Edvard Pukšič about the course in Maribor:

“Sometimes something has to happen, to get you moving, to change your direction, to show you your knowledge in a different light: to set your experience on a different foundation so you feel it differently and you use it differently.

For me this happened during the Alpha course, my first guided steps into Christianity.

Since childhood I have been encountering God and prayer… Life, that everyday life, shows us two faces and the darker one was most often connected with faith, prayer and the Lord. Prayers at funerals were always full of tears and pain. Sunday mass was strict and rigid: do not turn, be quiet, do not speak, be quiet as a mouse… And the religious instruction classes, where most children traditionally first encounter faith, were also full of discipline, order, silence, and mechanical questions and answers. It was not relaxed, there was no discussion about the vague and the unfathomable things, no cheerfulness and laughter, no joy.

And then in the middle period of my life came Alpha and discoveries of the heart and mind, the opening of the spirit! With cheerful people, with song, with juice and snacks, flowers, tasty pastries baked by our sisters at meetings, leisurely chats with questions and satisfying answers, with DVDs and music. The Bible is the guiding light, which paves the way into new dimensions of thinking, into a different life – fulfilled, rich, full of hope and joy!

Alpha was what had to happen to me, to get me moving and to change me. The Holy Spirit is always here. Jesus is your Friend and Protector, always with you. You can always turn to Him and talk to Him. He will wipe your tears of sorrow and multiply your joy. You are not alone, ever; you always have a place to go. There is always a Way. No more stiffness and lifelessness. I can be happy and a Christian at the same time! Truly a happy Christian!”