Equipping your parish in its mission to help people discover Jesus
In 2019, over 5,600 Catholic parishes and organizations around the world ran Alpha with an estimated 310,000 participants.
From 2015 to 2018, Alphas hosted in the Catholic Context in Canada increased by 141%. In 2019, over 120,000 people experienced Alpha, including more than 11,000 people who went on Alpha through Catholic parishes across the country. In 2020, 750 Alpha courses were run in a Catholic Context – an all time high!
Watch Fr. Mike’s story of parish renewal.
What is Alpha?
Alpha is a parish tool for evangelization based on hospitality, sharing and open conversation. The same Alpha content is run all over the world, by Christians of all traditions, sharing the good news of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Everyone is welcome.
Over 1 million people in Canada have experienced Alpha, and millions more have taken Alpha in over 100 countries and over 100 languages around the globe.
What does an Alpha Session look like?
Connection
Whether it’s a group of friends gathered around a kitchen table, or a quick online catch-up, times of connecting are important. It’s no different at Alpha. Whether in person over a meal or virtually with a cup of tea, all sessions start with a time to connect, relax and build friendships.
Content
The Alpha talks are designed to engage people from all walks of life and inspire conversation. They explore the big issues of life and faith and unpack the basics of Christian belief, addressing questions like “Who is Jesus?”, “Why and how do I pray?” and “How does God guide us?”
Conversation
The discussion time is an opportunity for people to respond to the talk, hear from others, and contribute their own perspective in an honest, friendly, and open environment.
Alpha equips people to be missionary disciples, not simply to just be consumers of their faith. It brings people into these much deeper relationships, and makes people comfortable sharing their faith with others.
Alpha brings people closer and helps them to find that power which unites. The Alpha experience is not only a means through which one finds true life, but also a way to share the good news of the Living Christ.
The Archdiocese of Vancouver first welcomed Alpha here in 1994 and we have been experiencing its benefits ever since. Alpha has not only helped us introduce unchurched people to Christ but also provided an excellent way for Catholics to live out their baptismal call to evangelize.
How do I get started?
After you sign up online, we’ll show you how to create a space where people who wouldn’t normally come to church feel comfortable having a discussion about God.
We’ll provide you with tools and training to equip your team to run Alpha and inspire the church to invite their friends.
Then you’ll get access to everything you need to run Alpha.
