Questions on Christian faith answered through The Alpha Course

What would a person do if they’ve never had a connection with a church but wanted to find out the basics of what the Christian faith is all about? It might be awkward for someone to walk into a church for the first time. You don’t know what you might get yourself into. Besides that, a typical church service might not provide what you’re looking for if you just want to get to the core of what Christianity is. It would be nice to meet some regular people in a neutral spot where you can just be yourself, and where no one is trying to sell you anything. One way that millions of people around the world have been able to get their questions answered is through The Alpha Course.

The Alpha Course is an 11 week series of informal discussions around the basics of Christianity. Each session begins with a meal or dessert, and a little time to get to know each other. Then a half-hour video is provided that dives into some of the most common questions people have about faith, like; Is there more to life than this? Who is Jesus and why did he have to die? How can we have faith? Why and how do I pray and read the Bible?

The videos are designed to provide a “jumping off point” so people can feel free to give their thoughts and share what they think about those questions in an open, informal and non-judgmental space. The Alpha Course isn’t one where there are tests or quizzes or anything like that. There’s no pressure to see things a certain way, either. It’s just an opportunity for each person to work through what Christianity offers so they can examine it for themselves.

Alpha is for anyone who has questions about the Christian faith. Last year, in the U.S. over 12,600 courses were run by around 6,400 churches/ministries with more than 390,000 participants. Many of those who attend Alpha have never been to church before, or who have attended a church but feel they’ve never really understood the basics of the Christian faith. The goal is to provide an environment where people feel free to explore their questions about faith openly and honestly.

If you’ve wanted to explore and find out more for yourself, a course will be offered free of charge starting on Sunday evening, Feb. 15, at The Well in Fairfield, and hosted by Fairfield First Baptist Church. To find out more and sign up just go to alphausa.org and click on “Find an Alpha.” You’ll find all the information you need.