Find churches running Alpha near you
Search your town or use your location, then check church websites through our listings: churches that host Alpha almost always advertise upcoming courses there.
What the Alpha course is
Alpha began in the late 1970s at Holy Trinity Brompton, an Anglican church in London, as a short introduction to Christian basics for church members. In the early 1990s the church reworked it for people outside the church altogether, curious guests rather than committed believers, and it grew far beyond anyone's plans. Today Alpha runs in tens of thousands of locations across more than a hundred countries, in churches, cafés, homes, workplaces, universities and prisons, and millions of people worldwide have taken part. In Britain you will find courses hosted by Anglican, Catholic, Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal and independent churches alike: the material is the same, the setting and the accents change.
The format: a meal, a talk, a conversation
Each session follows the same simple rhythm. You arrive to a meal, or at least decent coffee and cake, and eat with the same small group of people each week. Then comes a short talk, live or on film, taking one big question at a time: Who is Jesus? Why did he die? How can I have faith? Why and how do I pray? The talks are plain-spoken and make no assumption that you know anything about Christianity. The final part of the evening is the point of the whole thing: open discussion in your small group, where you can say exactly what you think. Scepticism is expected and welcomed. Nobody corrects you, nobody follows up with phone calls, and the hosts are asked not to push. Guests who decide it is not for them simply stop coming, and no one chases them.
Who Alpha is for
Honestly: anyone, but especially people at the start of the question rather than the end of it. A typical group mixes the curious, the sceptical, people returning to faith after decades away, people processing loss or a big life change, and partners or friends of churchgoers who finally agreed to come and see. You do not need any religious background, and you will not be the only person in the room without one. It is worth saying plainly that Alpha presents Christianity from conviction; it is not a neutral comparative religion class. What it promises, and in our experience generally delivers, is space to explore that presentation freely, disagree openly and reach your own conclusions in your own time.
How long it takes
A full course runs for around eleven weeks, one session per week, with each evening lasting roughly two hours. Most courses also include a day or weekend away partway through, focused on the Holy Spirit, which regulars often name as the highlight. Churches typically start new courses two or three times a year, most commonly in January and September, so if you have just missed one, another is rarely far off. Everything is free, including the food, though some courses invite a voluntary contribution towards the weekend away.
Finding a course near you
Because Alpha is run locally by individual churches, the surest route is through the churches themselves. Use the finder above or browse churches near youin the directory; each listing links to the church's website and contact details, and churches hosting Alpha almost always give it a prominent page with dates and a sign-up form. Larger Church of England and independent evangelical churches are the most frequent hosts, but Catholic parishes and Methodist and Baptist churches run it too. If a church you like is not running a course this term, ask: they will usually know which nearby church is.
Frequently asked questions
Will I be asked to pray, read aloud or share personal things?
No. You can sit through every session saying nothing beyond passing the salt, and some guests do exactly that for the first few weeks. Participation is always invited, never required.
Is Alpha only for one denomination?
No. It began in an Anglican church but is used across most Christian traditions, including a widely run Catholic context. The core sessions are common to all of them.
What happens when the course ends?
Nothing is expected of you. Some guests join the church community, some take their questions elsewhere, and some simply leave with better answers than they came with. If you are weighing up a congregation afterwards, our guide on how to choose a church and our introduction to what Christianity is may help.