Alpha course - What did you get out of it ?

[mummydear]

I have Christian beliefs but do not go to church.

I have been considering for a while about doing the Alpha course and one is starting nearby me soon .

Just wondering if anyone has done it and was it of benefit to them.

Hello,
I went on an Alpha course about 10 or 11 years ago when I had just met dh. I was having a bit of a crisis of faith (having been a definite christian for some time) and dh was just becoming a christian for the first time. We both found Alpha great fun and very liberating in the sense that anything could be said, nothing was ever judged, and there was a genuine sense that we were all on a journey of faith so wherever we were on that journey was valid and good (IYSWIM). THere was never any pressure to agree or subscibe to any beliefs (altho it was held in an Anglican church) but of course Jesus was talked abou all the time.

For me it was all about shaking off the stuff I'd absorbed from various "christian" sources which weren't really very christian at all, and deciding for myself what type of christian I felt comfortable being (and also, accepting that there were many other types of christian out there that are equally real and valid).

It was really a "growing-up" time for me. Dh and I ended up joining the church where it was held, but none of the others did. I don't know what became of anyone else who did the course with me and dh, but I know that it was very good for all of us.

Go for it!

I did one a few years ago. I found the whole thrust of it a bit evangelical for my taste - especially the book ('Questions of Life' or something, by Nicky Gumbel). We were a small and informal group and in effect abandoned the book after a couple of sessions.
The bit about how a Christian should not have a non-Christian partner was, as I am married to a humanist, particularly galling.

I'm with foundintranslation, I'm afraid. I think a lot depends on who is running it and how closely they stick to the original materials.

I have always been a Christian and didn't go to church for most of my life. I started when I was 26-ish, and then did a course run by the local diocese which was very in-depth and extremely interesting. I no longer belong to the Anglican church (long story) but I found that course helped me in deciding my beliefs without me being told what to believe or how to live my life.

I went about 5 years ago just after I met DH who is a buddhist (a real one not just ' oh I believe in karma' and all that - he believes their origin of life the universe and everything too) and my Dad who was a vicar had just left the clergy and, well, I was a bit lost.

For me it didn't make me into a devout 'by the book' christian, but it did reaffirm some very deeply held beliefs about the sort of person I wanted to be, that I do believe in God and that I believe He has power in our lives, among other things. It made me sad that the teachings seemed so out of line with my perception of the 'church' as a whole but I was able to put aside the failings of the institution and see the goodness of the people in it and feel welcome again. Another thing that happened for me was that I was able to find a sense of peace with myself and my doubt, I hope that makes sense!

After the course I felt sure enough in my own beliefs to then continue my relationship with my now DH, I don't know If I could have done that otherwise, so my life has been enriched greatly from alpha in more ways than just spiritually.

I would say do the course, I think it brings more questions than answers, but it points you in the right direction for finding them in your own time.

[mini-hijack]
Aren't you due soon, liquidclocks? Good luck - hope it all goes well!

Thinking about it though, don't know if Nicky Gumbel would be pleased to think he'd helped a Christian feel able to marry a Buddhist

Thanks foundintranslation! Due in 2 weeks but contractions all day today... (We're bringing the kids up going to church and buddhist festivals btw, hopefully they'll develop an open mind and heart!)

How exciting - hope baby puts in an appeaance soon/hangs on a bit, depending on what you'd prefer! (my ds arrived at 38 weeks, on the one hand I was grateful to not go overdue, on the other hand I stopped work at 37 weeks and would have preferred a bit more time to get organised!)

Message withdrawn

mummydear I would say do the course. If you go online you will find which churches near you are doing the course - all should be starting in next few weeks as its the nationwide Alpha initative.

The course is a brill place to voice doubts without anyone thinking your stupid, in fact I can guarantee that someone else will be thinking the same but not say it.

If nothing else its a good place to meet new people, if its run proerly there should be a time of eating together, a short worship/song time, watch video/listen to a speaker, then a time to discuss what you have heard.

I would go for it, after all what have you got to loose?

Pruni, I honestly once heard an evangelical Anglican priest tell a heartbroken woman whose Quaker mother was dying that she would n't be 'saved' because she did not necessarily believe in the divinity of Jesus. The arrogance...

the alspha course is goodI wouldn't call it galling only if you want to pick and choose what you believe in the bible. That's all Alpha does give you some teaching which is bible based so I guess it could be pretty galling if you don't like what's written in the word. Personally I love the word of God, His truth rocks, go for it.

duvet, I do believe my marriage is more sacred than Nicky Gumbel saying I should not be in it.

I love the word of God too, it's just a shame that people have interfered with it so much.

Hi, I don't actually remember anything I would describe as "teaching" as such on the Alpha course, more discussion...

I think I would do Alpha if I knew the church and the leaders well, but not otherwise.

I used to know someone at uni who was involved in running alpha courses. She was a complete evangelical fanatical lunatic. She made me feel as though I was living in a war zone - everything was about the battle between good and evil, my then boyfriend was a "child of darkness", my friends were a barrier between me and God. She told me with great sorrow that my little brother who died at the age of two was banished to eternal damnation because he was unbaptised and his parents weren't Christians. She told me that Catholics were not really Christians. It was bloody horrible, and frightening, and she and her friends made it very difficult for me to extricate myself.

I have not been on an alpha course, but having met quite a few people through her who were heavily involved in organising and running them, I would caution against them.

Actually (I don't usually do this but) that has really upset and offended me, duvet. You have no idea what I went through to marry my dh.

Foundintranslation - I don't think it says anywhere that we shouldn't marry non christians, I think it actually says somewhere that our spouses are saved through us. Anyway, I don't think there's anyway one can be a christian without picking the relevant parts of the bible - if we didn't then (and think about the 'sensitive' thread that's been going for the past 3/4 days) women would have to marry their rapists for eg - I don't honestly believe Jesus would really have wanted that along with many other contradictions in the book.

But, Mummydear - that's exactly the sort of debate the alpha course throws up so if you want to discuss issues like that then it's a good thing to do. There are extremists in all walks of life, christians, atheists, feminists etc etc. You can choose to listen, acknowledge, and then come to your own decisions - thats what the course did for me.

Did all, many thanks for your replies. Will have a look at the Alpha website.

The group I wanted to go to are offering a meal and watch a video, then discussion and they seem a very welcoming lot as they have done a few things in our community and seem very open.

Sorry should read 'Dear all'

Thanks