Monroe Community Church has been creating an environment where men and women can discover Christianity in a thoughtful, engaging, and loving environment. To understand how they were doing this through the Alpha program they did a survey and this is what was discovered:
MCC Fall Alpha 2019 – Summary
Guests: we began with 17 guests (2018 we began with 35 guests)
- 76% (13 guests) attended right to the end of Alpha.
- 88% (15 guests) attended 3 or more of the Alpha evenings before discontinuing, mainly the first 3 evenings which are specific presentations of the Gospel.
- 2019 attrition rate 24% (2018 attrition rate 63%)
Alpha Team
- 19 Group Leaders/Helpers
- Additional in various support roles:
- 12 – catering, AV, Admin
- 8 – in addition to the 31 other team members
- Total Team: 39
Training
- 2 training evenings, included Discovery CRC Church; Pillar Church, Holland; and Baldwin St. Church.
- Discovery and Pillar churches joined with MCC for the Retreat at Maranatha Conference Center.
We received 13 completed guest feedback forms:
How did people hear about Alpha?
84% Friend/Relative/Colleague
23% Church/Bulletin
7% Facebook/Twitter/Online
Why did people decide to come to Alpha?
69% Someone invited me
53% I was curious and it looked interesting
15% I had questions and wanted to find out more
15% I was looking for meaning and purpose in life
7% Free food
Guest Life Changes & Benefits
1 guest indicated that they had discovered a relationship with God through Jesus
92% guests made new friends
53% feel more at peace
61% strengthened their faith
46% feel more love/loved
7% found new purpose for life
Other : found a new security in myself that was given by God
After Alpha follow-on discipleship group
69% indicated a desire to keep meeting and joining the After Alpha group: “What On Earth Am I Here For?” a Rick Warren study
Other comments from guests as they described their Alpha experience
- Having a space to unabashedly question things and not be judged; given by people who allowed me to choose how much personal information was shared, was really important in my journey. Thank you.
- I know it would be difficult for people to schedule, but I think the Retreat could really benefit by being spread out a lot more
- 3 sessions was a lot to complete in 24 hours and more time to process each session would have been nice.
- I have the head knowledge, but still working on accepting the relational aspects of being with God.
- I appreciate the way that Alpha is conversations – not forcing everyone to speak.
- I feel like the team that implemented the Alpha program did an amazing job. I learned so much about sharing the Gospel.
- I really appreciate the positivity of Alpha. Very welcoming!
- I loved the fellowship. All in my group were involved in church.
- I am telling everyone about Alpha!
- I pray so much more.
- It was so important for me to remove myself from the world and just be with loving believers.
- Retreat: it was significant for me when we called for the Holy Spirit. Then going to the prayer tower the wind filled me with a renewal that was life changing.
- I want to thank you so much for an opportunity that changed my heart in such a positive way. I was not feeling worthy of the love God was giving me. After Alpha I have broken that barrier and realize I am worthy of all God has planned for me. I will be a good steward of his blessings. He made me worthy.
- A little dry on Holy Spirit; now I am soaked in God’s Holy Spirit.
- I loved it! It would have been nice to have more interaction (activities) with members of the other churches who were at the retreat.
- So many things that I’ve been through make me feel so guilty … but I am learning at this church that it’s not about rules and regulations, but a loving God who forgives.
Submitted by Jim Boer
Established Church Ministry Report
