Alpha Canada Annual Report 2015

ALPHA CANADA ANNUAL REPORT 2015

Letter From Shaila

Alpha Canada Annual Report 2015

LETTER FROM SHAILA National Director, Alpha Canada

Every year we strive to listen to the Lord guiding and directing us and 2015 was no different. When we planned for the year, we had thought that the Alpha Film Series would be released in the fall. Given that it was delayed we did not make the anticipated growth targets but we were pleasantly surprised that the number of Alphas run for adults did grow compared to the previous year. There was an anticipated small decline in the number of Youth courses as the Alpha Youth Film Series has been out since 2013.

But Alpha Youth continues to be utilized by many churches accounting for over 45% of the Alphas in the country. Our goal that more Thank you so much for your partnership students would take a step of faith to run the in making Jesus known in our nation. Your prayers, time and financial support have been Canadian-made Alpha Youth Film Series in their schools was achieved! We continue to essential and we are so very grateful. Our deepest desire is to serve the church in Canada envision and train youth leaders in this area. with excellence in the area of evangelism. Our Key learnings from 2015 include the vision is clear and our hearts are set on doing desperate need for new product, our strategic all we can to help more people in Canada digital upgrade and the reorganization of our know and encounter Christ. staff to ensure we have room to grow. Looking Since 2011 Alpha Canada has seen a dramatic increase in the number of courses running in the country year over year which has led to historic highs of guests attending an Alpha near them. Our strength is always in the people who work at Alpha and volunteer across the country. In 2015 it took 15,659 volunteers to run Alpha in their local churches.

Over 13,000 people restored or began a relationship with Jesus on Alpha. Praise God! We set ourselves key goals and most were achieved.

2

ahead to 2016 we knew that the launch of the Alpha Film Series and the Global Alpha Campaign would require increased support both in the field but also digitally. Prioritizing how churches seek out information online is absolutely essential to sustainable growth and in the latter half of 2015 we worked diligently in this area.

Alpha Canada is grateful to have contributed globally towards our shared strategic goals in the areas of product development, training, leadership development and organizational efficiency. Management is regularly assessing our global and national role given our extraordinary growth over the last five years.

We were delighted to meet the financial needs of the organization at year end but anticipate 2016 being a challenge and welcome your prayers and support this year. In particular, our digital engagement, training and the Global Alpha Campaign will require proactive and strategic alignment with our goals.

As we look back we see that God has been faithful again. With all our growth we still lean into Him, recognizing that it is Him who has accomplished it through us. We trust in His name and do all we can to bring glory to Jesus.

With gratitude for your partnership, Shaila

Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7

Dori’s Story

THIS IS DORI’S STORY When I was sixteen my high school graduation gift was a ticket from Venezuela to Vancouver, Canada.

It was a difficult time to move to a completely new country. I started to drink and smoke almost every day. Years passed by, and finally my family came to live with me, but by that point my addictions were already so strong. I felt lonely and needed someone to understand what I was going through. Soon after, I was hired as a night club promoter.

What made things even more difficult was the state that my father was in. It was tough for him to leave his home to come to Canada and to see me going through such a hard time.

He started to suffer from severe depression and would be in the hospital every day where he experienced numerous panic attacks. He said that he no longer loved my mother and decided to divorce my mom and leave our home.

Then things started to change for my father. A friend of his invited him to try Alpha so he did. We started to notice a change in him. He was invited to go to the Alpha Weekend where he gave his heart to Christ and came back completely transformed. He asked all of us for forgiveness and asked

Alpha Canada Annual Report 2015

if he could come back to live with us. Little by little my whole family started to attend church. My dad invited us to try Alpha for ourselves. At first I only went to make him happy, but there was something about Alpha that grabbed my attention right from the first night. While growing up, I always knew God was there and acknowledged that Jesus was His son but, I never explored having a relationship with Him.

One night during worship at Alpha, it was like my heart just wanted to scream, “Jesus, I love you!” and so I did and He answered back. Step by step, with no pressure and with no pain, He made me new again. No more broken relationships, no more smoking, no more alcohol, and no more worries.

After I gave my life to Jesus, there have been moments of trouble, tears, fears, and bad days, but the difference is that I now know that He is with me, and that there is nothing greater than Him.

Through Alpha God showed me my real purpose and that is to share His light with those who don’t know Him.

Step by step, with no pressure and with no pain, He made me new again.

3

1990

1998

Nicky Gumbel takes over the running of Alpha and repositions it for non-churchgoers

Alpha Canada office opens in Vancouver with first ever Canadian National Director Sally Start

1994 First Alpha runs in Canada

1977 Alpha begins at Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) in London

1981 Alpha expands to a 10-week course with an Alpha Weekend

1993 Questions of life, Alpha in book form, is published HTB holds first Alpha Conference, attended by 1,000 church leaders

1995 Nicky Gumbel speaks at first Alpha Conference held in Canada

First Alpha Conference for Catholics is held at Westminster Cathedral Hall, UK Alpha is run in prisons for the first time

ALPHA THROUGH THE YEARS 4

1999

2004

One million people globally experience Alpha

Number of Alpha guests in Canada reaches a quarter million

2003

2011

First Canadian Alpha Advertising Initiative - Number of Alphas grows 300%

Number of Alpha guests in Canada hits half million mark

2013

2016

Alpha Canada releases first-ever Alpha Youth Film Series and launches the Alberta 2013 campaign

Over 29 million people have now experienced Alpha in 169 countries and 112 languages

The number of churches in Canada running Alpha doubles and the number of guests on Alpha grows by 150% ‘Alpha Innovation’ redesigns Alpha brand, repositioning it for the next generation

Alpha launches new Alpha Film Series globally

Alpha implements first-ever Global Alpha Campaign featuring Bear Grylls Alpha is positioned to see the most significant growth in Canada since its introduction in 1994

OVER 698,992 PEOPLE IN CANADA HAVE NOW TAKEN ALPHA AND WE ARE LAUNCHING THE LARGEST EVANGELIZATION INITIATIVE OF OUR GENERATION

5

2015 BY THE NUMBERS

52,992 people were guests on Alpha in 2015 (12% increase)

23,829 youth guests

29,153 adult guests

13,973

25%

31%

guests began or restored a relationship with Jesus

youth

1,013

1,704

people trained

adult

15,659 volunteers

churches hosted

29,169 searches for an Alpha course on our website (33% increase)

6

2,498 Alphas (45% for youth)

221

Alphas hosted in Catholic parishes

8.84/10

Average rating by churches when asked how worthwhile is the time and effort is running Alpha

Financial Year

Alpha Canada Annual Report 2015

43%

Designated Alpha Alpha Youth Film Series Film Series

Donations & Income

$3.710m

40%

Other

34%

27%

General Operations

29%

Operations Outside of Canada

13%

Alpha Staff Support

11%

Other Income (Alpha Events, engagements, resource sales)

4%

Resource Development

39%

Ministry Expenditures

$4.298m

2%

36% Church Course Supported Supported

57%

43%

Operations Outside of Canada

11%

Administration

9%

Fundraising

5%

LOOKING AHEAD We are so excited to be able to serve the local church in a way that we’ve never been able to before.

The New Alpha Film Series Recently launched globally, the new Alpha Film Series covers all of the traditional Alpha content for a new generation. Nicky Gumbel and two new presenters, Toby Flint and Gemma Hunt, walk through the basics of the Christian faith in a way that everyone can relate to. The episodes were filmed all over the world, including Vancouver, London, New York, France, India, Hong Kong and Israel.

It features inspiring stories and interviews from all around the world, as well as visual illustrations and motion graphics.

Other

98%

Ministry Focus

* Resource development included $1,697m over 2 years for the Alpha Film Series

This is a unique time in history for the Church in Canada to invite our nation to explore Christianity. We are closer than ever towards reaching our goal of 1,000,000 people in Canada experiencing Alpha.

Alpha Film Series

Global Alpha Campaign featuring Bear Grylls Starting in the fall of 2016, churches of all denominations across Canada and around the world will invite their communities to explore life, faith and God on Alpha.

The Global Alpha Campaign is going to be the most visible, widespread and exciting invitation in Canada to encourage people to explore the meaning of life. A global advertising campaign will feature internationally recognized and respected British adventurer Bear Grylls sharing his journey to faith on Alpha.

PARTNER WITH ALPHA CANADA Together, we can help serve the church in Canada to provide an opportunity for people to explore life, faith and God on Alpha.

PRAY At Alpha, our desire and prayer is that God will continue to use Alpha to introduce people to a personal and loving God. Please join us in praying that women and men, young and old, will come to know Jesus across Canada.

$ GIVE Consider becoming a monthly donor or giving an annual gift to help us effectively serve the church in Canada.

100 percent of your gift will go towards supporting Alpha Canada.

SERVE

Alpha Ministries Canada 230 – 11331 Coppersmith Way Richmond, BC V7A 5J9 Toll Free 1.800.743.0899 Office 604.304.2082 Fax 604.271.6124 Email office@alphacanada.org @alphacanada /alphacanada alphacanada.org #TryAlpha

Alphas are run all over Canada through the help of numerous volunteers. Consider volunteering at an Alpha near you.

alphacanada.org/give