Youth pastors from across Winnipeg have completed their first round of training to help teenagers reach others.

The Alpha Program was started through a collaboration with Winnipeg youth leaders and Manitoba Youth Workers Network (MYWN). The first program has been completed, with over 70 teenagers attending it. Now they are ready to bring it back to their schools.

"One of the coolest things for me is that students who go to the same school but go to different churches . . . now know each other," said Mark Roslund, youth pastor at Riverwood Church Community. Roslund says he is seeing students become braver in sharing God because they know that there are others with them.

Training took place over the last week of January and last week in February, using the Alpha Program to encourage kids. Roslund and the other youth pastors had a goal of having one person start one Alpha Program in their school and having just one person come to Christ, they believed it would be worth it. 

"In a couple weeks, we're going to be launching in just over 20 high schools across the city," Roslund marvelled. "Already, we've done 20 times more than we anticipated."

Roslund hopes to see many students come to Christ through these programs.

"I think it could absolutely change the landscape of Winnipeg," Roslund said. "We want God to do something powerful and I think he can and I think he will."

Regardless of the outcome of these Alpha Programs, Roslund sees this initiative as a win. Students stepped out in faith and youth leaders around the city came together in unity to make this work.