During Lent of this past year, I extended an invitation to join the Alpha Pilot for our parish. Twelve of us made the journey together sharing meals each Monday evening over a twelve-week period. This was the formation of the Alpha Team for our community. We worked together all summer long and invited you to join us on the Alpha journey to deepen your relationship with Jesus Christ and our community of faith.
Often times as Catholics our relationship is with community members that we know and see each week at Mass. As pastor I see two distinct communities: the 4:00 community and the 9:30 community. Coffee and Conversation after the 9:30 Mass forms another type of relationship as does involvement in each of our ministries. Sometimes these relationships get confused with having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
In the Catholic context, Alpha has been used to refocus parishes who want to be disciples on mission rather than a church stuck in maintenance mode. The Alpha invitation is an opportunity to look at the basic components of the Christian faith and examine our individual beliefs in a safe, welcoming environment. It is a journey of moving our experience of faith from head to heart.
As our Alpha Team formed throughout the Alpha experience and during the summer months, we were asked to focus on a number we hoped to invite as guests. Thirty became our magic number. How thrilled I am that forty people are making the journey this fall. That’s about all we can handle as a team, and we are excited about the journey ahead.
Others have indicated that they want to make the journey but can’t do it at this time. NOT TO WORRY! We will again offer the Alpha journey in the spring. I am personally hoping that we will all make the journey to deepen our relationship with the community and Jesus Christ. This journey is about the distinction of knowing about our faith, God and Jesus (head) to actually knowing God and Jesus (heart). A journey so necessary to make!