Alpha USA Draws 100,000 to God in 2010— Launches “Breakthrough” Evangelistic Tool

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Alpha USA Draws 100,000 to God in 2010— Launches “Breakthrough” Evangelistic Tool

BANNOCKBURN, IL — Alpha USA, a ministry that has helped more than 2 million people from all walks of life to consider whether there’s more to life, has created a tool that will make starting conversations about heaven feel a little less hellish.
Developed in cooperation with world-renowned business expert and bestselling author Ken Blanchard, The Breakthrough is a modern-day parable written by Alpha USA president Gerard Long—a former senior executive who left behind a high-paying career with one of the world’s largest banks to help people explore the meaning of life.

Taking a page from “business-allegory” classics such as Blanchard’s One-Minute Manager, Long uses a simple and engaging story to communicate basic truths about God, religion, suffering and the afterlife.
Compelling and compact, the book can be read in about an hour and is designed as a non-threatening gift that Christ-followers can give to their friends and neighbors to help them consider life’s biggest questions, including: Is there more to life than what I’m currently seeing? Is there life after death and, in particular, a heaven and a hell? Is the way I’m living my life hurting other people?

Long explains, “People who love and are following Jesus Christ are eager to tell others about Him, but that conversation can be awkward for everyone involved. The Breakthrough is a helpful tool to enable people to consider eternal matters because it’s a story that people will enjoy and has characters they can relate to.”

The story centers on a successful cardiologist named Dr. David Heely, a man whose sarcastic words cut as sharply as his scalpel. His almost-perfect life begins to unravel one weekend when his 21-year-old daughter, Nichole, a third-year honor student at Northwestern University, comes home for a visit.

Over dinner one night, she decides that it’s time to tell her father in front of everyone how she really feels about him. At first, David is oblivious to Nikki’s verbal barrage. But when her assessment is confirmed by others in his life, David comes to a difficult realization: For a heart doctor, I sure seem to be missing mine.

Months later, Nikki returns home for Thanksgiving dinner with an announcement that shocks everyone ... and sets David, an atheist, on a journey of spiritual discovery. Will he find the life-changing breakthrough he’s looking for?
While The Breakthrough is not based on his own life, Long did set about his own spiritual journey back in 1980, beginning with a dramatic encounter with God. Following this “holy takeover,” he served 17 years as a pastor in North London, while continuing to climb the corporate ladder at one of the world’s largest banks, HSBC. His faith would later be deepened through grief and suffering including the suicide of his youngest son.

In 2006, upon completion of his most noteworthy assignment yet, leading the integration of HSBC’s $14 billion acquisition of Household Finance, he announced his intention to leave behind his successful career—to join Alpha USA.

As an introduction to Jesus Christ, The Breakthrough can be used on its own or in conjunction with the Alpha course, which helps churches to create a warm and friendly environment where people can consider the claims of Christ for themselves and no question is off limits—from “Why am I here?” to “Is God a delusion?” More than 4,000 churches across the U.S. are currently using the Alpha course, and this year, more than 200,000 people will participate—with 100,000 making commitments to Christ.

More than 15 million people in 169 countries have taken the Alpha course, including more than 2 million people in the U.S.
Breakthrough is available for purchase at www.alphausa.org/thebreakthrough or by calling 1-800-DO-ALPHA (362-5742).

Single copies are $14.95, and a case of 25 books costs just $112 plus shipping.

PRESS INQUIRIES:
Robert Andrescik
407-923-4440
rob@mediablanket.com

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