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nelly
Alpha Meetings! What are they? Who are they?
by freeborg 12 Replies latest jw friends
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nelly136
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cherjcd
Hello freeborg,
You asked what I help former Jehovah's Witnesses to do. Thanks for asking. My husband and I have run a support group for former Jehovah's Witnesses since 1988. We have been privileged to see many ex-Witnesses come through the group and experience healing and then move on with their lives.
We do not preach to these Witnesses but give them tools to find healing.
Why do former Jehovah's Witnesses need support?
Jehovah's Witnesses who come out of the Watchtower organization do so usually with a great deal of "baggage". Some of the issues that former Jehovah's Witnesses need to deal with are:
The pain of losing family and friends.
The feeling of isolation. When one is cut off from their family and friends in the organization (often this has been their only association) there seems to be no one who understands. When the former Witness does try to share with the outside world they may be told to just get over it. It is not unusual to feel that they are the only ones going through these feelings.
Years of indoctrination. The Society has taught their followers to be prejudiced against the world outside the Watchtower especially those who call themselves Christians. When the Witness leave the "safety" of the organization it can often be an unsettling experience and a fearful time.
Fear of Churches. It may be difficult to even enter a church as Jehovah's Witnesses have been taught that this is Satan's territory.
Feeling of failure. Often Jehovah's Witnesses feel that they have failed God because they were not able to stay in "God's organization". Outside the Watchtower they can feel as though God no longer loves them and has totally abandoned them.
Anger against the organization and/or God himself.
Inability to make decisions or the desire to find another "high control" group to replace the controlled life in the Watchtower.
The ability to think for oneself has to be relearned after the Watchtower indoctrination. Alpha is not a "group". It is just a self help course that allows people to begin to think for themselves, to allow them to question, and to reach out and experience God for themselves without the control of an organization.
Thanks for asking,
Cheryl -
stocwach
I'm sorry, but the majority of you have Alpha all wrong. I was a dub from age 6 to 17 (am now 34), and over the last 3 years have been attending a local Vineyard church (which is Christian based non denominational). Alpha is basically a back to basics introduction to Christianity and is offered by numerous churches nationwide. It is recommended for those new to Christianity, or any Christian who just wants to brush up on the basics of Christianity.