Session 1: Is There More to Life Than This?
Session 2: Who is Jesus?
Session 3: Why Did Jesus Die?
Session 4: How Can I Have Faith?
Session 5: Why and How Do I Pray?
Session 6: Why and How Should I Read the Bible?
Session 7 How Does God Guide Us?
 “Special” Session 8: Who Is the Holy Spirit?
Session 9: How Can I Resist Evil?
Session 10: Why & How Should I Tell Others?
 Session 11: Does God Heal Today?
Session 12: What about the Church? - Celebration Day.

Come and share a really good FREE breakfast and discuss life’s biggest questions in an open, non-judgmental atmosphere.

ALPHA

 This is an introduction to “Alpha”, which is a series of 12 sessions that allow everyone an opportunity to explore the Christian faith, ask questions, and share their point of view in a non-threatening friendly environment.  It is an open, informal and honest space to explore and discuss life’s big questions together.  Here is some basic information for those of you who would like to attend the sessions or want to know more. 
 
What is Alpha?  
 
Alpha is a series of twelve interactive sessions where everyone can explore life and the Christian faith in a friendly, open, and informal environment.  The overall purpose of Alpha is to help bring people into a relationship with Jesus Christ by getting to know Him on a much deeper level than we currently do.  Alpha is a non-denominational program with no pressure to join any religious organization; it is just great discussion about Jesus and the Christian community. It is for Christians, non-Christians, non-believers, and believers alike.
 
Every Alpha session has three key elements: food, video and discussion around key questions about Jesus and Christianity.   The Alpha sessions are hosted at Sacred Heart Church of Calumet on Saturday mornings at 10 am to 11:30 am.  A hot, hardy, free breakfast is followed by an Alpha video.  The half hour video is followed by small group discussions, where participants can ask questions, talk through issues, build relationships, and experience what the Christian life really looks like.    Participants can sit and listen or share their thoughts; there is no obligation to say anything.  Each Saturday morning during the session, participants discuss the question for that designated session.  The questions that are addressed at each session are as follows:   Is There More to Life Than This?    Who Is Jesus?    Why Did Jesus Die?    How Can I Have Faith?     Why and How Do I Pray?    Why and How Should I Read the Bible?    How Does God Guide Us?   How Can I Resist Evil?    Why and How Should I Tell Others?    Does God Heal Today?    What About the Church?
 
One of the Saturday sessions is a special session centering around the Holy Spirit to address these questions: 
Who Is the Holy Spirit?  What Does the Holy Spirit Do?  How Can I Be Filled with the Holy Spirit?
 
How did Alpha originate?
 
Alpha started over thirty years ago at Holy Trinity Brompton, an Anglican Church in London, England.  It was originally developed as a short course for people in that church.  In 1990, Nicky Gumbel took over running Alpha and found that many people outside of his church were interested in the idea of Alpha.  He noticed that the general format and non-judgmental atmosphere resonated with most people, especially with young adults.  During the 90’s in England, and much of Europe, many assumptions about faith in God, the Bible and Jesus were being abandoned, similar to what we are experiencing in the U. S. and Canada today. 
 
Nicky found that people no longer assumed that God was true or that the Bible was trustworthy.  Instead of asking if things were true, people were asking what was real.  With this insight, he repositioned Alpha by replacing Bible study with small group discussion and an opportunity to ask questions and express your own views. 
 
Today it is estimated that over 30 million people have experienced Alpha in more than 169 countries, and it has been translated into 112 different languages.  It runs in every part of the worldwide church – the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, the Pentecostal Church and the mainline Protestant denominations. 

Is Alpha for me?
 
If you have asked yourself any of the questions that are listed above than you are encouraged to attend.  If you have friends or family members who are looking for answers within their faith journey, please invite them to our next Alpha series, which will be scheduled soon.    Each session is held at Sacred Heart Church Hall, 56512 Rockland St., Calumet.  If you have any questions or like to know more or register, please call Debbie Berryman at 337-0810.