2010 Alpha Invitation - Nationwide Churches of All Denominations Offer a Free Meal, and a Place to Ask Life’s Toughest Questions

BANNOCKBURN, ILL. — “If God did exist what would you ask?” is the question that people throughout the U.S. will be encouraged to consider over the next few months. The question will appear on signs across America.

It’s all part of a national ad campaign created by Alpha USA, and executed by churches and Christian organizations of all denominations working together in communities across the country—using everything from bumper stickers and yard signs to billboards, buses and movie theaters. The ads feature Bear Grylls, star of the popular Discovery Channel program “Man vs. Wild.”

The purpose of the ad is not just to stir interest in God, but invite guests to a relaxed dinner at a location nearby where they can learn more about Alpha, a 10-week course that explores life’s most difficult questions ... everything from “Why am I here?” and “Why is there suffering?” to “Is God a delusion?”

Hundreds of responses ranging from the comical - “What were you thinking when you created mosquitoes?” to deeper issues surrounding suffering, “Why do you allow children to suffer?“ have already been submitted. The questions submitted online reflect what people often ask during the Alpha course discussions. It appears that issues around suffering may be a hot topic on Alpha this fall, because over a fifth of the campaign responses are on the subject.

More than 15 million people in 169 countries have attended an Alpha course, with more than 2 million of those having participated in the U.S.  A recent study showed that in New England alone, 28 percent of all new converts were reached through the Alpha course.

The ad campaign will cover more than 50 metropolitan areas and thousands of churches will be handing out introductory dinner invitations. People of all ages from many different backgrounds, including atheists, those revisiting their own faith, and people from different religions will attend. They attend from different backgrounds, but with the same aim of exploring the meaning of life, including the claims of Jesus Christ and whether his claims have relevance for life today.

According to Barna Research, more than half of all those who attend the course make decisions for Christ. Bear Grylls cites Alpha’s pressure-free approach, where no question is out of bounds, as a key to its success.

“I have seen so many people find a personal relationship with God and a quiet strength in their lives after doing the course—myself included,” Grylls explains. “Alpha is such a non-pressured and fun course, and it shows us how Christianity can be relevant and empowering to our lives." Grylls tells his friends, “What have you got to lose [by taking the Alpha course], but what might you have to gain?”