The Alpha ministry continues to be a vital part of our life at St. Stephen’s. The focus of Alpha is evangelism and outreach. We have all been commissioned by Jesus to “go and make disciples of all nations…” [Matthew 28:19]. Alpha is a model that we use to help us in that outreach – it is a form of “come and see” evangelism.

What is Alpha? The Alpha Course is a ten-week practical introduction to the Christian faith that includes dinner, group teaching, small-group discussions and a weekend away. It is for those who wonder:

• Christianity: Boring, Untrue, and Irrelevant?
• Who Is Jesus?
• Why Did Jesus Die?
• How Can I Be Sure of My Faith?
• Why and How Should I Read the Bible?
• Why and How Do I Pray?
• How Does God Guide Us?
• Who is the Holy Spirit?
• How Can I Be Filled With the Holy Spirit?
• What Does the Holy Spirit Do?
• How Can I Resist Evil?
• Why and How Should We Tell Others?
• Does God Heal Today?
• What About the Church?

Alpha is best described as follows:

Anyone can come. Anyone interested in finding out more about the Christian faith is welcome.
Learning and laughter. Join others in a relaxed atmosphere.
Pasta (or other great food). Each weekly session begins with dinner.
Helping one another. Dinner is followed by large-group presentation and small-group discussion.
Ask anything. Here’s your chance to ask your questions and express your opinions.

I would like to share some of the comments from past participants in response to the question “What did you enjoy most about Alpha?”

• Getting to know my group and the wonderful suppers. I really enjoyed the video series and the group discussions following.
• I loved everything! The food, friends, singing, video series and discussions were wonderful!
• The people glowed.
• The videos, the loving atmosphere and the social interaction.
• The fellowship, the sharing, the weekend away and the food.
• New friends, food, good discussion, knowledge.
• The videos and the discussions, the love and new friendships made and the food.

As you can tell by these comments, Alpha is a place where anyone can come and friendships are formed. It is a place where people help one another and where you can ask anything – no question is too trivial, threatening, or illogical. People give many reasons for why they decide to come to Alpha. Some want to gain an understanding of the Christian faith, some want to satisfy their curiosity and scepticism, and some are looking for something more in their life. You will have your own reasons to come and see what Alpha is all about. We hope you will!

If you would like to find out more about Alpha, visit the Alpha website at www.alphacanada.org. If you would like to find out when we are holding our next Alpha Course at St. Stephen’s, please contact Janet Neubauer at 773-2424 or email at nbsinc@sasktel.net. We would love to have you join us for Alpha!

Janet Neubauer

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