Alpha UK

7 June 2004

A mobile phone with a thought-provoking text message is to form the basis of the UK's biggest annual Christian advertising initiative this year.

The image, advertising Alpha - the introductory course to Christianity currently running in 7,000 UK churches of all denominations, will appear this September on:

• 1,500 billboard sites across the UK.
• The backs of 3,000 buses throughout the country.
• 90 taxi tip-up seats in seven cities - London, Glasgow, Cardiff, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and Newcastle.
• Hundreds of thousands of leaflets, brochures and guides to the Alpha course.
• Thousands of posters outside churches and homes.

The text message, which reads "is there more to life than this?', will appear alongside the words "The Alpha course... explore the meaning of life.'

This is the seventh annual poster initiative in the UK and is titled "The Alpha Invitation', emphasising the relaxed and non-threatening nature of the course, which is primarily for those who do not attend church regularly.

Alpha is already one of the most widely-known Christian initiatives in the country. Currently, around 20 per cent of UK adults can identify Alpha as a Christian course (MORI). The aim of the initiative is to increase the profile of the course still further.

More than 1.6 million people in the UK have completed an Alpha course (Christian Research).

The Rev'd Prebendary Sandy Millar, Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton, London, the Anglican church which has pioneered the Alpha course, said, "These annual initiatives are intended to make it easier for church members to offer a personal invitation to their friends and all the evidence shows that they are working.'

The Rev'd Nicky Gumbel, who presents the Alpha material, said, "We have heard so many wonderful stories of people - many of them young - whose lives have been changed by God through the Alpha course in churches of all denominations throughout the country.'

ENDS

For further information, contact:
Mark Elsdon-Dew, Communications Director
+44 (0)845 644 7544 or +44 (0)7623 975422 (pager)

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Notes for Editors
The Alpha Course

Alpha is a 15-session practical introduction to the Christian faith designed primarily for non-churchgoers and new Christians and is being run by every denomination in 150 countries around the world and translated into 45 languages.

Most courses take place in the evening with a meal followed by a talk central to the Christian faith. After the talk, participants divide into groups of about 10 or 12 people to discuss the talk in an environment where each person is free to ask or express whatever they wish.

The Alpha course was started by Charles Marnham at Holy Trinity Brompton, London in October 1977. It began as a four week course with 11 new Christians. John Irvine took on the course in 1981 and lengthened it to 10 weeks, adding the weekend away with teaching on the Holy Spirit.

Nicky Lee ran the course from 1985 to 1990 and Alpha grew from 30 to 120 guests.

Nicky Gumbel took over in 1990 and moved the focus of Alpha onto those outside the church.

The first Alpha conference was at HTB in 1993 with 1000 delegates - 200 courses started as a result.

Charles Marnham, John Irvine, Nicky Lee and Nicky Gumbel were all ordained clergy (curates) when they ran Alpha at HTB.

Since 1992 the Alpha course has seen astonishing growth, both in the United Kingdom and internationally. From just five courses running in the UK in 1992, to over 7,150 registered Alpha courses in the UK and 28,260 courses world-wide. It is estimated that 6 million people have now been on the course worldwide.

The Growth of Alpha Worldwide

One of the greatest areas of growth recently has been in the prisons, with 125 of the 162 prisons in the UK now running the course and in 48 countries. Alpha is also running in churches, homes, schools, businesses, hospitals and over 74% of UK universities.

The 2003 survey by MORI shows that 9.5-10 million adults across Britain now know about Alpha and approximately 1.6 million are estimated to have completed an Alpha course. The MORI report revealed, "A fifth of British adults are aware that Alpha is a Christian course. This is the highest level of awareness of the Alpha course since the start of measures in 1999.'

National Alpha Initiatives have also been launched in New Zealand, Canada and Australia and in many other countries, including the United States, where plans are being made for their own initiatives.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, says of Alpha, "What Alpha has to offer is a unique mixture of Christian content and Christian style. I recommend it ... as a very special tool of evangelism.'

Alpha International, Holy Trinity Brompton, Brompton Road, London SW7 1JA, Tel: Direct line +44 (0) 20 7052 0272
Pager: +44 (0)7623 975422; Fax: +44 (0) 20 7052 0207; email: mark.elsdon-dew@htb.org.uk; website: http://uk.alphacourse.org