ALPHA
 IN THE WATERLOO PARISHES

What Is Alpha?
Alpha is an exciting, engaging introduction to the Christian faith for adults and young adults.  It consists of eleven weekly sessions and a retreat day.  The goal of Alpha is to help participants understand the Christian faith and develop a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.  Alpha was created in England by the Anglican Church; it was later adapted and endorsed for use with Catholics and is currently is being used in Catholic and Christian churches throughout the world.

Who is Alpha for?
Alpha was originally designed for non-churched people, but experience has shown that it is equally beneficial for those who are active church members, those who are loosely connected to church or unenthused about their faith, and those who have left the church.
In short, Alpha is for:
     • anyone who wants to grow in their appreciation of their faith.
     •  anyone who wants to learn or review the basic concepts of Christian faith.
     • anyone who feels confused or alienated from the church.
     • anyone who wants to learn how to discuss faith with family or friends who are estranged from
         organized religion.
     • married couples who share different Christian traditions.

What is Alpha like?
Alpha sessions (with the exception of the retreat day) last about 90 minutes.. Each Alpha session consists of three components:
• a simple meal (ommitted for virtual sessions).
• a short video about some aspect of Christian faith.
• small group discussion of the presentation by participants.

What kind of things does Alpha talk about?
The Alpha sessions address the following themes:
     • 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 do 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 make the most of my life?
     • How can I resist evil?
     • Does God heal today?
     •  How important is the Church?

What You Should Expect If You Attend Alpha
If you participate in an Alpha series, you can expect good things to happen which will enrich your own faith life, the parish and our community:
     • You will discover or re-discover how and why people become Christian and how the Christian faith 
        shapes their daily lives.
     • You will remember how you have or can experience God's grace in your life and form a relationship to 
        Jesus Christ.
     • You will learn how others have experienced God's grace and the difference it has made in their lives.
     • You will have an opportunity to share your experience with others who are trying to deepen their faith 
        in Jesus Christ and their relationship to the church.
     • You will learn how to share your faith with those who have stopped practicing or have never had a 
        church home.

Learn More
• Learn more about Alpha here.
• Watch a video about Alpha here.
• See what prominent Catholic leaders say about Alpha here.

•   •   •

For Information About Alpha in Waterloo
• Check our Bulletin Board for the current Alpha opportunity here.
• Click here to let us know you're interested in Alpha.
• Click here to register for the next Alpha series.

[Last Update: 09.03.24]