Churches in More Than 500 Cities Nationwide Going All-In This Fall, Planning Massive "Invitation" to Consider the Christian Faith

BANNOCKBURN, IL, May 31, 2011 (Press-News.org) If God made everything, then who made God? Why is there evil? Is there life on other planets? These are just some of the questions people will be asking this fall when Alpha USA rolls out it's annual "invitation," a national ad campaign coming to more than 500 cities and featuring "Man Vs. Wild" star Bear Grylls.

Designed to help Alpha's partner churches reach outside their four walls and energize their congregations in the process, the campaign asks people to consider, "If you could ask God one question, what would you ask?" People who respond to the ads are invited to a relaxed dinner where they can learn more about the Alpha course, a 10-week exploration of the Christian faith that answers questions about God, the meaning of life and more.

Churches nationwide representing every major denomination will work concurrently on the campaign, using everything from bumper stickers and yard signs to billboards and buses. Every year, thousands of people from all walks of life respond to the ads, including atheists, those revisiting their own faith, even people from different religions.

"We sometimes forget that the church is a wonderful organization for those who are not its members," notes Alpha USA's president Gerard Long, called one of the "stars of the church-saving circuit" by The Washington Post. "Alpha is a way for churches to get back to the work of evangelism and outreach that Jesus called us to, and to get people thinking without making them feel judged."

This year, Alpha USA expects more than 30,000 individuals to respond to the invitation—many of whom have been through hard times and are looking for answers.

Last year, Yesenia Anderson of Manhattan, Kan., saw billboards, bumper stickers and bus ads all over town. Having hit "rock bottom" since her mom died a few years before, she visited Alpha's website and found a course at a church nearby: "I believed in God but wasn't interested in getting involved with a church," she remembers.

But the warmth and relationships she experienced during the Alpha course quickly won her over. "I feel alive! I am loved and happier than ever," Anderson raves.

Since 1997, Alpha USA has been helping churches create a welcoming environment where no question is out of bounds and people are free to make up their own minds about the teachings of Jesus Christ. The number of U.S. churches using Alpha has doubled in the last two years alone, with more than 4,300 churches representing 127 denominations now running the course.

If you would like to partner in this year's Alpha invitation, visit http://www.alphausa.org/invitation or call 1-800-DO-ALPHA (362-5742). For interviews with Alpha USA president Gerard Long, contact Janine Longoria at press@alphausa.org or 224-588-8526.