Simple but Life-Changing
I wanted to write to you a little about my experience of the Alpha Course last year. My wife (Michanne) and I ran it together and it had a deep impact on us primarily because of how much it impacted others that came. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Maybe you’ve never heard of Alpha before. If you haven’t, here’s the basic run down. The course is designed for people who wouldn’t call themselves Christians. It’s for sceptics, fence-sitters, and anyone who might want to explore big questions about life. What normally happens is you get together for a meal, watch a teaching video and then discuss it together. Simple.
One of the wonderful things about Alpha is that it creates a relaxed space for people to chat about things that might otherwise be taboo in day-to-day conversation. It’s refreshing to be able to chat about topics that many people think about but never put words to because they are deemed ‘inappropriate’ in so many contexts (work, social outings etc). In the Alpha context, though, people feel comfortable not only to share but to be completely honest about what they think. Sometimes it’s confronting and challenging. But it’s definitely refreshing to have an honest conversation with others.
This is also why one of the most important things we can do in our lead up to the next course is to pray, because neither Michanne or myself can convince people about the truth. We are totally dependent on the Holy Spirit to convince people of the truth about Jesus. So, please pray for those who attend, that the Holy Spirit would be working in their hearts and minds, convincing them of the truth, revealing the love of God to them, opening their hearts to the gospel. Pray with us because the truth is that when God gets involved, a simple concept like Alpha can have life-changing power.
Every blessing,
Ben
This Sunday, we will be handing out Alpha invitation cards at the door. Take some time to pray and think about who you might invite to the Alpha Course. If it makes it easier, you can always offer to go along with them. Alpha starts Thursday 21st February.
