My friend Rob Dean wanted me to share my story about Alpha and Teen Challenge I have two motivations one focused on Alpha and another focused on Teen Challenge this Thanksgiving I wanted to share both.
My story with Alpha began with a deep desire to share the gospel with people who didn’t understand the Bible or church history, people who thought they had already made up their minds about faith. Early in life, I joined many evangelistic outreaches: handing out materials on city streets, serving workers, and sharing short gospel messages. Yet, I began to sense a gap between quick introductions to Jesus and meaningful exploration. At my church, we had a “Next Steps” program for those ready to serve, but nothing for people just beginning to question. So, I helped create a “First Steps” series inspired by Ravi Zacharias’ framework: Origins, Morality, Meaning, and Destiny. My desire was to spark honest conversations about God. While that series struggled at church, it flourished in my workplace, where non-believers engaged deeply and authentically.
A turning point came when a Teen Challenge representative mentioned they were piloting Alpha. I’d seen Alpha posters before but never experienced it. Within days, I joined their volunteer team, went through fast-tracked training, and began leading small groups. My first session felt chaotic. We were in a cramped room, cafeteria food, skeptical faces. Yet, beneath the sarcasm, I found pain and real questions: Where was God when my dad died? Why did He let this happen? Through weeks of Alpha, conversation by conversation, we saw walls break down. During the Holy Spirit weekend, I prayed with a man named Brandon as he asked Jesus into his life. Months later, he was transformed. That moment changed me too. I’d gone years seeing maybe one person commit to Christ; now I was witnessing several each month experience true spiritual renewal.
Since then, Alpha has become a rhythm of grace in my life. At Teen Challenge, we’ve refined the cadence. Two episodes a night, meals that foster community (even Papa John’s pizza for “Holy Spirit weekend”), and an open-door structure so anyone can join at any time. Graduates now return as mentors, walking with the next generation through their own questions and breakthroughs. What began as one small group in a crowded room has grown into a movement across campuses, workplaces, and even internationally, I helped bring Alpha Youth to an orphanage in Myanmar with 60 children.
Today, I’m honored to serve on the Alpha Twin Cities prayer team, praying weekly for its reach. Through Alpha, I’ve seen skeptics turn seekers, addicts find purpose, and believers rediscover the joy of sharing faith. God used Alpha to show me that creating space for honest questions can change everything. Lives are being renewed, hope restored, and the gospel shared—one conversation at a time.
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