
On 1 February, 70 passionate participants of Alpha from across the Sydney
archdiocese, gathered for a dedicated coaching day, looking for guidance and training to
become Alpha leaders of their parishes.
“Equipping Parishes for Mission with Alpha” is a day where leaders across our church
gather, clergy, religious and lay leaders, to be equipped for mission,” said Tania Rimac
from the Parish Renewal Team within the Sydney Centre for Evangelisation, who
facilitated the day.
“In attendance were new leaders that are about to launch Alpha pilots in their parishes attended, as well as team members from established teams who wanted to ensure they were well prepared to run the best Alpha possible for their guests,” she said.
Alpha is a tool for evangelisation for parishes that seeks to share the Gospel message
through a series of talks and discussions. It is described by its organisers as “an
opportunity to explore the meaning of life.”
“It has been created in a way that will share the person and message of Jesus Christ
lead by loving parish communities committed to live the mandate given by Jeus to ‘Go
make disciples’ (Matt 28:19),” said Tania.
“Alpha is best when embedded as part of a wider parish strategy for ongoing evangelisation and catechesis. It allows us to accompany people on a journey of faith and this includes those who are in already in the pews, as Alpha is an opportunity for us to hear the Gospel proclaimed in a new way which can help reignite hearts and a desire for more,” Tania said.
Gymea parishioner and mother of 3, Maree Ataya, first came to Alpha 5 years ago as an excited participant.
“I had heard about Alpha and I was excited that it was starting, because I knew how it
could help build up the church,” said Maree.
But this year, when the opportunity arose to lead and co-ordinate an Alpha pilot in her
parish of Gymea, Maree was reluctant, until she attended the Alpha weekend coaching
with other members of the parish.
“I am now more confident in how to run Alpha and gained better skills in terms of the
different roles and the structure of it. I know I’ve now got support and the good thing
about the Alpha is that you get ongoing support and training,” said Maree.
Tania believes Alpha is unique because it allows guests a non-judgemental space to
share their ideas of faith and their personal stories.
“Alpha is unlike anything else we do in our parishes, because it is a place where people
can come however they are, and we meet them with love and a listening ear,” she said.
Participants of the training day delved into key components such as the New Evangelisation, invitation and welcome, and small group facilitation, which is crucial for fostering meaningful relationships and discussions about faith.
“The church exists to evangelise, this is the mandate that Jesus gave every single baptized person. Alpha shows us how to build a culture of invitation within our parishes, Jesus’ great commission and how to make disciples of all nations,” said Tania.
As they return to their respective parishes, the future of lay leaders appears bright, as they carry with them not only new knowledge and skills but also a strong sense of community and shared purpose. And with each new leader trained, mission in the archdiocese grows stronger.
Maree implores those thinking of taking the next step in leading Alpha in their parishes to seize the moment and say, “come Holy Spirit!”
“Don’t hesitate it’s transformative—for individuals and parishes. It’s the vehicle to jump
on to if you want your parish renewed, and see people come to faith or be reignited in
faith. I just see it as an incredible powerhouse of grace!” said Maree.
To learn more about Alpha contact [email protected]