CHURCHES in Longton have teamed up to run the highly-acclaimed Alpha initiative, aimed at attracting more people to Christianity.

Longton's Community Church, Methodist Church and St Andrew's Church are all running the course, billed as 'an opportunity to explore the meaning of life'.

Alpha caters for people wanting to investigate Christianity, newcomers to the church and church-goers who want to brush up on the basics.

The course is six years old but has been relaunched by churches as the millennium approaches.

Nadia Bower, elder and course administrator at Longton Community Church, said: "The course basically teaches that Christ is alive and Christianity is relevant today.

"With the Millennium approaching, many people are jittery and are wondering what is going to happen and what its all about.

"That is when Christians have to speak up and let people know that it is about the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of Christ."

"We work very closely with the other two churches in the area and, thanks to Alpha, churches throughout the country have found a real unity which is long overdue.

"Scores of people have attended the course here over the years because it is accessible to a large range of people."

Alpha is being run by churches of many denominations including Anglican, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Pentecostal, Salvation Army and free and house churches.

To find out where your nearest Alpha course is being run, call (0171) 581 8255.

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