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The post Delivering Alpha USB sticks by dirt bike in Venezuela appeared first on Alpha.

“My life during lockdown working in a hospital was pretty hectic. I was on permanent long days for an extended period of time. I’d been working in ICU and we had a lot of experience with Coronavirus patients. I looked after some of the sickest patients we’ve ever had. My life was also quite separated – I’d had little contact with family for well over a year which was pretty tough.

I work with an incredible lady who is an anaesthetist who invited me to do an Alpha course online. The idea of human contact on Alpha appealed to me, even though it was online. I was pretty apprehensive beforehand, but I was in a group with some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. They were very welcoming and very accepting. I’ve never actually met them in person – and 99% of the time they would see me in my pyjamas, scrubs or a Koala bear onesie! – yet they still accepted me which shows how incredible they are.

Around August last year we had the Alpha Saturday. The first wave of COVID was over and my health wasn’t great, but people shared some words they had received from God. It all just built up and was very emotional. That’s when I felt a real connection to God.

Those fears during lockdown, some of the emergency situations we’ve faced, that’s where I’ve really depended on that faith and the connection with God that I’ve been lucky enough to find on Alpha. I think it’s the thing that saved me.”

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The post Abigail’s Story appeared first on Alpha.

Early Days

I was brought up in a very happy Christian home in Fraserburgh, Scotland. I was always at church and never missed a Sunday. I could not have wished for a better upbringing or family. It was the best!

I was never any good at school. I always thought my way was the best way, no point in arguing with the teacher so I just let it take its own course. But my mum always said if you’re not going to school you’re going to work. I did like working – I always had a job before and after school, firstly as a paper boy then on to work in the butcher’s delivery. At 15 I was shipped off to sea as a cook on my Dad’s boat alongside my brothers. Life was good at sea but horrendous on the back out! As soon as I got a bit of freedom and I didn’t have to go to church, I never went back. I thought these new opportunities were more exciting than church life, probably like many guys my age back then.

Over the years we did very well at fishing, but I always wanted more. It wasn’t enough for me to have a good career, get a house, wife and kids and just live content. I always wanted more and started some other businesses – some succeeded and some didn’t. I didn’t realise it at the time, but I was constantly craving new things in my life. It was the same with relationships – they never worked and I always blamed other things but my problem was that the grass was always greener elsewhere. I was always searching.As I got older into my 20s, I started to go further afield in the world. I was drinking heavily, partying hard and womanizing any time I was home from sea. If there was something to do that was wrong, I would find it. I was never satisfied.

Searching for more

I was becoming very unhappy. I had a good life on the outside, but I was sad on the inside. At 30 I had a bit of a breakdown and I felt that life was pointless. I told my family I wasn’t going back to sea and wanted to find something new. I moved to Spain and did even more partying than before – it was a complete excuse to live a life of excess! I was young, had plenty of money and was living in a millionaire’s playground. I always found it easy to make money and fell into a mad life of new friends and new places to party. After around 18 months of going out every single night, I was becoming deeply unhappy once more. Yet again what I had was not enough, I wanted more. I’d seen the high life and wanted to make even more money so I could find happiness again.

I ended up moving to Dubai to explore a business opportunity with a friend. This is when life really took a turn and in a very short space of time. I ended up becoming very successful on the back of the world property boom. I was right in the thick of it. Making millions and spending millions, my life became one of pure excess and waste. Over time I’d become a very self-centred person, thinking I could do whatever I wanted without facing any consequences. I could buy my way out of any trouble.

From the outside I had everything – a number of luxury cars, houses, boats, everything that the world deems a success. I lived for years in one of the best hotels in the world thinking it was normal to have the whole top floor to myself with staff on hand to do everything for me.

I’d even go on holidays by private jet and in the eyes of many I was leading a life that others would dream of. I really had got to the top of the ladder, or so they thought. Although I couldn’t get anymore the downside was that when I was alone, I was sad. I was trying to buy happiness. There would not be a day that went by that in the back of my mind I thought, “there must be more to life than this”.

This is your life

My 40th birthday arrived, and I was going to have a huge party. I didn’t know that this would be the start of the change in my life. I now look back in amazement knowing that all the time God had been with me keeping me safe. I really should have been dead with the number of stupid things I’d had done over the years.

My friends had made me a “This is Your Life” book which was presented to me on stage by a big TV personality. The night was full of all the great and crazy stories of my life. Yes, I had led a privileged life and had achieved many things. I had everything and had been everywhere, but I still kept thinking “there must be more to life than this”. I wondered why nothing I had ever seemed to be enough.

On one of the pages of my “This is Your Life” book my mum had written a verse from the Bible. Reading these words would lead to a huge change within me.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3: 5-6

It wasn’t until a couple of nights later when I was reading the book again that the message of this verse struck me like never before. I sat on the balcony of my hotel and cried my eyes out. How had I got it so wrong? I prayed that night for the first time in years. I asked God to change something so I could be happy again. I was the complete opposite of that scripture – I never trusted in the Lord, all I did was think of myself. I never acknowledged God in all the things he had blessed me with, and I went on paths that were crooked instead of straight.

This message was from a mum and dad who had lived their lives by this verse and enjoyed the happiest lives I knew of. I however had turned my back God and was the unhappiest person I knew. Something had to change.

Discovering something more

God answered my prayers. Over the next year and a half, I lost everything I’d ever worked for and more. In a Muslim country where the law is somewhat different, I found myself thrown in jail in the desert and had my passport confiscated (that’s another story!). I eventually returned to Aberdeen in huge debt and was living in a house that the bank was in the process of repossessing. Seemingly I wasn’t doing anything successful with my life. But I wasn’t unhappy anymore! I’d visited City Church with a friend a few times and they said there was an Alpha course starting up. I knew I should go along and something within me drew me there.

By week six of Alpha, I knew my life was never going to be the same again. I decided to completely dedicate my life to walking on God’s path instead of my own, and that whatever my future held I’d make God the centre of it. It wasn’t easy to change all of my ways, I didn’t realise how bad I was until I started trying to be good! But in everything I prayed that God would help me through, and God answered every single time! Sometimes it wasn’t the answer I wanted but He always answered. Little did I know that five years on I would be leading Alpha groups each term at Holy Trinity Brompton Church in London, the home of the Alpha course!

Alpha was the key that opened the door of a new life to me. Alpha taught me what Christianity really was, and it wasn’t the life of rules and regulations I thought it was. Instead, I found out it was a life of love, a life of giving, a life of prayer, a life of asking for God’s will every day. But ultimately, I found it was a life of contentment, knowing that in every single day and every single moment God is there with me to help me through. No question, He’s with me daily. It’s been a tough few years, and in truth I would not be here today if I hadn’t gone on the Alpha course and discovered an unshakeable faith.

Life now is very different. I’ve been blessed with a new home, a new business and a new life. But this time God is the centre of it all!

Billy very sadly passed away of terminal cancer in the summer of 2020, however his legacy inspires us to keep pressing on, to keep holding out the hope of Jesus to those struggling in darkness. Thank you for joining us in this ministry.

The post Billy’s Story appeared first on Alpha.

Three years ago Irene had lost all hope, until she found herself on an Alpha course. Watch her inspiring story of going from desperation to encountering Jesus’ love in a way that has changed the trajectory of her life.

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The post Irene’s Story appeared first on Alpha.

She recently ran into a friend and shared with him how she had found hope in God amidst the current uncertainty.

“I’ve been reading the Bible loads, I’ve never read it before. There’s a lot of hope in there and I think I’m going to be all right.”

Redeemer King Church is one of 945 churches running Alpha Online in the UK and this is just one story of many.

Red recorded a video message for a friend sharing her story. Watch it here and be inspired.

The post Red’s Alpha Online Story appeared first on Alpha.

For many of us, these months of emergency are marked by feelings of isolation, but for inmates in the United Kingdom prison system the consequences of social distancing are more severe, with prisoners confined to their cells for the vast majority of the day.

Alpha is run in 80 prisons in the UK – but at this time church volunteers are not able to enter the prison buildings, and inmates are unable to gather in groups. This has prompted prisons to get creative with how they provide access to Alpha.

HMP Berwyn – the largest prison in the UK – will stream the first episode of Alpha, ‘Is there more to life than this’ from their own internal Chaplain’s TV channel. It will be broadcast with a message saying, ‘if you enjoyed this film, the entire Alpha course is available for you to follow’.

Two other prisons are planning to follow suit, while HMP Pentonville hopes to show episodes in place of Sunday services while they are unable to meet together in the chapel. The Alpha team are also currently in talks with the producers of the live in-cell UK prisons’ TV channel – with a view to airing the Alpha Film Series over the course of 15 consecutive Sundays.

This initiative would have the potential to impact 50 prisons across the country, giving thousands of isolated inmates the chance to engage with life’s biggest questions in this time of uncertainty and loneliness.

“Giving thousands of isolated inmates the chance to engage with life’s biggest questions in this time of uncertainty and loneliness.”

Once inmates are able to gather together again, the usual social aspects of Alpha will be resumed, with guests given the chance to encounter hospitality and discuss in person the topics of each session. Measures will also be taken to ensure that there is follow-up by chaplaincy with those viewing the Alpha episodes from their cell over the coming weeks and months.

Our hope and prayer is that inmates will have the chance to encounter Jesus at this exceptionally difficult time – and that once normality is resumed, many will make the decision to attend a course in person, discovering community and building a life-changing relationship with God.

The post Streaming into Prison Cells appeared first on Alpha.

Alpha Team

Lau Sze Hong writes about running Alpha with his rugby teammates in central Hong Kong:

I became a Christian on the rugby pitch and I got baptised in the ice bath bucket on rugby pitch, so naturally I wanted to share my journey with the guys closest to me.

When I decided to share my faith, I had pretty low expectations of whether my teammates would be interested. I thought they wouldn’t want to be involved with – or even talk about – faith. But thank God they wanted to find out more!

Our club is a community rugby club. We don’t have a full-time staff at the moment but we’re aiming to be a semi-professional team. Right now, players are mostly young professionals and students who play for the love of the game.

Yes, rugby is kind of a macho sport, but we have a strong sense of family here. People relate to each other closely and the culture is one of complete honesty – on and off the pitch.

Here in Hong Kong we’ve got a project we call ‘Alpha Anywhere’ – all the materials are available on the go, so you can just set up an iPad and you’re ready to start, wherever you are, which makes it really easy to initiate conversations about faith with your friends. Running Alpha with video on the go makes it really easy to connect with those around you, and you don’t have to prepare a lot before getting together.

We all meet in a café before training – somewhere that feels pretty neutral. People in Hong Kong can feel sensitive talking about big issues around life and faith. Meeting in a café really helps people to lower their guard and feel comfortable opening up.

I worried a lot of before running Alpha with the rugby team. What if they don’t like it and leave right away? What if they don’t wanna share anything? What if they feel offended? Thankfully, they got so into the discussions that they wanted even more time to talk.

We’re still right in the middle of our course – the topics are challenging, and there’s plenty to talk about. I’ve started meeting every week or two with one guy in particular, who wanted to find out even more, so we grab a coffee and talk it all through. It’s started great conversations and we’re so excited to continue them.

The post Field of Play appeared first on Alpha.

Alpha Team

The post Take a step closer with Charlie Macksey appeared first on Alpha.

Alpha Team

It’s just my mum and I – my parents got divorced when I was a baby. When they did, Mum took me to live in Philippines, her motherland. But I got really ill one day and when I did, she made the decision for us to come back to the UK to get the best healthcare. That’s how we ended up living in Stratford in East London.

It wasn’t the most affluent area, especially at the time – but Stratford is rich in culture and diversity and I absolutely loved going to school there.

Being a teenager alongside a single parent from a completely different culture was never going to be easy. We had the same goals in mind, but really opposing ideas of how to get there. Let’s just say we bumped heads a lot! Nowadays, we’re more like sisters – we got there in the end!

My mum’s a Christian – when she got to London she naturally looked for community and people who were in the same boat as her. We found a predominantly Filipino church – which was great. I really soaked up the language and culture and made some lifelong friendships out of this vibrant community.

For me though, going to church was kind of like going to school, that’s how I felt about it – it’s something you just do. But when I was twelve or thirteen, I started to think, ‘Why am I even doing this?’ I guess that’s when I started questioning a lot of things.

I was going through a difficult time towards the end of my schooling and on top of that, my father passed away suddenly. This really threw me. I was full of regret and wondered, ‘What’s the point?’ I realised I had no purpose, I felt empty.

You never really know what you have until it’s gone and it was a desperate time in my life.

It made me realise that I really needed my faith, because life’s going to happen: people will get ill, things will go wrong, your house might burn down – and through it all I’d rather lean on God than have no-one.

At that point I kind of gave God an ultimatum, I said, ‘I’m going to give you one proper shot, and if you don’t show up, I’ll put this whole thing behind me and give up on faith.’ I wasn’t sure if I really meant it, but I was frustrated. I wanted God to show up in a big and evident way.

I couldn’t give up on faith without trying, without putting 100% effort in – to keep my end of the bargain.

I started looking for a church to put down roots, something to make my own away from the church I grew up in. A friend of mine invited me to a Christian event in central London hosted at a church, and I decided to go.

Somehow I felt a lot of peace, even just in the building, and I thought to myself, ‘How come I never felt like this when I was in a lecture?’ Whenever I’d come to learn in the past it was necessary but not always interesting. In this place, I was on the edge of my seat listening to a talk about God!

That night, I got talking with someone on the team running the event and they told me about Alpha, and invited me to come to the church on a Sunday morning, so we swapped numbers and I met her there. I had loads of apprehensions about making it a regular thing: it was far from where I lived, everyone there was from a different background, but for some reason I felt like it was the right place to be at that time in my life.

The first thing I did was try Alpha. I had no idea what to expect. Again, I had loads of reservations; I’d been to church camps and events as a kid and I never fully engaged in the experience. But with Alpha, I loved that the structure was simple and bite-size enough not to overwhelm me. There are loads of different kinds of learners – and I felt like there was something relatable for everyone.

In week one and two I sat back and took it all in – but then I started to express what I thought, and respond to other people’s ideas.

Our group was pretty diverse; there was an atheist, a Muslim guy, a pretty high-up professional, a few students. It was such an amazing mix, and for us to discuss big subjects around religion and faith – where else would that happen?

I even came back and did it a second time – this time, facilitating a group. Having done it before for myself, I identified with others coming for the first time. I had a greater appreciation for how they felt: being out of their comfort zone and sharing ideas. As a group we had some great conversations and I saw how some people’s views of church, life and faith were being challenged – just like they were for me.

I effectively grew up at church, so when I first heard about Alpha I thought, ‘Well, I already know what faith is – this probably isn’t for me,’ but it’s not good to be closed-minded. Alpha is such a great tool. I got something unexpected from it, it challenged me and it changed my outlook.

The post Philippa’s Story appeared first on Alpha.

Alpha Team

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