The Alpha Course Holy Spirit Week End?

by Mrs Smith 17 Replies latest jw experiences

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  truthsearcher

  One thing you should be aware of is that the Alpha Course teaches that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit are still active today (speaking in tongues, prophecy, etc.) It is a part of the Third Wave movement of charismatic teaching. Many churches that use the program omit the Holy Spirit teaching in order to avoid this. The churches that would omit the tapes are "cessasionists", that is, they believe that certain of the gifts (aka "sign gifts") were active in the apostolic era for the confirmation of the new revelation being given to the Jews at the time re: the New Covenant and early Christian church. It is believed that these specific gifts of tongues, prophecy and healing then died out by the end of the first century AD.

  I have just finished reading an interesting book called Charismatic Chaos by John MacArthur Jr. which clearly explains this. If you are interested in these things, do a search on the Internet for more info or PM me for specific articles.

  Without knowing the church that is hosting the weekend, it would be impossible to say if they are cessasionist or not. If they aren't, then it could be a wild ride!

  TS
• 

  LittleToe

  Previous thread on the subject that's worth reading:

  http://www.jehovahs-witness.com/6/127502/1.ashx

  Locally there was a course set up in a part of the island and it soon developed into a para-church organisation. Folks started to call them the "Alphas" and think them wierd, especially for their persistant proselytising efforts. Since they continually studied the course, with no additional substance, they became very cult-like and eventually fizzled out.
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  Gordy

  When I attend an Alpha course about 4 years ago. The Holy Spirit section was done in one day.

  All the churches in the area that were doing the course came together at a hotel venue in North Wales.

  Churches ranged from Church of England, Baptist, Methodist, Salvation Army, United Reformed, Pentecostal.

  The session was taken and run by a local Church of England minister. Other members of his church gave various talks on the subject.

  Towards the end prayers were said that the Holy Spirit would come on the people present to help them find others for Christ.

  It was a pleasant day most of the time we sat around and chatted with others.

  There was a meeting held last month on starting Alpha courses in the area this year. It was taken by the regional director for Alpha who himself is a Methodist.

  Some members of the churches represented have been holding Alpha every year since it started. One said that they had nearly a 1,000 people attend theirs last year, I think they were over on the Liverpool side of the county.They had to split it into two courses because they didn't have enough room in their church for so many.

  The director said that the courses are well attended, many accept Christ at the end of them. They are enouraged to attend any church they like to not necessarily the one which is holding the course.
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  kid-A

  "I heard a few different things about this. Some people praise it, but I've heard a lot of complaints about it in the UK too. At a conference last year I spoke to a few university lecturers who were concerned about the way their students were being recruited onto the course, and the numbers that were doing so."

  The same thing is happening in several Canadian Universities, including my own! There was a big scandal involving the Alpha Ministries a few years ago in my department, before I was hired. About 4-5 of the Professors were becoming actively involved with this group. These were both basic research Profs and clinical teaching Profs. It got to a point where the said Professors were actively PRESSURING their own graduate students to start attending these "meetings", where, of course, they were love-bombed. Long story short, these Professors (who had become salesman for Alpha) were clearly abusing their positions of authority over their own grad students to attend these religious meetings. This is in violation of pretty much every single faculty guideline. Long story short, they were severely disciplined, and rightly so.

  I also know this group has strong links to "Campus Crusade for Christ" which IS a blatant cult, which actively encourages members to attend 2-3 "meetings" a week while gradually limiting social contact with non-group family members....sound familiar???

  Many cult groups begin their 'innoculation' procedure with mundane, fun activities that appear "normal"...this is to engender trust and break down psychological warning signs....only AFTER this does the weirdness begin. If red flags are going off about this group, particularly asking you to spend an isolated weekend with them, you should trust your gut instincts and avoid it.
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  LittleToe

  For all that there's several negative stories being posted here, they are completely in the minority. It's a good course. I wouldn't have any reservations about attending, and there's no special need to be on your guard that there are boogymen around every corner. Rather that would probably detract from the enjoyment, as it would with any kind of social/educational event.
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  jgnat

  Little Toe, thanks to the WTS a little seed of skepticism rides with me at any public event. If a member love-bombs me, or the speaker uses emotionally loaded symbolism without cause, that seed pops up and whispers, "waitaminute" in my ear. I'm not sorry, even if I do "stand back" a bit at these events now.

  I'm now more sharply aware of when I am being swept away by the moment, and what forces are at work in the sweeping.
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  Mrs Smith

  Thanks for all your comments. The Alpha Course I'm attending is run by the local Methodist Church. I'm having loads of fun on the course and have learnt a few things too. I get to have my say and no one says "But the WBTS doesn't teach that!". I'm very wary of believing just because someone else says I should. I'm checking out all my options.
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  LittleToe

  Glad you're having fun

  Courses like this offer a quick way to become acquainted with the basic beliefs of Christianity in a congenial setting. If it doesn't float your boat at the end of it then at least you haven't wasted six months of a bible study, being ground down by endless repetition