CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Two Charlottetown and area congregations are teaming up to offer the Christian faith program called Alpha.
Zion Presbyterian Church and the Cornerstone Baptist churches in Cornwall and Stratford will offer the weekly program beginning at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 15 and running until Sunday, Oct. 27. The venue will be at The Haviland Club, 2 Haviland St., Charlottetown, and admission is free.
Alpha seeks to introduce the basics of Christianity through a series of talks and discussions. It is an international program that first took root in Great Britain in the 1970s.
Since then, over 26 million people worldwide have done Alpha.
Zion has hosted Alpha programs for the past two years in the church. Previous Cornerstone Alphas were also held in the confines of the church.
Jaycee Sabapathy, a member of the session at Zion, says Cornerstone and Zion shared a similar goal of wanting to hold an Alpha session in Charlottetown in a neutral space. She says Alpha is a great chance to explore the Christian worldview.
“You get to come in to a safe environment and watch some videos that will explore big life questions from the Christian perspective and then have an open dialogue on them."
Jaycee Sabapathy
“You get to come in to a safe environment and watch some videos that will explore big life questions from the Christian perspective and then have an open dialogue on them,” says Sabapathy.
“Some of those questions might be: Is there more to life than this? Or, who is Jesus and why did he die? How can I have faith and how can I pray? They are some of those big spiritual questions that people may have encountered or pondered or may have come across in their church life growing up.”
Pastor Philip Woodworth of the Cornerstone churches says he is looking forward to the upcoming Alpha.
“Alpha is the perfect place for people — anyone — to come and meet new people, ask great questions and hear about life through the lens of Jesus of Nazareth,” says Woodworth.
Sabapathy says there are no right or wrong answers, and all opinions are welcomed at Alpha sessions. And while the sessions are aimed at stimulating discussion, people who just want to sit and listen are also welcome, she said.
Sabapathy says the topics explored and discussed at Alpha are not ones individuals generally get a chance to discuss. She said people are usually hesitant to talk about such topics in their work environments or even with family and friends.
Woodworth says people attending the Alpha sessions will receive a dinner catered by Green Island Catering.
He says the Sept. 15 opening night of Alpha promises to be especially interesting. Paul Colman, a Christian singer who has been nominated for a Grammy music award, will be performing.
The Sunday Alpha sessions all begin at 6 p.m.