The Alpha course is a ten week practical introduction to the Christian faith. It is designed primarily for non-churchgoers and those who have recently become Christians. It was established at Holy Trinity Brompton twenty years ago and there are now more than 5000 Alpha courses all over the UK and overseas.

The Alpha program calls for congregations to rethink their approach to evangelism. Instead of offering church-based community events or services that might expose nonbelievers to a congregation, Alpha instructs leaders on how to use an invite-your-friends model to stimulate interest in Christian doctrine.

''We don't try to get people who are not interested,'' Gumbel says. "The reason they have an interest is not because they have an interest suddenly in Christianity, but because of what happened to their friend on the previous course."

The Alpha system at first blush seems overly simplistic. The acronym stands for: A—Anyone interested in finding out more about the Christian faith; L—Learning and Laughter; P—Pasta (eating together gives people the chance to know each other); H—Helping one another (small groups are used for discussion of issues raised during the lectures); A—Ask anything. No question is seen as too simple or too hostile.

However, Alpha, in the hands of skilled church leaders, has succeeded in many cases in turning faithful churchgoers from an inward focus on church work to an outward focus on evangelistic outreach through relationships, networking, and invitations to Alpha events. In Gumbel's words, Alpha stimulates a ''virtuous circle'' that spreads outward, allowing churches regularly to break into new networks of unchurched, unevangelized people.

The growth of Alpha worldwide is remarkable. In l991, the first year for the course anywhere, four classes were conducted. By 1995, 2,500 classes were taught and last year, that number reached 6,700. By the end of 1998, officials and leaders with the Alpha Course estimate as many as 1 million people worldwide will have completed the course.

Gordon Lewis, a senior professor of theology and philosophy at Denver Seminary, applauds Alpha's methods and much of its content. Yet he wishes Alpha emphasized salvation through grace alone, and the Bible as the only inerrant Word of God.

''I am concerned that the Catholics could add tradition, the Mormons could add the Book of Mormon, the Christian Scientists could add Mary Baker Eddy, and the Seventh-day Adventists could add Ellen G. White,'' Lewis says.

Every lively church needs a maternity ward! It needs a setting in which new Christians can be made and Christians can be made new. The Alpha course has proved itself to be a marvelous vehicle for this purpose, and it can be adapted to a very wide variety of cultures...