Who is Alpha For?

Alpha is for everyone, particularly:

• People inquiring about spiritual meaning
• People seeking a faith with meaning for the new tomorrow
• Those wanting to investigate Christianity
• New Christians
• Those who feel that they have never really got going as a Christian
• Newcomers to the church
• Those who want to brush up on the basics

Alpha is a 15-session practical introduction to the Christian faith, designed primarily for non-churchgoers and new Christians, and is based on the book 'Questions of Life'.

The Alpha Dinner

An introductory Alpha Dinner is held to kick off the series. This is a chance for people to have a good meal together with other interested people, and find out what the course is about and how it operates. People can then make an informed decison about attending the Alpha Course.

The Alpha Course

The Alpha course is held in the evening, which begins with dinner, followed by a talk on a subject central to the Christian faith. We then break into groups of around 10-12 people to discuss the talk.  During this time each person should feel free to ask or express whatever they wish. A team of around three or four "leaders" or "helpers" will help facilitate this discussion. There is also a weekend away, which is an integral part of the course.

Talk titles include:

• Is there more to life than this?
• Who is Jesus?
• Why did Jesus die?
• How can we have faith?
• Why and how do I pray?
• Why and how should I read the Bible?
• How does God guide us?
• Who is the Holy Spirit?
• What does the Holy Spirit do?
• How can I be filled with the Holy 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?

Alpha @ Central 2011/12

We have finished Alpha for the 2011 year, but will be running a course again in May-July 2012. Please come and join us.

The Alpha course itself is free, but we ask for a koha to cover food costs (approx $8 per meal). The weekend away is likely to cost in the region of $95 per person plus transport contribution (but help is available if cost is a problem).

For more information about Alpha at Central, or to register for the next course, please call the office on 0-7-838 0375 or by email office@hcbc.co.nz. We would love to have you join us.

For More Information

For more general information about Alpha please go to the Alpha website www.alpha.org.nz or click on the Alpha logo.