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A Glorious Ruin: The Biblical Understanding of Life

14 Sep 2024 | Stefan Gustavsson

We live in turbulent times with unrest, a lack of direction, and a widespread sense of intellectual and moral chaos. Is it possible to understand what is going on in our secular and individualistic culture? And if so, how should we, as followers of Christ, respond to this moment in history? This Master Class helps you to understand what is happening in European culture, why it is happening, and gives you a way forward on how to respond as a follower of Jesus.

This is part 2 of a 5-part series on How Can We Understand the Chaos in Contemporary Culture?

Blind to Our Assumptions: The Importance of Ideas

14 Sep 2024 | Stefan Gustavsson

We live in turbulent times with unrest, a lack of direction, and a widespread sense of intellectual and moral chaos. Is it possible to understand what is going on in our secular and individualistic culture? And if so, how should we, as followers of Christ, respond to this moment in history? This Master Class helps you to understand what is happening in European culture, why it is happening, and gives you a way forward on how to respond as a follower of Jesus.

This is part 1 of a 5-part series on How Can We Understand the Chaos in Contemporary Culture?

The 7 Essentials of Fundraising

25 May 2024 | Shawn Boskie

In this talk, we examine the key elements and proven methods to raise funds and build lasting donor relationships. We discuss strategies, tactics, and practical tools to achieve your resourcing objectives. Whether you are part of a limited staff with no fundraising training or a large organisation with a dedicated team of development professionals, you will appreciate the principles and stories of success and failure, distress and jubilation.

The Teenage Brain and Digital Wellness

29 May 2024 | Kristy Williams

Adolescent brain development is highly sensitive to particular inputs, including social media. Research has shown a decline in adolescent mental health since 2012, the same year that key changes occurred with the large social media platforms. This talk looks at the effects of social media and persuasive technology on brain development and addiction in order to consider how we can better shepherd the next generation.

Interview: 6 Key Texts on Cultural Engagement

27 May 2024 | Darrell Bock

This interview examines six key passages on cultural engagement in a context where a theology of engagement is lacking and where some have defined the Cultural War in ways that are not as biblical as it should be. These texts emphasize the spiritual dimensions of the battle, not forgetting how God came to us, the importance of tone, the indispensability of the Gospel as hope, the challenge-invitation nature of the Gospel, and a call to be faithful, leaving heart change to God.

Identity Traps: The Need for Satisfaction

26 May 2024 | Philip Miller

It seems like everyone in culture is talking about identity these days. Identity is, at its core, a sense of self that distinguishes us from the people around us and gives clarity to our place in this world. It turns out that a sense of self is meaningful when it meets three, deep-seated, underlying needs for significance, security, and satisfaction. God created us find those deep identity needs met in a childlike relationship with himself, but our orphan hearts tend to look to people, power, and possessions instead, to our detriment.

Gentle Yet Bold: How to Evangelise The Way Jesus Did

Evangelism has always been difficult, and it feels like it’s only getting worse. Our churches are intimidated, distracted, even aloof — and yet many around us go on desperately hungry for God, without even knowing it! How can we seek and find the hungry among the hostile? How can we engage people’s hearts as Jesus Himself did? This talk is your opportunity to learn (and train others) to evangelise the way Jesus did.

A Theological Understanding of the Universal Plot Structure that Illuminates Your Story

27 May 2024 | Brian Chan

In this talk, we learn how a theological perspective on the universal plot structure illuminates an understanding of how God is working in your story. We process and reflect with insight on such story elements as calling, trials and truths, climax, and return with blessings.

Biblical Foundations of Discipleship: Learning from the Master

27 May 2024 | Stephen McQuoid

Discipleship is not a new concept. Even though many churches do not yet give real focus to the discipleship process, discipleship itself is as old as Christianity. This is because Jesus made discipleship a central feature of His ministry. He took twelve men and poured His life into them so that they would be able to continue His ministry once Jesus had returned to be with His Father. Given Jesus' commitment to discipleship, it is natural that we look to His example and try to emulate Him. In this talk, we want to study His discipleship ministry, which is described for us in the Gospels.

Interview: A Short Guide to Islam

26 May 2024 | Beth Peltola

In this talk, Emil Shehadeh interviews Beth Peltola about a biblical response to Isalm. When Christians read the Qur’an, they will notice how different it is from the Bible. The god it speaks about, the prophet it proclaims, and the way of life it encourages stand at odds with the core tenets of the Christian faith. This interview looks at topics of conversation, obstacles to discussions with Muslims, our theological differences, and a biblical response to Islam.

Walking Alongside Those Struggling with Anxiety

29 May 2024 | Helen Thorne-Allenson

About 1 in 6 people seek help from a doctor about their anxiety – 1 in 3 people talk about feeling anxious day by day. In our churches and our communities, there will be many wrestling with the physical, spiritual, and social outworking of its pain. As Christians, we long to help, but what can we do? In this talk we look at how God’s Word, God’s work and God’s people all play their part in walking alongside those who suffer—and see how faith brings real hope in an anxious world.

Exercising Authority: Principles for Emerging Leaders

27 May 2024 | Jen Charteris

Why do leaders exercise authority? What enables or works against the healthy use of authority in Christian leadership? This talk examines how a biblical worldview shapes the way we make decisions and how we can lead well when we lack formal authority.

Explaining God Away: Christian Belief in a Scientific World

25 May 2024 | Sharon Dirckx

We live at a time in which scientific understanding is held in high esteem, with objective insights that reach into all areas of life. Many believe that religious beliefs, on the other hand, have only personal relevance even if they are sincerely held. There are many attempts to explain away Christian belief, using arguments from neuroscience, psychology and biology. This talk evaluates these arguments and shows how the Christian gospel remains as objectively true and authentically real as it has always been.