Afleveringen
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If you encounter apathy when sharing the gospel, it could stem from a worldview that sees faith as irrelevant in a world ruled and explained by science. Research in the area of intelligent design can be a great tool in breaking down those barriers within a scientific mindset. On PEP Talk today, Steve and Gavin learn more about how we as Christians can connect with those who think this way.
For an introduction to Intelligent Design, check out this video from Stephen Meyer or Cosmic Chemistry by John Lennox.
Alistair McKitterick is Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader of the MA in Practical Theology and Ministry at the London School of Theology. He has a particular interest in the science and faith debate, with his doctoral research on the effectiveness of teaching science to Evangelical theology students. Before lecturing in theology, Alistair studied physics and taught mathematics and science in Zimbabwe in an Elim Pentecostal mission. He is married to Emily and has four grown up children.
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In the UK today, an increasing number of our colleagues and neighbours come from Muslim backgrounds. Although there are issues arising from the clash of Islamic theology and Western values, how can we interact constructively and lovingly with Muslims we meet? Today on PEP Talk we look at the challenge of Islam and the opportunities for sharing the gospel with those who follow it.
Tim Dieppe is Head of Public Policy at Christian Concern with a specialist interest in Islam. He regularly writes and comments in the media on Islamic affairs and is passionate about encouraging Christians to respond with confidence to the growing influence of Islam in the UK. Tim holds a degree from Oxford University and an MA in theology from Westminster Theological Centre. He co-authored Questions to Ask Your Muslim Friends with Beth Peltola. He is also the author of The Challenge of Islam published this year by Wilberforce Publications, which seeks to equip and inform Christians how best to respond to the rise of Islam in Britain.
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Down through the ages, the Christian message has been shared via new technology, from Gutenberg's Bible to TikTok. But with recent advancements in AI, what would it look like to share the gospel with a chatbot? Today on PEP Talk, Andy and Gavin find out about one project to explore the possibilities and challenges.
Try it out now at apologist.ai or try bots focussing on Islamic or scientific backgrounds.
Jake Carlson is the founder of The Apologist Project, a nonprofit that develops conversational AIs for Christian apologetics and evangelism. Jake grew up as a missionary kid in China, where he first became interested in apologetics and Christian worldview study. He has over 25 years experience in software product development, leading product and engineering teams in both small startups and Big Tech companies. Jake founded The Apologist Project two years ago to develop digital products to further the Kingdom. The Apologist Project recently won 1st place at the Indigitous #HACK event — as well as 2nd place in challenge at the Gloo AI & the Church hackathon — for its work developing a Muslim-serving chatbot.
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In a wide-ranging conversation, Andy and Gavin speak with Angela Mackenzie about the role apologetics has had in her life. Her unique blend of artistry, femininity, scholarship and cross-cultural experience are an incredible inspiration as she integrates them all in the service of Christ.
Angela Courte Mackenzie is a musician, speaker, broadcaster, apologist and Florida native. She holds a B.A. in Music and, at age 50, she completed an M.A. in Christian Apologetics exploring the intersection of music, faith, and apologetics. Angela has decades of experience presenting and performing music on television. She currently hosts Praise Around the Piano and directs the Amazing Life Gospel Choir in Stirling. Since 2014, Angela has called Scotland home, where she lives with her husband, Kenneth, and their blended family of 31, including 19 grandchildren. Learn more at angela.org
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Today on PEP Talk, Andy and Kristi learn about the Lumino research project from the Bible Society. Its in-depth surveys and analysis offer great insight into attitudes towards the Bible. What can it tell us about Biblical literacy, relevance and attractiveness across UK society? And what should we keep in mind as we help introduce others to the message of Jesus in the Bible?
The Lumino project surveyed 20,000 people to find out what they thought about Christianity, the Bible and faith. Explore its resources and insights here.
Dr Rhiannon McAleer is Director of Research and Impact at the Bible Society. After completing her PhD at the University of Exeter, Rhiannon worked for a number of charities including Meningitis Now and the British Red Cross. Since joining Bible Society, Rhiannon has led innovative research projects on belief, Christianity and the Bible. She leads the Research and Impact team, which is responsible for producing high-quality insight to support Bible Society and the wider Church in mission. She and her husband live in Gloucestershire with their two daughters.
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There was a time when a famous sports star giving their testimony was considered the pinnacle of evangelism. These days, there's a richer and more accessible relationship between sport and sharing the gospel. We have two guests from Christians in Sport on the podcast today, exploring the opportunities sport has for us, either as participants or observers.
Dr Graham Daniels is a former professional footballer, now the General Director of Christians in Sport and a director of Cambridge United Football Club. He also holds positions at St Andrew the Great Church and Ridley Hall Theological College in Cambridge. He is married to Michelle and has three children and five grandchildren.
Jonny Reid is the Director of Engagement at Oak Hill College and writes regularly for Christians in Sport. He plays cricket at Cumnor Cricket Club and is one of the leaders of Town Church Bicester.
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Whilst street drama and puppet shows might be a dying form of outreach these days, today's guest started there and continued on to become a professional comedian and magician. How has he achieved success in this field without compromising the gospel or his own values? And how might the church use arts and entertainment better in reaching the world today?
Tom Elliott works as an Event Host & Comedy Magician, performing across the UK hosting corporate events, whilst also performing at holiday parks, churches, theatres and comedy clubs. Once described by Miranda Hart as ‘Such Fun’, Tom has appeared on BBC TV & Radio, had a feature piece in the Times Newspaper and received significant crowdfunding support for his arts-based initiatives. He also hosts a weekly show on Konnect Radio.
To book Tom at your church, or find out more, go to tom-elliot.org
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This week Andy and Kristi chat with a creative evangelist (he once taught Kristi how to share the gospel with a paper clip!) with experience of student ministry and church pastoral work. Drawing on these areas and reflecting on the cultural changes over the years, he offers insight and encouragement for parents, pastors and lay people as they seek to "drip the gospel" into daily conversations.
Clive Parnell is Teaching Pastor at Kirkliston Community Church on the northwest side of Edinburgh. He has served in the church since 2012. Previously Clive was with UCCF for nine years speaking at mission weeks all over the UK and abroad, training staff and students in creative evangelism.
Clive is a singer/songwriter currently with Goldfinch Music whose recent release received airplay on BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Radio Ulster. He has also written Bible notes for “Daily Bread” and is currently working on his first book called “Everyday Worship.”
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"So what? Who cares?" the battle cries of the apathetic ring out from the young (and not-so-young) people of the UK. It seems today the conversation for winning souls needs to start by convincing people they've got souls in the first place! As Christians, what can we do to stir up spiritual curiosity and show that Jesus really matters for everyone?
Darin and Joy Stevens recently launched Start to Stir, which exists to help Christians share faith in a culture that is largely indifferent towards faith and God. Fuelled by their over twenty years experience working with youth from outside the church, and training youth ministry students at ForMission College, they want to help everyday Christians learn how to stir curiosity in the gospel. Their first tool, the Stir Course, is already being used in over 200 churches and schools across the country.
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Bringing an African perspective to PEP Talk today powerfully reminds us of the spiritual and experiential realities that we often minimise in our Western culture. With wonderful enthusiasm and amazing stories, get inspired by the host of the Inspired podcast as Simon Guillebaud chats with Andy and Kristi.
Check out the Jesus At The Door app here. Or search "Jesus at the door" on your app store.
Simon Guillebaud MBE, spent two decades living in war-torn Central Africa, and speaks out of that context with raw urgency and passion for the last, the lost and the least. He’s the Founder of Great Lakes Outreach, host of the popular ‘Inspired’ podcast, author of the award-winning book Choose Life, and travels widely stirring up the Church for radical discipleship. His wife Lizzie and he live in Bath with their three teenage children.
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Though we might not like to admit it, all of us struggle with doubts in our Christian walk. And for those who don't yet have a faith, doubt can feel like an insurmountable obstacle to truly embracing Christ. So whether we are helping others on their journey, or treading the path ourselves, safely navigating the terrains of doubt can be a challenge.
Our friend Randy Newman recorded this interview with us just before he passed away earlier this year. He wrote about doubts in his final book, Questioning Faith: Indirect Journeys of Belief through Terrains of Doubt.
Randy Newman (1956-2024) was senior fellow for apologetics and evangelism at the C. S. Lewis Institute. He was formerly on staff with Cru, ministering in and near Washington, DC. He authored several books, including Questioning Evangelism, Unlikely Converts and Mere Evangelism. He has contributed a number of articles to the Solas website. Randy went home to be with the Lord in May 2024.
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With a rich Christian heritage, but a bleak spiritual present, Wales is in desperate need of the Gospel right now. God is not unaware of the situation however, and is calling people to pray, share the Word and plant new churches right now. Andy and Gavin chat with a leader of 100 Cyrmu and hear about the vision for 100 new churches in the next 10 years!
Visit 100Cyrmu and sign up to pray for Wales.
Ben Franks planted Hope Church Rhondda with his wife Lois in 2013. The church meets in a converted shop on Tonypandy’s high street and is hoping to launch two new congregations in the next 12 months. Alongside leading the team at Hope, Ben chairs the board of his family’s business while Lois runs a marketing company in Pontypridd.
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Taking an entrepreneur's approach, one man has been challenged by God to start sharing Jesus in his own life, and then expand it to the whole church. Can he do it? He's done before with poverty, so we are audaciously believing it can happen with evangelism!
Check out the Isaiah 61 Movement website and search for "i61" for your mobile app store.
Dr John Kirkby CBE (prefers 'Johnny Boy') is the founder of Isaiah 61 Movement (i61m) and Christians Against Poverty (CAP). John had a tough life after his father died. His marriage ended, with huge debt, he had lost everything. Now with a doctorate & CBE, John was healed and transformed because his friend shared life with him, shared faith with him, then shared Jesus. 30 years on, John has founded i61m to to see every Christian confidently doing the same for their friends, and build Jesus-sharing culture with churches everywhere.
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We recently spotted some adverts on the London Underground asking "Who is this Jesus?" So we checked out the website tell-me-more.org to find a fantastic video series filmed by some of our friends. "Hey, come on PEP Talk and tell our listeners about this great evangelistic tool you've made!" we said. "Of course!" they said, and...here they are.
Chris Sinkinson serves as Associate Minister & Programme Director for the School for Discipleship at Lansdowne Church, Bournemouth. He has previously worked for UCCF and served as a pastor in three local churches. He taught theology for many years at Moorlands College and has a PhD in Theology from Bristol University. Chris has written extensively on archaeology, apologetics and philosophy. He presented the Discovering: Who is this Jesus? series, as well as Sifting the Evidence, explaining what archaeology tells us about the historical accuracy of the Bible.
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It's movie night! Why not invite some friends round to watch a great film together? Did you know it can be a great time to start gospel conversations? Films are one of the biggest pieces of shared popular culture we have, and the good ones tap into themes and passions that we all care about - redemption, good and evil, purpose, justice. Today's guest shares his Movie Night Kit so you can explore them with your friends.
Ted Turnau is Chair of Arts, Culture, and Literature at Anglo-American University, Prague, Czech Republic, where he teaches classes in culture, media, and religion. He is also an author and speaker on Christian cultural engagement. His books include Popologetics: Popular Culture in Christian Worldview, The Pop Culture Parent: Helping Kids Engage their World for Christ (with Stephen Burnett and Jared Moore), and most recently, Oasis of Imagination: Engaging Our World through a Better Creativity and Imagination Manifesto (with Ruth Naomi Floyd).
Find the Movie Night Kit and more resources at tedturnau.com
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We can sometimes think that evangelism is all about getting someone through the front door of the church. But what about those who end up leaving out the back door? Through the busyness of life, personal disappointments, or the disruption of the pandemic, there are many people who need encouragement to re-engage with their faith. On the podcast today, we hear about using the power of video and stories to re-evangelise this group on social media.
Originally from Scotland, David Lochhead consulted for large blue chip companies such as Accenture, Barclays & Sky TV before setting up FINLAY eyewear in 2012. FINLAY has become a prominent independent eyewear brand, with two flagship stores in London and a roster of clients from Prince William to Rihanna. In 2022 David launched Streams Studio: a social media platform designed to encourage believers in their faith - on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook @streams.studio
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Today on PEP Talk we look at some of the cultural and spiritual dimensions of Islam that can often be hidden from our Western perspectives. If you want to share your faith with Muslim friends or colleagues, these insights can be so helpful! Our guest today shares his experience across church planting ministry, working with immigrants and linguistic studies, especially drawing on his book, Liberty to the Captives.
Rev Dr Mark Durie was born in Papua to missionary parents and grew up in Canberra. His PhD in linguistics studied the language of the Acehnese people in Indonesia. Mark spent ten years on the Linguistics faculty at the University of Melbourne, but was ordained in 1999, serving in three Melbourne Anglican parishes over the next two decades. Now at Melbourne School of Theology, Mark teaches in Islamic studies and pastoral theology. The author of many articles and books, which have been translated into numerous languages, Mark’s research interests include missions to Muslims, discipleship, Islamic origins, human rights, religious freedom, and deliverance ministry.
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Steve Osmond chats with a UCCF student worker this week on PEP Talk. She helps explain some of the trends, challenges and opportunities happening right now on university campuses. From awareness of spirituality to ignorance of basic Biblical concepts to a loneliness pandemic, these are the things shaping evangelism and discipleship amongst young adults today.
Amber Nesbitt is a Staff Worker for UCCF based in Edinburgh, where she works alongside Napier and Queen Margaret Christian Unions. She attends Charlotte Chapel Church in Edinburgh and her family are in Surrey. She loves to hang out with friends/family, learn about different cultures and food, explore new places and dance!
Find out how to support Amber at https://www.uccf.org.uk/our-team/amber-nesbitt
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In many ways, the practice of sharing the gospel is the art of conversation. Though some may be more gifted than others, there are many simple ways to start and build great conversations. Today's guest shares his experience starting conversations with strangers and the tools he's developed to help us all gain traction in our evangelistic efforts.
Stephen Caldwell trains people to build and deepen relationships with others. In his program called Traction, he teaches people how to perceptively listen and ask probing questions during conversations that are spiritually or existentially focused. The book for Traction is titled Making Inroads: How to ask questions to better understand others. He has gained his experience by using the Socratic Method teaching English, serving as a chaplain during a year of clinical pastoral education, study of and participation in Ignatian spiritual direction, and both practicing and training others in consultative selling and non-directive coaching. He has developed, practiced, and led Traction since 2002.
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Here at Solas we love partnering with Christian Union groups on university campuses across the UK. Today we speak with a student from Lancaster University where Andy spoke at their mission week this year. So what is a mission week? What sort of topics appeal to students? And how would you convince a history student that Jesus really rose from the dead? All that and more in this episode of PEP Talk.
Lena Dacca is a history student at Lancaster University, and recently served on her Christian Union’s committee as the Mission Week Coordinator. She is an aspiring historian and evangelist, and is especially passionate about sharing the gospel in a way which points people toward both the evidence for Christianity, and the transformative love of Jesus.
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