Approximately one third of each Alpha course is made up of team members who either lead or help in a group, or help in the ‘task force’ which is responsible for carrying out all the jobs like laying out chairs and preparing the food.

If the course is going to be a large one (thirty plus) the team will need to include an administrator and a worship leader.

Each small group is made up of around twelve people, of whom three or four are leaders and helpers. These people need to be selected very carefully and to be committed for every week of the course and the weekend.

When considering if somebody is suitable as a leader, a useful test can be ‘Suppose you had a non churchgoing friend for whom you had been praying for several years; would you be totally confident about putting them into that person’s group?’

If the answer is ‘No’ then they are probably not suitable to be a leader of a small group on Alpha. If the answer is ‘Yes’ then they are likely to be a good leader.

The helpers should pass the same test as the leaders, but they may be relatively new Christians. Indeed, occasionally they may not even be Christians at all. Many helpers are those who have just finished the previous course. Some ask to come back and do the course again – in lots of cases they could be asked to come back as helpers.

We strongly discourage anyone from simply repeating the course as they need to move on in their journey of faith and not get stuck doing Alpha over and over again. People who have recently done the course are especially sensitive to the fears and doubts of members in their group. As well as people who ask to come back, leaders of the previous course can recommend those from their small group who they think would be good at helping.

Training Your Team

Small groups are often a favourite part of Alpha – here guests can express their ideas and explore what they have heard. To ensure that the small groups run smoothly, it is essential that each Alpha leader and helper is properly trained before every course. Even those who have led on Alpha before will find it valuable – both to refresh their memory, to meet others on the team and to pray for the course.

There are 3 key training sessions: Leading Small Groups, Pastoral Care and Ministry on Alpha. The first two are held before the course begins and the third training talk on the subject of ministry is held just before the weekend away.

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