Story
Thank you to everyone who donated money towards the team going to Burundi to train Church leaders to run classic Alpha, Youth Alpha and the Marriage courses. We returned on January 24th but left part of our hearts behind.
The Alpha Burundi team were amazing and worked tirelessly to make each event work really well and the delegates were grateful for all we shared and they are planning future courses themselves.
Our trip cost us almost £9,000 and with all our fund raising activities we have some left over to help the Alpha Burundi team with their need for resources. I am leaving this page open in case anyone would like to continue with our support for Alpha in Burundi.
If you would like to know more about all our adventures then please get in touch.
Thank you again
Christine Bayne on behalf of the GAT team
Thanks for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page.
In early January, eight of us are flying to Burundi at the invitation of Bishop Martin Blaise from the Makamba district in the south of Burundi in central Africa. We will lead con-currently, three day training events on how to run Classic Alpha, Youth Alpha and The Marriage Course. We return to the capital, Bujumbura to do two days of training for Youth Alpha and The Marriage Course. Both Youth Alpha and The Marriage GAT training events are pioneering ones, having just begun this year.
In 2009 at the Holy Trinity Brompton Alpha Conference I attended a seminar on GAT and felt God say to me, this is what I want you to do next! Over the last ten years fourteen million people have done Alpha and the vision is that in the next ten years one hundred million people will do the same. In order to do that GAT is being developed and run by ordinary people who have a passion to share their Alpha experiences abroad.
GAT is Global Alpha Training, whose aim is to release Alpha expertise to meet the Alpha training needs in places yet to run courses – from everywhere to anywhere – so that every Church around the world has the opportunity to be trained to run an Alpha course. Bishop Martin’s area has never had a team come and they are looking forward to what we have to share. If you would like to find out more about Alpha please look at the web site www.alpha.org or for GAT use http://gat.alpha.org
I have been co-ordinating Alpha courses each term in St Michaels for the past three and a half years and seen what a difference these have made to the lives of the guests who come and the team that help on them. I am very excited about sharing our passion for Alpha with all those we meet in Burundi and helping them, help others have their lives transformed by meeting Jesus through Alpha.
Each team member needs to be self funding, so we are jointly raising the money to go and serve God. It will cost approximately £1,100 each and we would be grateful if you could help us with some of our fund raising efforts.
I am personally doing a sponsored slim to lose between 14-21pounds and have already lost 5 and have over £400 promised, my aim is to raise £1,000.
The team consists of; Roger and Ursula Simpson, Phil and Frances Harding, Charles and Cath Walters, from Christ the Light Church in Huntington, Jo Bloss and me. Please pray for us as we prepare for this adventure with God.
Thank you for your support but especially your prayers.
Christine Bayne (GAT Burundi Team Leader)
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