San Juan youth experience Alpha

The St John the Baptist RC Youth Group along with some youth from Holy Family, Mt Lambert embarked on an Alpha Journey from April 28 -– July 21.

The Alpha Course for Youth is a spiritual journey that takes place over a series of 9 to 12 weekly sessions, and seeks to introduce the basics of the Christian faith through a series of talks and discussion.

The St John the Baptist Youth Ministry Team, led by Team member and Alpha Co-ordinator, Kimberly Inglis readily embarked on this Youth Formation project, the first of its kind in the parish. However, as the journey continued, we quickly realised that it was even more than a spiritual journey as we found that we were becoming closer as a group and were able to interact on a more personal level.

This atmosphere of familiarity, comfort and trust was the very essence of Alpha and provided us with the environment that most young people seek in the exploration of their faith, but unfortunately find difficulty in experiencing at times.  The familiarity was a key ingredient, allowing participants to be open and receive all the benefits and the teachings that the course had to offer. It was an opportunity for the youth to challenge themselves and they took this opportunity to take their faith development into their hands.

Alpha stayed true to its motto which is ‘Got questions? Try Alpha’. This does not mean that all the questions we have ever had were answered but some definitely were. We all drew closer to God and to those who can help us to find the answers to our burning questions regarding the faith. Whether you attended one session or all, it was evident that God was working to achieve a specific plan for each participant and team member.

The support that we received from the Alpha Office, the Suburban Vicariate Alpha Director and the National Youth Alpha Team was continuous and exceptional and we are very thankful to all who helped us in any way.

Alpha is appropriate for anyone at any stage in their spiritual journey and I would recommend that it be done in more parishes, schools and communities.  It was a new and amazing experience. – Kimberly Inglis