PEP Talk

Kristi found the book "Questioning Evangelism" by Randy Newman to be a fantastic tool in her work ministering with university students. Today Andy and Kristi welcome Randy to the podcast to answers questions about questions with questions!

Randy Newman is Senior Fellow for Apologetics and Evangelism at the C.S. Lewis Institute near Washington D.C. He served for over 30 years with Campus Crusade for Christ and has taught at a number of seminaries. He has written five books and numerous articles, including his latest Unlikely Converts: Improbable Stories of Faith and What They Teach Us About Evangelism.

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Sometimes we can think of the "new atheists" like Richard Dawkins as the biggest enemies of Christianity today. When we speak about God with our friends, we wonder if they think we're suffering from a "God Delusion". How can we respond in a positive way, or even take advantage of the opportunities the new atheism presents? Andy speaks with philosopher Peter S Williams to find out more.

British philosopher and apologist Peter S. Williams is ‘Assistant Professor in Communication and Worldviews’ at Gimlekollen School of Journalism and Communication, NLA University College, Norway. Peter is a trustee of the Christian Evidence Society, a Montgomery Trust Lecturer and a Travelling Speaker for the European Leadership Forum. His books include: A Faithful Guide to Philosophy: A Christian Introduction to the Love of Wisdom (Wipf & Stock, 2019) and C.S. Lewis vs the New Atheists (Paternoster, 2013). His papers have appeared in journals including Philosophia Christi, Theofilus and Think. See: www.peterswilliams.com

How can we present the gospel through our lives and in our churches when, unlike Christ Himself, we are far from perfect? Navigating the tricky waters of hypocrisy or painful experiences is so important in bringing friends and family to Christ. This time on PEP Talk, Mary Jo Sharp reflects on her own journey from atheism to faith, and how she dealt with these kind of issues.

Mary Jo Sharp first encountered apologetics in her own spiritual search while seeking answers. She is now an Assistant Professor of apologetics at Houston Baptist University and the founder and director of Confident Christianity Apologetics Ministry. She has been featured in Christianity Today’s cover story “The Unexpected Defenders” and is an international speaker on apologetics, focusing on love and logic to uncover truth. She lives with her husband and family in Portland, Oregon. She serves on faculty with Summit Ministries Student Conferences, and is a guest lecturer with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. She is the author of the top-selling Bible study, “Why Do You Believe That?” as well as Living in Truth with LifeWay Christian Resources. She recently released her book Why I Still Believe.

Zealots. Fanatics. Terrorists. Religion causes conflict, wars and hatred - it's a common idea. So how can we remove this great stumbling block when talking about Jesus? This time on PEP Talk we chat about the relationship between war and religion, and what it means for evangelism.

Our guest is Meic Pearse, who taught church history and theology (to Andy Bannister!) at London School of Theology for 10 years and has over 25 years of experience working with the evangelical church in the Balkans. His work with student ministries and individual churches has covered Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Germany, Russia, the U.K. and U.S. He is the author of Why the Rest Hates the West and Gods of War. He travels regularly between homes in Croatia and the USA.

When you are sharing the gospel with the people around you, do you think about connecting with them or confronting them? How did Paul approach the members of the culture he worked in? This time on PEP Talk we discuss bringing the gospel into our secular culture.

Our guest is Director of Oak Hill College and lectures in culture, religion and public theology. Dan Strange also worked for UCCF as Co-ordinator of the Religious and Theological Studies Fellowship. He an author whose latest work is Plugged In: Connecting your faith with what you read, watch and play.

This time on PEP Talk, Andy and Kristi chat with pastor and teacher Brian Brodersen about your personal story, avoiding pressure, brief conversations and seeing yourself as a small step in others' faith journey.

With a history of church planting in the USA, England, Eastern Europe and the former USSR, Brian Brodersen works with the Calvary Chapel network. Today he serves as the senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa in California. Here in the UK, Brian teaches through the "Back to Basics" programme on Premier Radio and serves as Festival Director for Creation Fest.

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Many people are put off by "organised religion" - but how can we introduce people to Jesus when that's the case? Andy and Kristi talk to Bruxy Cavey, pastor of a "church for people who don't like church".

Bruxy Cavey is the senior pastor at The Meeting House, a church for people who aren’t into church. It's a multi-site congregation in Ontario, Canada where thousands of people connect to God and each other through Sunday services, online interaction, and a widespread house church network. (You can learn more about The Meeting House at themeetinghouse.com.) Bruxy is also author of the bestselling book, The End of Religion and his new book, (re)union, is an overview of “The Good News of Jesus for Seekers, Saints, and Sinners.”

Your hosts Andy Bannister and Kristi Mair are joined by Joel Turner for this episode of the Persuasive Evangelism Podcast, recorded live at CreationFest 2019.

Joel fully surrendered his life to Christ while operating a comedy club in Western Canada. He is currently the Lead Pastor/Evangelist at Mountain Springs Calvary Chapel, Calgary, a church he planted over 10 years ago. Across Canada, the U.S. and overseas, Joel’s teaching work includes his association with Creationfest, Calvary Chapel International, RZIM (Ravi Zacharias International Ministries), Fred Stoeker (Every Man’s Battle) and Gravity Canada.

Questions about the show? Contact Andy on Twitter @andygbannister

When you run one of the biggest evangelistic events in the UK, can you take a holiday from sharing the gospel for the rest of the year? 

Sarah Yardley is a Californian based in Cornwall who loves Jesus, family, friendships, coffee, travel, and guacamole. She grew up at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, served at Reality Carpinteria, and currently lives in the UK, serving full-time with Creation Fest UK and Tubestation in Polzeath. She loves discovering what it means to follow Jesus and inviting others to know and follow Him.

Nigel Watts is currently the British Isles Director of Precept Ministries. But he also served over 25 years in the British Army, many as a helicopter pilot in active war zones. What lessons has he learned about sharing your faith in such diverse situations as the Green Zone in Baghdad or a taxicab in Cornwall?

The Persuasive Evangelism Podcast is hosted by Andy Bannister and Kristi Mair. It is a production of Solas Centre for Public Christianity. Support us here.