God is moving across generations, denominations, and communities all over our country.
The Alpha Conference is an ecumenical gathering, united by a shared hunger to see the good news of Jesus shared in a good way—with everyone, everywhere.
This conference is an invitation to lift your eyes, recognize what God is already doing, and step boldly into it together.
Inspiring mainstage speakers who will stir faith, spark vision, and help you see with fresh eyes what God is doing today.
Practical, interactive workshops designed to:
The Alpha Conference brings together leaders, volunteers, pioneers, and everyday people from across the Church who are united by one desire: to see God move in our time.
Individual
Group (6+)
Student Ticket $79
Available for students 18–24
Catholic Mass will be at St. Joseph Catholic Church each morning from 8:00–8:30am
717 Bradford Ave, Placentia, CA 92870 (10 minutes from Friends Church)
Alpha is a space where people can explore life and the Christian faith in a friendly, open, honest, and informal environment. Alpha is primarily run by churches and hosted in places like church halls, bars, coffee shops, prisons, schools, and homes. Typically, Alpha has ten sessions and includes food, a short talk about the basics of the Christian faith, and a discussion at the end of each session in which guests are encouraged to share their thoughts and perspectives without fear of judgement. Millions of people have tried Alpha in more than 100 countries. Alpha runs in every part of the global church, including the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, and all mainline Protestant denominations.
The Alpha Conference is designed to equip and inspire leaders in evangelism and hosting the Alpha course. This conference focuses on providing practical tools, insights, and encouragement for hosting Alpha effectively in a variety of settings. The Alpha Conference has one mission: inspiring leaders to share the good news of Jesus in a good way!
If you are longing to experience spiritual renewal in the local church, hungry to see God work in a post-Christian world, and looking for ways to reach your community for Jesus, this conference is for you.
The Alpha Conference is ideal for:
The Alpha Conference 2027 takes place February 3–4 at Friends Church in Yorba Linda, California. 5091 Mountain View Ave, Yorba Linda, CA 92886
Your registration includes:
Childcare will not be available during the conference. We kindly ask families to plan accordingly.
Dress code is casual, wear comfortable shoes you won’t mind walking around the campus in.
There are many airport options in the Southern California The best airports for Yorba Linda are John Wayne Airport (SNA) for the closest option, followed by LA/Ontario (ONT) and Long Beach (LGB) as another good regional option; while Los Angeles International (LAX) is the furthest away, it offers the most flight options and often the best value.
The following hotel room blocks are secured for guests:
Embassy Suites by Hilton Brea – North Orange County
Booking Link
Candlewood Suites Anaheim – Resort Area (IHG)
Booking Link
Please note: A daily $10 parking fee applies.
Chase Suite Hotel Brea – Fullerton
Booking Link
ENTER GROUP CODE: Alpha27 (case sensitive)
TownePlace Suites by Marriott Anaheim Maingate Near Angel Stadium
Booking Link
Please note: A daily $15 parking fee applies.
The Alpha Conference will be held in person and there is no planned livestream or virtual option this year.
Yes – Join the Alpha Conference Serve Team! We’re looking for friendly faces to partner with us in extending hospitality in every aspect to make our conference guests feel welcomed.
Volunteer Details:
Yes! Public transport in the area is extremely limited and you will likely need transportation to and from the venue and surrounding eateries. On-site parking will be provided for attendees. Additional details about parking locations and accessibility will be shared closer to the event.
Cancellation requests received before January 15, 2027, will be refunded, less a $25 processing charge. Unfortunately, no refunds can be made after this date. You may request to have your registration transferred to another person up to two weeks in advance of the conference. Reach out to events@alphausa.org for assistance with your registration.
Yes! Group rates of 6 or more unlock a special rate, making it easy to join together.
We’re so glad you’re interested in Alpha Conference! Fill out the form below and someone from our team will be in touch soon.
John Wentz is the CEO of Alpha USA and serves on Alpha’s Global Executive Team, helping guide a global movement that partners with churches to create honest, relational spaces where people can explore faith, wrestle with life’s big questions, and grow in meaningful community. Since joining Alpha in 2015, John has worked at the intersection of leadership, culture, and spiritual formation—bringing together global vision with practical, on-the-ground impact.
John’s unique journey—from growing up in the carnival, to working as a travel agent in Mexico, to coming to Christ and sensing a call into full-time ministry—provides a backdrop of compelling stories that resonate with a wide range of audiences. Over the years, he has launched and led ministries in diverse contexts and now works closely with churches across denominations and cultures around the world.
Nicky and Pippa are the pioneers of Alpha, an introduction to the Christian faith running in churches of all denominations in 140 countries. Nicky has written several best-selling books including Why Jesus?, Questions of Life, and The Jesus Lifestyle. Having initially trained as a barrister, Nicky went on to be Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton, a large central London church, for 17 years. Nicky and Pippa now work to support Alpha globally. They are also the authors of a daily Bible commentary called the ‘Bible in One Year’ which has over two million global subscribers.
Father Dave Pivonka, TOR, became president of Franciscan University of Steubenville on May 21, 2019. The well-known Catholic speaker and author graduated from Franciscan University with his BA in theology in 1989, then earned an MDiv, MA in theology, doctorate in education, and executive juris doctorate. A solemnly professed member of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Province of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis of Penance, Father Pivonka was ordained to the priesthood in 1996.
Father Pivonka held leadership positions at Franciscan University from 1996-2008 including as vice president for Mission and Planning. For his province, he directed Post-Novitiate Formation (2008-2012) and Franciscan Pathways ministry (2012-2019). He has hosted multiple video series including The Wild Goose, Sign of Contradiction, Metanoia, and 10th Hour Production’s My Father’s Father on God the Father. He has written eight books, including Living Metanoia and Joyful Sons and Daughters, hosts Franciscan University Presents on EWTN, and hosts In Focus and In Person video series on FaithandReason.com, in addition to being a regular contributor to Hallow, the prayer app.
Jay Pathak is the National Director of Vineyard USA. He also serves as the Lead Pastor of the Mile High Vineyard, a family of neighborhood churches in Denver, that he and his wife Danielle, planted in 2001.
Jay co-wrote the book, The Art of Neighboring, with Dave Runyon. His passion for sharing his faith with the people around him is at the center of his calling.
Jay is a humble, empowering leader who is passionate about raising up leaders around him. His strengths, in particular, lie in strategically placing people on teams where they thrive. Additionally, he regularly thinks of ministry in context of culture and developing relationships and partnerships in the city, government, and across denominational lines.
Jay has led in various contexts throughout the Vineyard starting as an intern for Rich Nathan at the Columbus Vineyard in his early ministry days, and stretching into various positions of translocal leadership including serving on the Vineyard USA Executive Team for many years. He is a sought-after speaker and coach, while keeping strong ties to the local community.
Jay has a BA in Philosophy from The Ohio State University and is a graduate of the Vineyard Leadership Institute. Jay met his wife, Danielle, in high school and they were married in 1998; they have two beautiful daughters, Jasmine and Sofia.
Whenever possible, you’ll find him on the golf course, hanging out with his friends and family, or enjoying a nice scotch. Maybe all together!
Born into a dynamic ministry context, Ger experienced God moving profoundly throughout his childhood and teenage years and was a leader in the church at a young age.
After college, Ger practiced law in London for a few years, during which time he went through a deep crisis of faith and church. It’s a big story, but God used Alpha and a church called Holy Trinity Brompton to help Ger find his way back to Jesus – and fall in love with the church again. Ger later transitioned into a career in brand management, which led him and his wife Lizzie to move to Switzerland. After a few years, quite unexpectedly, Ger sensed a clear call into full-time ministry.
Following an M.Div at Regent College, Vancouver and then pastoring in an Anglican Church in Raleigh, Ger and Lizzie felt God’s call to plant a church in Los Angeles. The Jones family moved to Santa Monica in 2011 and began the process of planting Vintage Church with a small but mighty team. Vintage has since grown to a few thousand people, with two locations in Santa Monica and the South Bay, and has also seed-planted two additional churches in Pasadena and Malibu.
Alpha was a big part of Ger’s journey of rediscovering faith and remains a key focus of his ministry at Vintage, alongside the Alpha and Evangelism Masterclass, which equips Pastors and their teams to see Alpha and Evangelism thrive in their context. In addition, Ger runs Strength to Strength Adventure Co, guiding wilderness adventures for Pastors and Leaders to recharge, renew and laugh hard with friends.
Ger is ordained in the Anglican Church and is passionate about thoughtful, deep theology, the power of the Holy Spirit, mission to our city, and helping people explore faith and life’s difficult questions. He is married to Lizzie, a fun, laugh-out-loud, keep-it-real Australian hairstylist, and together they have three grown children.