Each week people meet together for a meal, a talk on topics such as "Who is Jesus?", "Why Did Jesus Die?", "How Can I be Sure of My Faith?", and "Does God Still Heal Today?" , followed by small group interaction. There is an optional one-day retreat midway through the course , which focuses on the person and work of the Holy Spirit.
There are over 5000 Alpha courses running in the US and about 1,000,000 people in America and Canada have already participated.
There is no charge for the Alpha course, although a small contribution might be requested for the meal each evening and for the food and accommodation during the Alpha weekend away.
The evening Alpha course begins with supper, followed by a talk. We then divide into smaller groups for coffee and cookies to discuss any questions raised from the talk.
| Who is Alpha for? | [−] |
- Those wanting to investigate Christianity.
- New Christians.
- Those who feel that they have never really got going as a Christian.
- Newcomers to the church.
- Long-time Christians who want to grow deeper.
- Christians who want to learn to share their faith with others
Everyone is welcome on an Alpha course and people attend for a wide variety of reasons. Some want to investigate whether God exists and if there is any point to life; others are concerned about what happens after death. Still others may have attended church on and off all their lives but feel they have never really understood the basics of the Christian faith.
Alpha is a ten-week opportunity to explore the validity and relevance of the Christian faith for our lives today. It is a practical introduction to the basics of Christianity with loads of opportunity for debate and discussion. The style of Alpha is informal, friendly and non-pressured.
| Schedule - Spring 2008 | [−] |
| February 24 March 2 March 9 March 16 March 23 March 30 April 6 April 13 April 19-20 April 27 May 4 May 11 May 18 May 25 June 1 |
Alpha Preview Dessert 7:00-8:00 pm Who is Jesus? Why did Jesus die? How can I be sure of my faith? EASTER – No Alpha Why and how should I pray? Why and how should I read the Bible? How does God guide us? Holy Spirit Weekend Retreat How can I resist evil? Why and how can I tell others? Does God heal today? What about the church? MEMORIAL DAY – No Alpha Celebration Supper |
| Register for Alpha | [−] |
| Typical Evening | [−] |
Supper is served and the people arrive. They eat supper together around tables in the gym. Small children eat with their parents; older children have their own tables, where they sit with their small group. After supper, children go to childcare and adults & older children move into the worship center to hear the talk.
6:00 pm Welcome
A welcome from the leader (perhaps even, a joke!) and any notices are given out.
6:10 pm Talk
An interesting (maybe even humorous) talk about some aspect of Christianity. The talk usually lasts about 40-50 minutes.
7:00 pm Dessert and Small Groups
People get dessert and split up into their small groups. The small groups consist of around 12 people. One person or a married couple lead. This is a time when the people in the group can study the Bible, discuss the talk, and ask questions.
8:00 pm End
We are committed to ending on time!
| Comments from Previous Alpha Participants | [−] |
“We were hesitant to attend because we thought the people who attended Alpha knew the Bible and they were going to preach it to us the whole evening. It was completely opposite and we realized the people attending had the same questions we had. We thank Alpha for where we are now and how it has helped our family grow in ways we never could have imagined.” “I was raised Roman Catholic and went through all of the motions and milestones, attended religion classes through high school and went to church consistently. Even with that background, I never knew what it meant to know Jesus and have a personal relationship with Him until Alpha. Alpha helped me realize how fulfilling life can be when you put God in the middle.” “We had set aside Sunday night as family night, so it was a very difficult decision to join ALPHA. I reluctantly went to Alpha, and found out what I should have been using this time for. That was growing closer to my family. The more time we spent at Central, the closer we grew.” “At the time my wife suggested we go to Alpha, there seemed to be a void inside me. It made me start to wonder if this was something I needed. Finally I told her, ‘I’ll try it out but if I don’t like it I’m leaving.’ Guess what? I’m still here and the void seems to be shrinking …” |
| Alpha Leadership Team | [−] |