ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 31, 2009 — In the last week, people throughout America have reported seeing signs. The signs are everywhere, and as a result, many are becoming curious about spirituality and wondering whether there's more to life than this.
It's all part of a national ad campaign supported by Alpha USA – using everything from bumper stickers and yard signs to billboards, buses and movie theaters. The ads ask, "Is There More to Life Than This?" and feature Bear Grylls, star of the Discovery Channel program "Man vs. Wild."
People who respond to the ad are invited to a relaxed dinner at a church near them where they can learn more about Alpha, a 10-week course that explores the Christian faith and life's most difficult questions … everything from "Why am I here?" to "Is God a delusion?"
More than 13 million people in 163 countries have attended an Alpha course, with more than 2 million people in the U.S. participating. A recent study showed that in New England alone, 28 percent of all new converts were reached through Alpha.
This year, local teams blanketed more than 30 metropolitan areas with ads – with more than 600 churches participating. The organization expects to double this effort next year and grow to 200 areas by 2012.
The national ad campaign and introductory dinners are helping churches, organizations and people of all denominations to engage non-believers with the Good News of Jesus Christ. The dinners attract people from many different backgrounds, including atheists, those revisiting their own faith, even people from different religions.
"The yard signs, bumper stickers and posters have been generating all kinds of questions from people," says Eddie Bogart, from Christ Church, Lake Forest, Ill. "It has given us a great opportunity to invite people we may not otherwise even converse with."
According to Barna Research, more than half of all those who attend the course make decisions for Christ. Bear Grylls cites Alpha's pressure-free approach, where no question is out of bounds, as a key to its success.
"I have seen so many people find a personal relationship with God and a quiet strength in their lives after doing the course – myself included," Grylls explains. "Alpha is such a non-pressured and fun course, and it shows us how Christianity can be relevant and empowering to our lives."
Grylls will be a featured presenter at The 2009 National Alpha Conference, October 20-21, at Northland, A Church Distributed in Longwood, Fla., which will bring together 3,000 individuals from churches across America. Grylls will speak both at the conference and during a citywide evangelistic crusade the evening of October 21.
A new, three-minute commercial starring Grylls was recently released to help promote the Alpha course and can be viewed at .
To find an introductory dinner near you, or for information on The 2009 National Alpha Conference, visit http://www.alphausa.org or call 1-800-DO-ALPHA (362-5742).
For interviews, contact Michael Singh at (224) 588-8521 or Email.
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