Alpha
ALPHA: What is the Meaning of Life?
Spring Course in Session Now
Enrollment closed
Fall Course begins September 21, 2010
Enrollment now through September 28, 2010
Questions? Contact alpha@incarnation.org
Just What Is Alpha?
Alpha is an opportunity for anyone and everyone to explore the meaning of life and the Christian faith in a relaxed setting over ten though provoking weekly sessions.
Anyone, everyone. All are welcome at Alpha regardless of religious background or viewpoints.
Ask anything. Alpha is a place where no question is seen as too simple or too hostile.
Relaxed atmosphere. Learn about the basics of Christianity in a relaxed and fun setting.
Delicious community. Sit down for a meal and get to know others who are on the Alpha course.
Honest conversation. Small groups give you a chance to discuss your opinions about the talks.
Topics covered. Who is Jesus? Why Did Jesus Die? How Can We Have Faith? Why and How Do I Pray? Why and How Should I Read the Bible? How Does God Guide Us? How Can I Resist Evil? Why and How Should I Tell Others? Does God Heal Today? What About the Church? Who is the Holy Spirit? What Does the Holy Spirit Do? How Can I Be Filled With the Holy Spirit? How Can I Make the Most of the Rest of My Life?
So if you find this intriguing -- believe it or not, no questions are too far out there -- join us for a wonderful dinner, great talk, and meaningful conversation Tuesday evenings, beginning January 12, 6:30-9:00 PM. The course concludes on March 23. An optional Alpha Weekend Away is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, February 20-21. This is a key part of the course, as well as being great fun, so please write the dates on your calendar now.
People attend an Alpha Course for all sorts of reasons:
The numbers on The Alpha Course are staggering: More than 13 million people in 163 countries last year took a class that was offered at more than 9,000 U.S. churches.
Among them was Church of the Incarnation, which has an amazing Alpha statistic of its own: 10. That’s how many years Incarnation's very first Alpha group has been meeting — on its own — since taking the course in 2000.
“We just all really seemed to bond,” recalls Renee Loy, who at 37 is the youngest of an Alpha group dominated by people now in their 70s and 80s. “I can’t imagine a day when our group doesn’t meet anymore.”
Renee was new to Incarnation when she took Alpha, which bills itself as “a ten-week non-threatening introduction to the Christian faith.” When it was over, she said, “We knew we wanted to keep studying. That was important.”
Her Alpha classmates were witnesses at Renee’s baptism, guests at her wedding, and helped her through her husband’s passing in 2005.
“We’ve been through a lot together,” she says. Of Alpha, she says simply, “It changed our lives.”
Others at Incarnation have had life-changing experiences of their own.
Cynthia Paine-Drennan said she learned about Alpha from the church bulletin after being “dragged” to a Christmas Eve service in 2008.
“I cannot tell you the feeling that I had from watching the first video, and the small group; I couldn't get enough,” she said. “I could not wait until the following Tuesday, and each and every Tuesday after that to get filled up!”
She said, “I not only have a connection with a church but I have a connection with the Holy Spirit, one that I don't think I would have had if I had not attended Alpha.”
Charlotte Rundell is an Alpha veteran. She says, “in the past nine years that I've been involved with Alpha, either as a participant, leader or intercessor, I have seen the Holy Spirit at work in people's lives in amazing ways. My faith is renewed and invigorated as we are all drawn deeper into the heart of Christ. The Gospel is as powerful as dynamite, and to witness the spark that ignites it in lives is exhilarating and humbling.”
Another Alpha stalwart, Ellen Logan, says, “I have so many stories!”
She said, “The format is so nonjudgmental, and it's the coolest thing to see some who are hardened really soften during the process — these new concepts for some are actually making powerful sense. Others reflect that “Aha moment” when a message clicks.”
“If you never ask the questions you’ll never get the answers.”
To learn more or for reservations contact alpha@incarnation.org.
