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By Jack Krayenhoff
PERHAPS church-based Alpha courses aren’t making
the news anymore, but Campus Alpha is – and it looks as if one Campus
Alpha in particular is going to make some good news.
Before the launch of the ministry at the University of
Victoria in mid-January, BCCN sat down with two of its principal leaders: Daniel McDougall
of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF), and David Funk of
Sunago.
McDougall’s specific assignment is to work with
international students, graduate students and faculty, and visiting
scholars. For many of these people, the Christian message is a new thing,
and they are keen to learn more about it.
As they become believers, they take their faith back
home, where they have influential positions in the universities and
businesses – and thus spread the faith themselves.
Funk said his ministry is to provide a Christian
community for students on campus. Sunago is Greek for ‘to bring
together’; note the comparison to ‘synagogue.’ The
ministry is a national outreach to university students, begun by the
Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, but with an interdenominational focus.
Funk runs a weekly church service on campus.
BCCN asked whether the
two organizations are in competition.
“Not at all”, McDougall stated
emphatically. “For one thing, with a student population heading for
20,000, there is plenty of room for many Christian ministries. But in
addition, here in Victoria we have a stellar example of helpful
cooperation.
“The leaders of Sunago and IVCF, as well as The
Navigators, pray together – and plan their events so as not to
interfere with each other. It makes for an excellent witness.”
There is vital church cooperation, too. In fact, the
initiative came from John Schaper, pastor of Arbutus Christian Fellowship,
whose church decided last year to make the university campus its primary
outreach focus.
A crucial contribution is also made by Emmanuel Baptist
Church, which is hosting the course. The church is ideally located, right
next to the campus on Cedar Hill Cross Road.
Its kitchen facilities can produce the meals that play
an important part in Alpha; and for good measure, the Baptist Union is
paying for the cost of the meals. Not only that, but Emmanuel, under the
leadership of head pastor Robert Fitterer, has for the last three years fed
some 300 students a free hot meal once a week, without any evangelistic or
other strings attached.
As a result, Emmanuel is now seen by students of all
stripes as a ‘safe’ place – simply an expression of
Christian love in action – where students who otherwise would never
step into a church can feel comfortable.
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Campus Alpha differs from the usual church-based Alpha
course. The talks are still given by Alpha founder Nicky Gumbel via DVD,
but they will last only 25 minutes. That leaves more space for discussion.
Because some foreign students have difficulty
understanding Gumbel’s English accent, the talks will have subtitles
– in English! A further important difference is that the course will
consist of only eight sessions: four before the reading break, and four
after. “The students want to get in some skiing, you know,”
McDougall commented.
Finally, Alpha’s usual ‘Holy Spirit
weekend’ is not part of the Campus Alpha version.
What about follow-up? Both Funk and McDougall said they
are confident that any convert will easily find his or her way into a
Christian community. Mostly, they will follow whoever has led the
discussion group they were in, because these groups naturally coalesce into
a form of community already – especially since they have discussed
vital issues of life together, but also have had informal fellowship at the
dinners.
In addition, there are groupings like Sunago and also
The Navigators, which has excellent discipling materials. And of course,
there is the natural connection with Emmanuel and Arbutus church.
Both men said they share a high expectation of the
course. “We have a sense that there are a lot of students teetering
on the brink of the kingdom,” said McDougall. “This will
be a perfect opportunity for them to make the decision. We would not be
surprised if we get as many as 200 coming.
He added, “We have done nothing like this before,
you know. We have tried to learn from the experience of other campuses that
have done it, but we feel a bit insecure. But that is exactly how the Holy
Spirit wants us to feel about it – an adventure with him.”
February 2009
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