Across Australia, churches are using Alpha to share the Gospel with people inside and outside their churches. Alpha’s Mission25 campaign invites churches to join together to share Jesus across Australia through prayer, invitation and running Alpha simultaneously in 2025.
Going into 2025, the team at Narara Valley Baptist Church could sense a readiness to engage with something like Alpha. “We found ourselves with a lot of people in or around church with questions and curiosity,” explains Travis Ryan, Senior Pastor at Narara Valley. Pairing this with a desire of people in the church to have something they could invite non-Christians in their lives to, Narara Valley was ready to get involved in Mission25.
So, in May 2025 they started an Alpha group, running Sunday nights after the evening church service. “We find it’s a good time in people’s weeks where they’re not battling other commitments,” explains Travis, “pre-Christians and new Christians from the evening service can stay and do Alpha. And those who come to Alpha from outside the church may like to come early and try church one week.”
Each Sunday evening 30-40 people gather in the church hall, have dinner together and chat through the Alpha content for that week. Around six tables gather a group of year 9 girls, young adults, some Mums from the local over 35’s soccer team, people in their 40s, 50s and a Pakistani woman in her 60s from a predominantly catholic background.
“It’s an eclectic room full of people all on a spiritual journey,” reflects Travis.
The atmosphere is one of welcomeness and open discussion. “We’ve been able to communicate to people that we value them and their questions,” explains Johnny, “and people have been surprised at how comfortable they’ve felt asking questions.” One young man in the Alpha group has been coming to church for 18 months and is open and curious about faith. “Alpha is the perfect space for him to drill down into his questions and doubts about faith,” says Travis.
Once they had decided to run an Alpha group, God seemed to bring people along that He wanted to be involved. One week before Alpha began, someone showed up at the end of the church service looking for somewhere to pray. “He’s been at every church service and Alpha since,” says Travis.
And when their church hosted a polling place earlier in the year, they set up an information table for Alpha next to the BBQ. A lady who came to vote had just started going to a church nearby. Her church was doing Alpha, but she was unavailable at the time it was running. Johnny was able to invite her along to their Alpha group.
“And we’ve seen God at work more broadly in getting our church and our community ready for Alpha” reflects Johnny Sharpe, Associate Pastor, “there’s been real openness, willingness and genuine enthusiasm from people who’ve been invited along. It feels like a bubbling up of hunger for faith amongst the community.”
Travis and Johnny have been seeing this uprising of curiosity across their community, and an openness to Christian faith and churches. “People are seeking us out and genuinely asking what we believe and how it impacts our lives,” explains Travis.
Alpha has slotted seamlessly into Narara Valley’s church culture, and there is a “heart and hope that Alpha will become a part of the regular rhythm of church.” If you think Alpha might be a good fit for your church as a way to spark conversations and big questions, get in touch with Ryan at ryan.vallee@alpha.org.au
