Operation Starfish: Every Life Counts

In 2012 we are launching our Operation Starfish, Every Life Counts Campaign. The goal of Operation Starfish is to inspire church members to pray for and invite their friends, colleagues and family members to the next Alpha Course at your church.

Central to Operation Starfish is the starfish wall in each church. Each wall represents a beach full of thousandsof starfish drying out in the sun. We suggest that churches have an Alpha Sunday during which each church member adds a name to a starfish and adds it to the wall, symbolising that they are going to pray for and invite that person to the next Alpha Course. Once the person agrees to come, the church member moves the starfish from that wall to another blue wall symbolising water and their faith that their friend will come to faith.

This simple activity that takes 10 minutes in church is potentially profound. Helping us to focus on the value of one friend, one family member, one colleague. It helps us realise that the success of an Alpha Course isn't in the size of the course but in the individual lives that we invite.

Alpha Sundays

What is it?

An Alpha Sunday is when a Church focuses its entire weekend services on promoting the Alpha Course to its congregation. The goal is to inspire church members to be part of the next Alpha Course, and to invite their friends to be guests on the course.

Who is it for?

Alpha Sundays are for:

Churches yet to run Alpha - to introduce the course and to excite church members for evangelism.
Churches already running the Alpha Course - to inspire and re-envision Church members to continue being involved in evangelism through the Alpha Course

How is it structured?

The usual sermon / message time is given to focusing on Alpha and evangelism. A sermonette is given by one of the local Alpha team or if invited one of the Alpha New Zealand team. The focus of the message will be on the importance of outreach and evangelism, and an introduction to the Alpha Course will also be given. At the end of the message, church members will be encouraged to think of and pray for someone they can invite to Alpha.

Components