Denver United Church to launch 9-week film

In a small group conversation, participants can ask questions, talk through issues, build their relationships, and experience the Christian life. (Photo by Joel Muniz from Unsplash)

Denver United Church will launch Alpha, a 9-week film series that explores life, faith, and meaning as part of its many church activities.

DUC’s purpose is to build Christ’s Kingdom in the city.

With this, they will offer the community the Alpha experience.

Alpha comprises three elements: food, film, and conversation.

Alpha Film Series

According to the Alpha Film Series booklet, food allows people of diverse backgrounds to come together and share a meal. In this way, they can get to know each other.

On the other hand, the film element is where the series comes into play.

The film series is designed for today’s audience and features interviews and inspirational stories from people worldwide. It walks the audience through the basics of the Christian faith in a relatable and engaging way.

The series comprises 16 episodes with a run-time of 30 minutes each, a 10-minute introduction to the Alpha weekend, and two training videos, each 30 minutes long.

Meanwhile, the event’s discussion part serves as the heart of Alpha.

In a small group conversation, participants can ask questions, talk through issues, build their relationships, and experience the Christian life.

With these three elements coming into play, Alpha has been able to help churches engage with people who would not usually come to the congregation.

Alpha Testaments

At Bridgetown Church in Portland, the members believe that the church is both the people and the place.

According to their pastor, John Mark Comer, this meant coming together around the gospel.

At one point in their ministry, they discovered that people were good at getting into relationships with those far from God. However, Comer stated that it was a challenge for them to bring in an in-depth conversation regarding the gospel.

That is where Alpha came into play.

Comer stated that it became a tool for them to bring the gospel to the city.

He regarded Alpha as a safe place where, instead of answering questions and defending the faith, he made people feel loved and heard. As a result, they could vocalize the things they were living by and make sense of them through the gospel.

He stated that the authenticity that Alpha brought to the table made the gospel feel as real as it is.

With its casual and welcoming approach, Alpha has helped many come to Christianity.

One of them was Miranda. According to her, she grew up in an atheist household.

At 19 years old, she got out of an awful three-year relationship. One day, she felt as if something was in her room with her, caring for her. She asked herself if it was Jesus coming through to her.

Later in life, her co-worker and friend, Ashley, invited her to Alpha.

When Miranda showed up for the first time, she stated that the environment felt very welcoming and casual, just like a gathering with friends.

Miranda stated that the people there were of different backgrounds and had many questions, just as she had. She felt comfortable knowing that she was not the only one exploring faith.

Halfway through the session, Miranda stated that many things began to make sense for her, and she was brought to Christ.

The Alpha series at Denver United Church will begin on Sept. 18 and run through Nov. 30, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. each night.