“Hey,” a young man addresses his friend.

“Have you ever thought about who you are? Why are you here on earth? Where are you headed in life?”

The questions come fast and furious as the young friends navigate a vast desert plain on camels.

A few seconds later, they are transported to different cities, speaking to different people in Mandarin.

One of them, whose tall figure is instantly recognisable as he zips around a basketball court, is world-renowned athlete Jeremy Lin.

“I’m popular. I can have almost anything I want.

“But why am I so unhappy?” he asks reflectively.

Cinematically shot across seven locations around the world, the Chinese Alpha Series is easy to mistake for a fun travel documentary.

But the production of this captivating video series is far more purposeful.

An audacious vision

The Chinese Alpha Film Series is Alpha’s first fully contextualised version of the Alpha Film Series.

Filmed entirely in Mandarin, the series allows a Mandarin speaking audience to explore life, faith, and meaning through their heart language and through content that is culturally relevant to them.

The series is filmed in seven locations around the world. Rev Andrew Chai is joined by two young hosts and other renowned leaders to unpack the basics of the Christian faith in an updated and engaging way. 

For those unfamiliar with Alpha, this is an 11-week course that creates space for conversations about faith and the meaning of life.

The original Alpha Film Series in English, filmed in 2016, has been translated into 112 languages, including Chinese.

While the content has helped thousands of churches across the globe to bring lives to Christ, Alpha recognised that the series had yet to reach its fullest potential.

Chinese Christian communities were using the dubbed version, which is fronted by Westerners.

“There is nothing like communicating the Gospel in people’s heart language and culture,” said Alpha.

Thus began a two-and-a-half year production of the Chinese Alpha Film Series (CAFS) featuring Asian faces.

The much-anticipated premiere was held at the Asia Pacific Hub in Kuala Lumpur on July 10.

Waves of laughter and cheer came readily from the 850-strong crowd, as they watched the candid responses of the street interviews, all conducted in Mandarin: “If there’s a God, I would ask Him… / Why did God make me so good-looking? / Where is my boyfriend?”

Not one to be ruffled by the pandemic, the director of the series shared how she received an audacious vision to contextualise the Gospel for the Chinese church.

Her small steps of faith led to the mobilisation of a pioneering team, to produce Alpha’s latest film offering.

But she would be the last person to claim any credit.

“God is the producer of this film!” she stated, sharing that there were countless stories of His protection and provision during the entire process.

On one occasion, a film crew member was experiencing stomach discomfort during a shoot. Although a non-believer, he was open to the team praying for him.

When his pain instantly disappeared, he received Christ in amazement.

The burden to inspire Asia with the Gospel was always keenly felt – after all, Alpha estimates that 200,000 people attend the Alpha Course each year in Asia alone.

But the Chinese series only took shape in 2019 after a sobering discovery.

Gaps in the Gospel’s reach

In 2019, Alpha commissioned Barna Group, a reputable research organisation in the United States, to determine how Alpha could be more effective in helping churches expand the Gospel’s reach.

The results across 17 countries revealed that 50% of church leaders considered the Alpha films too Western in its culture and presentation. Up to 70% of church leaders found it important to bridge cultural and linguistic gaps.

Alpha wasted no time in developing the CAFS later that same year.

Modelled after the original Alpha Film Series, the CAFS provides the same opportunity for Mandarin-speaking guests to explore the basics of the Christian faith from an eastern perspective.

The Chinese series consists of 15 episodes, each addressing a critical theological question.

Three discussion questions are inserted into each episode, which differs from the original series. The new format makes facilitation easier and increases the interaction between guests.

Shaping the culture of evangelism

When asked about his hope for the series, Pastor Chai, one of the speakers in the Chinese Alpha Film Series, shared: “I hope this humble project will shape the culture of evangelism in the Chinese Church and that Acts 2:47, ‘And the Lord added to their numbers daily’ would come alive. 

Also speaking at the same event, Pastor Peter Yang, Senior Pastor of Truth Lutheran Church in Taipei, said, “This evangelism tool is by far the most effective one I’ve seen. I believe it has the anointing to be used in the churches and marketplaces, and to all age groups.

“It has the potential to reach the Chinese people all over the world.”

You are invited to this milestone in Alpha’s history

Be a part of the Chinese Alpha Film Series (CAFS) virtual launch and be equipped on how to use this tool to share the Good News of Jesus to your Mandarin-speaking friends and loved ones.

1. CAFS Virtual Launch

Date : 20 July 2022, Wednesday
Time  :  9am-12pm OR 9pm-12am (GMT+8)

2. CAFS Online Training Conference

Date : 21 & 22 July 2022, Thursday & Friday
Time : 9-11am OR 9-11pm (GMT+8)

RSVP here now.

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