Dinner Discussion Series
Our dinner discussion series is an international experience called Alpha. Here in Cupertino, we gather once a week for eleven weeks to enjoy a meal, watch a short film that focuses on an aspect of the Christian faith, and then share about our own experiences, perspectives, and questions.
Alpha’s run all around the world, but if you want to get a sense of some of the questions people come in with, and the tone of the conversations, check out this video for real questions real people are asking all around the US.
Maggy’s story
Maggy had no church background before deciding to check out Alpha, and wasn’t really interested in it either. In fact, she always turned down her aunt whenever she invited Maggy to church. But during a tough year, a friend invited Maggy to Alpha, and she liked the opportunity for connection with others.
“…It was also where I got to clear my doubts about whatever questions I had about faith, religion, and Christianity. It was a safe place where I could just ask, and say out loud, whatever I had to say.”
Richard’s story
Richard grew up in a conservative Christian home, resenting all the things he couldn’t do. He described going deeper into darker things. He was about 25 when he realized he was going too far and losing control. He needed community.
“The hardest part for me was just showing up the first night. There just was something inside of me that was just like, ‘Don’t go.’ But I knew I had to. Alpha ended up becoming the place where I could just be me, and just a place where I could kind of air out all my questions and all my dirty laundry, and nobody looked at me any differently. It became a community of friends. We have the same group every week and you just start to bond, and I started realizing me that the way people were treating me and the way that I think God looked at me was just love: no matter what I thought, no matter what I said, no matter what I did. And that just changed me.”
We’d love to hear what makes you curious to learn more about trying Alpha. Whether you’ve got no background with Jesus or church, or you have a long and maybe painful backstory, we know your perspectives would enrich these discussions. The more diverse our stories, the more opportunity we have to learn from others. Now more than ever, it’s good to hear from others with different views, and to hold space for meaningful conversation and real stories. Got questions or something on your mind? Want to know the next time we host an Alpha? Click below to get in touch.