PEP Talk

Today on PEP Talk, we interview the great interviewer himself, Justin Brierley. For years he has hosted discussions with top Christian thinkers and thought leaders from other backgrounds. What has he learned from this, and how has it impacted his personal gospel conversations?

Justin Brierley is an international speaker, author and much-loved host of the podcast Unbelievable?  His show on Premier Radio has aired weekly for over 15 years, growing to become a popular podcast and serving as the catalyst for the annual Unbelievable? Evangelism and Apologetics Conference and three seasons of The Big Conversation. He was also the editor of Premier Christianity magazine from 2014-2018. Justin’s love for reaching the skeptic with the Christian faith led him to write Unbelievable? Why, after ten years of talking with atheists, I'm still a Christian (SPCK) in which Justin reflects on conversations he has had with famous atheist and skeptic thinkers including Richard Dawkins and Derren Brown, and why he still finds Christianity to be  as true and compelling as ever.

What happens when the dreaded "God and science" topic comes up when you're speaking about Jesus? Today's guest reassures us that most people who assume that science explains away the need for God, are only merely assuming it. He encourages us to dig deeper and points us towards some resources that will help give us confidence if the subject arises.

David Galloway is a gastroenterological surgeon, formerly President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Glasgow. He has worked in Zambia, Malaysia and the USA. He is currently President of the Centre for Intelligent Design, speaking regularly on issues of faith, medicine and science. His latest books are Design Dissected and Follow the Science co-authored with Alistair Noble.

In this "down to earth" episode we speak with a career dairy farmer who has only recently become a local church pastor. As you'd stereotypically expect, he is full of practical wisdom and a can-do attitude when it comes to sharing faith, both in new ways online and in the age-old ministry of feeding the needy.

Mark Oliver spent the first 40 years of his life living on dairy farms in Devon or Cornwall. Alongside the farm, Mark and his family have always been heavily involved in church life, he has been preaching since age 16. When the family business finished in 2015 Mark was invited to become the Pastor of Plymstock Chapel where he has remained until today. Mark is married to Vickie and they have three school age children. When possible Mark likes to walk with his family and their dog on Dartmoor and the nearby South Devon Coast. He always has books on the go and is a lifetime supporter of Liverpool FC. 

It seems that in our culture today, it is all too easy to offend a person by disagreeing with their ideas. This fuels our fear of rejection, broken relationships, consequences for career or reputation when it comes to discussing our faith. What can we do to foster respect, humility and love that wins the heart of a person, instead of winning an argument? Today's guest urges us to look to Jesus for a great example.

David Nixon is Associate Pastor at Carrubbers Christian Centre on Edinburgh's Royal Mile. After studying Law at the University of Edinburgh, David went on to study Theology at the Faith Mission Bible College and London School of Theology, while also training and working in church-based ministry. He regularly writes for the Solas website. David is a husband to Kirsty and father to two energetic young boys.

Today we hear from Craig Dyer about how the popular Christianity Explored courses have adapted to life in a pandemic. How can we best use these evangelistic tools, still make connections online, and meet people where they're at during a difficult period for us all? Craig also shares about the unique opportunities his home church in Glasgow has to reach out to asylum seekers.

Craig Dyer is the Training Director for Christianity Explored, where he provides evangelism training for gospel-hearted churches around the world by developing a network of qualified trainers. Prior to this position, having graduated from Irish Baptist College in Belfast, he served as Pastor of Bellshill Baptist Church for just under 6 years and Harper Church in the south side of Glasgow for 13 years. He still serves there as an Associate Pastor. Craig and his wife Margaret have three daughters.

What happens when presenting the Gospel puts you on the wrong side of 'cancel culture'? In places like our work or university, we can sometimes feel like the 'bad guys' when we try to espouse Christian truths. Today's guest has thought long and hard about how we can adapt to these difficult environments with his book Being the Bad Guys.

Stephen McAlpine is a blogger and ex-journalist who writes on issues of theology, culture and the church. He is a pastor at Providence Church in Perth, Australia, and also works at a national level for City Bible Forum, developing and presenting evangelistic material for a project called Third Space. He is married to Jill, loves running in his spare time, and blogs at stephenmcalpine.com.

In today's episode we think about the relationship between the Gospel and our culture.  Is there merit in finding touchpoints between the two, or should we always seek to share the "pure"  or "transcendent" Gospel?  Our guest Tony Watkins finds that arts and media can provide helpful inroads for the Gospel into individual lives, as we consider the values, needs, and aspirations found in our shared culture.

Tony helps Christian leaders relate media and the Bible through his writing and teaching, and is studying for a PhD exploring connections between the media and the biblical prophets. He is the Media Engagement Network Co-ordinator for the Lausanne Movement.

When we hear from those with degrees in theology and positions in ministry, it can be tempting to feel inadequate or guilty about our own efforts in evangelism. So how can we make efforts at sharing the gospel without falling into a performance-driven mindset?

Susie Ford works in ministry and studies theology part time with Highland Theological College. She is a member of the Passion for Evangelism community which mentors and encourages women in public proclamation of the gospel, and loves discussing faith issues with those exploring Christianity. In her free time Susie can always be found with people, whether drinking coffee, baking or walking.

We can sometimes make too much of the distinction between practical ministry and spiritual ministry, emphasising one at the cost of the other. But what is it about meeting physical needs (especially in a deprived urban environment) that lends credibility to our spiritual efforts in the area of evangelism? This time on PEP Talk, Andy and Kristi hear about how both are being put into action at Edinburgh City Mission.

Our guest is the CEO of Edinburgh City Mission, Duncan Cuthill. He was converted at an Edinburgh mission event as a young person, later working for the Scottish Tourist Board and UCCF. He left Scotland in the mid-00s to study theology at Cornhill in London, subsequently working with London City Mission for twelve years. Duncan returned to Edinburgh to lead Edinburgh City Mission in 2017.

Sign up for the Edinburgh City Mission "Restless for Mission" conference here.

Is there any mission field as close to our hearts as our own family? If you are a parent, it can be an overwhelming burden to pass on your faith to your children.  It is a unique form of "evangelism", much different to sharing with other adults but still has some similarities. Today Andy and Kristi speak to the authors of Faith That Lasts: A Father and Son on Cultivating Lifelong Belief  where they outline three dangerous myths that we all too easily buy into: that fear can protect our children, that information can save them, and that their spiritual education belongs to the experts.

Stuart McAllister comes from a non-Christian home in Glasgow. He joined Operation Mobilization in 1978 and was once imprisoned for distributing Bibles in Yugoslavia. Stuart joined RZIM in 1998 as the International Director and today serves as Global Support Specialist. He regularly speaks in churches, universities, and other forums (including a Solas conference in 2010) all over the world.

Stuart's son Cameron McAllister was born on the mission field in Vienna. Cameron is now an itinerant speaker at RZIM. He is the host of the Vital Signs podcast, a weekly podcast exploring signs of life in today’s culture, and the co-host of Thinking Out Loud, a podcast that considers current events and Christian hope.