Who is Alpha for?
The Alpha course is designed primarily for people who aren't churchgoers and each course is open to everyone who would like to attend.
As a course, Alpha attracts a diverse range of guests of different ages and backgrounds, holding many different viewpoints.
Over 7,000 churches are currently running the Alpha course across the UK and St James and Emmanuel are running one this autumn in partnership with Didsbury Community Church.
Guests do Alpha for a wide variety of reasons - some want to investigate whether God exists; others are concerned about what happens after death.
Some people have particular questions that they would like to discuss; others want to understand other peoples' beliefs or would like to explore what the purpose of life is.
Many guests have never been to church, others may have attended church occasionally but feel they have never really understood the basics of the Christian faith.