The Alpha course is designed primarily for people who aren’t churchgoers and each course is open to everyone who would like to attend.
People attend for a wide variety of reasons - some want to investigate whether God exists, others may have attended church occasionally but feel they have never really understood the basics of the Christian faith. People come from many different backgrounds and hold many different viewpoints.
How the course works
The course is based around small groups of about 12 people and most begin with a meal or refreshments – a chance to get to know others in the group. Each week, the talk looks at a different aspect of the Christian faith, followed by a discussion in the small groups. The emphasis is upon exploration and discovery in a relaxed and informal environment. The Alpha course usually lasts for 10 weeks, with a day or weekend away in the middle. Some courses are held over morning coffee or during a lunch hour, most are evening courses, typically lasting 2 hours.
There is no charge for attending the Alpha course, although courses may ask for a contribution towards the food.
Course Content
The talks each week cover the following topics, which people are then free to discuss in the small groups afterwards:
Week 1 Who is Jesus?
Week 2 Why did Jesus Die?
Week 3 How can we have Faith?
Week 4 Why and how do I Pray?
Week 5 Why and how should I Read the Bible?
Week 6 How does God Guide us?
Week 7 How can I Resist Evil?
Week 8 Why and how should I tell Others?
Week 9 Does God Heal Today?
Week 10 What about the Church?
Day or weekend away
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?
How Alpha Began
The Alpha Course has been running for over 26 years.It began at Holy Trinity Brompton in central London, United Kingdom in the late 1970s, initially as a means of presenting the basic principles of the Christian faith to new Christians in a relaxed and informal setting.
By 1990, when former lawyer Nicky Gumbel took over the course, Alpha was a central feature of the church's life.It was while leading his second Alpha course that Nicky realised how this simple course could also appeal to non-churchgoers and he adapted the course to give it the kind of feel that would suit this group.
The Alpha course spread during the 1990s, initially in the UK and then internationally, as more churches and groups found it a helpful way to answer questions about the Christian faith in an informal setting. There are now over 33,500 courses worldwide in 163 countries and it is supported by all the major denominations.