Alpha is a new group at Asbury this year that is welcoming students of all faith backgrounds to study the Bible and grow in their faith together.
The group’s official launch was in the fall, but new members can join at any time. Alpha meetings are every Wednesday from 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the OMS Student Center.
Every meeting follows the same format: a meal, a talk on faith and a small group discussion. According to the Alpha website, the meeting starts with food to simply encourage community and get to know each other.
“A time of sharing food is a huge value of Alpha,” said group leader and Aldersgate Resident Director Haley Weaver. “Since the discussion can often be heavy with questions, we intentionally work to make the evening feel lighter and fun.”
The subject of the talk varies each week, but always addresses questions surrounding faith. The talk is delivered through a video, which the attendees view together. A group discussion follows, led by Weaver or campus chaplain Greg Haseloff, and is a time for members to share their thoughts and ask questions.
“Alpha really is designed to create conversation and give people an opportunity to explore the Christian faith in a ‘no crime, no foul’ way,” said Weaver. “You can ask hard questions and share your opinions in a no-judgment space where people aren’t trying to answer and fix everything.”
Unlike a typical Bible study, Alpha is driven by group discussion instead of simply studying Scripture. However, the course does explore subjects presented in Scripture.
“The course involves several major themes in Scripture, including the person of Jesus, ‘Why did He die?’ ‘How do I pray?’ ‘Who is the Holy Spirit? ‘Is there still healing today?’ and other big elements of faith,” said Haseloff.
Because of the scriptural basis, Alpha attendance can substitute for chapel attendance.
“Attendance at Alpha adds to your chapel skips,” said Weaver. “Another way to say this is that if you missed two chapels in a month, but attended Alpha twice, then you’re good to go, or you come out even. We really feel like the content presented in the video is important and well-communicated, and that the discussion provides a helpful place of reflection on the content, which is what we hope for any students attending chapel.”
While Alpha is open to all students, the program’s target audience is individuals who have questions about the faith.
“Alpha is truly open to everyone, but is definitely built for those anywhere from antagonistic towards Christianity to exploring it for the first time, to someone who has been a Christian for a long time, but is [in] a place where they are asking some harder questions about life and faith,” said Weaver.
Anyone who is interested in Alpha can come to a meeting at any point in the semester. And although it is aimed towards new Christians, all students are invited to attend and to recommend the group to their peers who may be interested.
“If you do not identify with this but know a friend who does, don’t just invite them, but come with them! It can feel really intimidating to admit that you have questions about faith, especially in a context like Asbury,” said Weaver. “A great way to help them feel comfortable is to join them so that they don’t feel so alone. If you identify yourself as a follower of Jesus, pray that the Lord would use this group to work in the lives of those participating.”
