While these are all wonderful things, I want you to imagine a different scene. Picture a room full of young people bonding over their faith and love of Jesus. They’re sharing the joy of the Gospel over food, conversation, and music.

Doesn’t that sound inviting?

 Well, that’s exactly what happened at the University of Newcastle Catholic Society’s recent Alpha course.

The society opened up a space for people to learn about Christianity, make new connections and experience personal growth.

Run with support from the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle’s Pastoral Ministries team, the program gave participants the chance to find comfort while they worked through the different things that were happening in their lives.

Attendee Joshua Latimore describes Alpha as a place to create a community and bond.

“The Alpha experience was a series of courses over 11 weeks where a small group of people, including myself, met together for a meal and a discussion, and then we watched some videos about different aspects of Christianity and then we would have a small group discussion,” he explained.

“It was a really good opportunity to talk and experience growth and see what other people’s perspectives on certain matters were and connect with other young people about the faith.”

Josh joined the group because he was curious and wanted to meet with people who were in a similar stage of life as him.

“It was good to step out and meet new people and grow in that community and bond with others,” he said. 

“I loved seeing how other people connect to their faith, it allowed me to appreciate my faith more because I could see how broad and diverse the methods that God works within are.”

He encourages anyone interested to attend an Alpha session.

“What do you have to lose? If you’re someone who has a few questions about faith it’s a great opportunity to come along and get some answers,” he said.

Mary-Anne DeLuca, Mission and Outreach Officer at the Catholic Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle echoed Josh’s sentiments.

“Alpha gives people the opportunity to delve deeper into important questions in life around faith, meaning, and purpose,” she said.

“It is always a privilege to hear about how other people think and what they believe in and to grapple with our own ideas and motivations for believing or not believing, as we contemplate faith and its relevancy and connection to our lives and world today.”

She encourages more parishes and communities to get involved with Alpha.

“This is a great opportunity for people to grow and to discover the joy of the gospel,” Mary-Anne said.

“I would be so excited to share this with any person or group who may be interested in running the series.”

To learn more about Alpha, visit alpha.org.au

If you’re interested in attending or running an Alpha series and would like support, please email communityandmission@mn.catholic.org.au

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