Explore life and faith with Alpha series at Vineyard Church of Elgin

Alpha course, an 11-week opportunity to explore life and the Christian faith in a friendly, informal environment, begins in September at Vineyard Church of Elgin, 220 Division St.

Dinner is included at no charge. The public is invited to attend this series, well-known around the globe as Alpha.

Besides the meal, each evening features a short talk and an open discussion. The talks focus on different questions relating to faith and are designed to create conversation. Among the topics: "Is there more to life than this?" and "Who is Jesus?"

Since its inception in the United Kingdom in 1977, the Alpha course has been enjoyed by many millions of people in 112 languages and 169 countries. One of the hallmarks of Alpha is the opportunity to freely discuss the big issues of life and death.

"Alpha offers a fantastic, no-risk, no-judgment opportunity to discuss spiritual things, no matter what your spiritual background might be," said the Rev. Tom Severson. "Or maybe you're the kind of person who just likes to hear what others are thinking. That's fine, too.

"There's no pressure and no follow-up," Rev. Severson said. "With the free dinner, it makes for a very enjoyable evening."

Two opportunities for Alpha will be offered this fall. The Tuesday series runs from Sept. 3 to Nov. 12, meeting from 6:30 to 9 p.m. The Friday series will be 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Sept. 6 to Nov. 15.

Tuesday sessions are longer because they begin with dinner. On Fridays, participants attend Alpha first and then move downstairs to eat dinner with the Street Reach community.

Registration is required by Sept. 1. To sign up, visit elginvineyard.com/alpha.

The Sunday service at Elgin Vineyard begins at 10 a.m., and visitors are always welcome. A free coffee bar opens at 9:30 a.m. and again after the service.

For more information, call the church office at (847) 697-8001, visit www.elginvineyard.com or www.facebook.com/ElginVineyard.