Business Alpha | Alpha in the workplace australia

Prologue

For many years, particularly since the 1960s, traditional values and beliefs held within Western Civilization have been under increasing examination. Some commentators believe this has been a healthy trend and is a natural progression as each emerging generation has evaluated the assumptions and practices of their forebears.

The widespread growth of education in the West has also taught young people to question things. As our world has entered the modern era the freedoms we enjoy have enabled people of all ages to adopt beliefs and lifestyles that have differed greatly from the mainstream of yesteryear.

What is the result?

Western society has seen a strong trend away from the belief system upon which our various nations and communities have been founded. Our way of life, which embraced such values as charity and care for others, honesty and integrity, marital faithfulness, loyalty and ethical business practice has changed.

A casual glance at our newspapers and magazines in the 1960s compared with the 80’s, 90’s and in the new Millennium, show a world of social innocence replaced with widespread crime and social discord. Crimes like murder, rape, arson and drug trafficking are daily features of our news broadcasts.

What was our belief system? Why have we drifted so far from the relative innocence of just a generation ago? Have the new beliefs and attitudes that have been adopted helped us?

The Foundation of Western Society
The roots of our society, whether we admit it or not, go right back to Christ.
Our society was founded on the concept of Christian Civilization. The stream of freedom and social cohesion we have inherited (and which is still salvageable) based as it is on Christianity, must necessarily draw its life and force from a person, the founder of Christianity, Jesus Christ. The roots of our society, whether we admit it or not, go right back to Christ.

In the face of this great divergence from Christianity over the past 20 years in particular it is no surprise to learn that many Christian denominations have experienced a falling away of church attendance and membership. Children have grown up today with no concept of God, the Creator. The current generation, far from revelling in a new freedom, is inheriting an uncertain world, a world marred by corporate failures and on a world scale, economic uncertainty and a new enemy, international terrorism. A recent newspaper headline read “Terror threat grips our nation, most think life changed forever”

A recent newspaper headline read: “Terror threat grips our nation, most think life changed forever”

The Development of the Alpha Course

During the eighties, Charles Marnham, a clergyman at Holy Trinity Brompton, London began to develop a means to express the basic principles of the Christian faith to people in an informal setting. He devised the Alpha course, meaning “A beginning” , Alpha being the first letter in the Greek Alphabet.

The talks addressed questions that not only relate to Christianity but also brought great definition to the meaning of life. Questions like “Who is Jesus? “And how and why do I pray? “And how to have a real relationship with God” were central components of Marnham’s work. When he moved on from Holy Trinity others took over leadership of the Alpha course making some modifications along the way

In 1990, Nicky Gumbel, a former barrister and by then an ordained minister and member of the Holy Trinity Brompton team assumed responsibility for the Alpha course. By this time the number of guests or participants on the course regularly amounted to about 100 people for each course.

While leading his second Alpha course Nicky made a discovery that was to transform Holy Trinity’s approach to conducting the Alpha course. Nicky noticed that of the 13 members of his small group on the course (apart from the three Christian helpers) all the members of the group were non-churchgoers.
These people had very consistent questions and objections about Christianity and about life in general. “What about other religions?” “What about suffering?” “Do science and religion clash?”, “Is sex outside of marriage okay?” and so on. Nicky said about his group: “ We had a stormy first six weeks”. Then they went away on the Alpha weekend and all ten announced that they had come to have faith in God through Jesus Christ.

“What about other religions?” “What about suffering?” “Do science and religion clash?”, “Is sex outside of marriage okay?”
“He realised that this course could become a way for people to explore the meaning of life and uncover the reality of God.”
This experience changed Nicky’s thinking about the Alpha course. He realised that this course could become a way for people to explore the meaning of life and uncover the reality of God. Nicky quickly adapted the course to make it particularly attractive to people who were non-churchgoers.

The welcoming atmosphere, the small group environment, the food and material of the talks themselves were all designed to make Alpha as attractive as possible to anyone regardless of background.
Nicky emphasised to the Alpha small group leaders that no question should be treated as too trivial, threatening or illogical.

Alpha is International

This transition of the Alpha course under Nicky Gumbel’s guidance has led to the expansion of the course on a worldwide basis. The growth of the course has been astonishing to say the least. In 1992 only around 6 courses were run in London. Since then churches of all denominations in the UK and in 170 other countries have been running Alpha including Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, France, Germany, Finland, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Switzerland, Spain, Croatia, Hungary, Austria, Russia and many others including South Korea, Burma, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

At the time of writing it is estimated that there are around 25,000 registered courses being run worldwide with more and more courses starting virtually on a daily basis. Not only have churches of all major denominations adopted the Alpha course. Alpha has been shown to be very transportable.

Alpha can be presented in any environment where people can gather to explore the meaning of life. They include: Alpha for Students, Alpha for Youth, Alpha in the Workplace and Prison Alpha.

Alpha in the Workplace or Business Alpha as it is known in Australia, commenced in the late 1990’s when the Rev. Roger Simpson held a lunchtime series of sessions covering the Alpha course in a business friend’s boardroom in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. From there Business Alpha has been run all over Canada in virtually any workplace setting.

Alpha in the Workplace or Business Alpha as it is known in Australia, commenced in the late 1990’s
In Australia the first Business Alpha course was run in Sydney in mid 2001 when CBD based business executives got together and invited business and work associates to attend a course in Bridge street. They have quickly followed with other Business Alpha courses in Sydney, North Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne.

Business Alpha is now available in most capital cities and more courses are commencing all the time.
It is also our hope that, as a result of their Business Alpha experience, many thousands of business people will find the happiness and fulfilment they are seeking in their lives.

It is also our hope that, as a result of their Business Alpha experience, many thousands of business people will find the happiness and fulfilment they are seeking in their lives. It is our conviction that true health and fulfilment will only be found in the presence and person of Jesus Christ.