1. Consult your chaplaincy team/contact the Alpha for Forces Office

Check with the chaplaincy team on the base as to whether they are already running an Alpha course. If not, approach the chaplaincy to discuss starting a course.

The role of the Alpha for Forces office is to support each Alpha course being run in a military environment. We will attempt to answer any questions you may have about Alpha in this environment. We will also help to get your course up and running by:
• providing resources
• providing links to other Alpha for Forces courses
• giving advice on running your Alpha Weekend or Alpha Day
• running Training Days

2. Attend an Alpha conference
Alpha conferences are designed to train and equip you and your team to run an Alpha course. They run over two days and cover the principles and practicalities of the course as well as including a ‘Model Alpha Session’. Nicky Gumbel has said that, ‘Running Alpha without attending a conference is like driving a car without taking any lessons.’

For upcoming Alpha conferences, please see the latest edition of Alpha News or check the website: alphacourse.org.


3. Plan your team and appoint a course leader
On many military bases there are often a number of small congregations from different denominations; Alpha provides an ideal opportunity to bring the wider church together with a common aim.

Course Leader
The overall leader of the Alpha course would benefit from having attended an Alpha conference and having been involved in several Alpha courses. If the leader is not already on the chaplaincy team but is from a local church, it is helpful if he or she has had some experience of speaking in a military environment before leading the course.

Small Group Leaders and Helpers
We would recommend the ratio of eight guests to four leaders/helpers on an Alpha course, ie two to one. Leaders and helpers should be confident, positive, outgoing people who relate well to those outside the church. There is a simple test for good leaders and helpers. Ask yourself: ‘Would I happily put my closest friend who is not a Christian in that person’s group?’

4. Train the team
The team should be trained using the Alpha Leaders’ Training material.

If the team members have no experience of the military, it may be useful to invite a military chaplain or worker to speak to your group about the culture, regulations and practicalities of ministering in a military environment.


5. Register your Alpha course
There are a number of ways to register your course:
• On the website
• Contact the Alpha for Forces office for a registration form
• Complete the registration form you receive with Alpha News


6. Set the dates and select a venue

Setting the dates
First decide on the time scale. Select a morning, afternoon or evening carefully so as not to coincide with other meetings. Make sure the Alpha Weekend does not clash with any important event. Remember also to schedule dates for the three leaders’ training sessions. The first two should occur before the course starts, with the third falling in the week running up to the Alpha Weekend.

Selecting a venue
Based on the anticipated size of the course, select a site for the weekly meetings. A chapel is often the best place for privacy, but some guests may feel more comfortable in a non-church environment.

When selecting a venue you may like to consider somewhere with the following characteristics:
• catering facilities
• near to your guests (accessible and easy to find)
• comfortable room (good amenities, no restrictive rules)
• enough space for the small groups to meet in private (quiet and uninterrupted location)

7. Order Resources
A Mail Order Brochure listing all the available resources is available free of charge by calling the Alpha Publications Hotline on 0845 7581 278, or from abroad on +44 1228 611749.

First-time course registrations in the UK qualify for discounted resources. Please contact the Alpha for Forces Office for more details.