Alpha is a Christian-based resource that is used to to equip and assist churches to engage within their community to answer life’s most challenging questions about life, God and meaning.
Alpha launched the first episode of its new series — titled “Is there more to life than this?” — on April 14. The new series releases on the heels of the 2013 Alpha Youth Film Series that was developed by Alpha Canada, and which has seen more than 60,000 students in Canada experiencing Alpha and is being used globally to reach young people.
“It’s a fresh, creative treatment to Alpha with the end goal that more people would have a safe, authentic space to explore Christianity leading for some to a relationship with Jesus Christ,” Shaila Visser said.
And that’s exactly what happened with the launch of the 2016 series. The series embodies what it means to search for knowledge and truth in a personal way.
The pilot for the series does an excellent job at setting the tone and atmosphere for the rest of the episodes, a setting welcoming of both openness and curiosity. Each presenter provides a sense of acceptance, encouraging all to explore the faith and seek answers.
It features inspiring interviews with celebrities like world-renowned adventurer Bear Grylls and former English international rugby union player Ugo Monye.
It also features insight from prominent figures such as Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, preacher to the papal household, and Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, archbishop of Vienna and globally well-known for editing the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
The series is an excellent tool for those who desire answers in a very simple and relatable way. Alpha promises a program that is free from judgment and criticism — providing explanations that are relevant to the younger generation today.
It’s a refreshing look at the Christian faith, allowing everyone to understand that we are all human and regardless of the paths we have taken, there are always answers available as long as we seek to find them. With the launch of the first episode of the new series, Alpha aims to reach one million Canadians.
New episodes will be released every week through April and May. The series will also be released in DVD format in English, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin and Hindi at the end of 2016. Visit alphacanada.org.
(Contreras, 20, is a third-year communications student at the University of Winnipeg.)