him’s posthaven

Alpha Course Conference
Friday, August 15 | 6:30 - 9:00 pm
Saturday, August 16 | 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Register online

Alpha Course Conference
Friday, August 15 | 6:30 - 9:00 pm
Saturday, August 16 | 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Register online

Brought up in a Muslim household, Sabrina comes to terms with God's unconditional love for her through The Alpha Course.  

Find out more on how you can run an Alpha Course in your church by attending HIM's Alpha Course Conference.

Alpha Course Conference
Friday, August 15 | 6:30 - 9:00 pm
Saturday, August 16 | 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Register online

Alpha Course Conference

Friday, August 15 | 6:30 - 9:00 pm
Saturday, August 16 | 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Register online

James, 23, runs Alpha with his friends in Sheffield, UK. He is embracing the chance to be a part of a cultural shift in his local community. But where did James’ Alpha journey begin?

At the age of seventeen, James tried Alpha. He had questions about life that he wanted to explore, so his youth worker advised him to give it a go – it felt like a natural step in the right direction. What was unexpected, though, was that his whole family decided to try Alpha too.

‘My family actually decided to do Alpha and it was amazing to see them on this journey as well. For me, personally, it was a useful learning process, and it transformed my family – that’s why I am so passionate about it.’

James’ energy for Alpha has now found an outlet, as he helps to develop new ways of doing Alpha in a city setting. He is excited to be leading the drive to introduce Alpha to a new generation.

‘We are enjoying being brave and taking risks. Running Alpha in the city makes it feel significant. Anyone who makes a loud enough noise can gather a crowd, but there is purpose behind what we are doing – introducing people to Jesus.’ [continue reading here]

___________________________________________

Find out more on how you can run an Alpha Course in your church by attending HIM's Alpha Course Conference.

Alpha Course Conference
Friday, August 15 | 6:30 - 9:00 pm
Saturday, August 16 | 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Register online

Growing up, my parents weren’t religious and the only time I remember going to church was for my brother’s christening. I always believed there could be a higher being, but I thought Christianity was outdated and irrelevant.

To me, Jesus was nothing more than a wise guy. I suppose I thought life was about finding success, and that meant having loads of friends, being well liked, and finding my dream job. I expected that once I had ticked all these boxes, I’d be satisfied.

When I was sixteen, a friend of mine was diagnosed with cancer and died months later. I really didn’t know how to react and was totally shaken. I had nowhere to channel my grief, so I fell into a self-destructive mode. The easiest thing to do was to push everything down further.

I started going out way too much, drinking and dabbling in drugs. None of these things made me happier and I didn’t understand why. Even though the selling point is, ‘Take these and you’ll have a great night,’ every morning I woke up with the same feeling of emptiness.

When I was nineteen, I moved to Brighton to study Music Business. I kept up this lifestyle but I hit rock bottom a couple of months in. I was alone in a new city and I had no one to turn to. [Continue reading here]

___________________________________________

Find out more on how you can run an Alpha Course in your church by attending HIM's Alpha Course Conference.

Alpha Course Conference
Friday, August 15 | 6:30 - 9:00 pm
Saturday, August 16 | 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Register online

When confronted with a personal tragedy that made headlines across the world, James discovered that his journey through faith was more complex than he had imagined.

‘Did I have a personal faith? No.’

James’ childhood faith, ‘inherited’ from his parents, flickered out as soon as he was old enough to decide how to spend his Sundays. Passionate about media and technology, at sixteen he secured his first job in a games store and replaced trips to church with hours spent working to sell the latest technology.

Always ready for a night out, at university he moved on to work as a barman for big festivals. ‘I pretty much partied seven days a week for three years.’ He never expected that five years later, he’d find himself en route to becoming a church minister.

When he was nineteen, an invitation from the curate of his old church sparked his curiosity. Ready to resist any attempt at ‘brainwashing’, he decided to see ‘what this guy wanted’.

‘Church felt strangely different to what I remembered. It felt like there was something else there that I hadn’t seen before.’

His life didn’t change instantly, but he decided to pursue the experience a little further. He continued to attend church and one week, he allowed the curate to pray for him. When he did, God seemed to ‘show up’. 

[continue reading here]

___________________________________________

Find out more on how you can run an Alpha Course in your church by attending HIM's Alpha Course Conference.

Alpha Course Conference
Friday, August 15 | 6:30 - 9:00 pm
Saturday, August 16 | 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Register online