alpha news may 2011 edition

ALPHA NEWSMICA (P) 129/08/2010

The Alpha Singapore NewsletterMay - August 2011

In this edition:

Encouraging Alpha Course testimonies!

Relationship Central Conference registration open!

Global Alpha Training update:Recent training in Bali & Q&A with Rev. Then Chee Min

TRANSFORMING THE NATION TOGETHER

What is so special about the Alpha Invitation?

Each year hundreds of Alpha Courses are run across Singapore. But an Alpha Invitation is special. It is an annual event where everyone comes together to run the Alpha Course at the same time.

“These Invitations are so important. During these times, we’ve seen enthusiasm and faith stirred in congregations as churches work together to share ideas and resources. We see increased unity across denominations. And each year, more and more guests get to hear about Jesus,” says Vinnie Tang, Acting National Director, Alpha Singapore.

“There is really nothing more exciting then seeing someone come to accept Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, telling their friends about Jesus and then going on to help transform their communities.”

ALPHA INVITATION 2011

“In this edition of the Alpha News, we share just a few stories of lives that have been changed and impacting their communities. We are looking forward to hearing even more stories this year because someone some-where will invite a loved one or a friend or a colleague to an Alpha Course.”

Everyone can play a part during this Alpha Invitation. Whether you are thinking of running an Alpha Course in your church, your workplace or in your cell group at home we have set up a quick start guide to help you to do this.

Visit www.alpha.org.sg/friends/2011-AlphaInvitation for useful links to publicity materials, prayer pointers and other useful tips including social media to help promote your course.

Alpha Invitation events organised by churches last year

ALPHA NEWSMICA (P) 129/08/2010

The Alpha Singapore NewsletterMay - August 2011

In this edition:

Encouraging Alpha Course testimonies!

Relationship Central Conference registration open!

Global Alpha Training update:Recent training in Bali & Q&A with Rev. Then Chee Min

TRANSFORMING THE NATION TOGETHER

What is so special about the Alpha Invitation?

Each year hundreds of Alpha Courses are run across Singapore. But an Alpha Invitation is special. It is an annual event where everyone comes together to run the Alpha Course at the same time.

“These Invitations are so important. During these times, we’ve seen enthusiasm and faith stirred in congregations as churches work together to share ideas and resources. We see increased unity across denominations. And each year, more and more guests get to hear about Jesus,” says Vinnie Tang, Acting National Director, Alpha Singapore.

“There is really nothing more exciting then seeing someone come to accept Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, telling their friends about Jesus and then going on to help transform their communities.”

ALPHA INVITATION 2011

June

• Prepare your invitations and distribute them to your church.

“In this edition of the Alpha News, we share just a few stories of lives that have been changed and impacting their communities. We are looking forward to hearing even more stories this year because someone some-where will invite a loved one or a friend or a colleague to an Alpha Course.”

Everyone can play a part during this Alpha Invitation. Whether you are thinking of running an Alpha Course in your church, your workplace or in your cell group at home we have set up a quick start guide to help you to do this.

Visit www.alpha.org.sg/friends/2011-AlphaInvitation for useful links to publicity materials, prayer pointers and other useful tips including social media to help promote your course.

An Alpha Invitation dinner organised by St James Church last yearAlpha Invitation events organised by churches last year

37954-SK.indd 1 5/24/11 5:38 PM

After my father was discharged from the hospital, Pastor Freddie and his Bible Church visitation team visited my father’s home several times.

My father was a staunch ancestral worshipper. Knowing this, it was unthinkable to my family that my father would ever consider believ-ing in Jesus. In our minds, becoming

a Christian was an absolute “no no” for him, an impossibility.

But with God the im-possible was made possible. Today he is attending baptism class and is sched-uled to be baptised this year!

I remember there was a TV program called “You asked for it”. Because I asked for for God to be real to me, God an-swered and revealed himself to me.

May I encourage you to attend an Alpha

Course and ask God anything and let Him reveal Himself to you. And if over time, your blessings and answers to prayers overflow, remember don’t blame me, because “YOU ASKED FOR IT”.

“Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.” Matthew 7:7

Photo: Derek and his family

After he was moved to a different ward, he again complained that he saw strange things. This time, the beds in the ward looked like those in an army barrack and he felt like he was suffocating when he slept on his bed.

When he looked at his serving table, instead of food he saw joss sticks,

offerings and sacrifices for the dead. Across the room from him he saw what looked like two coffins and a row of old women dressed in beauti-ful cheong–sams floating around the room like clouds. He also saw a very handsome man wearing a nice tie floating as well. The atmosphere was very gloomy filled with the sadness of a funeral.

Pastor Freddie came to the hospital several times to speak with my father.

My name is Derek and my family and I worship at The Bible Church. When I attended the Alpha Course last year, I prayed for God to be real to me as I wanted to experience the reality of God in my life.

During one of the Alpha Course sessions, it happened that we had discussed supernatural occurrenc-es with our pas-tor Freddie, so when my father became very ill and had some unusual experi-ences during his hospitalization, I turned to him for help.

After an opera-tion to remove his gall bladder, he was warded into a 4 bedded ward, where he told me he saw strange things.

He said, “This hospital is very strange. They allow two occupants on each of the beds”. He was referring to the beds that were on the opposite side of the room from him.

As I wanted to verify his statement because I thought it could be a result of his medication causing him to have double vision I asked him whether the two occupants on each bed were wearing the same attire. He said “No” . He actually saw two different persons.

God is real in my life!

THE EVANGELISATION OF OUR NATION...

37954-SK.indd 2 5/24/11 12:07 PM

My name is Wilson Tan and I serve at Fairfield Preaching Point’s Youth Ministry where I have had the privilege of pioneering the Youth Ministry in our church.

Three years ago in 2008, I attended an Alpha Conference and felt the need to have an outreach program that was Word-based and yet relevant to youths. We immediately started planning to have our first run of Youth Alpha.

The Lord had brought some neighbourhood youths onto our path and with much effort and time we started build-ing a rapport with them through games and sports. Even-tually we challenged them to embark with us on a journey of discovering Christianity through Youth Alpha.

And we really thank the Lord for a very good response from these young people. Not only did they complete the course including the weekend camp, eight youths attend-ed the entire course, and three prayed to receive Christ as their personal Lord and Saviour. They are presently still attending our church and growing in a youth cell group.

With much encouragement from the first run, we contin-ued running Youth Alpha annually, and over time, I have learnt some useful and important tips:

We must have committed youth leaders and train them as facilitators as this is crucial to equip them to conduct small group discussions.

Ministering to neighbourhood youths through Youth AlphaIt is also important to have ‘live’ speakers as it allows us to be flexible and relevant in teaching the lesson. A live speaker also allows us to adjust the duration of the session, usually not more than 20-30 minutes during the teaching segment so that more time can be allocated for group discussions.

Building rapport with the youths is key to getting them to persevere to the end of the course. The Weekend Away is an especially crucial point in a Youth Alpha Course be-cause it allows not only time for serious matters like the teaching but it allows us to balance it with a time of fun with games to reinforce the lessons learnt.

Last but not least, be prepared to face discouragement especially when there is poor attendance. Just keep pray-ing and pressing on! Last year our course was attended by only five pre-believers, and I remembered a few ses-sions where only two turned up. We were discouraged and felt like giving up but we decided that we should not give up. And of the two, one of them prayed to receive Christ and he is presently attending our youth cell.

I hope that you as you embark on your own journey to share the gospel, may the Lord guide you so that many more people will hear about Jesus.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9

THE EVANGELISATION OF OUR NATION... THE EVANGELISATION OF OUR NATION...

Alpha Invitation Checklist• Pray with your team for your guests, team and the Intro-ductory events.

July - August

• Launch the Invitation - invite someone to your Alpha Introductory Event.

• Run your 10-week Alpha Course.

• Pray for with your team for your Alpha Weekend Away.

September - October

• Run your Alpha Weekend Away.

• Run your Alpha Celebration Dinner.

November

• Give thanks to God at the Alpha Thanksgiving Celebra-tion event - sign up here: www.alpha.org.sg/friends/events-registration.

May - June

• Equip your team and sign up for the centralised Team Training on 16 and 23 July (closing date 4 July).

•Pray for transformed lives and communities during this Alpha Invitation - join us for the Prayer and Dedication Breakfast on 16 July (closing date 4 July). Sign up now at: www.alpha.org.sg/friends/events-registration

• Set a date for your Introductory event and course.

• Book venues for the Alpha Introduction and Weekend Away.

• Visit www.alpha.org.sg/friends/2011-AlphaInvitation for publicity templates like poster, banner, flyers and social media.

• Stay connected with Alpha Singapore for tips and resources on promoting your course through your social networks. Go to www.facebook.com/alphasingapore and “Like” us today!

•Update your Alpha Course start dates for potential guests to find you online. Go to www.alpha.org.sg/friends/register.

37954-SK.indd 3 5/24/11 12:07 PM

...AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF OUR SOCIETY

“I have a new husband!” exclaimed a delighted wife. No, she is not remarrying in case you are wondering.

What caused this remarkable observation by this lady was due to the transformation of her husband

Couples Benefit from The Marriage Course by Royston Tanwho had worked hard to apply good habits of com-munication that they both learnt from attending The Marriage Course.

The course, created by Nicky and Sila Lee, helps equip couples with the principles and skills to build healthy marriages.

For seven weeks, we ran the course at a friend’s condo-minium. We had no idea who would turn up when we first started, and our Lord pleasantly surprised us with 15 couples, out of which 10 couples were not Christians, even through they knew it was a Christian course on marriage. We were glad to have them join us because one of our objectives was to reach out to and bless pre-Christians in our community.

Another couple shared how the session on Conflict Resolution helped them. In the past, they often placed a problem between them, and instead of tackling the problem, they started attacking each other. However they learnt to see themselves working as a team to deal


A cursory glance at the family life section in bookstores will yield shelves of books eager to offer advice, and hope, to people who frequently ask questions such as: how can we be happily married to the same person for a lifetime, or how can I make sure I have a good foundation for my future marriage, or how do I know I’m being a good parent?

These and more questions will be addressed at the Relationship Cen-tral Conference organised by Alpha Singapore. The conference aims to equip participants with the tools to help couples or parents in different areas of their relationships and family life.

these two courses to get underway! ”

Besides an opportunity to find out how the two new courses work, conference participants will also have the opportunity to learn how to run and promote The Marriage Course and The Marriage Preparation Course.

“We have discovered that these courses are relevant and helpful for any parent with or without a Chris-tian faith or church background who want to build strong foundations for their families,” said Vinnie Tang, Acting National Director, Alpha Sin-gapore. “This is a great opportunity to learn tools to support engaged or married couples and families and how these courses can work along-side Alpha to reach people in various communities.”

Relationship Central Conference is held on July 9 2011 at Bethesda (Bedok-Tampines) Church. Regis-ter now or download the brochure at www.relationshipcentral.com.sg

Hosted by Nicky and Sila Lee, authors of The Marriage Book, The Parenting Book and creators of Relationship Central courses, the confer-ence will see the launch of their latest offerings: The Parenting Children Course and The Parenting Teenagers Course, which cover topics ranging from setting bound-aries, building character and

relationships, to helping teenagers make good choices.

“We are so excited about the launch of The Parenting Children Course and The Parenting Teenagers Course,” said Dr Barry Hung. Together with his wife Mei Wai, they are voluntary Relationship Central Advisers with Alpha Singapore.

“Through The Marriage Preparation Course and The Marriage Course we have heard many wonderful stories from couples who attended that we are looking forward with great antici-pation to new stories about transfor-mation in families. We can’t wait for

Couples attending a Marriage Course session in a home


“I have a new husband!” exclaimed a delighted wife. No, she is not remarrying in case you are wondering.

What caused this remarkable observation by this lady was due to the transformation of her husband

Couples Benefit from The Marriage Course by Royston Tanwho had worked hard to apply good habits of com-munication that they both learnt from attending The Marriage Course.

The course, created by Nicky and Sila Lee, helps equip couples with the principles and skills to build healthy marriages.

For seven weeks, we ran the course at a friend’s condo-minium. We had no idea who would turn up when we first started, and our Lord pleasantly surprised us with 15 couples, out of which 10 couples were not Christians, even through they knew it was a Christian course on marriage. We were glad to have them join us because one of our objectives was to reach out to and bless pre-Christians in our community.

Another couple shared how the session on Conflict Resolution helped them. In the past, they often placed a problem between them, and instead of tackling the problem, they started attacking each other. However they learnt to see themselves working as a team to deal


A cursory glance at the family life section in bookstores will yield shelves of books eager to offer advice, and hope, to people who frequently ask questions such as: how can we be happily married to the same person for a lifetime, or how can I make sure I have a good foundation for my future marriage, or how do I know I’m being a good parent?

These and more questions will be addressed at the Relationship Cen-tral Conference organised by Alpha Singapore. The conference aims to equip participants with the tools to help couples or parents in different areas of their relationships and family life.

these two courses to get underway! ”

Besides an opportunity to find out how the two new courses work, conference participants will also have the opportunity to learn how to run and promote The Marriage Course and The Marriage Preparation Course.

“We have discovered that these courses are relevant and helpful for any parent with or without a Chris-tian faith or church background who want to build strong foundations for their families,” said Vinnie Tang, Acting National Director, Alpha Sin-gapore. “This is a great opportunity to learn tools to support engaged or married couples and families and how these courses can work along-side Alpha to reach people in various communities.”

Relationship Central Conference is held on July 9 2011 at Bethesda (Bedok-Tampines) Church. Regis-ter now or download the brochure at www.relationshipcentral.com.sg

Hosted by Nicky and Sila Lee, authors of The Marriage Book, The Parenting Book and creators of Relationship Central courses, the confer-ence will see the launch of their latest offerings: The Parenting Children Course and The Parenting Teenagers Course, which cover topics ranging from setting bound-aries, building character and

relationships, to helping teenagers make good choices.

“We are so excited about the launch of the Parenting Children Course and The Parenting Teenagers Course,” said Dr Barry Hung. Together with his wife Mei Wai, they are voluntary Relationship Central Advisers with Alpha Singapore.

“Through The Marriage Preparation Course and The Marriage Course we have heard many wonderful stories from couples who attended that we are looking forward with great antici-pation to new stories about transfor-mation in families. We can’t wait for

[Photo: Couples attending a Marriage Course session in a home]

37954-SK.indd 4 5/24/11 5:01 PM


Couples Benefit from The Marriage Course by Royston Tan

What our Tuesdays are likeHis: Leaves home for work at 7.30am, clocking a mini-mum of fifteen working hours daily. Mine: The usual ferrying of our two daughters to and fro school in the morning. I would accompany our second daughter to her music class at Newton at 5pm. We would not reach home till 7pm to 7.45pm, depending on the traffic and the occasional extended teaching time by her very passionate music teacher.

A bewildering suggestionHe read the church bulletin and suggested that we sign up for The Marriage Course. I gasped in bewilderment and disbelief. It was very unusual for my husband to suggest doing something together on a weekday due to his demanding work commitments. The Marriage Course was to be held every Tuesday over an eight week period starting at 7pm. Look at our Tuesday schedule! I had a reason to gasp!

I was pessimistic I signed us up despite feeling convinced that it would be impossible for him to turn up in time or at all during the eight week period. I told him that I would not want to eat alone (for dinner is provided before each lesson) nor sit through the lesson alone when the course was about the two of us. He joked about packing dinner for him. We laughed at how even before The Marriage Course was to commence, we would be fighting over his no-show at the course.

Romancing in our marriage by Myra Lee

The ShockOne afternoon, he dropped a bomb on me. “Dear, I took half-day leave for the eight Tuesdays that we are sup-posed to attend The Marriage Course,” said he. I was floored, again. He took the effort to make things happen. I felt compelled to do the same. I instantly picked up the phone and spoke with the passionate music teacher for permission to pull my daughter out of class a little earlier so that I could get her home early enough for both of us to leave for The Marriage Course in time.

ThereafterFor eight Tuesday afternoons, I saw my husband com-ing home at 1pm. It was an awesome feeling having him home in broad daylight on a weekday. This I cannot em-phasize more. For eight Tuesday evenings, I would dash home madly from the horrendously jammed Newton area. Shannen, my daughter never failed to question me why she had to leave early each week, depriving her of a chance to play with her classmates after the music class.

The Marriage CourseIt was really about us. It was a guided course which saw us delving into our hearts and baring those intimate thoughts to each other whilst answering the ques-tions. During those sessions, we never once diverted our thoughts to our girls, the topic which never failed to dominate our conversations whenever we chatted.

Couple time was emphasized in the course and urged as a priority. We scored a big zero on this. We realised the need to make conscious and deliberate efforts to block out dates on our calendar for couple time.

We live in a highly stressful society where it is so easy to get stuck in the routine of things. Life can get mechanical and practicality rules the day.

In the face of many a thing to do, many a hat to wear, many a responsibility to fulfill, many an expectation to meet, we were reminded during those eight Tuesdays to never stop romancing each other, maintaining the true intimacy that makes for a sizzling and dynamic marriage!


with the problem. Sitting side by side on a couch, they were encouraged to place the problem in front of them, discuss and then consider the best solutions.

For many of our participants as well as helpers, we have learnt the importance of having a weekly Marriage Time as taught by Nicky and Sila. This is a time we spend with each other to build intimacy and communicate meaningfully, and we have learnt that it needs to be planned and protected.

At the end of seven weeks, many couples shared that the teaching and practical skills were very beneficial to them. Not only are they finding their marriages im-proved after attending the course, they are starting to run the course as well. One such couple is Keng Tiong and Bernice. Not only have they been faithfully apply-ing the principles learnt to their relationship and they are now co-labouring with us.

To find out how to run The Marriage Course visit www.relationshipcentral.org.sg

Myra, Peet Mun and their children


Couples Benefit from The Marriage Course by Royston Tan

What our Tuesdays are likeHis: Leaves home for work at 7.30am, clocking a mini-mum of fifteen working hours daily. Mine: The usual ferrying of our two daughters to and fro school in the morning. I would accompany our second daughter to her music class at Newton at 5pm. We would not reach home till 7pm to 7.45pm, depending on the traffic and the occasional extended teaching time by her very passionate music teacher.

A bewildering suggestionHe read the church bulletin and suggested that we sign up for The Marriage Course. I gasped in bewilderment and disbelief. It was very unusual for my husband to suggest doing something together on a weekday due to his demanding work commitments. The Marriage Course was to be held every Tuesday over an eight week period starting at 7pm. Look at our Tuesday schedule! I had a reason to gasp!

I was pessimistic I signed us up despite feeling convinced that it would be impossible for him to turn up in time or at all during the eight week period. I told him that I would not want to eat alone (for dinner is provided before each lesson) nor sit through the lesson alone when the course was about the two of us. He joked about packing dinner for him. We laughed at how even before The Marriage Course was to commence, we would be fighting over his no-show at the course.

Romancing in our marriage by Myra Lee

The ShockOne afternoon, he dropped a bomb on me. “Dear, I took half-day leave for the eight Tuesdays that we are sup-posed to attend The Marriage Course,” said he. I was floored, again. He took the effort to make things happen. I felt compelled to do the same. I instantly picked up the phone and spoke with the passionate music teacher for permission to pull my daughter out of class a little earlier so that I could get her home early enough for both of us to leave for The Marriage Course in time.

ThereafterFor eight Tuesday afternoons, I saw my husband com-ing home at 1pm. It was an awesome feeling having him home in broad daylight on a weekday. This I cannot em-phasize more. For eight Tuesday evenings, I would dash home madly from the horrendously jammed Newton area. Shannen, my daughter never failed to question me why she had to leave early each week, depriving her of a chance to play with her classmates after the music class.

The Marriage CourseIt was really about us. It was a guided course which saw us delving into our hearts and baring those intimate thoughts to each other whilst answering the ques-tions. During those sessions, we never once diverted our thoughts to our girls, the topic which never failed to dominate our conversations whenever we chatted.

Couple time was emphasized in the course and urged as a priority. We scored a big zero on this. We realised the need to make conscious and deliberate efforts to block out dates on our calendar for couple time.

We live in a highly stressful society where it is so easy to get stuck in the routine of things. Life can get mechanical and practicality rules the day.

In the face of many a thing to do, many a hat to wear, many a responsibility to fulfill, many an expectation to meet, we were reminded during those eight Tuesdays to never stop romancing each other, maintaining the true intimacy that makes for a sizzling and dynamic marriage!


with the problem. Sitting side by side on a couch, they were encouraged to place the problem in front of them, discuss and then consider the best solutions.

For many of our participants as well as helpers, we have learnt the importance of having a weekly Marriage Time as taught by Nicky and Sila. This is a time we spend with each other to build intimacy and communicate meaningfully, and we have learnt that it needs to be planned and protected.

At the end of seven weeks, many couples shared that the teaching and practical skills were very beneficial to them. Not only are they finding their marriages im-proved after attending the course, they are starting to run the course as well. One such couple is Keng Tiong and Bernice. Not only have they been faithfully apply-ing the principles learnt to their relationship and they are now co-labouring with us.

To find out how to run The Marriage Course visit www.relationshipcentral.org.sg

[Photo: Myra, Peet Mun and their children]

37954-SK.indd 5 5/24/11 12:07 PM


HOW CAN WE HAVE FAITH?

IS THERE MORE TO LIFE THAN THIS?

WHO IS JESUS?WHY DID JESUS DIE?WHY & HOW DO I PRAY?WHY & HOW SHOULD I READ THE BIBLE?HOW DOES GOD GUIDE US?WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT? WHAT DOES THE HOLY SPIRIT DO?HOW CAN I BE FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT?HOW CAN I RESIST EVIL?

During this trip, I experienced a personal breakthrough in praying for others. Although, I have been on three mission trips in the past, I was always afraid to pray for others because I felt inadequate and did not know how to pray. For this trip, I knew I had to “let go and let God.” As I was praying before the Holy Spirit talk started, I felt heat passing through me and all my fears were gone.

After the talk during the prayer ministry, one sister came up for prayer and she was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit after I prayed a simple prayer for her. While on the floor, God was healing her as she cried out to Him. I

was also signaled to pray for two other sisters who did not come forward but were crying. After I prayed for them, one of them threw up and I knew God was setting her free from oppression.

I was very impressed by the Alpha trainers. They were engaging and the whole training program was fun and interactive. The sharing of personal experiences by the trainers made the training interesting. On top of that, they imparted knowledge with passion. On the last day, it was the through the power of the Holy Spirit that the participants caught the passion and came forward for commissioning.

It was truly a fun and enjoyable learning experience for me and I also caught the passion for training and want to improve my skills to serve better. I am looking forward to the next GAT trip. Praise the Lord!

[Photo: GAT participants learning ice-breakers during a session]

During a recent Global Alpha Team (GAT) event organized by the Alpha Singapore, participants learnt the practicalities of organizing a GAT trip. We share with you now below some of discussions during the Q&A session of the event.

A: Why do GAT?Q: If you have a heart for missions, GAT is a very strategic way of reach-ing the nations. Think of it this way, in one GAT event there may be say 50 pastors and leaders representing 25 churches attending. After attending the GAT event, perhaps 10 churches decide to run Alpha. If each church does Alpha and reaches 20 persons a year, 10 churches will reach 200 per-sons for Christ in a single year. And this can continue every year. If we just do Alpha on our own, we would not achieve the same result. This multi-plier effect is very exciting to me!

Q: Do we organise our own GAT trips or do we have to go through Alpha Singapore?

A: It depends on your objectives and which countries you intend to go to. There are two basic approaches to GAT: self-matched GAT or Alpha office-matched GAT. For self-matched GAT, we can help by providing the resources and training for the GAT team. For Alpha-office matched GAT, we can connect the team with our local coordinator, who then publicises the event to local pastors, advise on budgets and other logistical issues. However, if you do your own GAT trip, you need to have a local coordinator who is well-connected with local pas-tors in order that they can be invited to the GAT event.

Q: How big should a GAT team be?A: It’s a good idea to keep the team small, between four to six persons. A good guide would be a team size that can fit into one mini-bus, including two local coordinators. This makes transportation arrangements much easier.

Q: Do we need our church pastors

or ministers to join a GAT team?A: They are strongly encouraged to join their own church GAT trips. In fact, it is good to have pastors on GAT teams as they lend greater weight to the team when communi-cating with the GAT delegates who are mostly pastors.

Q: How many modules are there in a GAT event?A: There are altogether seven training modules and two sample sessions, conducted over 2 days. It’s good to have at least two members who can conduct the training and/or give live talks.

Q: What kind of cross-cultural con-siderations do we have to take into account? A: On the whole, dressing should be conservative because many of the countries in the region are still quite traditional in their dressing tastes. Also the team must stay flexible and be ready to accommodate changes to the programme during the trip.

“Alpha is practical evangelism. The more you do it, the better you get at it!”

...AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF OUR SOCIETY...AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF OUR SOCIETY

Amanda Quek, who worships at Paya Lebar Method-ist Church, attended a GAT Training conducted by Alpha Singapore during which she volunteered to go on a GAT Trip to Bali.

I am so blessed to be part of the team who went to Bali for a two-day GAT.

It was really encouraging to see so many young brothers and sisters eager to learn how to evangelize. I did not expect the pastors, leaders and students to be so young! They were full of energy and all actively participated in the games, role-play and Q&A sessions. They truly en-joyed themselves throughout the whole training.

During this trip, I experienced a personal breakthrough in praying for others. Although, I have been on three mission trips in the past, I was always afraid to pray for others because I felt inadequate and did not know how to pray. For this trip, I knew I had to “let go and let God.” As I was praying before the Holy Spirit talk started, I felt heat passing through me and all my fears were gone.

After the talk during the prayer ministry, one sister came up for prayer and she was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit after I prayed a simple prayer for her. While on the floor, God was healing her as she cried out to Him. I

was also signaled to pray for two other sisters who did not come forward but were crying. After I prayed for them, one of them threw up and I knew God was setting her free from oppression.

I was very impressed by the Alpha trainers. They were engaging and the whole training program was fun and interactive. The sharing of personal experiences by the trainers made the training interesting. On top of that, they imparted knowledge with passion. On the last day, it was the through the power of the Holy Spirit that the participants caught the passion and came forward for commissioning.

It was truly a fun and enjoyable learning experience for me and I also caught the passion for training and want to improve my skills to serve better. I am looking forward to the next GAT trip. Praise the Lord!

[Photo: GAT participants learning ice-breakers during a session]

God answers prayers during GAT trip to Bali

During a recent Global Alpha Team (GAT) event organized by the Alpha Singapore, participants learnt the practicalities of organizing a GAT trip. We share with you now below some of discussions during the Q&A session of the event.

Q: Why do GAT?A: If you have a heart for missions, GAT is a very strategic way of reach-ing the nations. Think of it this way, in one GAT event there may be say 50 pastors and leaders representing 25 churches attending. After attending the GAT event, perhaps 10 churches decide to run Alpha. If each church does Alpha and reaches 20 persons a year, 10 churches will reach 200 per-sons for Christ in a single year. And this can continue every year. If we just do Alpha on our own, we would not achieve the same result. This multi-plier effect is very exciting to me!

Q: Do we organise our own GAT trips or do we have to go through Alpha Singapore?

A: It depends on your objectives and which countries you intend to go to. There are two basic approaches to GAT: self-matched GAT or Alpha office-matched GAT. For self-matched GAT, we can help by providing the resources and training for the GAT team. For Alpha-office matched GAT, we can connect the team with our local coordinator, who then publicises the event to local pastors, advise on budgets and other logistical issues. However, if you do your own GAT trip, you need to have a local coordinator who is well-connected with local pas-tors in order that they can be invited to the GAT event.

Q: How big should a GAT team be?A: It’s a good idea to keep the team small, between four to six persons. A good guide would be a team size that can fit into one mini-bus, including two local coordinators. This makes transportation arrangements much easier.

Q: Do we need our church pastors

or ministers to join a GAT team?A: They are strongly encouraged to join their own church GAT trips. In fact, it is good to have pastors on GAT teams as they lend greater weight to the team when communi-cating with the GAT delegates who are mostly pastors.

Q: How many modules are there in a GAT event?A: There are altogether seven training modules and two sample sessions, conducted over 2 days. It’s good to have at least two members who can conduct the training and/or give live talks.

Q: What kind of cross-cultural con-siderations do we have to take into account? A: On the whole, dressing should be conservative because many of the countries in the region are still quite traditional in their dressing tastes. Also the team must stay flexible and be ready to accommodate changes to the programme during the trip.

“Alpha is practical evangelism. The more you do it, the better you get at it!”

...AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF OUR SOCIETY...AND THE TRANSFORMATION OF OUR SOCIETY




BECOME AN ALPHA FRIEND! An Alpha Friend is one who makes it possible for Alpha Singapore to carry out its life transforming mission through a one-time donation or a monthly donation by credit card. By becoming an Alpha Friend, you will have the joy of knowing that you are making a meaningful difference, and that you are changing people’s lives forever by leaving a legacy of peace, love, joy and purpose for them.

“Freely you have received, freely give...” Matthew 10:8b

In gratitude to God for His blessings, I would like to support Alpha Singapore: One-time Donation: $ _____________________________________ Monthly Donation: $10 p/m $30 p/m ($1/day) $60 p/m ($2/day) $100 p/m Other amount: $ _______ p/m

Please mail to: Alpha Singapore, 179A Thomson Road, Goldhill Centre, Singapore 307626

DONATION MODE

Cheque (Bank: __________ Cheque No. ___________)Please make payable to Alpha Singapore

PARTICULARSName: ______________________________________________Address: ____________________________________________Email: ______________________________________________ Handphone: _________________________________________Place of worship: _____________________________________

Credit Card

Card No.

Visa Master Card Expiry: /

Name on card: _______________________________________Signature: ___________________________________________Date: _______________________________________________

Handphone: __________________________________________

Question: “How do you value a life saved?”Answer: “It’s Priceless!”

At the 2011 Alpha Partners’ Fundraising Dinner held in January, you could hear a pin drop in the room as Keith Magnus, Chairman of the Dinner and Treasurer of Alpha Singapore, captivated an audience of over 400 guests at what was our most exciting Fundraising dinner ever. Keith, who is also Chairman of UBS Investment Bank in Singapore and Malaysia, riveted the crowd by comparing donating to Alpha to investing in an initial public offering, both reaping more than worthwhile returns.

“By opting for a ‘Blessed Share Offering’ in Alpha Singapore, the projected investment returns are infinite because you store up riches in Heaven communicating the gift of eternal life. So the question I ask you is this - how do you value a life saved? The answer is it‘s price-less!” said Keith.

Guests were encouraged to bring “the whole tithe into the store-house…. And see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it” (Malachi 3:10).

A Blessed Share Offering – An Investment Banker’s Point of View

Keith then summarized the practical needs of Alpha Singapore in following areas: expanding use of the Alpha course as an effective evangelical tool in the churches, amongst the Youth, in Prisons, in the Mar-ketplace, and in the Region.

Guests responded generously to a ‘Blessed Share Offering of Alpha Singapore’ by mak-ing one-off donations or signing up for annu-ity giving of as little as just a dollar a day.

“It’s wonderful to see such giving,” said Alice Richardson from Alpha International, who helps with fundraising in the region. “This means we can raise more trainers, new resources can be translated and more lives given the opportunity to enter into a life-long relationship with Jesus Christ.”


[Photo: Guests worshipping before dinner; right, Keith Magnus]

37954-SK.indd 6 5/24/11 12:07 PM









DONATION MODE



Credit Card

Card No.



Handphone: __________________________________________





















Guests worshipping before dinner

Keith Magnus









DONATION MODE



Credit Card

Card No.



Handphone: __________________________________________











37954-SK.indd 7 5/24/11 12:07 PM

The Alpha Course - an opportunity to explore the meaning of life

Dear Friends,

There is nothing more exciting than to hear stories of transformed lives by our Lord Jesus Christ! It is a great privilege for some of us to be in this position, especially at the end of the Alpha Course season, to hear and record these stories of God’s amazing work in each individual life!

2011 is turning out to be an exciting year as the Alpha Invitation continues to reach out to our communities in more than 78 venues!

The inaugural Relationship Central Conference will take place on Saturday, 9 July where a holistic family life ministry will be presented encompassing The Marriage Preparation Course, The Marriage Course and the launch of the NEW Parenting Courses!

We are deeply appreciative of your all your support, please con-tinue to support us and pray for

• All guests at Alpha Introductory events in July and August; that they will be blessed by the experience and be encouraged to com-mit to attend an Alpha Course.

• All participants at our trainings to be encouraged and equipped to reach out to their communities.

• God’s blessings upon all delegates attending the Relationship Central Conference.

All the glory, honour and blessing belong to our God!

Vinnie Tang - Acting National Director

The Relationship CentralConference

Saturday 9 July 2011

• The Parenting Teenagers Course• The Parenting Children Course• The Marriage Preparation Course• The Marriage Course

For full programme & to register, please go to our NEW WEBSITE:

www.relationshipcentral.org.sg

Alpha Invitation Prayer & Dedication Breakfast 16 July 2011

Alpha Team Training 16 & 23 July 2011(full programme & to register online at www.alpha.org.sg/friends/events-registration)

Upcoming Events:


Stay in touch with Alpha SingaporeFacebook: www.facebook.com/alphasingapore || Twitter: www.twitter.com/alphasingaporeAlpha Friends Website: www.alpha.org.sg/friendsE-Newsletter: www.alpha.org.sg/friends/subscribePostal: Alpha Singapore 179A Thomson Road, Goldhill Centre, Singapore 307626Tel: +65 6469 5085 | Fax: +65 6469 5084 | Email: [email protected]

[Newsletter Publisher: Alpha Singapore | Chief Editor: Vinnie Tang | Editor: Chiam Ai-Ling | Printer: Hock Cheong Printing Pte Ltd]

Register your Course today! Registration helps us keep in touch with you. Your course will also be listed on our website, enabling potential guests to contact you.

Name of your church: _________________________________________________ Denomination: ______________________________

Your church address: ____________________________________________________________________________________________

Tel: ______________________________Web Address: _________________________________________________________________

Course contact Name: ____________________________Email: __________________________Contact Tel: ____________________

Course Name (choose one): Alpha Course / Alpha for Prisons / Alpha in the Catholic Context / Senior Alpha / Youth Alpha / Alpha in the Workplace / The Marriage Course / The Marriage Preparation Course

Language (choose one): Bahasa Malaysia / Chinese / Chinese - for PRC students & working adults / English / Tamil

Start Date: ______________________________

Dear Friends,

















Upcoming Events:







Tel: ______________________________Web Address: _________________________________________________________________




Start Date: ______________________________

Dear Friends,

















Upcoming Events:







Tel: ______________________________Web Address: _________________________________________________________________




Start Date: ______________________________

Dear Friends,

















Upcoming Events:







Tel: ______________________________Web Address: _________________________________________________________________




Start Date: ______________________________

Dear Friends,

















Upcoming Events:

37954-SK.indd 8 5/24/11 12:07 PM

alpha news may 2011 edition

Documents