Alpha is an 8- to 12-week course that creates a space, online or in person, where people are excited to bring their friends for a conversation about faith, life and God.
Sessions explore the basics of Christianity. They allow anyone to explore life, faith, and God in a friendly, open and informal environment. Each session has a short talk and times for discussion in small groups. In-person meetings also include food. Everything you need to run Alpha is available online and free to download.
Sessions cover:
Is there more to life than this?
Who Jesus is, and why he died
How to have faith, pray and read the Bible
How God guides us
Who the Holy Spirit is, what he does, and what it means to be “filled with” the Spirit
How to make the most of the rest of our lives
How to resist evil
Why and how to tell others
God’s healing
God’s Church
There is also an Alpha Youth series, which covers the same topics. It is geared specifically to youth, and has been recently refreshed.
Alpha’s relationship courses are also available online, and created to be run in much the same way as the Alpha Course. There is a course on parenting children and one for parenting teenagers, and pre-marriage and marriage courses.
Alpha New Zealand also provides materials to promote, supplement and follow on from each course. The team offers training as well, and there is someone on the ground in most regions for in-person support.