I am an Anglican and also a full time staff member of Alpha Canada Ministries. I oversee the Atlantic region and also the development of The Marriage and The Marriage Preparation Courses as well as the new Parenting Courses in Canada. I work with all denominations and ministries so find it interesting to be in churches and traditions other than my own – it stretches me and gives me a broader perspective.
I get frequent emails from couples looking for a Marriage Preparation Course after they google “marriage preparation” and find our website at: www.themarriagecourse.ca. Many have no relation to a church, but sense that this course, although based on Christian principles might have the practical information they are looking for. Often, they make a connection with a church by taking the course and beginning a relationship with us (they are relieved to see we are normal!). Unfortunately, there are not many churches running the course which I find so frustrating as it is an opportunity to bridge the gap between the outside and inside the church and we are not able to provide a church with a registered course.
I would LOVE our Anglican Church to embrace some of the new tools to reach those outside the church (our kids who we long to be part of a faith that has sustained us). The Alpha course is one example. I just returned from an International Alpha Conference in London, England where we heard wonderful testimonies from over 100 countries of transformations of churches where young people had come to know what Christianity is all about. There were 75 Bishops in attendance (many attended a lunch meeting with the Archbishop of Canterbury!)
