Abigail’s Story

Abigail is a healthcare worker and had been exhausted by the COVID pandemic. She was invited to Alpha by a colleague in the midst of feeling isolated and cut off from family. She shares her story…

“My life during lockdown working in a hospital was pretty hectic. I was on permanent long days for an extended period of time. I’d been working in ICU and we had a lot of experience with Coronavirus patients. I looked after some of the sickest patients we’ve ever had. My life was also quite separated – I’d had little contact with family for well over a year which was pretty tough.

I work with an incredible lady who is an anaesthetist who invited me to do an Alpha course online. The idea of human contact on Alpha appealed to me, even though it was online. I was pretty apprehensive beforehand, but I was in a group with some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met. They were very welcoming and very accepting. I’ve never actually met them in person – and 99% of the time they would see me in my pyjamas, scrubs or a Koala bear onesie! – yet they still accepted me which shows how incredible they are.

Around August last year we had the Alpha Saturday. The first wave of COVID was over and my health wasn’t great, but people shared some words they had received from God. It all just built up and was very emotional. That’s when I felt a real connection to God.

Those fears during lockdown, some of the emergency situations we’ve faced, that’s where I’ve really depended on that faith and the connection with God that I’ve been lucky enough to find on Alpha. I think it’s the thing that saved me.”


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ENCOUNTER

This track is full of amazing main-stage speakers who will showcase the power of prayer in every generation, equip you to live a naturally supernatural life and train you to heal as Jesus did. Senior pastors, church leaders, non-profit leaders, this track is you!

Workshops in this Track

Learnings from Asbury on the Power of Prayer

Speaker: Angela Chadwick, Global Director of Prayer, Alpha USA

Alpha’s Global Director of Prayer will interview some of the spiritual leaders involved in the Asbury revival where a chapel worship service caught the attention of our country. You’ll hear stories of how the students were deeply moved by God through the simplest forms of worship and how the leaders made sure the only celebrity on stage was Jesus. You’ll also be amazed by the powerful breakthroughs in young people’s lives through the gentlest of prayers.

Additionally, we will explore how the resurgence of faith in one small American town is relevant to every person in the Church and how it shapes how we share the good news in a good way with this generation.

How to Facilitate Eternal Connections with Jesus

Speaker: Danielle Strickland, Spiritual Leader, Justice Advocate, Communicator, Peacemaker

Encounter is God’s favorite way to spiritual revelation. Why do we emphasize information-formation as our primary means of discipleship? What if we put more time, energy, and effort into facilitating more encounters? Be prepared to discuss together how cultivating curiosity becomes a means to do just that. We will talk techniques, experiences, and new ideas.

Everyday Miracles

Speakers: Dr. Chloe Swart, Associate National Director for Alpha UK, and Dr. Russo Swart, New Wine Cymru Prophetic and Healing Team

This workshop will look at how to heal the sick as a part of our everyday missional lives. Following Chloe’s PhD studying healing miracles in Wales, Chloe found that Christians in Wales were praying for their friends, family, and colleagues, in the gym, in the supermarket, at work; wherever they found themselves, as well as in church services, and Alpha courses. Healing is a missional tool that points toward Jesus. Unpack the theology of healing, while also hearing very practical teaching and demonstration of how to heal the sick in an everyday way.

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