14Feb 2021 by bradlie

By Peter Ingham

10th July 2018

Hi my name is Peter Ingham and I work within Mowbray Community church as an Evangelist. That is someone who takes the message of God’s love out onto the highways of life.

My faith journey started in 1979 when I asked God to heal my wife who had been close to death for four weeks. He answered this request, and has been my constant companion since. I started attending the Town Mission which is the birth church to Mowbray and then had a small gap visiting several churches and returning to the Town Mission/Mowbray eight years ago. I have four children and fifteen grandchildren so life is quiet busy.

Alpha is one of the courses I run, and is an introduction to the Bible and Christianity, without church traditions. The course is like a courthouse and the clients who attend are the jury, and they make their own conclusions to the questions given based on the evidence presented to them.

The course is run over ten weeks, meeting one day every week for two hours. It also incorporates a day away, which is a spiritual day of reflection. The evenings start with a meal, which is followed by a thirty-minute film covering a series of themes like “There must be more to life than this”.

After the film we split up into groups of eight and discuss the film. On each table there are two table leaders who do not answer questions but manage the conversations because it is our clients’ opinions and thoughts which are important.

Over the ten weeks some great friendships are formed as the groups debate together, one group that finished in early 2017 are still getting together every week to discuss issues and enjoy social occasions.

Alpha is an exciting, eye-opening experience, which not only challenges our current impressions of the Christian faith but also has been known to change the lives of those taking part. If you have not been on one please come along and enjoy.

For more info: alphaharrogate.org

11Feb 2021 by bradlie

Welcome to Alpha

Alpha Harrogate

What Is Alpha?

Alpha is one of the best ways of exploring life’s biggest questions. The atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, with everything happening online, often via Zoom. There’s a thought-provoking video on a different aspect of the Christian faith followed by time for discussion with others who are on the video call with you. This is your chance to ask your questions and help each other to discover some answers. No question is too simple or too feisty at Alpha.

Who Is Alpha For?

Over 2.5 million people in the UK have done Alpha, and over 27 million worldwide. It is primarily designed for people who wouldn’t normally go to church, but is open to anyone who wants to explore some of life’s biggest questions. People do Alpha for a variety of reasons – some are interested in whether God exists, others have attended church in the past but feel they have never understood the basics. Alpha is a no-pressure course, which means we won’t chase you up if you decide not to come back. So come along and see if it’s for you!