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Classes 'respect the inquirer'
By ANGELA MILLER © St. Petersburg Times, published May 5, 2001 HUDSON -- The Rev. Jerry Hekhuis wants people to know what it takes to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. In order to help people form that relationship, he is teaching and answering their questions about Christianity during a course called Alpha. Alpha is a free, practical exploration of the Christian faith, taught over 10 weeks at Hudson Reformed Church. This program was developed by Holy Trinity Brompton Anglican Church in London in 1976. More than 2-million people in all major Christian denominations have participated in the program in the past five years. The Alpha course is currently running in 121 countries. There are 12 churches in the Pasco/Pinellas area that are either holding the course or have participated in the past. Hudson Reformed Church began the current series of classes on April 22, Hekhuis said, and will hold another 10-week session in the fall. The church pays for the program materials; there is no cost for people who attend. Each class runs 21/2 hours on Sunday evenings. A recent class began with a light meal and fellowship time, followed by a video presentation. Then the 33 participants broke into small groups for discussions. "We hope to develop trust so questions can come out," Hekhuis said. "Then when they say yes to Jesus, they do so intellectually as well as having a body of believers around to support them." About 80 percent who attend are churchgoers, Hekhuis said. He wants anyone who has had a "bad church experience" or felt pressured by a church "to feel free to participate or not" in the class. "We respect the inquirer, and if they decide to not come back, there won't be follow-up phone calls or someone visiting them," he stressed. The topic of the first night's presentation was "Who Is Jesus?" The second week focused on "Why Did Jesus Have to Die?" Corky and Tammy Jamieson and their three children have been attending Hudson Reformed Church for a few months and are planning to become members soon. They have participated in Alpha for the past two weeks. "I enjoy church, but the Alpha program goes more in depth and you can ask questions," said Tammy Jamieson, who added that she learned the most in her small group when it discussed sin. Alleen Stickler has been a member of Hudson church for 22 years and is the church's secretary. She decided to take the Alpha course, she said, because "the subject matter seemed interesting and informative. You never quit learning." Each team has a set of team leaders and one or two helpers who assist in answering questions. "It is a good opportunity for us to reach out in a very explicit way and also good for mature believers," said Doty Brown, a team helper. She also is the deaf interpreter at the church and was relieved to find out that the video presentation in the Alpha class is captioned. Brown said having it captioned also makes it clearer for some of the seniors who may have hearing loss. Hekhuis said they are not encouraging people to begin the course now, but rather to consider the 10-week session in the fall. - Angela Miller covers religion news in Pasco County. She can be reached in Dade City at (352) 521-5757, ext. 29, or (800) 333-7505, ext. 6108, then 29.
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