Alpha is coming again to
First English in September 2010!
Alpha began more than 25 years ago at an old, downtown
London Episcopal Church, Holy Trinity Brompton.
Beginning as a small gathering in the Pastor’s home, it has
been developed and grown over the years.
It has been a great blessing to that congregations,
as hundreds of people have been invited by their friends to meet Jesus through
the course. Alpha courses are now
taught around the globe, in many different denominations.
The Alpha
course is a 10 week course in basic Christian belief where people
can safely bring their questions for real answers. Stories abound of how God has met and changed
the lives of countless people through Alpha, both those
new to the church and those who have been in the church for years. Experienced Christians have grown and
matured, and God has also called new Christians to faith. In both small congregations and in large
churches, Alpha has been a catalyst for spiritual growth and growth
in numbers.
Alpha is...
• 10
Wednesday evening meetings that begin with dinner, and a talk and small group
discussions
• a place where no question is out-of-bounds, where no person
is excluded
• a ‘escape away’ in the midst of the course – a time to learn
and reflect
• for all ages, younger and older
• a wonderful opportunity to introduce your friends and family
to Jesus, and to grow in your own faith
The
titles of the session talks include …
·
Christianity:
Borning, Untrue, and Irrelevant?
·
How
can I be sure of my faith?
·
How
does God guide us?
·
Why
and how should I pray?
·
How
can I make the most of the rest of my life?
·
Who
is the Holy Spirit?
·
How
can I resist evil?
·
Why
and how should I tell others?
The first session of Alpha begins
September 1st with a
wonderful kick-off dinner. We will
gather weekly on Wednesday evenings through November 10, with an escape away at
our Blackfork Retreat Site on October 9th.
Registration materials are available at church. If you are wondering about Alpha but are not
sure, talk to Pastor Paul or me. We’d
love to answer your questions. If you
are thinking about becoming a member of First English, we invite you to begin
that process by being a part of Alpha.
I do hope you will set aside time to be part of Alpha. If you have been a part of Alpha
in the past – now is the perfect time to come again, and to bring a friend with
you. Your friends and family are dying
to meet Jesus!
Pastor Andy