YOU DON’T NEED TO HAVE IT ALL FIGURED OUT

by Alice Stout

Have you ever noticed posters with a big, red, lopsided question mark around town? They tend to be pinned near traffic light junctions or on the walls alongside church buildings. Does the word ‘Alpha’ mean anything to you?

The Alpha Course is a series of interactive sessions that explore the basics of the Christian faith. Many people join the course because it’s not afraid to tackle big questions – Why are we here? Is there a God? How can we have faith? Millions of people have experienced Alpha at churches around the world.

We run Alpha regularly at MCC. We meet to have food together, watch a short video, and then chat about the session’s topic.

I decided to join the latest series even though I’m a Christian (more on that later). I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know other attendees over the twelve weeks. We sat around tables eating, chatting about daily life, and then wrestling through deep questions about faith.

I caught up with Eddie and Natalie, a couple of people on the course with me, to reflect on their experiences.

Alice is a church partner and is involved in various creative teams. She works as the Digital Lead of a Communications Team in a Christian media organisation.

Alice is passionate about community, charity work, and celebrating different cultures – as well as proper cups of coffee.

An openminded atheist

QHow did you first hear about Alpha?

It all started with a random conversation at work. My colleagues were attending a course that delved into life’s big questions from a Christian perspective. I decided to tag along out of sheer curiosity, not knowing what to expect.

I enjoy those sorts of big, unanswerable questions like – What is happiness? What is the meaning of life? I’m going to study philosophy, so those questions appeal.

QWhat kept you coming back?

Was it your love of philosophy?

I think it was. A big part of it was being open-minded. I had this vague picture of Christianity that, admittedly, was quite wrong. I knew it was a religion that involved Jesus, God and the Holy Spirit, but the picture had been painted by the media and stuff I’d learned in school.

As an atheist, I thought if you spoke out against Christianity – or any religion –you’d be sort of hung, drawn, and quartered! You learn about all these religious wars and conflicts between Protestants and Catholics in school. So, I thought it was just a case of either you believe it or you don’t – no questions asked.

When it came to Alpha, I thought, 'you know what? go with an open-mind', because the whole premise is that you ask questions. I learned a lot about Christianity and what the Bible actually says. I continued going because I enjoyed learning, debating, and challenging my beliefs.

QWhat are your thoughts about Christianity now?

I think many Christian premises, ideas, and notions can be helpful in anybody’s life, whatever their belief. That doesn’t necessarily mean that you are a Christian. The teachings presented a broader perspective on moral values, ways to better ourselves and be considerate of others.

Christianity isn’t just a set of rules but a way of life that offers guidance and support during challenging times. It offers a good way of helping you accept who you are, move past some of the bad stuff you’ve done and figure out how to improve yourself.

I didn’t throw myself into the course as much as others did. I didn’t pick up a copy of the Bible or read it, so I could have been more involved, and that might have shifted my views a lot more. But I think that’s the nice thing about the Alpha course – there’s no expectation for you to convert to being a Christian. While I haven’t undergone a complete transformation or developed a personal faith, Alpha has impacted me. It has given me a deeper understanding and appreciation of Christianity as a school of thought, and I can pick bits from the faith and implement them into my life.

QWould you recommend Alpha to others?

Definitely. I was lucky in that I knew some of the people attending. It’s a good, sociable, easy-to-getinto atmosphere. I was very satisfied with how it was run, what I could talk about, our table discussions, and what I learned.

I felt like it was a valuable thing to do and I would be more open to doing something like it again. ▶

Curiosity & community

QHad you ever come across Alpha before?

No, never. My Christian colleagues invited me, and I was really curious. I’ve met many Christians and always wanted to ask them questions about their beliefs. The more I met, the more I thought they were lovely people. There was something about them, and they seemed to have this amazing community.

QDid you have any expectations for the first session?

The first session was called Is There More to Life Than This? so I expected getting right in there and explore life and purpose. I didn’t give it much thought other than thinking I’d gain a greater understanding of Christianity.

QWhat struck you the most? What did you gain?

Hands down, the community. It was everything. There are so many superficial things in this life, so meeting new people who have come together to ask difficult questions and not be afraid to have intense conversations is lovely. I think everybody needs a bit more substance in their life.

QDid you develop new or deeper friendships?

Yeah, definitely. I got to know my colleagues on a whole new level by eating together first, having chitchat – which is just as important as that deep and meaningful stuff – and meeting people who I think are on my level… looking for authenticity and are willing to have caring, honest conversations, which I think many people miss.

QHaving had a lot of those deep conversations, what’re your thoughts on faith now?

As the course progressed, I delved deeper into my exploration of Christianity. I started reading the Bible. I’ve had many moments of doubt and confusion, and I’m questioning the whole narrative. I’d love to be sure of things. It isn’t easy to wrap my head around not understanding some things... I guess that’s what faith is, in part. I need to square the circle before I can say I’m a Christian.

I googled: can you go to church if you’re not a Christian? Google and other people keep telling me, “Yes!” I’ve read articles about people who take their kids to Sunday school, even though they’re staunch atheists. One guy said he does it because he thinks the community is absolutely amazing. And I love the idea of that.

I’m going to one of the church services that work with my routine while I keep grappling with things. There hasn’t been any pressure on me. I love how everyone’s been so invested in me. I’d love to have that deeper connection with people, where we share the same beliefs. But finding and being part of this community is so, so lovely.

On a journey

Hi, it's Alice again. I'll write this next bit in first person rather than in interview format – that would be a bit weird and confusing to read!

As I said earlier, I am a Christian. Why join a course designed for people exploring Christianity?

First, a little background: I grew up in a Christian family. I was pretty young when I made the decision to follow Jesus. My parents did not force me into it; in fact, they asked me many questions to make sure I knew what I was doing and understood why I wanted to be a Christian. A few years later, I was baptised as a teenager. It was a way of showing my community that I was committed to being a Christian and living out my faith. I then went to university in my early twenties. I wouldn’t say I turned my back on faith, but I had some questions that shook it. Pursuing God was not at the top of my priority list. Not having

Jesus at the centre of my life led to a lot of destructive relationships, and I was left feeling like I had no purpose. I decided I didn’t want life to look like that and began a journey of pursuing Jesus again. It's still so far from perfect, but it’s a work in progress. Fast forward to today, I think that I would’ve benefited from doing Alpha earlier. It's a great space for people who are restarting a journey of faith too. I’ve known about the course since childhood but had no idea what it explored. I was told it was something Christians could invite their friends to, but how could I recommend a course that I’d never been on? That’s one of the main reasons I took part.

The second reason is that Alpha provides a space where you can ask big questions with zero judgment or expectation to have the answers. I don’t know when or how it happened, but growing up as a Christian, I set myself these unrealistic expectations that I’d someday have life all figured out. I was a little worried that as a ‘mature’ Christian (aka calling myself one for 25 years), people would expect me to have all the answers to tough life questions. At Alpha, I could say I didn’t have it all figured out. It reaffirmed to me that we’re all on a journey, grappling with faith and exploring who Jesus is and how that impacts each of our lives.

I also made some new friends! I got to talk about faith fundamentals with them, have my perceptions challenged, and it helped remind me why I believe what I believe.

I think the Alpha course is, truly, for everyone. We’re all on this journey together, albeit on different roads or tracks – you can see that in this article! If you’ve read this far, chances are you’re ready to explore something new. Why not give it a go? ■