Thousands of people attended Alpha launch events all over the UK as part of the nationwide annual Invitation in September.

Supper parties, street barbecues, park festivals, club events and celebrity nights were organised by hundreds of churches to launch their autumn Alpha courses.
The events coincided with the national advertising campaign on television and in cinemas, bars, and buses. Tens of thousands of posters were put up outside churches, homes and other course venues.

In London, TV adventurer Bear Grylls (pictured left) spoke at an Alpha launch event in front of an audience of 900 people at Holy Trinity Brompton.
Interviewed by Alpha speaker Nicky Gumbel, he spoke about his expeditions, his TV work, his family life and his Christian faith.

In Manchester, singer Kelle Bryan (pictured right), formerly of the R & B band Eternal and star of the recent Celebrity Love Island TV series, joined Radio Five Live ‘Busk Idol’ star Kristyna Myles at an Alpha event attended by 350 people at Old Trafford football stadium. Kelle was interviewed about her faith and told how God cured her from a usually incurable blood disease. The main talk was given by Manchester-born Paul McGee (pictured left), a motivational speaker and author of the book Shut up Move on, who spoke on the topic 'Christianity: Boring, Untue, Irrelevant?
Kelle also spoke at a launch event at Elim Pentecostal Church in Yeovil.

Other launch events included:

• A supper with guest speaker Gavin Peacock (pictured left), the former Chelsea footballer and BBC Match of the Day pundit, at the Kings Centre, Catford attended by over 80 guests. Gavin Peacock gave the talk ‘Christianity: Boring, Untrue and Irrelevant?’. He said, ‘On the Alpha course you will discover that there is evidence. You will see that Jesus historically existed and how reliable the Bible is in recording all he did and said.’ A woman called Caroline was interviewed and told of her experience going on the Alpha course while living with a man who was heavily involved with crime. ‘There was really a lot of violence and danger in my life,’ she said. The man was later murdered. She spoke of the difficult times but added, ‘My faith has become stronger and stronger and God has now blessed me with a wonderful husband and family.’
  

• Thousands of people attended a free ‘Festival in the Park’ in Burgess Hill, Sussex, organised by the local Mid Sussex Christian Centre. The Festival began with an Alpha supper party in the specially-erected marquee and continued with a wide variety of events including skateboard and BMX competitions.

• Evangelist Luis Palau (pictured right) spoke at a launch event for Business Alpha Edinburgh, a lunchtime course held at the Roxburghe Hotel in central Edinburgh. Another launch event was addressed by Ewan Aitken, former leader of the City Council.

• Ian McCormack, who had a near-death experience after being stung by a box jellyfish while diving off Mauritius was the guest speaker at an event organised by local churches in Kettering, Northants.

• Forty people attended an informal Alpha evening at the Maritime Museum in Aberdeen. The guests viewed the exhibits before hearing a talk on the subject ‘Christianity: Boring, Untrue and Irrelevant?’

• More than 130 overseas students – nearly half the new intake – attended an Alpha barbecue at a further education college in Nottingham.

• Around 250 people attended a launch event at York Minster organised by local churches. Guest speaker was Jamie Haith.

• The Highland Alpha Beacon Supper was held at the Drumossie Hotel in Inverness. The evening was attended by over 280 people, with Alpha Scotland Director, Fiona Marks, giving the talk.