Posted Online: Sept. 03, 2010, 12:00 am 
Comment on this story | Print this story | Email this storyBy Leon Lagerstam, leon@qconline.com
MOLINE -- Basic Alpha bits work better than foxholes for non, new and old Christians.
Find out how by attending an Alpha Course introductory dinner at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 14, at Faith Lutheran Church, 1611 41st St.
The Alpha Course was created in London in the late 1970s as a way to explain basic principles of the Christian faith in a relaxed, informal setting, according to materials provided by Barbara Marlin, Faith's task force/small group coordinator and parish nurse.
Weekly Alpha Course meetings will be held for 10 weeks, and include a weekend getaway to a yet-to-be-selected destination, she said.
Each night will begin with a simple meal, followed by a brief worship service, a discussion led by church pastor the Rev. Mark Gehrke, and small group discussion time, program director Margaret Moore said.
''It's for anyone and everyone,'' she said. ''It's for Christians or non-Christians. It's for members of faithor non-members. People who don't even go to church are invited. It's just a chance to get together and study what it means to be a Christian.''
Attending the opening ''Is there more to life?'' introductory dinner will give people an idea what the course is like, but doesn't lock anyone into it, Ms. Moore said.
The actual course doesn't start until Tuesday, Sept. 21, and closes Tuesday, Dec, 7, with a celebration dinner. The weekend retreat will be Friday and Saturday, Oct. 29-30.
For information, call the church office at (309) 762-2824.
About 60 people already have committed to participate, even though many have no idea what it's all about, Ms. Marlin said.
''Nobody from the church has gone through it before,'' she said. ''But from watching videos, we've seen and heard many testimonials from people who said their marriages were a bit shaky, but were strengthened after their Alpha experience.
''Many people said they were healed from their addictions,'' Ms. Marlin said. ''And some even said they were atheists before Alpha.''
Her hopes and goals for the program basically are to help people know God exists, as well as to strengthen and reinforce people who have labored in His name for so long.
No questions will be considered simple or hostile, according to Alpha materials. Questions may include such thoughts as ''Is there a God?'' ''Why am I here?'' and ''Where am I going?''
Since it began 26 years ago, more than 33,500 Alpha Courses have been held in 163 countries, including more than 5,000 now being held across the U.S.
Rev. Gehrke and Ms. Marlin earlier attended an international conference in Naperville, Ill., attended by 1,500 people from 15 countries.
''It explained the process and how to hold an Alpha Course,'' Ms. Marlin said. ''We came back with a lot of excitement, information and tools about holding it here.''
Those tools, though, do not include anecdotal foxholes, in which atheists are said to never be found.
Each night will begin with a simple meal, followed by a brief worship service, a discussion led by church pastor the Rev. Mark Gehrke, and small group discussion time, program director Margaret Moore said.
''It's for anyone and everyone,'' she said. ''It's for Christians or non-Christians. It's for members of faithor non-members. People who don't even go to church are invited. It's just a chance to get together and study what it means to be a Christian.''
Attending the opening ''Is there more to life?'' introductory dinner will give people an idea what the course is like, but doesn't lock anyone into it, Ms. Moore said.
The actual course doesn't start until Tuesday, Sept. 21, and closes Tuesday, Dec, 7, with a celebration dinner. The weekend retreat will be Friday and Saturday, Oct. 29-30.
For information, call the church office at (309) 762-2824.
About 60 people already have committed to participate, even though many have no idea what it's all about, Ms. Marlin said.
''Nobody from the church has gone through it before,'' she said. ''But from watching videos, we've seen and heard many testimonials from people who said their marriages were a bit shaky, but were strengthened after their Alpha experience.
''Many people said they were healed from their addictions,'' Ms. Marlin said. ''And some even said they were atheists before Alpha.''
Her hopes and goals for the program basically are to help people know God exists, as well as to strengthen and reinforce people who have labored in His name for so long.
No questions will be considered simple or hostile, according to Alpha materials. Questions may include such thoughts as ''Is there a God?'' ''Why am I here?'' and ''Where am I going?''
Since it began 26 years ago, more than 33,500 Alpha Courses have been held in 163 countries, including more than 5,000 now being held across the U.S.
Rev. Gehrke and Ms. Marlin earlier attended an international conference in Naperville, Ill., attended by 1,500 people from 15 countries.
''It explained the process and how to hold an Alpha Course,'' Ms. Marlin said. ''We came back with a lot of excitement, information and tools about holding it here.''
Those tools, though, do not include anecdotal foxholes, in which atheists are said to never be found.
If you go
Dates and topics of Faith Lutheran Church's Alpha Course:
Sept. 14: Introductory dinner: ''Is there more to life than this?''
Sept. 21: ''Who is Jesus?''
Sept. 28: ''Why did Jesus die?''
Oct. 5: ''How can we have faith?''
Oct. 12: ''Why and how do I pray?''
Oct. 19: ''Why and how should I read the Bible?''
Oct. 26: ''How does God guide us?''
Nov. 9: ''Does God heal today?''
Nov. 16: ''Why and how should we tell others?''
Nov. 23: ''Does God heal today?''
Nov. 30: ''What about the church?''
Oct. 29-30: ''Who is the Holy Spirit?'' ''What does the Holy Spirit do?'' ''How can I be filled with the Holy Spirit?''
Dec. 7: ''How can I make the most of the rest of my life?''
Anyone can come.
Learning and laughter.
Pasta (or other great food).
Helping one another.
Ask anything.
