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OTTAWA ALPHA PROMOTION COMMITTEE MEETING October 1, 2004, 61 Highmont Court, Kanata, ON., K2T 1B2
MINUTES Attenders: Apologies: Barrie Davies, Alpha Director Ontario 905-342-5352 Paul Dumbrille 225-0806 Dave & Carol Atkins, Advisors 591-2932 Ed Plett 592-7635 Tony & Laurie-Ann Copple, Advisors 591-3903 Pastor Dorothy Janes 829-2362 Carole Cox 752-2827 Michel Savard 819-684-1275 Ethel Mahoney 599-5975 Paul Moylan 260-2640 Dwight & Judi McDougall 592-2931 Cindy & John Detombe 599-1132 Bob & Beth Carson 599-4408 Celine Weitzel 829-7026 Rev. Allen & Alma Churchill 267-1609 Bob & Pat Horsey 592-5419 Rev Fred Milnes 592-3689 Judith Woodcock 345-0093
Opening prayer - Tony Copple
The attenders introduced themselves
Minutes of April 16, 04 meeting: alpha.ncf.ca/oapc15.html
The minutes were accepted (proposer Dave Atkins, seconder Barrie Davies). Please note that minutes are posted on the web, accessible from the contacts, resources and minutes page of the Alpha Ottawa site.
The view from Alpha Canada - And the vision for Ontario Barrie Davies, Director, Ontario Barrie spoke movingly of the challenge of growth faced by Alpha. 30,000 courses worldwide – 140 countries, 60 languages. 1075 in Ontario – 1800 expected by 2006. HTB is no longer able to direct all matters from London. For example Alpha USA will oversee Latin and south America. Alpha Canada will oversee the Caribbean.
The old paradigm of asking for volunteers will no longer work. We need to inspire local leaders to assess their own talents and ministries and then to use initiative and prayer to see where they can be used effectively. Their short-term goals should be to discover what they can contribute. Good national /provincial leadership will recognize such motivation and let it prosper; not get in the way. The Alpha situation is now complex on a world scale and we must allow God to direct and control it through the passions he gives to his human hands and feet. He is planting a “kingdom perspective” in His leadership.
We should picture the situation three years from now. What may God have in mind? Talk to people with a servant heart, a kingdom perspective, who want to be used by God.
Barrie asked us all to put together our thoughts on how we can move forward, share the load, reduce the possibilities of leader burnout. Your ideas may be sent in the first instance to the advisors (Tony or Dave) and we will review them and try and mould them into a strategy that we can offer to Barrie. Bob Carson suggested we might meet in prayer and brainstorming groups to develop ideas. (These can be arranged independently of the OAPC.)
Alpha Ontario how has great office space in Scarborough town centre, and a full time assistant will start with Barrie shortly. Both of these achievements come into the “minor miracle” category.
The two big evangelistic movements Tony Copple Tony reported that the two major opportunities for conversions in the western world today are sports, and marketplace evangelism.
To this end, in sport, Alpha is engaged with the Athletes in Action breakfast at the Grey Cup in Ottawa on Saturday November 20, 2004. Please visit http://www.athletesinaction.com/index.php for details. Tony is on the Athletes in Action organizing committee and had pledged that Alpha will fill at least three tables of 8. Tickets are $30 per seat. There are two ways tables may be funded: (a) 4 Christians each invite a non-Christian friend and pay for them or (b) (Groups of) Christians fund one or more tables which will then be offered to schools, youth groups, etc. The objective is to get as many non-Christians as possible placed in the 1000 seats. The Christian Athletes ( do their stuff and, from past experience, hundreds make commitments to the Lord. And that’s where Alpha comes in. In the past, the process has stopped at the commitments. This time, those making commitments will be encourages and guided to seek Alpha (an Alpha may have the opportunity to seek them) to bring their brief breakfast experience into full focus. We in Alpha Ottawa need to figure out how best this can be achieved, bearing in mind that new courses won’t start before January. Course leaders may be able to plug seekers into home groups for the few weeks over Christmas. Please give thought and prayer to this and let me know if your prayers are answered.
Marketplace evangelism is a hot subject. Here in Ottawa we have Faith@Work, alpha.ncf.ca/faithwork2004.htm, International Christian Chamber of Commerce, www.iccc-canada.com/index2.htm, and of course Alpha in the Workplace Web There are Alphas in the Workplace in the City of Ottawa and Public Works Canada, two that we know of. Most of you are working and have colleagues who need Jesus. I would encourage you to consider looking at this invented-in-Canada opportunity (Shaila Visser). Don’t do it without standing on the shoulders of others who have done so. Materials and experience are available. And join groups like those mentioned above and you will find many others who share your dreams.
Closing prayer - Laurie-Ann Copple
Minutes written by Tony Copple Alpha Ottawa2 October 2004
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