|
Register
About
Invite your Friends
Schedule of Talks
Typical Alpha Evening
Typical Alpha Morning
What People are saying about Alpha
Alpha in the Press
Contact
Current News
Welcome to FCC’s Alpha course!
If you are looking for more to life than the video above suggests, we would love to invite you to check out Alpha at a supper on Tuesday, September 23rd or a brunch on Wednesday, September 17th at FCC.
Who is Alpha for?
Alpha is for everyone; no question is out of bounds and you are free to discuss as much or as little as you wish. People come from all kinds of backgrounds: some to investigate whether God exists; others may have attended church on and off all their lives but feel like they are missing something. We don’t assume any background knowledge of or belief in Christianity and everyone is welcome.
What is Alpha?
Alpha is an opportunity to explore the meaning of life in an informal, fun and friendly environment. The Alpha course consis
ts of a series of talks, looking at topics including 'Who is Jesus?' and 'Why and how do I pray?', with the option of a weekend away. We meet for supper and each talk is followed by discussion in small groups.
Alpha is offered twice a year at FCC, starting in September and January, on Tuesday evening and Wednesday mornings for ten weeks. You don’t have to come to the whole course – just come along for the first night and see what you think. No pressure.
Okay, I’m interested… what next?
We run two Alpha Courses at FCC: one in the morning at 9.30-11:30am and one in the evening at 6:30-9:00pm. Childcare is available for a nominal charge for pre-registered children at both times.
The Next Courses start on:
Tuesday September 30 at 6:30pm
Wednesday September 24 at 9:30am
> back to top
Further Information…
More than 11 million people have completed the Alpha course worldwide in churches, homes, schools, universities, and prisons. It is low-key, friendly and fun - and is supported by all the main Christian denominations. Alpha is being run by churches of every denomination, including Episcopal, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Pentecostal, Salvation Army and non-denominational churches. Wherever the course is being held, all churches provide the same material, making alterations only to suit local culture. People come from many different backgrounds, holding many different viewpoints - but all come with the same objective: to establish whether Jesus Christ has any real relevance for their lives.
For more information please contact the Roselle Heckendorn, 978.475.9500 or email alpha@freechristianchurch.org.
To find out more about the Alpha course, see further information below or go to www.alphausa.org
> back to top
A Typical Alpha Evening...
6:30 Supper Together
Each Alpha group eats supper sitting together at the same table. Food is prepared by different Free Church small groups.
7:10 Talk and Worship
All the groups gather for a brief time of worship followed by a video of Nicky Gumbel giving a talk on one of the key issues of the Christian faith. Some sample talks are: Christianity: Boring, Untrue and Irrelevant? Who is Jesus? How can I be sure of my Faith? How does God guide us? How can I make the most of the rest of my life? And the like. See schedule of talks for further topics.
8:00 Small Group Discussion
Many Alpha guests speak of how they find the small group sessions to be the most rewarding aspect of Alpha. The small groups provide an opportunity to ask questions, express opinions and discuss the topic of the evening. They also give guests the chance to make friends and to bounce ideas around in a relaxed and non-threatening environment.
9:00 Evening ends
All the small groups are committed to ending on time.
> back to top
A Typical Alpha morning...
Currently Alpha is offered for women on Wednesday mornings from 9:30-11:30am at the Parish House, 28 Elm Street Andover.
9:30 Breakfast
We offer coffee, tea and baked goods and this provides a chance to connect with other people in the group and get to know them.
9:50 Talk
We listen to a video of Nicky Gumbel giving a talk on one of the key issues of the Christian faith (see list of talks below).
10:30 Small Group Discussion
The small group discussion is an opportunity to ask questions, express opinions and discuss the topic of the morning and gives guests the chance to make friends and to bounce ideas around in a relaxed and non-threatening environment.
11:30 Morning ends
The morning finishes promptly to allow guests to pick up their children from the childcare on time.
Other Times
Alpha is also sometimes offered at other times in people's homes.
> back to top
What Course Participants say about Alpha
Mark: "When I first heard about the Alpha course I was at a stage when I was searching for something 'out there'. I really needed to ask questions and not feel like I was getting a hard-sell pitched at me. Now I perceive things differently and just feel so at peace. I have also met a wonderful bunch of new friends on the course."
Graham: "The first evening surprised me completely. The people were from all walks of life, from different races, classes and abilities. During the first evening, there were no prayers or heavy preaching. We were just given the opportunity to listen to the talk and then discuss anything we wanted. I chose to ask some challenging and confrontational questions, but they were welcomed, and I was made to feel valued and appreciated. I enjoyed the evening so much that I couldn't wait to go back the following week..."
Maria: “Before I had always thought you had to do good to be a Christian, and I knew I was not good enough…But the people in Alpha…helped smash that idea…no one is better than the next.”
Marta: “9/11 hit and my life changed. While I was fortunate not to lose anyone I loved, my company went out of business, and my fiancé and I broke off our engagement as a result of the tension…I had "issues" with organized religion. Christianity is not the religion I grew up in, and I had hostility to religion to begin with, so I had a lot of questions, but I learned a lot.”
Anthony: "I didn’t expect the warm welcome I received, the interesting discussions or the lack of pressure to speak in the small groups that followed. I found that I could express any doubts about Christianity, and that my opinions would be respected. If I had an issue with something, I had a forum to voice it with no need to apologize."
John: "Over the years, church became more of a social club… I’m still figuring it out. I was nervous the first week but was placed at a table with other young people, many of whom were going through the same stuff I was. But now God is a daily part of my life. The friends from Alpha have become some of the closest friends I’ve ever had."
All of these quotes are from past course attendees.
> back to top
Alpha in the Press..
The New York Times
"A novel approach to Christian education that has been catching on nationwide."
Time Magazine
"...many claim Alpha has changed their lives and appear genuinely happier for the experience."
The Independent Newspaper (UK)
"The world's most popular course in Christianity."
Madeleine Bunting, The Guardian
"What Alpha offers, and what is attracting thousands of people, is permission, rare in secular culture, to discuss the big questions - life and death and their meaning.“
Damian Thompson, The Times
"What distinguishes Alpha from other initiatives is the easy-going, relaxed feel of the proceedings - that, and its astonishing success."
Julia Llewellyn Smith, The Express (UK)
"Alpha makes Christianity relevant to modern life."
Evening Standard, (London, UK)
"The only unqualified success there has been in recent years to arrest the seemingly inexorable decline in attendances - the Alpha course."
> back to top
For more information contact:
Roselle Heckendorn
978.475.9500
rheckendorn@freechristian.org
or visit the official Alpha Course website at http://www.alphausa.org
> back to top |
