A number of years ago a friend invited me to the Alpha course that my church, North Heights, was hosting. When my friend asked me, I remember thinking that it would be a waste of my time. Alpha was a course that went over the basics of Christianity and since I had been in church my whole life, what could I possibly gain from this course? However, she was so insistent that I reluctantly signed up for the fall course.
The first night of Alpha was an amazing experience. As I checked in at the registration table, I could hear a lot of conversations coming from the Great Hall in the church. As I entered the Great Hall, I saw over 100 people gathering at tables and getting to know each other. Since I was alone, I walked around and sat down at a table with some other women. Though we did not know each other, as the weeks passed we developed a strong relationship which created a meaningful and transparent Alpha experience. Over the course of the 11 weeks, we followed the Alpha format of eating a meal together, listening to a message, and then having a small group discussion about the message. That experience impressed upon me to go deeper in my relationship with the Lord. It also gave me the tools I needed to have conversations around the Trinity, faith, prayer, and the Bible. Little did I know that from that first evening I would go on to lead Alpha groups not only at North Heights but also at Westbrook. It is a powerful experience to see God at work and that is what I see when I participate in the Alpha course.
If you don’t know much about Alpha, it is a program which helps answer questions around life and faith. Over the weeks, people have the opportunity to explore topics like: Who is Jesus? Why did He Die? Who is the Holy Spirit? How does God guide us? and How can I tell others? The questions for the small group discussion are designed to create conversations around that evening’s message.
So what questions do you have? Well on Monday, September 21 from 6 to 8 pm, Westbrook will be starting an Alpha course. We will have it at the Outpost which will allow us to social distance. We will share a meal together, view a message, and then spend time discussing the message.
If you have questions about faith or if you want to grow deeper in your walk with the Lord, then join the course.