by Sammi Si-Hoe
Registration closes on Friday, 5 June; sign up now!
Every year, the Witness and Evangelism ministry at Covenant Community Methodist Church (CCMC) reaches out to all seekers of the Christian faith with the Alpha programme – a series of video screening and discussion sessions over 11 weeks. This year, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, this outreach innovates by conducting Alpha Courses Online, where a virtual place is created to warmly invite guests to explore their questions about life, faith and God in a welcoming, judgement-free and safe environment.
The Alpha programme has always been big on hospitality. With Alpha Online, CCMC hosts went the extra mile to warmly welcome all guests. In place of the usual fellowship over food before the Alpha session, there was a “virtual popiah” – a huge picture of a popiah on the screen – shared with everyone. Interactive games which also doubled up to familiarise everyone with the various functions of Zoom were conducted, followed by song and the screening of the Alpha video. After which, guests and hosts joined separate break out rooms to facilitate more interactive sessions and also to better build rapport with one another.
Such warm hospitality was experienced by Mr John Chee, 86 years old, when he joined the Alpha programme at CCMC last year. He shares that it was his friend who had invited him to these sessions to explore the Christian faith. His friend told him, “You must have some religion to follow, then you will know where you are going.” Thus, Uncle Chee (as how the CCMC hosts affectionately call him now) came to be in the Alpha programme at our church last year. Today, he speaks with radiant joy as he testifies “I would still be a free-thinker if not for Alpha”. He was baptised at the Church of the Good Shepherd last Christmas!
This year, 17 guests joined the inaugural Alpha Online session from 1.30 – 3pm on 30 May 2020 via Zoom. It is still not too late to sign up. Meetings will continue over the next 10 weeks and you are most welcome to explore this programme or invite friends to join on Saturday, 6 June 2020, the last day for the intake of new Alpha registrants.
For registration details please contact the Alpha team by WhatsApp at 8436-0912, or email alpha@ccmc.org.sg by Friday, 5 June 2020. Alternatively, you can visit http://www.ccmc.org.sg/witness-evangelism to find out more.