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Alpha Session Leader Manual (Alpha with Nicky Gumbel & Alpha Film Series)

Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church Plymouth, Michigan

Winter 2019

Alpha Session Leader Manual (AWNG & AFS) Our Lady of Good Counsel 12.04.2018

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Prayer of St. Teresa of Avila

Christ has no body now on earth but yours; no hands but yours; no feet but yours.

Yours are the eyes through which the compassion of Christ must look out on the world.

Yours are the feet with which He is to go about doing good. Yours are the hands with which He is to bless His people.


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Dear Session Leaders, Welcome and thank you for accepting the call to be a session leader. We trust that if you have served in this role in the past, you found it to be fulfilling. For those of you serving for the first time, know that the Alpha team is praying for you. The role of the session leader is unique because it not only requires the individual to be in front of the entire Alpha group of hosts, helpers, and guests during each session as the focal point, but also be a leader for pre-session prayer and session preparation. You will be the primary contact each week for your session’s hosts and helpers. If you don’t already know them personally from parish activities, you will make new friends over the next eleven weeks. In a certain sense, the relationship between the session leader and hosts and helpers is very similar to the bonds that will form between hosts, helpers, and guests. To that end, everyone who attends one of your sessions is a guest. Please love and welcome them. What are your responsibilities?

1. Between each session: • Pray for your group. • Remind your hosts and helpers to pray for guests. • Email your group mid-week reminding them of the topic for the week. • Remind them of any important dates (Alpha Day Away dates, Celebration Dinner,

seeking testimony from guests, etc.). • Encourage them to email or contact you if there are questions or concerns about

members of their groups. • Be a source of encouragement for your hosts and helpers.

2. Thirty to forty-five minutes prior to each session, you will gather with your hosts and

helpers to: • welcome them; • create an opportunity for hosts and helpers to introduce themselves to each

other; • check in all of your hosts and helpers; • share any administrative details pertaining to that week’s session; • answer any questions they may have; • briefly introduce the session topic;


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• lead the group in worship and prayer; and • dismiss them in time for them to greet their guests.

3. Prior to the start of each session:

• Check all A/V equipment and be sure to select one or two worships songs. • Make sure hosts and helpers are ready to receive guests. • Food is a very important part of Alpha. Make sure your meal is prepared and

ready to be served.

4. At the start of the session: • Begin on time. • Welcome everyone. • Introduce yourself. • Begin the meal. You may want to announce the menu. • Keep track of the time. The meal should last only thirty to thirty-five minutes. • Five minutes before the end of the meal, politely give a five-minute “warning” to

the guests, announcing that the next segment of the session will begin. • Speak to:

§ the session topic § any announcements § the session introduction § the joke (this is an important component of Alpha and please use only the

jokes made available in the manual.) • Alpha allows you to begin Worship whenever you feel comfortable using it.

Typically, in Week 1, a Worship song is played with no participation. In the weeks that follow, you may choose one or two songs and encourage everyone to join in. Worship in the initial weeks will feel awkward, however this will change as Alpha progresses.

• Begin the talk immediately after Worship. • Allow guests a five-minute break after the talk. • Begin small group discussion. • Watch your time. Group discussion should last for approximately thirty to thirty-

five minutes. Some sessions or groups in later weeks may end earlier without your timekeeping. Give a five-minute warning before the end of the session.

• End promptly. Some guests may linger, and you may find a host or helper who has questions, but close the session on time.


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• Encourage the use of the online Weekly Feedback form at https://olgcparish.wufoo.com/forms/alpha-weekly-feedback-form-submission/. If Hosts do not have access to a computer, collect any Weekly Feedback Forms and any money from the sale of Alpha resources and/or Bibles. Please send forms/money to the Alpha Coordinator.


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Appendix A: Key Dates and Events for Winter 2019 All sessions begin the week of January 13th and conclude the week of March 24th. Alpha Training (Alpha Essentials, Small Groups, and Prayer Ministry): Saturday, January 12, 2019 in OLGC JP II A & B Rooms. Session time is 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Alpha Day Away: Saturday, March 2, 2019, 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. in OLGC Church. Celebration Dinner: Saturday, March 30, 2019, 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. in OLGC Social Hall.


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Session Leader Notes—Session 1: Is There More to Life than This? Session Schedule

• Introduction by Alpha Coordinator • Meal • Introduction of Session • Worship • DVD • Small Group Dismissal • Dismissal

Introductions on Initial Session Since this is the very first week of Alpha, the Alpha Coordinator will be on hand (with the exclusion of Home groups) to welcome everyone before the meal and to introduce the session leader. With about five minutes left in the meal, the session leader will give a five-minute warning for the end of that segment. At that point, you may start the session with: “Welcome. It's wonderful to see you! We are thrilled that you've arrived, and it's great to have you here. I hope everyone had enough to eat and have enjoyed the food. “The first thing you may be thinking is, ‘Is there going to be anyone else normal here?’ I heard of a couple who on the first night of Alpha sat in the parking lot to watch people arrive and see if anybody looked normal. Half an hour later, they had seen enough normal-looking people go inside, that they decided the join the group. “I am looking forward to spending the next ten weeks with you. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to let me know. “The final thing that might be going through your mind is ‘What have I gotten myself into?’ or more likely ‘What has my spouse or my friend gotten me into?’ This reminds me of a story. . . (go to joke for this session).”


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Joke I heard about a wealthy Texan who had an impressive ranch in Texas. On his ranch, he had a HUGE floodlit swimming pool and in this swimming pool he kept a SHARK. The rich Texan loved to throw lavish dinner parties and would invite his guests up around the pool afterward. Then he would say to them, “If any of you will swim a length of this pool then I will give you one of three things: $10 million, half of my estate, or the hand of my daughter in marriage.” He always finished by telling everyone, “I must warn you before you jump in, there is a shark in the pool.” Well, one evening as he was saying this, there was a splash, and a man, very nicely dressed, swam the entire length of the pool chased by the shark. He got out of the pool just in time as the shark thudded into the wall. The Texan said, “Congratulations! You are the first person who has ever done that. Now what would you like? Would you like $10 million?” The man gasped, “No, thank you.” The Texan asked, “Would you like half of my estate?” The man said, “No, thank you.” The Texan asked, “Ahh, you want the hand of my daughter in marriage?” The exasperated man said, “No, thank you!” So the Texan asked him, “Well, what do you want?” The man answered, “I want the name of the man who pushed me in!”


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Session Leader Notes—Session 2: Who Is Jesus? Reminders

Ø Starting this week, remind the hosts or helpers to bring a dessert for their table for next week’s session. Please remind them to continue to do this for the remainder of the course. They may bake or buy the dessert, whatever they prefer. More than likely, over the course of a few weeks, guests will offer to bring a dessert as well. This is an easy way to build community.

Ø Prior to the session, please remind hosts to pray for their guests throughout the week. Ø Ask hosts and helpers if they have any questions. Ø For this session, you will continue to act as timekeeper as the previous week. Ø No group discussion should go over forty-five minutes; remember to give a five-minute

warning. Ø Let hosts and helpers know that Alpha Guides are available at their tables for $5.

Session Schedule

• Welcome • Meal • Session Introduction • Worship • DVD • Dismissal • Encourage use of the online Weekly Feedback form or collect Weekly Feedback Forms

from the hosts Session Introduction Since there may be new guests joining, be sure to reintroduce yourself at the opening of this session. It may be helpful to review the structure of an Alpha session:

ü Welcome ü Meal with same hosts and helpers ü Introduction to session ü DVD ü Small group discussion

ü Dismissal ü We always begin and end on time ü Make announcements ü You are the key “joke” person!

Begin the meal.


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About tonight’s session: “In this session, we explore the very existence of Jesus, who he was, what he did, and how we know that he did walk on this planet. What is the evidence and how do we know who Jesus was?” Joke At the pearly gates, a taxi driver and minister are waiting in line. St. Peter consults his list and says to the taxi driver, “Take this silken robe and golden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” St. Peter next greets the minister saying, “Take this cotton robe and wooden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” “Just a minute,” says the minister. “That man was a taxi driver, and he gets a silken robe and golden staff while I get a cotton robe and wooden staff. How can this be?” “Up here, we work by results,” says St. Peter. “While you preached, people slept; while he drove, people prayed.”


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Session Leader Notes—Session 3: Why Did Jesus Die? Reminders

Ø There is no general guest check-in now. All guests should be able to go directly to their tables. Each Host will be responsible for checking-in their guests.

Ø Remind host and helpers to continue to bring a dessert to pass at their tables for remaining sessions.

Ø When you meet with hosts and helpers, remind them of key dates (Alpha Day Away and Celebration Dinner).

Ø Hosts can begin taking reservations for the Alpha Day Away. Ø Encourage your hosts and helpers to collect contact information from their guests in the

event we need to cancel a session for whatever reason. Please ask hosts and helpers to provide their contact information with their guests.

Ø Helpers are the timekeepers starting this week. Session schedule


from the hosts Session Introduction “This week we will look at why Jesus died. We only have a short time to look at some very important theological questions related to Jesus and you might want to do more reading about this. There are a couple of books that I would like to recommend.

• One is by C.S. Lewis, called Mere Christianity. This book has become a classic and has helped many people understand Jesus.

• Another one is by G.K. Chesterton and it’s called Orthodoxy. You might find both of these books very helpful. “Alpha is somewhat like a jigsaw puzzle, with each talk presenting a different piece of the puzzle. One part of the course is the Alpha Day Away. We encourage your group to attend together.”


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Joke There was a couple from Wisconsin who decided to go to Florida for a few days to thaw out during one particularly week of extreme cold weather. Since both spouses worked, they had difficulty coordinating their schedules, so the decision was made to have the husband leave for Florida on a certain day, with the wife following him one day later. The man made it down to Florida and arrived at his hotel. Upon getting to his room, he decided to open his laptop and send his wife, back in Wisconsin, an email. However, he left off one letter in typing his wife's email address and sent the email off without realizing his error. In another part of the country, a widow had just returned from the funeral of her husband, a pastor of many years who had been called to glory just a few days earlier. She decided to check her email because she was expecting to hear from her husband’s relatives and friends. Upon reading the first email, she let out a loud scream, fainted, and fell to the floor. The woman’s son rushed into the room and found his mother on the floor. He glanced up at the computer screen and saw the following email message: To My Loving Wife: I’ve just checked in. Everything has been prepared for your arrival here tomorrow. Looking forward to seeing you then. Your Devoted Husband P.S. It sure is hot down here!


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Session Leader Notes—Session 4: How Can I Have Faith? Reminders

Ø Give thanks for all the good things happening in the course. Ø Continue to pray for hosts and helpers and that their guests would be open to the Alpha

Day Away. Ø Take a few minutes to talk about how the small groups are going. Ø Remind your hosts and helpers of the upcoming prayer ministry training. Ø Remind your hosts and helpers that the meal blessing begins this week. Ø Before the meal, please remind guests that there are still Alpha Guides available for

purchase for $5. Session Schedule

• Welcome • Meal (meal blessing begins this week) • Session Introduction • Worship • DVD • Dismissal • Encourage use of the online Weekly Feedback form or collect Weekly Feedback Forms

from the hosts Session Introduction “Welcome. It’s wonderful to see all of you return for Session 4. For the past two sessions, we have talked about who Jesus is and why He died. The topic for this week is ‘How Can We Have Faith?’ Many people who may come on the Alpha course may not be churchgoers, but they do see themselves as Christians. ‘How Can We Have Faith?’ is really about coming to faith in Jesus. “An excellent book to read about his own coming to faith is Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis. In 1931, while riding on a motorbike on his way to the zoo, Lewis came to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He was converted. It was not dramatic, nothing like St. Paul’s road to Damascus experience. He himself described the experience, ‘It was more like when a man, still lying motionless in bed, becomes aware that he is now awake.’ After his conversion, Lewis was never the same—and the world has never been the same either. Most individuals who are converted from living in sin to following Jesus are surprised by something and this is why Lewis titled his autobiography, Surprised by Joy.


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“Another book which was a best seller in 1970 and then made into a movie is The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson. It’s based on the true story of the life of Mr. Wilkerson, who was a small town preacher who found himself in the midst of a crime-ridden neighborhood in New York City. There he ministered to youth in order to get them to turn away from drugs and violence. An especially thought-provoking quote from the book and so applicable to today’s session is: ‘What is it about tears that should be so terrifying? The touch of God is marked by tears...deep, soul-shaking tears, weeping. . .it comes when that last barrier is down and you surrender yourself to health and wholeness.’ “A reminder that the Alpha Day Away is coming up in a few weeks where we learn more about the Holy Spirit.” Joke Tonight, we are looking at being sure of our faith. It reminds me of this story. A pastor was doing a teaching for the children and began to ask them questions. “If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale, and then gave all my money to the church, would that get me into Heaven?” “NO!” the children answered. “If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would that get me into Heaven? “ Again the answer was “NO!” “Well, then, if I was kind to animals and gave candy to all the children, and loved my wife, would that get me into Heaven?” he asked them again. Again, they all answered, “NO!” “Well, then, how can I get into Heaven?” the pastor asked. A five-year-old boy shouted out, “YOU GOTTA BE DEAD!”


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Session Leader Notes—Session 5: Why and How Do I Pray? Session Reminders

Ø Take a few minutes to talk about how the small groups are going. Ø Remind your hosts and helpers of the upcoming prayer ministry training. Ø Continue to collect Alpha Day Away reservations. Ø Mention prayer is being introduced in the small groups at this session. Table hosts may

close their table discussion with a simple prayer. Ø Here are some thoughts as you pray:

v Thank God for the good things happening on the course. v Pray for the session and all guests. v Pray for the upcoming Alpha Day Away.

Session Schedule • Welcome • Meal • Session Introduction • Worship • DVD • Dismissal • Encourage use of the online Weekly Feedback form or collect Weekly Feedback Forms

from the hosts Session Introduction “Welcome, it’s wonderful to see all of you return for Session 5! “We have looked at the person of Jesus, why He died, and last week we started to look at the topic of faith. If you missed any of the talks, you can find many of them on YouTube. “In the weeks to follow, we will be looking at what it means to be in a relationship with God. I mean, you can’t see God! How can you have a relationship with a person that you can’t see? How do you speak to them? “That’s the subject of this session’s talk—prayer.”


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Joke Tonight’s subject is prayer. Some people are very proud of the fact that they don’t pray, others are proud of the fact that they do pray. I heard of one family who had some visitors coming to lunch and they wanted to show-off to their visitors how well they had brought up their children and how well their children prayed. When it came time for lunch, they said to their son, “Johnny, why don’t you pray?” Johnny looked rather embarrassed and said, “I can't.” So, the mother whispered to him and said, “Johnny, just say what daddy said at breakfast this morning.” Johnny shut his eyes and said, “Oh God, (pause), why do we have to have these awful people over for lunch today?”


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Session Leader Notes—Session 6: Why and How Should I Read the Bible? Reminders

Ø Bibles will be available for you to sell to guests for $25. Any monies collected should be returned to the Alpha Coordinator along with the Weekly Feedback Forms.

Ø The talk at this session looks at how we communicate with God and how God communicates with us. The Bible is a book that truly comes alive to believing Christians but lacks impact for those who do not believe.

Ø Remind your hosts to keep small group discussion on point. As groups begin to gel, it’s easy to get off topic. Please remind them to redirect.

Session Schedule


from the hosts Session Introduction “Hello and welcome! In the second week, we looked at the heart of Christianity, who Jesus is. The third week, we looked at why Jesus died and what was really going on. The fourth week, we looked at how it is possible for us to come into a relationship with God. Last week, we explored prayer as a way to build a relationship with God. This week, we start to look at how we communicate with God and how God communicates with us as we listen to Nicky’s talk ‘How and Why We Should Read the Bible?’ “We encourage you to get a Bible that is accurate to the original text if you don't already have one. (You may recommend the Ignatius Bible, The New Jerusalem Bible, The New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE), or one that you prefer to use.) Which version is best to use depends on whether you want it primarily for prayer, for study, or to take to Church to follow the readings.


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“The Bible is a book that comes alive to believing Christians but lacks impact to those who don’t believe. This week we will look at how to read the Bible.” Joke I heard about a pastor who was visiting. . .he was in a rural area of _______ (fill in a rural area, like Northern Michigan) . . . and he was visiting one of his parishioners who was a middle-aged woman. He went to the door, he rang the doorbell, and there was no response. He rang again since he could see there was a light on, but there was no response. He went round to see and there was a radio and a light on. This is strange, he thought, and he decided to just leave a note. Revelation 3, verse 20 came to mind and he wrote a little note to her saying, ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with them and they with me.’ He thought this was a very appropriate verse, so he put it in the mailbox and walked away. The following Sunday, he saw the woman in church. She came up to him and handed him a little note. When he looked at the note, he saw that she had also written a verse. She had written this: Genesis 3, verse 10, ‘I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid.’


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Session Leader Notes—Session 7: How Does God Guide Us? Reminders

Ø Here are some thoughts as you pray with your hosts/helpers at the beginning of the session:

v Thank God for the good things happening on the course. v Pray for the session and all guests. v Pray for the upcoming Alpha Day Away.

Ø The talk at this session is important as it comes before the Alpha Day Away. Having an appreciation of how God guides us will make the Alpha Day Away talks easier to understand. At this session, we want the guests to see that God really does have a beautiful plan for their lives.

Session Schedule • Welcome • Meal • Session Introduction • Worship • DVD • Dismissal • Encourage use of the online Weekly Feedback form or collect Weekly Feedback Forms

from the hosts Session Introduction “Hello and welcome to Session 7. Just a reminder that our Alpha Day Away is quickly approaching. I would really like to encourage anyone who has not yet made a decision to attend the Alpha Day Away to please try and come. It’s going to be a very blessed opportunity for all those who can attend. At this session, we’re looking at ‘How Does God Guide Us?’”


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Joke God can guide us in many different ways. Here is an example from a newly engaged couple: A man was very eager to meet his future son-in-law. His daughter had gotten engaged unexpectedly and this weekend would be their first time meeting him. He told all of his friends at work that he had a whole list of questions to ask this young man. On Saturday morning, he invited his soon to be son-in-law for a cup of coffee. As they began to talk, the father quickly found himself asking the questions that were weighing on his mind. “Do you have a job? I know you just finished college and all, but how do you plan to support yourself and my daughter?” The young man paused and said, “Well, God will provide.” The father then asked his second question. “Where do you intend to live? Do you have a house or an apartment lined up for after the wedding?” The young man paused, and again, and with much conviction, said, “God will provide.” The father waited a few moments before launching into his third question. “Son, do you have any money? Any savings? A financial nest egg?” The young man looked him right in the eye and said again, “God will provide.” The following Monday, all of the father's co-workers were curious to find out how it had gone meeting his future son-in-law. The father smiled and said, “I kind of like the kid. He thinks I am God!”


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Session Leader Notes—Alpha Day Away

Ø Be sure to pray for the hosts, helpers, and guests attending the Alpha Day Away. Ø Pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Ø Pray for the Alpha Prayer Ministry teams.


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Session Leader Notes—Session 8: How Can I Resist Evil? Reminders

Ø Begin by thanking God for: v the good things that happened on the Alpha Day Away; v the worship time and small group discussion; and v for those who were unable to attend the Alpha Day Away to feel included and to

receive prayer later on the course. Session Schedule


from the hosts Session Introduction “Spiritual warfare is real. Ever since the Garden of Eden, Satan has been trying to get us to doubt God and each other. As a result, we are isolated and more open to temptation. This session on ‘How Can I Resist Evil?’ is intended to come after the Alpha Day Away, since there is often backlash from the enemy after the Alpha Day Away as many have come to Christ for the first time or had a renewal of faith. Please be sure to encourage and strengthen your group. Pray for each other before you end the session.” Joke On the outskirts of town, there was a big old pecan tree by the cemetery fence. One day, two boys filled up a bucketful of nuts and sat down by a tree, out of sight, and began dividing the nuts. “One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me,” said one boy. Several were dropped and rolled down toward the fence.


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Another boy came riding along the road on his bicycle. As he passed, he thought he heard voices from inside the cemetery. He slowed down to investigate. Sure enough, he heard, “One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me.” He just knew what it was. “Oh my,” he shuddered. “It’s Satan and St. Peter dividing the souls at the cemetery.” He jumped back on his bike and rode off. Just around the bend he met an old man with a cane, hobbling along. “Come here quick,” said the boy, “you won’t believe what I heard. Satan and St. Peter are down at the cemetery dividing up the souls.” The man said, “Beat it, kid, can’t you see it’s hard for me to walk.” When the boy insisted, though, the man hobbled to the cemetery. Standing by the fence they heard, “One for you, one for me. One for you, one for me.” The old man whispered, “Boy, you’ve been tellin’ the truth. Let’s see if we can see the devil himself.” Shaking with fear, they peered through the fence, yet were still unable to see anything. The old man and the boy gripped the wrought iron bars of the fence tighter and tighter as they tried to get a glimpse of Satan. At last they heard, “One for you, one for me, and the last one for you. That’s all. Now let’s go get those nuts by the fence, and we’ll be done.”


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Session Leader Notes—Session 9: Why and How Should I Tell Others? Reminders

Ø Since all hosts and helpers have gone through prayer ministry training, encourage them to pray with their guests when opportunities arise.

Ø As usual, continue to offer the Alpha Guides and Bibles to those who would like to purchase them.

Ø Remind hosts and helpers to begin talking about the Celebration Dinner. Session Schedule


from the hosts Session Introduction “Welcome Everyone! We are approaching the end of Alpha and we have a Celebration Dinner to look forward to (provide date). Reservations must be made, so please let your table host know if you plan on attending. “Today’s session is about us spreading the Good News about what Jesus has done for us.” Joke One of the reasons that there are so many misunderstandings about the Church is that we as the Church often send out misleading messages about what we’re about. This is particularly true in church bulletins. I don’t know whether you are familiar with the sort of information in these bulletins, but someone made a list of some of the most humorous ones. These are actual printed church bulletins. Let me give you some examples. One church had this, “This afternoon there will be a meeting in the south and north ends of the church. Children will be baptized at both ends.”


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Another one wrote this, “Tuesday at 4pm there will be an ice-cream social. All ladies giving milk, come early.” “This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mr. Johnson to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.” “On Sunday, a special collection will be taken to defray the expenses of the new carpet. All those wishing to do something on the new carpet, come forward and get a piece of paper.” Another church had this notice: “A bean supper will be held on Saturday evening in the church basement. Music will follow.” Finally, this, “Tonight’s sermon: ‘What is hell?’ Come early and listen to our choir practice.”


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Session Leader Notes—Session 10: Does God Heal Today? Reminders

Ø Encourage your hosts and helpers to collect RSVPs for the Celebration Dinner. Ø Encourage hosts and helpers to set a date for a group reunion. Ø Be attentive to any guests that you feel may make a great helper on the next Alpha

Course and consider inviting them to training. Ø Pray with the hosts and helpers that God’s healing power would be present. Ø Be attentive to any words of knowledge. Ø There will be no formal conclusion to the session. When small groups are finished with

their prayer, they may leave. Ø Hosts and helpers should encourage their groups leave in silence so as to respect those

who are still praying. Session Schedule


from the hosts • Groups leave when finished, no formal dismissal

Session Introduction “Welcome everyone! We are approaching the end of Alpha and we have a Celebration Dinner to look forward to on (provide date). Reservations must be made, so please reserve your seat with your group host. “Next week, your host will distribute guest questionnaires. We would encourage you to complete those and return them next week. “This week’s topic is, ‘Does God Heal Today?’. This is no small group discussion. Instead, your small groups will be praying together for healing. The Greek word that means ‘I save’ also means ‘I heal’. God is concerned not just about our spiritual salvation, but our whole being. One day we shall have a new and perfect body. In this life, we will never reach perfection. When


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God heals someone miraculously today, we get a glimpse of the future when the final redemption of our bodies will take place (Rom. 8:23). “The Alpha Coordinator may be joining us for this session to offer us some insights into tonight’s prayer time together.” Joke

1. Q: Did you know that they had automobiles in Jesus’ time? A: Yes, the Bible says that the disciples were all of one Accord.

2. A married couple were arguing about who should make the coffee. The wife said that in

the Bible it says that men should make the coffee. The husband asked her where it said that. The wife opened the Bible and said, “Right here in HEBREWS!”

3. In the beginning, God created the earth and rested. Then God created Man and rested.

Then God created Woman. Since then, neither God nor Man has rested.


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Session Leader Notes—Session 11: How Can I Make the Most of the Rest of My Life? (OLGC Alpha groups only) Reminders

Ø Hosts need to allow time for guests to fill out guest questionnaires. A basket will be left in the Social Hall to collect the forms. (Off-site groups, please adapt.)

Ø Hosts will need to fill out the Host Evaluation Form. This is online and can be found at https://olgcparish.wufoo.com/forms/alpha-host-end-of-course-evaluation/. A copy was also included in their training folder.

Ø Helpers will need to fill out the Helper Evaluation Form. This is online and can be found at https://olgcparish.wufoo.com/forms/alpha-helper-end-of-course-evaluation/. A copy was also included in their training folder.

Ø Pray in thanksgiving for what God has done on the Course. Ø Pray for Alpha guests that they would continue to grow in their spiritual lives. Ø Our goals for this session:

v to help guests rethink the direction of their lives by posing this question, “How now shall I live?”

v to extend a personal invitation to each guest to taking a closer look at the Church as they strive to grow in holiness.

Session Schedule


from the hosts • Discussion and guest completion of questionnaires

Session Introduction “We made it! Congratulations and thank you for being with us for eleven weeks. We are looking forward to seeing you at the Celebration Dinner on (provide date). If you haven’t registered, you still may do so.


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“Today’s topic is ‘How Can I Make the Most of the Rest of My Life?’. Once we encounter Jesus, the natural question that follows is ‘How now shall I live?’. God is love and He longs to have you with Him forever. God is ready to heal our pasts, forgive our sins, and to share in His own life. Will you take Him up on his offer?” Joke A man went to the doctor for his annual physical examination. After the doctor had examined the man, he asked, “Is there anything else you’d like to discuss today?” The man thought a moment and said, “Yes, as a matter of fact there is. My wife has gotten so hard of hearing that often she doesn’t hear me and refuses to get her hearing checked. What can I do about this?” The doctor thought for a while and then said, “I have an idea for you. Next time you see her and she is not looking, say something to her and see if she hears you. Then see how close you have to get before she hears you. Let me know what happens.” So the man went home and went into the Great Room with the living room, eating room, and kitchen. He saw his wife with her back to him. She was at the kitchen counter getting dinner ready. He stood at the far end of the Great Room. He asked in a reasonable voice, “What’s for dinner tonight, honey?” As usual, she did not respond. He took a few steps closer and asked again “What’s for dinner tonight, honey?” Again, she did not hear him and there was no response. He took a few steps closer and asked a third time, “What’s for dinner tonight, honey?” Again there was absolutely no response. So he gets right up behind her and asks again, “What’s for dinner tonight, honey?” At this point she turns around, faces him, and says, “For the FOURTH time, Beef Stew!!!!”


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Session Leader Notes—Session 11: What About the Church? (non-OLGC Alpha groups) Reminders

Ø Hosts need to allow time for guests to fill out guest questionnaires. A basket will be left in the Social Hall to collect the forms. (Off-site groups please adapt)

Ø Hosts will need to fill out the Host Evaluation Form. Ø Helpers will need to fill out the Helper Evaluation Form. Ø Pray in thanksgiving for what God has done on the Course. Ø Pray for Alpha guests that they would continue to grow in their spiritual lives. Ø Our goal in this session is to offer a light touch on the Church.

Session Schedule

• Welcome • Meal • Session Introduction • Worship • DVD • Dismissal • Collect Weekly Feedback Forms from the hosts • Discussion and guest completion of questionnaires

Session Introduction “We made it! Congratulations and thank you for being with us for eleven weeks. We are looking forward to seeing you at the Celebration Dinner on (provide date). If you haven’t registered, you still may do so. “Today the Church, as an institution, gets a lot of negative press. Some see the Church as an organization that abuses people or has some political agenda. This is certainly a different picture than what Jesus drew for his disciples when he described a Church that would ‘prevail against the gates of hell and become hope for the world.’”


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Joke A man went to the doctor for his annual physical examination. After the doctor had examined the man, he asked, “Is there anything else you’d like to discuss today?” The man thought a moment and said, “Yes, as a matter of fact there is. My wife has gotten so hard of hearing that often she doesn’t hear me and refuses to get her hearing checked. What can I do about this?” The doctor thought for a while and then said, “I have an idea for you. Next time you see her and she is not looking, say something to her and see if she hears you. Then see how close you have to get before she hears you. Let me know what happens.” So the man went home and went into the Great Room with the living room, eating room, and kitchen. He saw his wife with her back to him. She was at the kitchen counter getting dinner ready. He stood at the far end of the Great Room. He asked in a reasonable voice, “What’s for dinner tonight, honey?” As usual, she did not respond. He took a few steps closer and asked again “What’s for dinner tonight, honey?” Again, she did not hear him and there was no response. He took a few steps closer and asked a third time, “What’s for dinner tonight, honey?” Again there was absolutely no response. So he gets right up behind her and asks again, “What’s for dinner tonight, honey?” At this point she turns around, faces him, and says, “For the FOURTH time, Beef Stew!!!!”


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Session Leader Appendix— Jokes Christianity—Boring, Untrue, Irrelevant? – The Christian Bear An atheist was taking a walk through the woods. “What majestic trees! What powerful rivers! What beautiful animals!” he said to himself. As he continued walking alongside the river he heard a rustling in the bushes. Turning to look, he saw a 7-foot grizzly charging towards him. He ran as fast as he could up the path. Looking over his shoulder he saw that the bear was closing in on him. His heart was pumping frantically and he tried to run even faster. He tripped and fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw the bear raising his paw to take a swipe at him. At that instant the atheist cried out: “Oh my God!” Time stopped. The bear froze. The forest was silent. It was then that bright light shone upon the man and a voice came out of the sky saying, “You deny my existence for all these years, teach others I don’t exist and even credit creation to a cosmic accident. Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer?” The atheist looked directly into the light, “It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps, could you make the BEAR a Christian?” “Very well,” said the voice. The light went out. And the sounds of the forest resumed. And then the bear lowered his paw, bowed his head and spoke, “Lord, bless this food which I am about to receive and for which I am truly thankful.”


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Who is Jesus? – The Flight to Egypt A Sunday school class was learning al about the birth of baby Jesus. They read the exciting tale of the Flight to Egypt where Joseph, Mary, and the baby Jesus had to flee to Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod, who was trying to kill Jesus. After they finished the story, the teacher asked them all to draw what they thought the flight to Egypt looked like. The first little girl got up and showed her picture. It had Mary and Jesus riding on a big gray donkey with Joseph walking alongside. The next little boy had a fantastic picture of the family riding a camel through the desert, complete with pyramids in the background and even a couple of mummies lying around! The next little boy got up, and there was picture of a big old jet airliner streaking through the sky with 4 people in it. The teacher tried not to laugh, and said, “Well, Johnny. I can kind of see where you would have come up with an airplane. . .the story is called the Flight to Egypt, but who are these people in the plane?” Little Johnny pointed to the first and said, “That’s Joseph.” The teacher nodded. “This is mother Mary.” He pointed to the next person “This is the baby Jesus.” The teacher said, “Yes, but who is this fourth person?” “Well, that’s Pontius—the Pilot of course!”


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Why and how should I read the Bible? – The Deal A young boy had just gotten his driving permit. He asked his father, who was a minister, if they could discuss the use of the car. His father took him to his study and said to him, “I’ll make a deal with you. You bring your grades up, study your bible a little and get your hair cut and we’ll talk about it.” After about a month, the boy came back and again asked his father if they could discuss use of the car. They again went to the father’s study where his father said, “Son, I’ve been real proud of you. You have brought your grades up, you’ve studied your Bible diligently, but you didn’t get your hair cut!” The young man waiting a moment and replied, “You know Dad, I’ve been thinking about that. You know Samson had long hair, Moses had long hair, Noah had long hair, and even Jesus had long hair. . .” To which the father replied, “Yes, and they WALKED everywhere they went!”


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Why and how do I pray? – Enter Heaven A minister dies and is waiting in line at the Pearly Gates. Ahead of him is a guy who’s dressed in sunglasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket and jeans. Saint Peter addresses this guy, “Who are you, so that I may know whether or not to admit you to the Kingdom of Heaven?” The guy replies, “I’m Joe Cohen, taxi-driver, of Noo Yawk City.” Saint Peter consults his list. He smiles and says to the taxi-driver, “Take this silken robe and golden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” The taxi-driver goes into Heaven with his robe and staff, and it’s the minister’s turn. He stands erect and booms out, “I am Joseph Snow, pastor of Saint Mary’s for the last forty-three years.” Saint Peter consults his list. He says to the minister, “Take this cotton robe and wooden staff and enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” “Just a minute,” says the minister, “That man was a taxi-driver and he gets a silken robe and golden staff. How can this be?” “Up here, we work by results,” says Saint Peter. “While you preached, people slept; while he drove, people prayed.”


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What about the church? – The Army of the Lord A friend was in front of me coming out of church one day, and the preacher was standing at the door, as he always is, to shake hands. He grabbed my friend by the hand and pulled him aside. The Pastor said to him, “You need to join the Army of the Lord!” My friend replied, “I’m already in the Army of the Lord, Pastor.” Pastor questioned, “How come I don’t see you except at Christmas and Easter?” He whispered back, “I’m in the Secret Service.”


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How can I make the most of the rest of my life? – Sorry, I didn’t recognize you! A middle-aged woman has a heart attack and is taken to the hospital. While on the operating table she has a near death experience. During that experience she sees God and asks if this is it. God says no and explains that she has another thirty to forty years to live. Upon her recovery she decides to just stay in the hospital and have a face lift, liposuction, breast augmentation, tummy tuck, etc. She even has someone come in and change her hair color. She figures since she’s got another thirty or forty years she might as well make the most of it. She walks out of the hospital after the last operation and is killed by an ambulance speeding up to the hospital. She arrives in front of God and asks, “I thought you said I had another thirty to forty years?” God replies, “Sorry, I didn’t recognize you.”


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The Remarkable Parrot Three sons left home, went out on their own and prospered. They’d always been a bit competitive. One year each was bragging about the gifts they were able to give their elderly mother, each secretly hoping Mom would like their gift the best. The first said, “I built a big house for our mother.” The second said, “I sent her a Mercedes with a driver.” The third said, “You remember how our mother enjoys reading the Bible? Now she can’t see very well. So I sent her a remarkable parrot that recites the entire Bible. It took elders in the church twelve years to teach him. Mama just has to name the chapter and verse and the parrot recites it.” Soon thereafter, their mother sent out her letters of thanks. “Milton,” she said, “the house you built is so huge. I live only in one room, but I have to clean the whole house. It’s really too much.” The other two smiled, as Milton’s face fell. “Gerald,” she said, “I am too old to travel. I stay most of the time at home so I rarely use the Mercedes. And that driver is so rude! He’s a pain!” Gerald looked dejected as he youngest son beamed with joy because he was sure his gift was most appreciated! “But Donald,” she said, “the little chicken you sent was delicious!”


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Heavenly Baseball Two buddies, Bob and Earl, were two of the biggest baseball fans in America. For their entire adult lives, Bob and Earl discussed baseball history in the winter and they pored over every box score during the season. They went to 60 games a year. They even agreed that whoever died first would try to come back and tell the other if there was baseball in heaven. One summer night, bob passed away in his sleep after watching the Yankee victory earlier in the evening. He died happy. A few nights later, his buddy Earl awoke to the sound of Bob’s voice from beyond. “Bob is that you?” Earl asked. “Of course it’s me,” Bob replied. “This is unbelievable!” Earl exclaimed. “So tell me, is there baseball in heaven?” “Well I have some good news and some bad news for you. Which do you want to hear first?” “Tell me the good news first.” “Well, the good news is that, yes, there is baseball in heaven, Earl.” “Oh, that is wonderful! So what could possibly be the bad news?” “You’re pitching tomorrow night.”

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