The Alpha Guide is a companion to either the Alpha Film Series or Alpha with Nicky Gumbel. This guide is divided up by session with an easy-to-read outline so that guests can follow along during each talk. With simple bullet-point organization and plenty of room for notes, the guide functions as an invaluable resource to the guest during Alpha, and as a reference tool for individual reflection long after Alpha. It is considered an essential resource for Alpha guests as well as the host and helpers on Alpha. Alpha creates an environment of hospitality where people can bring their friends, family, and work colleagues to explore the Christian faith, ask questions, and share their point of view. Alpha makes it easy to invite friends to have spiritual conversations which explore life's biggest questions in a safe and respectful way. Alpha's approach to hospitality, faith, and discussion is designed to welcome everyone, especially those who might not describe themselves as Christians or church-goers. Each session includes time for a large group meal, short teaching, and small group discussion.

ANNA WEEPS over the phone with her best friend as she describes a marriage that feels hopeless and lifeless. No matter what she tries, her husband cannot seem to see her, care about her, or change the behavior that is destroying their marriage and their family. Jake is alone. He assumed that by age thirty he would be well on his way to his dream of a successful career, marriage, and starting a family. Instead, Jake works an unmotivating job and can't seem to gain the courage to talk to the woman he admires from afar. Even after losing significant weight, Lily still views herself as several sizes larger than she is and doesn't connect someone discussing"a thin woman" as describing her. Can you relate to these scenarios and forms of shame? Perhaps your experiences have been different, but despite its manifestation, shame is something we all endure. WHAT IS SHAME? Shame is the feeling of "not good enough," according to our own standard or our perception of someone else's standard for us. It's what keeps us from being honest about our struggles, sins, and less-than-perfect moments. Whereas guilt is associated with actions, shame taints your entire identity. At its core, shame is fear of weakness, failure, or unworthiness being unveiled for all to see. It commonly masquerades as embarrassment, and it shows up when you attempt something new, or when you're unsure of your place in a group. The ultimate origin of shame is no less dark than the Accuser of our souls himself, Satan. The Evil One always wants us to doubt whether we belong to the kingdom, whether God loves us, and whether we are truly forgiven and free of our sin and others' sin against us. THE GREAT SHAME EXCHANGE How can we break the cycle of reacting to shame with more shame? In the "great shame exchange," Jesus took our shame and clothed us with joy. The gospel--the good news of Jesus Christ--means that through Jesus's life, death on a cross, and resurrection from the grave, all of our shame is exchanged for honor, beauty, joy, comfort, justice, favor, and freedom. This shame exchange is costly. It is very costly for Christ, but not for us. All it costs us is the humility of admitting we cannot cover our own shame. We receive honor; he took our shame. We are lavished with grace; he was stained with our sin. We receive salvation; he experienced damnation. When Jesus cried, "It is finished" from the cross, he bore our sin, guilt, and shame, that we might know forgiveness, redemption, and freedom. Consider the good news Jesus offers: - Jesus comes to give honor instead of dishonor. - Jesus clothes you with beauty, removing the ashes of shame you've worn for your sin or for the sinful atrocities committed against you. - He comforts you as you mourn. - Whether in this life or the one to come, he brings justice for the injustice you've suffered. - Jesus brings favor instead of the vague cloud of constant disapproval. FIGHTING THE BATTLEAGAINST SHAME Bringing Shame into the Light of Community Shame thrives in secrecy. But fighting against shame moves you out of your lonely bunker of one into vibrant community. It does so one brave conversation at a time. It does so one relationship at a time. It will not be smooth and seamless. Expect your initial attempts to be flawed and broken and bumpy. Meeting Shame with the Grace of Forgiveness The Bible is unique in its approach to community because it holds in tension both the ideal vision of people living in harmony with one another and the reality that our sin and brokenness will often disrupt this harmony. It allows for repair of the inevitable fissures that happen as we try to love one another perfectly with hearts that are imperfect. Living in the reality of God's forgiveness of us requires a posture of forgiveness toward others. And when we receive forgiveness from others, it makes us grateful for God's forgiveness of us, and the cycle of redemption rolls along like the reassuring tide of the ocean's waves. Scripture provides God's instruction for living in community: Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. (Colossians 3:12-13) FREEDOM FROM SHAME The battle against shame is definitively won through the gospel of Jesus and his victory over sin and death--the freedom that follows Christ's victory arrives through something as simple and as hard as faith. This type of faith agrees you cannot rescue yourself from your shame, that your attempts to clothe yourself have been as futile as the fig-leaf loin cloths our first parents in Adam and Eve crafted. It's a faith that addresses the complication of shame mingled with guilt. This faith gives you an underlying confidence that your sin has truly been atoned for and taken away by a dying-now-resurrected Savior. By faith, we know that there will be no more mourning or tears or death in the life to come. We look back to the Garden of Eden to see that there was no shame before sin. Unashamed. It's where we began, and it's our destiny as the redeemed ones in Christ. The Christian's ultimate hope for shame is that we will be clothed in the honor of Jesus Christ when we stand before God in all his glory. Focusing on this sure and true shame-free destiny gives us hope to keep going--to keep battling shame's dark lies, to enlist others into our journeys with us, and to seek to make our church communities a small though imperfect taste of the life to come.

In 1950, the famous Dominican theologian Yves Congar stated that there were three kinds of reform in Church history, to cure three kinds of corruption. Doctrinal orthodoxy was reformed by General councils. Institutional shortcomings were reformed by administrative means (like codifying Church law). Moral failings were remedied best by the preaching of religious orders. He also added that in the 20th century, since the Church suffered neither heresy nor moral laxity, the only area was institutional reform. He died before the sexual abuse of children came to light. If Congar got it wrong, it suggests that the Church cannot reform itself: or can it? Michael Winter was ordained priest for the Catholic diocese of Southwark in 1955. He worked for nine years as curate and parish priest in a variety of parishes. Later he pursued further studies in theology at the universities of London, Cambridge and Fribourg (Switzerland), where he was awarded the Doctorate in Theology in 1977. He resigned from the clergy in 1986 and turned to university teaching, and writing. Subsequently.

As Dr. Wenham states early in his introduction, "The story of Jesus' resurrection is told by five different writers, whose accounts differ from each other to an astonishing degree." Wenham begins by setting the scene of Jerusalem and its environs, going on to describe the main actors in the events with particular attention to Mary Magdalene and the five writers themselves, and then examining in detail all the biblical narratives from Good Friday through Easter Day to the Ascension. He concludes that the various accounts as they stand can be satisfactorily reconciled to provide a trustworthy record for the church. Valuable appendices elucidate Wenham's response to the technicalities of gospel criticism.

Reclaiming an Evangelical History of Activism In recent years, there has been renewed interest by evangelicals in the topic of biblical social justice. Younger evangelicals and millennials, in particular, have shown increased concern for social issues. But this is not a recent development. Following World War II, a new movement of American evangelicals emerged who gradually increased their efforts on behalf of justice. This work explains the important historical context for evangelical reengagement with social justice issues. The authors provide an overview of post-World War II evangelical social justice and compassion ministries, introducing key figures and seminal organizations that propelled the rediscovery of biblical justice. They explore historical and theological lessons learned and offer a way forward for contemporary Christians.

In a post-9/11 world, Christian. Muslim. Friend. lays out a path toward authentic friendship between Christians and Muslims. Most similar books either teach Christians to evangelize Muslims or else downplay their Christian commitments. The author, who has lived and worked among and befriended Muslims for more than fifty years, offers readers a third way: holding onto the Christ-centered commitments of their faith while cultivating peaceful friendship with Muslims.

What is the purpose of Christian ministry? Is it about upholding traditional standards? Is it about meeting organizational goals? Or is it a mixture of meanings and roles? With numerous ways of understanding ministry, getting a grasp on it can

be a difficult task.

Discovering Christian Ministry not only gives a concise yet comprehensive definition of ministry but it also offers a ministerial vision that encompasses the personal, interpersonal and social spheres of your life.