Student Alpha

When I was a student I never needed an excuse to party!

A week after the end of the HTB Alpha course we always have an ‘Alpha Supper’. I recently re-vamped this event and the results were very exciting! I love the challenge of blowing people’s perceptions of what a ‘’Christian party’’ will be like out of the water… they think Twiglets and weak orange squash, maybe a slice of quiche; I think Rioja with salmon sashimi!

But seriously, there is a huge benefit in celebrating after your Alpha course has finished. Getting the group back together again for a night that doesn’t resemble an Alpha evening seems to really cement those friendships that have been growing over the last ten weeks. People open up more and have fun together in a new way in a different setting. Of course if you are running Student Alpha Small you won’t need to find a huge venue, and therefore it will be quite straight forward. Why not go for a curry at your favourite curry house, chat to them as you reserve the table and see if they’ll give you a group discount (I bet they will!) Or perhaps a Pimms picnic in the park if it’s a gorgeous, sunny evening (a rarity… sigh!). Or perhaps you could have a fancy dress dinner party in your home where everyone has to come as something beginning with ‘P’!

There are so many great ways to acknowledge your group’s achievement of completing the course; even those who have not ‘become Christians’ will have fun, and we know of so many people that testify that it is during the supper that the ‘penny dropped’ as they shared a great evening with new friends. The important thing is to book it in their diaries BEFORE the course finishes, and email/ text a reminder about 3 days prior to the meeting. 

Celebration events can be BIG too; you can hire out a section of bar - or a whole club even (if you can promise that lots of people will come)! They may even give you a discount on the entry fee or a free drink for your guests on arrival if you ask!

One thing to remember is to get your group to bring their mates. It’s such a brilliant way for people to hear about Alpha and see that it’s a relaxed and fun evening. Hopefully people who come to the celebration evening will then register as guests on the next course you run! Ah, and the circle is complete.