[ Who is it for? ]

[ How is Senior Alpha different? ]

[ How to run Senior Alpha ]

Who is it for?

The age range of people living in residential homes is vast and often spans 35 years, with residents aged between 65 and 100 years.  The last 20 years of a person’s life provide as many opportunities for adjustment and learning as the first 20 years.  Thousands of older people now living in retirement homes are having to come to terms with new surroundings and a new lifestyle.  Many people have questions about faith that they have never had the time or space to ask.  In old age they have the time, and Alpha gives them the space.

Our desire is to share God’s love, and to help people move forward in their faith by coming into a living relationship with Jesus Christ, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and having the assurance of eternal life.

Often, many of the guests will have attended church over the years and would describe themselves as Christians.  They will be familiar with parts of the Bible and some of the old, better-known hymns.  In fact, some guests may have a better knowledge of the Bible than the helpers.

Many guests will have faced, or be facing, difficult situations such as: bereavement, regret and loneliness.  Death is a real and pressing issue and older people face death in two areas – that of others and their own.  Many feel neglected and forgotten – often families and friends live too far away to visit regularly.  The role we in the church can play is to offer friendship, and thus help them feel loved, accepted and valued.  As well as the guests, a wider audience exists in the residents’ family and friends, who may be visiting, and the caring staff at the home.

How is Senior Alpha different?

Structure of the Alpha course

The course should be structured to fit in with the normal routine of the residential home.  Mornings are generally more suitable than afternoons, and evening courses are not practical.  Many guests will be immobile and in need of care, so the Weekend Away, which forms a part of the regular Alpha course is not an option.  However, when the time comes for the teaching on the Holy Spirit, special effort could be made to produce a lovely lunch or tea.  A change of venue is always refreshing and if this is practical, the guests could be taken out for the day to hear the talks in a leader’s or helper’s home.

Many of the guests will have physical disabilities, such as poor eyesight, making reading difficult.  In response to this, special Senior Alpha manuals for guests and leaders have been produced in a larger type-face.  Some guests will be suffering from dementia (Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s) and may not be very responsive.  However, the state of the physical body and mind is not necessarily indicative of the state of the soul.  We should be encouraged; there are numerous stories of people who normally find it difficult to communicate, but who show astonishing lucidity when they come to pray or quote from the Bible.  Different people have different challenges in old age.

Worship

CDs or tapes of better known hymns can be used.  Or if a piano is available, you can use a talented pianist.

The talk

You may like to use a live speaker who can prepare the talks in advance.  Alternatively, ‘Alpha Express’ contains the 15 standard Alpha talks which have been cut down to between 20 and 25 minutes each, making them ideal for use in this context.  Many guests will be hard of hearing so a good sound system is important.

Group discussion

You may find that group discussion is difficult, as guests are largely from a generation of compliant listeners, who are therefore more familiar with the teacher-pupil model.  Conversely, there is often plenty of chatter, which, if sparked, can lead to some great discussion.  Getting guests to talk about themselves is a good way of encouraging discussion.  They all have a story to tell and the fact that you are prepared to listen and that you value what they say, is important.  We should be careful to give them enough time and space to express themselves.  The guidelines for leading a small group are even more important as some elderly guests may be less sensitive to the needs of others in a group.

How to run Senior Alpha

1.         Build a good relationship with your local residential home

It’s a good idea to build a relationship with the staff and residents at a home before suggesting a Senior Alpha course.  You could start by offering to run Christmas or Easter services, monthly communion services, or a ‘Songs of Praise’ morning.  Begin to pray for the home and for the opportunity to run a course.

2.         Attend a conference

The Alpha conference considers the principles and practicalities of running an Alpha course.  It also looks at how to maximise the potential of an existing course and how selecting and training your team can dramatically affect the success of your course.

You might also like to contact us before the conference to find out if there will be a Senior Alpha seminar running.

‘Running Alpha without going to a conference is like driving a car without taking lessons.’

Nicky Gumbel

3.         Purchase resources

Special manuals have been produced for Senior Alpha.  The current versions of The Alpha Course Manual and The Alpha Course Leaders’ Training Manual have been re-published with key Bible verses written out in full and larger print, following the standards used by the Royal National Institute of the Blind.  The manuals are larger than the standard manuals, and are spiral bound so they stay open. [ Click Here to ordered Resources ]

         Guest Manual $7.50
         Ordering code 110S

         Leaders’ Manual $10.00
         Ordering code 111S

         The Alpha Course DVD Set with Alpha Express $300.00

         Nicky Gumbel presenting the 15 talks that comprise the Alpha course.  Also includes the edited talks of
         between 20 and 25 minutes each.
         DVD (including subtitle option): 
         Ordering Code 107E

         Alpha Guest Manual in Braille $12.50
         Ordering Code B110

4.         Select and train your team

Ideally leaders and helpers for Senior Alpha should be in their 60s or older, as we have found that this generation can relate more easily to some of the issues facing older people, particularly those surrounding bereavement.  However, young people can always liven things up and inject energy, so perhaps your task-force could include some younger people.

Leaders’ training is an essential part of every Alpha course, and the success of a course is often dependent on it.  Every member of your team should go through the three Alpha Leaders’ Training sessions prior to each course.

         Useful resources:
         The Alpha Course Leaders’ Training Video
         Searching Issues Books

5.         Run your course

We hope and pray that you and your guests have a wonderful time exploring the meaning of life together.