The participants simply invite friends to the Alpha dinner party, to learn about the course they have just completed. There is also a video presentation given that challenges people to consider the meaning of life. After dinner the guests are invited to join the next Alpha course. The level of enthusiasm of participants bringing friends to this dinner is wonderful to experience. People want their friends to experience what they have come to know.
Alpha is very basic teaching that is held in common by most Christian traditions.
It is compatible with Catholic teaching. It does not address the role of the Catholic Church in the proclamation of the gospel or in its teaching on the sacraments. The Alpha course as its name suggests is a beginning, and there is a need for much more to follow. Alpha is not a replacement for RCIA, but is a very helpful preparation for it. In the Catholic Church we have heard the call to evangelization proclaimed by our Lord Jesus, and declared as our priority by Pope John Paul II and Bishops throughout the world.