Alpha at Penrallt
Our hope is that this page will give you a taste as to what Alpha is, and that you will come along to see for yourself.
Our next Alpha course in Penrallt is scheduled to run in Autumn 2008. It will start with an Alpha Supper on 30th September and the course will run on Tuesday evenings until 16th December. Please contact us if you are interested in joining the Alpha course.
What is Alpha?
The Alpha course is an opportunity for anyone to explore the Christian faith. It runs over a period of about 10 weeks, and is a great place to relax, make friends, have fun, and learn, in a non-threatening environment. There is no charge for the Alpha course.
What happens on an Alpha evening?
A typical Alpha evening starts with a meal together, followed by a video, and then small group discussions where people can feel free to say what they think! No question is too simple, or too hostile.
The "Alpha Supper"
We understand that people are not willing to commit themselves to a course without knowing a bit more about it. That's why we have a special Alpha Supper at the beginning of each course. The purpose of an Alpha Supper (also known as a Celebration Supper) is so that people can get an idea of what Alpha is about before deciding whether the Alpha course is something they would like to do.
The Alpha Supper is usually a simple buffet meal, followed by a video entitled Christianity: boring, untrue & irrelevant. Usually, someone who has done a previous Alpha course will also share what they have got out of the course. (There are no group discussions in the Alpha Supper).
Who is Alpha for?
Alpha is for everyone, especially:
- Those who know nothing, or very little about Christianity, but want to know more
- New Christians
- Newcomers to the church
- Those who want to brush up on the basics
Is Alpha popular?
- There are more than 28,000 Alpha courses running in churches of all denominations around the world.
- Over 7,000 of these in the UK.
- It is estimated that around 1.5 million people in the UK have done an Alpha course.
- Amazon.co.uk commented on Alpha as "The Remarkable Alpha Course" following its sale of Alpha books such as Questions of Life by Nicky Gumbel.
What sorts of topics does the course cover?
Listed below are the subject talks. Each talk is on video, given by Nicky Gumbel (one of the leaders at Holy Trinity Brompton Church where Alpha began).
- Christianity: Boring, untrue and irrelevant? (Alpha Supper)
- 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?
- What does the Holy Spirit do?
- How can I be filled with the Spirit?
- How can I resist evil?
- Why and how should we tell others?
- Does God heal today?
- What about the Church?
- How can I make the most of the rest of my life?
Is there life after Alpha?
Once an Alpha course finished at Penrallt we usually aim to run a short follow up course for those who would like to explore a bit further. The exact nature of this will depend on who wants to take part. You are, of course, welcome to come to any of our services or join a homegroup whether you have done Alpha or not.
Interested & want more info?
We welcome anyone onto our Alpha course, and are particularly sensitive to people who don't attend church regularly, or who know very little about who Jesus is, but are interested in finding out.
If you want to know more details about Penrallt's Alpha course, which usually runs in the autumn, contact Lawrence Moss by phone (01248 713793) or e-mail the church office.
You can also access the main Alpha website for some more general information.
We'd love to welcome you to Alpha at Penrallt!
