurches.Thankyouforyourexamplefriends.

Pleasecontinuetoprayforusandsupportusinwhicheverwayyoucan.Anotefromyouwillcertainlyencourageusevenaswedesirethatthecountrywillknowthat“someonediedforthem”.

Evergrateful,

RajNationalDirectorAlphaIndia

And He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

2Corinthians5:15

from the field4 from the field4 ALPHA INDIA NEWSAPRIL - JUNE 2013

PRACTICAL AND POWERFUL TOOL FOR STRONG MARRIAGES - Rupak K Nayak

When the Alpha India’s Marriage book was published in Hindi it paved the way to reach out to the people there and make this powerful resource alive to them. People are very excited about this practical and powerful tool of strengthening marriage. This year the states of HP, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttaranchal and Delhi will be strategically ministered with Marriage Course Trainings.

10 couples from Solan, Himachal Pradesh were ministered and equipped with Marriage course Trainings this February. Here are few of their testimonies

Ravi & Punam We are married for 5 years, my husband speaks so less, but for the first time I am able

Most couples come into marriage with big expectations. As they leave their wedding through a shower of confetti and meander off into the sunset, they cannot imagine ever not wanting to be together. The long-term reality is different and potentially, far better.

Nicky & Sila Lee- Authors of the Marriage course book

to understand what my husband’s desire from our life is. We learnt about the importance of spending time together and the need for sharing and listening to each other. This training workshop has brought us closer.

Balbir & PinkiWe learnt about how we can strengthen our relationship and keep it going during the tough times. This training has helped us to understand each other’s needs and differences better.

John Samuel & MariyaWe recognized the weak areas in our marriage and understood how to build them up.

Hitesh & SantoshiWe were about to quit working in the ministry due to our ongoing marital issues. But now we are able to see the plan of God for our life and marriage. The session on importance and practicality of a physical relationship answered many doubts and cleared religious myths. I had no respect and could not find forgiveness for my husband but now I have learnt about the importance of valuing each other and practicing forgiveness within a marriage.

Loma & Jyoti “I have attended so many meetings and seminars but I have never attended anything like this, where I was able to explore and reflect on the joy of being married and share my fears and joys with my wife”. We enjoyed it so much and it has been an investment into our marriage and we will share this wonderful tool with others.

Lawrence & JenniferWe were able to evaluate our Sexual Life within marriage; Session on Good Sex was an eye opener.

Vikram & MitikaFor my wife and me it was a privilege to minister to people who are ministering and labouring in God’s Kingdom. We realised that there is such an urgency to invest in the marital relationships of believers and ministers equally. The harvest is truly plenty and the labourers are few.

On 12th January 2013, the Faith Community Centre Church (FCC) in Chandigarh, North India, embarked on an excellent training program for their Worship Team which was regularly attended by 13 people. The Worship Central Course is designed by Tim Hughes and Al Gordon. Doing this 7 weeks course with the FCC Worship team has been a riveting yet challenging experience. The FCC team said, “As individuals we have been adequately equipped with some basic tools that have greatly enhanced our private worship experience. As a team we have been greatly challenged to go the extra mile in our service to God. We believe the underlying theme for this course: “Encounter God, Equip the Worshiper and Empower the Local Church” is foundational for any Worship Team.”

They went on to say, “The course material has been well planned and written. The examples are thought provoking and greatly inspiring. The topics are varied yet connected like - “Why Worship Central”, “Encounter God”, “Leading Worship”, “Releasing Creativity”, “How to Play Together”, “The Effective Team”, and “The Authentic Leader”.

The prayers, effort and planning that has gone into this course make it a first choice resource for any worship team. The right balance between an individual’s skills/talent and character has been repeatedly endorsed throughout the course. The emphasis on preparation, prayer and spiritual growth is evident in every session of the course.”

The team at FCC is very grateful to the team at Worship Central for designing this course. They said, “Our prayer as a team is that we will continue to build on the foundation that has been laid through this course. As a Worship Team we are committed to making worship our highest priority and to be committed to the Lord and to His bride – The Church, in raising a group of true worshippers, equipped and ready for the return of The King.”

from the field 5ALPHA INDIA NEWSAPRIL - JUNE 2013 5

Prisoners listen to the Gospel - Tushar K Behera

Rev. U.K. Pani is an Alpha for Prisons advisor in our Odisha ministry. He works in areas in and around Bhubaneswar where he and his team have been involved in the Alpha prison ministry. They have been visiting the Jharpada jail, Bhubaneswar, Puri jail, Open jail, BBSR and Khurda jail.

He believes that these prisoners are really interested in listening to the Alpha talks which they have come to understand is about the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The prisoners are especially interested in listening to talks about Jesus, like “Who is Jesus?”, “Why did Jesus die?” etc. Through these detailed talks about Jesus many of them are now convinced that they are sinners and that they need the Saviour in their life.

In one of the meetings at the Jharpara jail in Bhubaneswar, during the message many people came forward and accepted Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour. Rev. U.K. Pani is very happy that the Lord Almighty is using Alpha in a mighty way to bring souls for the Lord, even from jails. He also shared that there are prisoners who are now reading the Word of God and growing in the Lord.

Alpha at Woman’s Prayer Fellowship- Jayadeep Samantaroy

Alpha India conducted a one day training for the Women’s Fellowship of the Mercy Smile Ministry. This church is located at Pograposh in the Sundargarh district of Odisha.

Ps. Thomas Peter, who is the pastor of this congregation, was trained in Alpha at one of the Alpha Master Trainers Training at Kolkata. As a result of this training, he was inspired to run the Alpha Training in his area. Ps. Thomas Peter and his team conducted the training in this church for 33 women. The women who had come for this training were taught how to run the Alpha course. There are many delegates from his church who are willing to start the Alpha course in the days to come.

The Maram Naga Baptist Association (MRNBA) conducted an Alpha course Training for the Sunday school teachers from 26th to 28th February 2013 at the Taphou Baptist Church, Senapati Manipur. 21 people from 8 different churches attended the training. MRNBA is the first to conduct such a training in Manipur under the Manipur Baptist Convention Youth Department (MBCYD) since Alpha trained them in January.

Mr. Chris Maraiba, Youth Secretary of the MRNBA and Mr. R.K. Cheijinba (Pujan), Youth Secretary of the Thangal Naga Baptist Assn., who is also the Youth President of MBC were the first to be trained in the Alpha course training at MBC, Imphal and the two of them were the resource persons at this training.

They are glad to partner with Alpha India and explore the rich and useful resources that Alpha offers to people in all walks of life. They feel especially blessed that they would be able to use the Alpha resources as material for their Sunday School.

- Ninghor K Shimray

Manipur Baptist Church partnership- Ninghor K Shimray

The Alpha course in MBC Imphal, with its Youth Secretaries who were represented by 16 Associations, was concluded in January. The Youth Secretaries made an action plan where they said that they all wanted to go back to their respective associations and begin the Alpha course. Rev. Mathotmi the MBC Youth Secretary said, “I will begin the Alpha course from next week in the MBC hostel and surrounding areas”.

One of the Youth Secretaries who represents more than 20 churches said, “I will first run the Alpha course with my local pastors and then train our Sunday school teachers on the Alpha course so that it will become a part of our Sunday school curriculum”. (Read below)

STORIES FROM NORTH

ALPHA IN MANIPUR BAPTIST CONVENTION YOUTH DEPARTMENT (MBCYD)

ALPHA RESOURCESAlpha course resources are available in English, Hindi, Marathi, Punjabi, Gujarati,

Kannada,Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Oriya, Assamese and Urdu.

resources@alphaindia.org

MASTERTRAINING

Equipping LEadErs

From January 2013 to March 2013 we have trained 444 Master Trainers across India, these are people who have already been exposed to running the Alpha courses in their local churches and have expressed their interest in sharing the blessings and benefits to other churches and organizations etc. For these trainings we created a flip chart to help the master trainers in their small group trainings.

A Master Trainer is a person who is trained by the Alpha team to train the lay leaders of any church, any denomination, organizations etc. Without any partiality, church leaders and people from various denominations are getting together for one purpose - to extending the Kingdom of God. Alpha has provided a platform for this, which is a unique depiction of the core values of Alpha.

6

BaNgaLoReOn25th–26thFebruary2013weorganizedatwodayMasterTrainer’sprogram in Bangalore where 33 leaders participated from states likeDelhi, Greater Noida, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore.MostofthemhavegonebackwithmoreclarityandwiththedecisiontorunanAlphatrainingintheirregion.

OnthefirstdaytheMasterTrainersweregroupedinto3andeachteamwascoachedbyourNAOteam.Thefirstdaywasledbyusandforthesecond day it was our master trainer’s turn to replicate the first day’sactivities.Outof33 leaders21of themhavesignedup toconduct40Alphatrainingsindifferentpartsof thecountrywhichwill result in865leaderstrainedinMarch.

MaDURaITheMasterTrainer’strainingwasheldonthe29thand30thofJanuaryinTamilNadu.AlltheMasterTrainersareverypassionateandenthusiasticaboutintroducingtheAlphatoolintheirrespectiveregions.

In the month of February all our master trainers approached differentchurchesandplannedtostarttrainingsinthemonthofMarch.GodreallyblessedthisteaminTamilNaduwith48trainingsandaround975peopleweretrained.

DHaRwaDAlphaMasterTrainer’sTrainingwasheldatDharwadcityinKarnataka.About30trainersweretrainedandequippedtoraiseandtrainasmanyleadersastheycanreachouttofromdifferentchurchesofKarnatakatoruntheAlphacourse.TheywereencouragedtoreachouttotheirlocalcommunitywiththeGospel.Itwasreallyanenrichingtime;manyofthemtookonthechallengetotrainatleast30leaderseverymonth.

gUwaHaTITheNorthEastRegionofIndiaisformingateamtobringaboutagreatmoveintheregionwithtoolsthathavemovedandtransformedmanynations.

About74leadersrepresentingthefivestatesoftheNorthEastregion-Assam,Manipur,Meghalaya,NagalandandSikkim,weretrainedtorunAlpha for twodaysat theDonBosco Institute. TheseMasterTrainerscommitted to conduct 134 trainings for about 1,635 leaders and theyexpecttoseemorethan242AlphacoursesrunningbytheendofJuly2013.

master training

MASTERTRAINING

Equipping LEadErs

From January 2013 to March 2013 we have trained 444 Master Trainers across India, these are people who have already been exposed to running the Alpha courses in their local churches and have expressed their interest in sharing the blessings and benefits to other churches and organizations etc. For these trainings we created a flip chart to help the master trainers in their small group trainings.

A Master Trainer is a person who is trained by the Alpha team to train the lay leaders of any church, any denomination, organizations etc. Without any partiality, church leaders and people from various denominations are getting together for one purpose - to extending the Kingdom of God. Alpha has provided a platform for this, which is a unique depiction of the core values of Alpha.

7

CHaNDIgaRHAswehaveavisiontoreachourcountrywiththegoodnews,weplannedanddecidedtohaveaMasterTrainerstrainingfortheNorthWestRegionof India at Chandigarh on 17th and 18th January. 50 of our trainersfrom7states(Jammu&Kashmir,Punjab,HimachalPradesh,Haryana,Uttarakhand,DelhiandChandigarh)reachedthevenue inspiteof thebadweather.

Onthe1stday14ofourseniorMasterTrainerstrainedournewtrainersin4groups.Onthe2nddayalsowehadverybadweather,whileitwasfreezing cold outside, inside the Holy Spirit warmed us and startedworkingamongusrightfromthetimeofworship.Wefinishedthetrainingwithanactionplanfortheyear-toreachasmanychurchesaspossibleinNorthIndia.InthemonthofFebruarywesawtheresultsofthistrainingintheformof700plusleadersbeingtrainedtoruntheAlphacourse.

BaNgaLoRe - aLPHa IN woRKPLaCeInthedimensionofwealthandstatus,manyaregettingpaidfarabovewhathadbeenthecaseadecadeago.Howeverinanotherdimension,awidegapiscreatedastheendowmentofstatusandwealthcreatesanimpressionthatitwillbringsatisfactioninlifebutisjustpseudo.

AlphaatWorkplaceinIndiaishopingthatthevisionofAlphaIndiawhichis“EvangelizationofournationandTransformationofthesociety”willbeaccomplishedaswereachouttothecorporateworld.Aswehavebeenprayingformoreworkers,theLordthroughdivineconnectionsgaveusateamofsixyoungprofessionalswhowanttoworkwithusasvolunteerswhile they continue to influence the various spheres of the corporateworldthattheyarepresentlyinvolvedin.

These brothers came from the city of Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad andBangaloreandtheywillbecoveringatleastfourcitiesintheirvicinitiesinadditiontothecitywheretheyarepresentlylocated.HenceWorkplaceAlphabrought them togetheratBangalore for twodaysandequippedtheseleadersbysharingourvisionwiththemandcommissionedthemwiththetoolsofWorkplaceAlphasothattheytoocantrainmorebrothersandsistersworkinginthecorporateworld.

aJMeR17people fromvariouspartsofRajasthanattended theAlphaMasterTrainingheldatAjmer.TheyallsaidthattheylikedthecourseanditisveryusefulforthecurrentsituationinRajasthanwheretherearestill6odddistrictsthathavenochurchesatall.

master training

from the field8 ALPHA INDIA NEWSAPRIL - JUNE 2013

Youth Alpha develops leaders- Sam Victor

The training was conducted in Mysore for 20 youths who felt the training was very effective and motivational. The youth Alpha course is good as it is done by the youth themselves and the youth are given the opportunity to lead in the course. It’s also helpful for developing young Christian leaders. I believe these young people can use Alpha to share the Gospel with their friends.

Alpha work in Sri LankaTwo Sri Lankan pastors attended the Global Alpha training in Tamil Nadu. As a result of this when they went back to Sri Lanka they started running the course there. One of them, Pr. Devananthan, said that 8 people are attending the course now. Both the Pastors who ran the course in Sri Lanka said, “The time given for group discussion really helps the people to share their views. They can understand the meaning of their life and it is a good tool to be used for church growth.”

For the Glory of God - John Rajan & Hannah

Rajeshwari accepted Jesus a few years ago and she has been eager to share the love of Jesus with her family, friends and neighbors as she is the only believer in her family. She decided to start the Alpha course in her house as she feels that it is the best tool for sharing the Gospel.Despite the fact that her relatives shouted at her for doing this she continued to run the course as she believed in her heart, that she was doing this for the Glory of God. Being a housewife she was not financially well off, but she spent her savings on providing tea and snacks for everyone who attended. Her husband who is a manager was awarded the best performer and was suitably compensated for this. Rajeswari said, “God has blessed my family because I started sharing the gospel with my relatives and friends by conducting the Alpha course at home.”

60 courses at Praise Fort Church- John Rajan & Hannah

Pr. Rev. Dr. I. Ratnam Paul who is a senior pastor at the Praise Fort Church in Tirunelveli heard about the Alpha course when he went to Singapore. So, when our coordinators in Tamil Nadu approached him to run Alpha in his church he gladly agreed to start an Alpha training. This training resulted in the church starting 60 Alpha courses at various locations. During the ‘weekend away’ session everybody was filled with the Holy Spirit and they all believed that Jesus is their Lord. Today, 90 of the people who attended the various courses are attending church and have accepted Christ as their personal Saviour. Pr. Ratnam Paul and Pr. Nixon the Associate Pastor of Praise Fort Church are very happy with the outcome of the Alpha course and want to run many more courses.

From the 6th to 8th March, 2013 a GAT event was organized for the Catholic Diocese of Mangalore which embraces the entire districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kasargod Taluk. It is one of the largest Catholic dioceses of India.

It was primarily meant for the Small Christian Community (SCC) leaders from the Karnataka region. Along with a good number of priests, nuns and lay people present among the delegates, was His Lordship, Bishop Aloysius Paul D’Souza who graced the gathering with his presence by attending all 3 days of the GAT. The resource team included Damian Prakash, Aloysius Netto (from Malaysia) along with Matthew Antony and Bernadette Morris (from New Delhi).

The delegates showed a lot of enthusiasm in wanting to run the Alpha course in their respective parishes. As part of the planning and commitment, a local diocesan team was formed headed by Rev. Fr. Francis Crasta (Parish Priest,

Perpetual Succour Parish) and assisted by Fr Walter D’Souza (Director, SCC)

The team from Malaysia also got a chance to address a gathering of 150 seminarians along with their professors and introduced the Alpha course to them. The seminarians were eager to run the course not only in their seminary but also for the youth they pastor.

One of the priests Fr Nelson Olivera, parish priest of Assumption of Our Lady church, Mariashram said, “Alpha is a wonderful tool to run in parishes for our people to have an experience of Jesus. We plan to run it in our deanery in the near future.”

GAT IN MANGALORE DIOCESE

follow us on @AlphaInIndia

STORIES OF TRANINGS & COURSES FROM THE FIELD

- Matthew antony & Bernadette Morris

from the field 9ALPHA INDIA NEWSAPRIL - JUNE 2013

I am Preeti Damore. I live at Ravandi, Kherwara. About 2 years ago I came to know about the Alpha course and I liked it very much because I am a working woman and through this course I can work and serve the Lord at the same time.

I took part in this course when it started. Through it I got to know more about the Word of God (Bible) and during this course I found answers to all my questions from the Bible. I even got to know how to share the Word of God with others.

During one of the weekends of the course while I fasted and prayed I was touched by the Holy Spirit and gradually my life started changing like the Word says, “The truth will set you free’’. Even though many hardships came to my life through this course I got the opportunity to get to know more about the Word and came closer to God. Through this course I learned how to receive the blessings from God for all my life situations.

BENEFITED BY THE ALPHA COURSE- Kamlesh Parmar

The alpha couRse FAQs

1. How do I get started running Alpha?

Prayerisvitaltotheplanning,preparationandeffectivenessofyourAlphacourse.FindagroupofpeoplewhowillprayforeveryaspectofyourAlphacourse.

Step 1 - Pray

Step 2 - Participate

Step 3 - Plan yourcourse

Step 4 - Prepare yourteam

Step 5 - Procure yourresources

Step 6 - Persevere

Step 7 - Pass onthevision

2. How do I run the Alpha course outside of my church?

UsingthesameAlphacoursecontentandstructure,youcanrunanAlphacourseatschool,colleges,workplace,prisons,hospitals,homelessshelters,armybases,slums,amongeunuchsandinredlightdistricts.

3. What resources and training opportunities are available to me?

• AccesstoAlpha’snationaltrainingconferencesandlocaltrainingevents.

• AccesstoafullarrayofproductsthroughtheAlphaIndiawebsitetopromote,runandaugmentyourAlphacourse.

• AccesstoanetworkofAlphacoordinatorsandAlphaadvisors

4. How do I contact Alpha India?

Yourfirstpointofcontactis

• Yourlocalstatecoordinatorthen

• TheRegionalOfficeandfinally

• TheAlphaIndiaNationalOffice Theycanallhelpyoulocateatraining

eventhappeningnearyou.

PleasefindthecontactdetailsonPg.2

Sacred Heart Cathedral, Delhi

The Sacred Heart Cathedral in New Delhi saw its first Alpha course from January to March, 2013. Among the 40 guests who experienced Jesus in a new way at the course were religious and lay people from all walks of life. The course was conducted primarily for the parishioners of the Cathedral, but it was also attended by people of other faiths.

Rev Fr Maria SusaiParish Priest, Sacred Heart Cathedral said,“I think the Alpha course is a beautiful tool for evangelization and re-evangelization. It is a refreshing course and an eye opener for all of us. It has helped the people experience Christ in a

more profound way. I am so excited to see what the course has done to the people of my parish.”

Br Dermot BarrettCongregation of Christian Brothers said, “The Alpha course is a vehicle for engaging the laity not only in returning to the Faith, but in intensifying their commitment to the person of Christ. After the course, the Bible which was for

many of us a closed book, has now become our ‘daily bread’. The meal time, though

seemingly inconsequential is at the very heart of the Alpha course and the most enduring characteristic of it was the bond that it created among the guests. However, personally for me the highlight of the course was the Holy Spirit Day which formed the watershed of the whole course.

TESTIMONIES FROM TAMIL NADUPR. PRaVeeN KUMaR

I have always been interested in the teachings of Alpha which is why we are using it in our Church. We have successfully finished running 2 Alpha courses and the best part of conducting these 2 Alpha courses is that 11 of the people accepted

Christ as their Personal Saviour.

PR.YeSURaJI am running 3 Alpha courses in my Church. In one of the courses 4 people have accepted Christ. The method used in Alpha is excellent as it is easy for us to gather everyone for the Alpha course and to share about Jesus Christ. It

was very useful for my Church growth.

PR. KUMaRI am very glad that we are able to use the Alpha tool in our church which I feel is one of the greatest and most helpful tools for evangelization. I hope that in the future many people will accept Christ and I am sure that they will all start coming to church.

10 alpha in malaySia ALPHA INDIA NEWSAPRIL - JUNE 2013

It started 5 years ago, when my wife and I, as leaders of our local church (Grace Assembly, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia) cell group, were praying and discussing about ways to encourage our cell to grow. We decided to suggest to our cell members to start a programme to reach out to our friends who were not Christians. By God’s grace, I met brother Foo Lai Wei (National Director of Alpha Malaysia), who guided us and trained us to run our first Alpha course from our home within the cell. Bro Lai Wei was excellent and enthusiastic, and took us through the Alpha programme over 2 days of training.

With Bro Lai Wei’s encouragement, muchprayer, and a certain amount of courage bymy brothers and sisters in Christ in the cell(about 15 of us), we embarked on the 1stAlpha course on 8th August 2008. It wasan amazing 3 months of adventure, as westruggled with the logistics, getting the foodcatered, arranging the chairs and tables inthegarden(andbringingtheminagainwhenit rains!), setting up the audio visuals andkeepingourguestscomfortableandlearningtobefriendthem.ItwaswortheveryminuteofitasthroughthisfirstAlphacourse,wesaw4pre-believersacceptedChrist,5young/back-slided Christians make a fresh commitmenttotheLord;andofthese,7cametoourcellregularlyafter theAlphacourse.Thesenewadditions enabled our cell to multiply to 2differentcellsinthefollowingmonths.

The next chapter...AfterthesuccessofourfirstexperienceoftheAlphacourse, Iwrotea report toourSeniorPastorHenryPillai,sharinghowtheLordhasused the Alpha course to multiply our cell.Inmyreport, I recommendedthat theAlphacoursecouldbeusedchurchwide inall thecells for growthandmultiplication.Followingthis report and with the help of a wonderfulandhardworkingteamofbrothersandsistersin Christ, we embarked on the first AlphaChurchWideCourseinMarch2010.

The logistics and planning for this 1stChurch wide Alpha course was amazing –we converted the church into a “ballroom”with about 30 tables, each seating 10-12people. Together with the administration,

food, audiovisuals, booksandcrèche– is awonderful testimony of how the Lord useddifferent people to serve unselfishly andsacrificially. What is more amazing is thewonderful testimonies of Christians – back-slidedandyoungChristianswhohavebeenimpactedthroughthecourse,andthe14pre-believerswhogavetheirlivestoChrist.

Subsequent alpha courses Followingthe1stchurchwideAlphacourse,the Alpha team dedicated themselves tocontinue running theAlphacourse inGraceAssembly twice per year. In the 2nd Alphacourse,wehadagroupofbrothersandsistersfromtheSignofGrace(deafandmute)–whousedsign languagefor theAlphacourse forthefirsttime.

The 7th alpha course and Bro. Raj…

In September 2012, I saw an interview Bro.RajhadwithNickyGumbel.Iwasimmediatelyencouraged and touched by Bro. Raj’stestimony. I wondered and prayed whetherwe could invite him to our church, primarilytoencourageour teamtoprayandcontinueserving the Lord in the Alpha ministry. TheLordwasgraciousandwemanagedtomakecontact with brother Raj and invite him toMalaysia.

ItwasajoyandprivilegewhenwewerefinallyabletowelcomebrotherRajtoourchurchonthe15thofFebruary2013.Ourdearbrotherspent10veryfruitfuldayswithus,andministeredtousat10differentmeetings.ThroughbrotherRaj’sencouragement and the hard work of the 7thAlphateam,the7thAlphacoursekickedoffonthe10thofMarch.Forthefirsttime,wehadtheAlphacoursein3languages–English,Chineseand Tamil; and live Youth Alpha. The TamilAlphacoursewasledbyDr.FelsieandbrotherThomas,whowerecompletelyoverwhelmedbythefantasticresponse–over180peoplecame,many from churches far away, who wantedto learnmoreabout theAlpha course so thattheycouldrunitintheirchurches.WeweresoencouragedbybrotherRaj,asheministeredtous,thepastorsandleadersofourchurchasheexhortedustoseek,prayandlovetheLord.

other alpha ministries …

Through the encouragement of my wife, westartedtheMarriagecourseinearly2012,foragroupof4couples inourhome.Withthemwe started the first church wide Marriagecourseon17thJune2012.Ourfirstintakewas11couples,andwehave recentlycompletedthe2ndMarriagecoursewith13couples.Wefirmly believe that as the Lord touches andtransformlivesthroughtheAlphacourse,ourmarriagesshouldbetransformedaswell.

on a personal note …As I look back, it is amazing how the Lord has worked through Alpha and the related ministries (the Marriage Course and Parenting Course), in touching and transforming lives, and bringing closer fellowship and growth to our church. Our hearts are so full with praise and gratitude to the Lord, as we think of so many friends, who came to Christ through the last 3 years, and whose lives have been touched and transformed. They now in turn, encourage us, with their testimonies and love for the Lord.

Alpha run in Tamil - Thomas & FelsieIrunatravelbusinessandmywifeFelsieisamedicalpractitioner. We weretasked with getting TamilAlpha off the ground inour20outreachchurchesspreadoveraradiusof150kmsaroundKualaLumpur.Thoughwewere involvedin 6 rounds of ChurchAlpha(English),runningitinTamilwasauniquechallengeasthemajorityofMalaysianIndianscanspeakthelanguagebut cannot readorwrite.Sowehad tohavethetalksinTamilandcoursemanualsinTamil/EnglishandBahasaMalaysia(Malay).WehadourfirstAlphatraining inTamil inMarch,andthere was a tremendous response from ouroutreachchurches.Weexpected30andGodbrought151!Oneofthepastorstestifiedthathehadbeenlookingforawaytogetthewholechurch involved in missions and this was agreatwaytoinvitefriendsandfamily.

ALPHA BLESSING MALAYSIAHistory of Alpha in Grace Assembly, Petaling Jaya

By Dr. Hendrick Chia,aleadinginterventioncardiologist

11a time to ride

PRAy FoR AlPHA InDIAPRAISe PoInTS:

- PraiseGodforourMasterTrainerswhoplayakeyroleintheexpansionofAlphaIndia’sworkintheirregions

- PraiseGodforHisgraceandmercyupontheworkofAlphaallthroughthelastquarter

- PraiseGodforalltheupcomingeventsandpartnershipsthatAlphaIndiaisventuringinto

- PraiseGodforAlphaIndia’sstaffandtheBoardmembers

- PraiseGodforallthecourseshappeninginIndiaandaroundtheworld

PRAyeR PoInTS:

- PrayfortheexpansionoftheworkofAlphainIndia

- PrayforalltheAlphatrainingsandcourseshappeninginIndiaandaroundtheglobe

- PrayfortheAlphaRegionalChristianWomenLeadersConferencesthatarescheduledtohappenduringAprilandMay

- PrayforAlphaIndia’supcomingYouthFestivalandtheRelationshipCentralConferences

- PrayforexpansionoftheAlphaIndiateam

- PrayforAlphaIndia’sPartners,Advisors,Volunteers,MasterTrainersandwellwishers

- PrayfortheCentralandStateGovernments

ALPHA INDIA NEWSAPRIL - JUNE 2013

A TIME TO RIDEInterview: Joshua John

Alpha India interviewed Joshua John and we asked him to tell us a few words on:

The Man - your profile, your formation, ideology, calling etc..PeoplecallmeJosh,short forJoshuaJohn.IgrewupinruralUPandspentmyteenageyearsinWoodstockSchool,MussooriewheremycreativitywasnurturedandmylovefortheHimalayas began. In St. Stephen’s CollegeI received Christ as my Lord and SaviourbecauseIrealizedthatproductivityandprofilecouldneverremovetheburdenofshameandguiltinmyheart.ThatpeacewithGodisonlypossiblewhenIreceivetheworkofChristonthecrossonmybehalf. Itwasn’tadramaticconversionbutIknewIwasnolongersittingon a fence. Countless leaders and friendshelpedmealongtheway,especiallythelocalchurchcommunitythatIamcurrentlyleading.

At the outset when I made the decision tobeapastor thingswerenot verypromising.It was not as glamorous as the advertisingworldthatIwasheadedtowards.Iworkedinaleakybasementwhereourchurchmet.Butwhatkeptmegoingwasan innerconvictionthatthisiswhatmyCreatordesignedmefor.ToservethepeopleofNewDelhiinwhateverwayIknewhow.

SoIwrotepoems,gavetalksaboutcreationaftermotorcycletripstoLadakh,paintedandheld exhibitions, preached on Sundays anddidanythingandeverythingwiththemessageoftheGospelasthefoundationandcentre.

The message?TheMessagewouldbethatGod isnotonlylovingHeisalsojust.

TheGoodNewsisthatwehavefreeaccessto this grace encounter. This needs to bepresentedandmadeknowninallhumilityandcreativitytoallthepeopleofIndia.

who’s your audience?Mytargetaudiencearethe15-35agegroups.Idonotaddressthechurchasmuchasthecity I live in.Thisequipsthose in thechurchto address people in their own sphere ofinfluence. The point is to help everyoneunderstandtheirownuniquegiftingandhowto

collaboratetogetherasoneteam.Notseekingourownglorybutdoingthings(whatevertheymaybe)ultimatelyforthegloryofJesus.

Not fans of Jesus but friends and followerswho embrace the shame of the cross. Nota church directed by human wisdom but achurchdedicatedtoGod.

are you an expressionist in your art? Yes much of my art would be viewed asexpressionist but I experiment with variousmediumsandstyleskeepingthemessageinmind and am not too mindful of which text-bookarttermitcomesunder.CurrentlyIamworkingona2yearmixed-mediaproject foranartexhibitioncalled‘TheScandal’thatwilluse popular roadside elements to describegrace,thelastsupper,andthegoodnessandabsurdityoftheGospel.

I have been motorcycling for over a decadeand it has fueled much of my creativity oncanvas,filmandtalks.Myadventuresactuallyrevivemetoservebetterasapastorbecauseitbringsmeincontactwithallsortsofpeopleand takes me right into God’s creation. Bystartingacity-centeredgrouplikeDelhiBikersBreakfastRun, Iwant toexpressmy love inthebestwayIknowhow.FreelysharingwhatIlovedoingwithothers.Currentlyweare2300bikersstrong.

what is your message to the youth of this Nation- 550 million under 25? Mymessagetoouryouthwouldbe-seekandyou will find. Do not settle for mediocrity inyourlife.GodhascreatedyouforanauthenticrelationshipwithHim.Thatrelationshipiswhatenablesyoutomakesenseoflifeandbeyond.

what has been your biggest achievement?Achievement hints of having ‘arrived’ and Ipersonallyhavenotarrivedinanyarea.Iamapilgrimwhoisstilllearning.IambeingledbymylovingLordJesusandalsoinspiredbymygraciouswifeAsha.Thereisnoachievementhigher than the pursuit of loving God andlovingpeople.

“The Alpha course is a strategic resource for all churches to equip and release their members as mature and confident disciples of Christ”

Biker-artist-photographer-pastor is how one would describe Joshua Koodathinal John. life is full of creativity and unexplored avenues for this talented young man.

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