What Others Say About Alpha For The Military

Chaplain Douglas Grace with his battalion of Marines from Camp Pendleton, CA reports, "Thank you for your continued prayers. The ministry has been wonderful and God has touched many lives. We keep the Alpha groups going but have limited them to 5. Many Marines and Sailors are enjoying the studies and have grown spiritually." Chaplain Grace trained ten leaders before they deployed last November, '08.
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CPT Lars Brown is a second generation Alpha Leader working with the Wisconsin National Guard in Iraq: "Soldiers are a special population to touch, especially when deployed. Indeed they are often operating way outside their personal comfort zones and instinctively look for a higher and mightier power than themselves when they are in fear-filled and highly dangerous situations. There are few, if any, more golden opportunities to invest in them, showing our spiritual, moral and practical support." CPT Lars Brown started Alpha on 7/16/09 with his fellow Soldiers.
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Chaplain Allen Raub from Fort Dix, NJ says: "We just completed our second Alpha Marriage Course with Fort Dix and McGuire Air Force Base. We averaged 14 couples each week which included Airmen, Soldiers and Military Retirees."
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Chaplain Paul Lynn stationed in Baghdad, shared what God has been doing among the seven Alphas that he started. One Trooper in particular, who had little religious background, shared that he had grown closer to God since coming to Alpha. While closing the Alpha Course that night, this Trooper specifically asked me to pray for God's protection…. He was to go on like a guard duty and he invited me to come visit him. I told him I would be there a little later on. I was …fellowshipping with some other Troopers when the area that this Trooper was (on guard) received a direct attack… Rushing to the area, I found out that it was that Trooper who had been targeted! With the accuracy of the weapon and the close proximity to the attack it was a miracle that the Trooper escaped without sustaining any wounds! I stayed there with him until his shift was completed several hours later. He said to me. "Chaplain, you asked me if I had been getting any closer to God. I'll tell you this: I think that if I could be any closer to Jesus, he would be standing right next to me."   “Indeed, I believe He was, thanks to the prayers of the saints. I am overjoyed to see Troopers like this one come to Christ and grow in his relationship to God and see God's direct hand upon his life!”
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	"Danny and I just started our most recent Alpha Course at the USDB Ft Leavenworth, KS. We were surprised that we had such a great turnout as we have been out of the prison since just before the holidays ...It was great to be back with lots of new faces ready to face whatever comes our way. We are blessed to be welcomed in the DB...." Danny and Lindsey Haas, Alpha Course Facilitators/Practitioners, US Army Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth, KS, 28 Jan 09
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"I moved to the Charleston area to study at the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command for six months. I did not know anyone and certainly did not have a church family. I was so blessed to find a genuine Jesus loving community at St. Peter's. For me personally, the Alpha course was an opportunity to connect with other people and look closer at a faith I had already called my own. It was an awesome time to just talk, eat a good meal, build relationships, and not worry about saying or knowing the "right thing." --Kahlia Koziuk St. Peter's Church, Mount Pleasant, SC, has had several US Navy Sailors attend their Alpha courses.
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"Alpha's teaching on the Holy Spirit is the best balanced teaching I have ever seen!" Senior U.S. Army Installation Chaplain's Wife, Fall Focus, PWOC Conference, DFW, November 15, 2008
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"I was a Chaplain at Schofield Barracks, HI and, with the help, strong support and enthusiasm of our Director of Religious Education, we ran the Alpha course at the Chapel. We had a wonderful time! It made our Christian faith so fresh and alive - everyone who came said the same thing, regardless of whether they were not yet Christian, were a marginal Christian or were a mature Christian. I can't tell you how excited we all were that we did this course." Senior US Army Chaplain, now serving as a department director in the Office of the Chief of Chaplains, US Army.
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“I was introduced to Christ with the help of my wife and friends at an Alpha course in December, 2003. In autumn, 2004, with the help of the Holy Spirit, my wife and I ran the first ever Alpha course at our Air Force base in Spangdahlem, Germany. The results were God-driven. Alpha is quickly becoming the ministry most people talk about, most want to help out with or participate in. People love the fellowship, the meals, the intimacy, and the relaxed and non-challenging environment. Put everything together and you have the perfect combination of people exchanging ideas freely and allowing their hearts to be ministered to by the Holy Spirit.” Joe Dohmann, Technical Sergeant, US Air Force, Spangdahlem, Germany
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“I've been leading an Alpha course which has been a great blessing for me. Through it, many people have come to learn more about the lifechanging grace through faith that comes with knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Alpha was a great thing for us to be involved in. We advertised the course quite publicly in the base and there is no doubt that it attracted attention. The base at Fallujah [Iraq] was a somewhat discouraging place to live and it was so uplifting and encouraging that we were able to have fellowship together and pray for each other....There was a constant presence of fear and the likelihood of a terrorist attack was always possible whether we were in camp or out on operations. Several of us discovered that through the Alpha course, the Holy Spirit ministered to us, giving us courage.” First Lieutenant David Hoe, US Army
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"Alpha at Ft. Leavenworth has established itself over the past five years as an excellent outreach, fellowship, and teaching venue. While Ft. Leavenworth has a long history of a vibrant ministry of Chapel worship, religious education, neighborhood Bible studies, and men's and women's fellowship, the Alpha program provided outreach into parts of the community that we had not previously touched well, particularly the enlisted community. Alpha brought the entire family together with others for a meal, fellowship, and then solid teaching on foundational Christian subjects followed by small group discussion. That approach introduced many to Christ and to the life of the believing community.” Lieutenant Colonel Tom Schmidt, US Army, Retired Director of Lay Ministries, Fort Leavenworth, KS
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“Alpha received a tremendous response within the military community at Fort Leavenworth....The response came, as was intended, from persons who were seeking faith. Often the intent does not match the outcome, but it was a pleasure to watch the seed of faith being planted and grow. A spiritual high occurred with each Alpha class as seekers grew into faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Alpha provided the means and the incubation for such spiritual growth.” Chaplain (Colonel) Hal Roller, US Army, Retired Former Installation Chaplain, Fort Leavenworth, KS
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“I have witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit at work through Alpha; convicting, redeeming, and changing lives. This happens because of the non-threatening environment and participants being encouraged to ask the hard questions about Christianity. This combination of both the heart and the mind being engaged allows the Spirit to work in marvelous ways. So often military personnel and families miss out on exciting church programs. Alpha offers the military an opportunity to be a part of the total body of Christ by bringing its program to them.” Chaplain (Colonel) Joel Cocklin, US Army
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“The Alpha course...is a great tool for introducing people to Jesus that works in the military context. We used it at Andrews AFB for a couple of years and were beginning to see some real growth when I got transferred. Nevertheless, God really changed some lives through it. I highly recommend Alpha, not because the program is that special, but because I've seen God use it to radically change lives.” Chaplain, Major, Kenneth G. Crooks, US Air Force
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“We use Alpha at First Presbyterian Church, Norfolk and are encouraging its use by chaplains in the Sea Services both ashore and afloat. It is a clear presentation of the Good News for both Christians, seekers, church members, and those who don't even know where they are. It is a simple, clear, but not 'high pressured' discussion. Alpha is now being used throughout the world and America to clarify the Gospel and faith in Jesus Christ.” Captain Bill Weimer, US Navy Chaplain, Norfolk, VA
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“If I were to recommend one course to promote both deeper discipleship and greater fellowship for the church body, it would be the Alpha course. Nicky Gumbel is an absolutely dynamic speaker and the 15 lessons are extremely practical and applicable. Our church members who participated were hooked from the start. The weekly Alpha sessions became a priority for them and everyone cleared their schedules to ensure they wouldn't miss a session.” Dr. Douglas K. Kinder, D.Min NOTE: Dr. Kinder is a US Army Chaplain who has sponsored and led Alpha courses at two different Army bases, and plans to use it at a third, his latest assignment.