Resources

Helpful Hints

Can I run an Alpha course on my campus?

Yes! However, before you begin, it is very helpful to attend a two-day Alpha Conference. More than 20 Alpha conferences are being offered in the United States this year. Upcoming conferences are listed on the Alpha USA website www.alphausa.org . Some of the Alpha conferences will include a seminar for running the course on campus. Conferences that feature an Alpha on Campus Seminar are listed in What's New. If you are interested in attending a conference, it is possible to register at the Alpha USA site.

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Course Resources

The Alpha on Campus program is specifically designed to support anyone who is running the Alpha Course exclusively for college and university students. We are pleased to announce scholarships are available for those in need of financial support. In order to qualify for a scholarship, you must register your course through the Director of Alpha on Campus. Please call the Alpha on Campus office (512) 477-1068 and speak with John Frahm the Director of Alpha on Campus if you are interested. He will assist you in the scholarship process and determine whether or not you qualify. If you do qualify, the Director of Alpha on Campus will provide you with the scholarship rate, your course will be added to the database as a scholarship course and you will receive that rate when ordering resource materials via the Alpha toll free number.

	The new Leaders Guide is a comprehensive resource full of practical guidelines on how to get a course started on a college or university campus.  The guide includes several case studies of courses that have been especially fruitful.
	In order to facilitate the introduction of Alpha on Campus, a free manual is available. The manual guides the user through the steps required to offer an Alpha course in a campus context and addresses such topics as how to plan a course, how to publicize a course, how to run a course and how to follow-up Alpha. If you would like a copy of "The A-Z of Running Alpha on Campus", write to Alpha on Campus, 209 W 27th Street, Austin, TX  78705 A new expanded guide is now available.  Check the prototype on the Alpha for Students web page.
	The Alpha on Campus Introductory Video is an eight minute presentation highlighting the essential elements necessary to run the Alpha Course in a campus context.  The video includes interviews with several students who have run the course effectively in the United Kingdom. Now available in DVD format.
	The Alpha on Campus postcards are helpful for extending a personal written invitation to prospective Alpha Course guests. The cards come 25 to a pack.  The front of the card carries a quote from Alexander Hamilton, "Those who stand for nothing, fall for anything."
	The Alpha on Campus poster is a useful resource for advertising your Alpha Course on bulletin boards throughout the campus.  The poster is 8.5 x 11 inches and permits you to add the day, time and location of your course.

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Reading List

Alpha Research Paper

Recently Pat McLeod, a Campus Crusade staffer in the greater Boston area,  has written a paper in conjunction with his graduate work at Boston University.  The paper is a qualitative analysis of an Alpha Course at one of the major universities in the Boston metroplex. For anyone considering running Alpha on a college or university campus, Pat's paper provides some important insights into the impact of the Alpha Course on the process of evangelization.  We highly recommend Pat's paper entitled "A Program Study of 'Alpha' in an American University Context."(pdf)

The Holy and the Ivy

Christianity Today published a wonderful piece entitled “ The Holy and the Ivy. ” It endorses Alpha as a significant tool for evangelization within the campus contect.  It specifically discusses the impact that Aloha is having on college campuses particularly those in the ivy league.

Other Suggestions

Philip Yancey. Jesus I Never Knew. Zondervan, 1998

Lee Strobel. Case for Christ. Zondervan, 1998

Neil T. Anderson. Victory Over Darkness. Regal Books; 2nd edition 2000

CS Lewis. Mere Christianity. Harper San Francisco; 2001

Dallas Willard. Renovation of the Heart. Navpress; 2002

Rick Richardson. Evangelism Outside the Box. Intervarsity Press; 2000

Don Everts. Jesus with Dirty Feet. Intervarsity Press; 1999

Josh McDowell. More Than a Carpenter.

Eugene Peterson. The Message Bible. Navpress; 1995

Steve Beard. Spiritual Journeys: How Faith has Influenced Twelve Music Icons. Relevant Books; 2003

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Links

Where can I learn more about Alpha on Campus?

If you are interested in learning more about the courses currently running in the United States, e-mail John Frahm, the Director of Alpha on Campus, at johnfrahm@alphausa.org. If you want to learn more about the history and the development of the Alpha course you are invited to browse the Alpha website in London www.alphacourse.org.

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