Article by Bob Harvey

Bob Harvey's article for the Ottawa Citizen 26 July 2003,
and reprinted that day in 9 Canwest papers nationwide.

Alpha is aimed at drawing 'unchurched' people to Christianity. Since the program began in London in 1992, an estimated 5 million people in 132 countries have participated.

This weekend, Canadian churches will kick off a $1-million advertising campaign designed to invite the nation to dinner.

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Billboards, banners and bus ads will soon start popping up all over the country. In Ottawa alone, there will be 43 billboards, plus ads on OC Transpo buses and banners on church lawns, all of them advertising an opportunity to explore the meaning of life.

Among the contributors to the campaign is Jimmy Pattison, the British Columbia billionaire who likes to play trumpet in church bands. Pattison Billboards is just one of his many enterprises, and he is donating one free billboard for every three that are rented.

The goal of this campaign is to encourage Canadians to take a first or second look at Christianity over home-cooked meals to be served up in September in more than 2,000 homes, community centres, churches, rinks, pubs, universities, detention centres and other locations across Canada.

We make it as unchurchy as possible. We go where the people are, said Dave Atkins, an Ottawa engineer who has helped organize 18 different Alpha courses.

He says he has stuck with Alpha for the past five years because of its great impact on people's lives.

Alpha is an acronym that describes the intent of the course: A for anyone interested in finding out more about the Christian faith; L for learning and laughter; P for pasta, sharing a meal together; H for helping one another; A for ask any questions you like.

Nicky Gumbel, a former lawyer and now an Anglican priest in London, England, cooked up what is now called the Alpha program after he converted from atheism.

While about seven in 10 Britons and Canadians identify with a Christian denomination, only about one in 10 Britons and two in 10 Canadians regularly attend church.

Rev. Gumbel saw that if Christianity was to get a real hearing, what was needed were Christians who would invite friends for a no-holds-barred discussion over a good meal. That idea soon developed into a 10-week course that starts with a meal, and sometimes wine, and is centred on short and humourous video presentations of Christian basics by Rev. Gumbel.

An estimated five million people, including 350,000 Canadians, have since participated in Alpha outreaches in 132 countries since that first dinner in London in 1992.

Sally Start, the national director of Alpha Canada, says people are now coming to church who had no previous church background or perhaps had a 'toxic' experience.

But Canadian organizers say there are still 24 million unchurched Canadians, and the 56 denominations involved in the campaign want to feed some more people. In Eastern Ontario alone, 179 churches will participate this fall.

Helen Lenthall is a veteran of the broadcasting industry and the great-great-granddaughter of William Booth, the founder of the Salvation Army.

She attended an Alpha session a year ago and says, I felt I was coming home. It was very welcoming to go to an occasion where you weren't judged by how you look or the car you drive. Now she is chair of this fall's Alpha program in Ottawa.

Rev. David Crawley, pastor of downtown Ottawa's St. George's Anglican, said the Alpha program provides an experience of Christian community, some basic spiritual formation, and often an experience of God.

It offers a way of life that is potentially transforming. Those are the things that keep me going.

St. George's started offering Alpha programs in 1996, and has since done it 18 times.

It has brought in new people, and had a wonderful renewing effect on the congregation as well, said Rev. Crawley.

His advice to other congregations is Don't do Alpha if you don't want it to seriously affect your church.

— Bob Harvey,
Religion Editor
Ottawa Citizen

Reprinted with permission. Publication of this material does not necessarily imply support of the Alpha course.

Churches invite Canadians to dinner and discussion by Bob Harvey, Ottawa Citizen, 26 July 2003