Is Beta suitable for new Christians?

Yes, Beta is suitable for both new and existing Christians. It assumes no prior knowledge of the Christian faith. Its main focus is to help people discover more about themselves, their relationships with others and their relationship with God.

Is it suitable for children or young people

No, the style of the videos is not geared towards young people, and the topics are also slanted towards adults. Older teens (18 plus) may benefit. Let them see the Taster video to decide whether it is for them.

Do I need much background in psychology or theology to understand the course?

The Beta course is a pastoral care course, not an academic study. There is no need for any qualifications to understand it. It has been written and developed by the Divinity Faculty in the University of Cambridge, but it is intended for a wide audience

What is the maximum number for a group.

12. Some feedback has suggested that even 12 is too large, so to play it safe, opt for a group of 10.

Is the course centred on the Bible.

Yes. Each session includes at least one Bible study. Biblical insights and references are permeated throughout the course

Is there a DVD version?

Our next production run will be on DVD, with the video version still available. The international version (to come) will be on DVD.

Do you have to keep the sessions to only 90 minutes?

Whilst it is important to keep to time boundaries they shouldn’t be seen as a complete straightjacket. Some groups may want to spend longer on the bible studies and the general discussion. With the agreement of the entire group it may be desirable to add an extra 10 minutes to both the bible study and the general discussion.

Some groups may also wish to start with a time of worship. Be sure to agree reasonable start and end times with your group.

can add an extra session after every two sessions, or every other week, thus doubling the length of the course to 20 weeks. It is important that the facilitator stays well within his/her competency in terms of safe and helpful handling of group dynamics.

Can we start Beta with a time of worship?

Of course, but do ask your group if they are happy with adding an agreed time period to the length of time your Beta session takes. A time of worship will undoubtedly add much to the Beta session, but this needs to be balanced with a reasonable time frame. You can be creative and flexible in your planning, but it is important to honour people's need for 'time bondaries'.

Are there alternative Bible studies?

There are alternate Bible readings for the season of Lent. We will de developing other alternate readings in the next few months.

How can I ensure that pastoral care is really advanced in our church after using Beta?

The more often Beta is done in a church, and the more people do it, the more Beta will influence church culture, enabling the church to become a 'caring community'.

Following the guidance in the Administrator and Facilitator's Manual for the last session is really important! There are suggestions for ensuring that practical steps are taken following Beta. It is helpful to have at least one follow up session (perhaps with a celebration meal). The group should be invited to talk about what next steps they would like to take. Some churches have started up a Pastoral Care Team, others have used Beta as further training for an already existing team. Some individuals will want more further training in pastoral care or pastoral counselling, and the Next Steps form provides relevant contact information. The facilitator is advised to bring the minister into this conversation at some point, so that the needs of the church and wider community dovetail with developments resulting from Beta.

Can Beta be used more than once?

Yes, but ideally with different participants. It can become unhealthy to be too dependent upon an individual course. There may however be some individuals who may benefit from doing it a second time.

Is Beta produced by the Alpha people?

No, we are a separate project..Psychology & Christianity. etc.

We have been inspired by the way Alpha has reached out to so many people, and has pioneered a small group process that really works. We have enjoyed a supportive and collegial relationship with Alpha, and we both view Beta as a compatible, yet different, 'next step' in developing people's Christian lives. It is not necessary to have done Alpha in order to do Beta, as both are independent programmes.

Can people from other countries purchase Beta?

For copyright reasons this is not possible at the moment. We hope to have a North American version available during 2005.