In September 2008 the Alpha Invitation – a national initiative to tell people what the Alpha course is and how they can link in with a course near to them – will begin.

This year the campaign will be based around the question:

Timing

National advertising will run across the UK on billboards, posters and buses for the month of September. To link in with this, many Alpha courses spend the first 2 weeks of September advertising their course, often holding a prayer event in the second week of September. This is usually followed by a launch event in the third week of September. The majority of Alpha courses begin in the last week of September or first week of October so that they are completed in time for Christmas.

Inviting guests

Design your own posters and invitations using the graphics from the current campaign or use the ready made ones and get everyone involved in putting up posters anywhere and everywhere and handing out invitations. Use the email invitation, email footers, screensaver or web banners and set up Facebook groups and events to provide as many different ways as possible for people to join.

The guidelines below give ideas and more details on promoting your course:

• 5 Steps to Putting Together a Promotional Plan
• Advertising Tips
• Using Public Relations to promote local Alpha courses

Encourage discussion

'If God did exist, what would you ask?' is a question that everyone has a response to.

Use the 2008 Invitation as an opportunity to get people in your area talking and thinking. It could be through articles in local newspapers, slots on local radio, web and blog sites, use it as a topic for local drama, creative writing or language practice groups. You could even film members of the public asking their questions and invite them to your launch event to see themselves on screen.

There are lots of materials available to help local Alpha teams to advertise their courses and invite guests.

• Alphashop – buy the ready made posters, postcards, invitations and other materials.
• Free e-tools – download the web banners, screensaver, email invitation and desktop wallpaper.
• Press advertising templates – download advertising templates for local publications in a variety of shapes and sizes, with space to insert local Alpha course details. Download a form to be exempt from paying VAT on press advertisements for your Alpha course.
• Public Relations support – Read guidelines on how to use Public Relations to promote local Alpha courses. Download a press release template that can be adapted and submitted to the local paper. Look at example newspaper articles from previous years.

Involving everyone

Most people come on a course because someone has invited them – a successful course needs everyone to get behind it.

• Share the vision of your course with the congregation - interview team members about why they are involved, use the 3-minute Invitation DVD to show people what Alpha is, what a course looks like and to help them feel part of something much bigger that’s happening across the UK and world.
• Excite everyone about sharing their faith - get people whose lives have changed through attending an Alpha course to share their stories in services and church newsletters or use the guest interviews.
• Tell them how they can be involved – by praying, inviting friends, putting up posters, volunteering, giving. Give each person a postcard with suggestions of how they can be involved in your course when you show the Invitation DVD. Download a sample ‘getting involved’ postcard for congregations.
• Remind them – update them with what’s being planned, when the launch event will be, prayers answered, how the weekend away went or about plans for the celebration supper.

Prayer and launch events are also crucial parts of the Alpha Invitation – follow the links below for more information.

• Prayer
• Planning a launch event