What are some major hurdles that need to be overcome for your church to create or sustain a vital ministry to college and grad students at a nearby campus? In this talk, we will give attention to a variety of structural challenges that our churches need to address for such a ministry. We will also focus on building up positive aspects of a church's ethos when it comes to questions about faith. For example, in the area of apologetics, we'll discuss how to communicate an open and inviting atmosphere for discussing the challenging intellectual questions that are common on campus. hide

University life is about the life of the mind. But it's also relationships where people with ideas, questions and answers come together. With a foundation for ministry focused on relationships, you can help meet the needs of your local campus. You can serve the campus and students by cultivating a transformational community where students find answers to their most difficult questions. The love that students experience in community with believers on campus along with the ministry of apologetics you can offer will bring many students hope and new life in Christ. hide

How can you start a campus ministry in a place where the ground may seem fallow? Is the Academy a place that you can have influence for Christ? What are practical steps to take in ministering to, and with, students? Greg will guide us in understanding and rethinking barriers to sharing Christ on campus. hide

Join our open forum as we share our experiences of advising students in ministry and involving faculty in ministry on campus. We will talk about the spiritual climate at our college and the three campus-wide events we initiated this past year: a mixer for Christian students and faculty, inviting an MIT professor to speak at our annual Darwin festival, and a weekly faculty prayer meeting. We invite you to join our conversation about shared challenges and aspirations as we seek to honor Christ on our campuses. hide

How do we establish persuasive points of connection with students who are increasingly steeped in a post-Christian, post-modern worldview? What does it mean for us to give a "reason for the hope" that we have in Christ (1 Pet 3:15)? We'll consider ways to foster a ministry of apologetics that moves from an antagonistic defense of faith to a shared exploration of faith. hide

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How does communication work? How do Americans hear the gospel? Learn how to express your faith versus explain your faith, as well as how New Englanders filter Christian faith. hide

The perception of apologetics as “defending the faith” evokes the mental metaphor of a strong castle that is surrounded by antagonists. However, in our contemporary culture Christianity is no longer the castle on a hill. We don’t need to defend as much as define and direct. Perhaps the better metaphor of apologetics is that of a guided journey through a forest of ideas. hide

What can we learn about expressing our faith to post Christian society by looking at the way Jesus moved, the ideas He addressed, the people He met; noting differences & similarities between 1st century culture and 21st century culture. hide

What issues do real people have with Christian faith? Why do they reject what we hold to be true – Truth? What are their problems with us? Let’s ask one of them. We will address questions like: Why don’t you believe in God? How can you think you’re right? What about injustice? … And more. hide

What are the factors that affect our faith and its communication? Learn to express your faith in a post-Christian language. Morph your faith to fit a post-Christian mindset. What is a post-Christian faith anyway? Develop the cutting edge in laissez faire post-Christian culture. hide

This is a panel discussion of the principles presented in the previous sessions, with a view to implement in our daily lives. hide

Brett will conduct an interactive session with youth leaders as he plays the role of an atheist. The session will allow participants to internalize the challenge of reaching skeptics and atheists and reveal the assumptions inherent with a secular humanist view. hide

This session will equip youth leaders to answer difficult apologetics questions like “How can there be a loving God with so much evil in the world?” The workshop will also help participants to communicate the answers to these questions in a way that will be clear and understandable to members of their youth group. hide

This session will offer clarity on three foundational apologetic issues, which are essential for an effective student ministry: What is faith? What is truth? What does it mean to be a Christian? hide

Participants will receive an analysis of the current spiritual climate in New England by examining a brief religious history of the region, an overview of the current research concerning the religious climate in New England and what it means for youth ministry. hide

This workshop will focus on the biblical response to such controversial topics as homosexuality, same sex marriage, and pre-marital sex. Leaders will be educated and equipped to handle sexual issues within their youth groups. hide

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A persuasive case will be made for a renewed emphasis on apologetics in our churches, followed by practical tips and examples of how to incorporate such an emphasis at every level of church life—from the pulpit to the church library. hide

In the popular media and in university classrooms, it is common to hear complaints that the Old Testament is full of errors and that the books traditionally ascribed to Moses were composed centuries later. What light can modern archaeology and ancient Near Eastern texts shed on these questions? hide

Abandon the formulae! Here's how to talk to people persuasively -- even those who may be hostile or indifferent. hide

We will analyze and respond to the ideas of such popular authors as Harris, Hitchens, and Dennett. Participants will leave effectively prepared to answer today’s most aggressive challengers and equip their churches to do the same! hide

What is cultural apologetics? What issues are students pressing most urgently in these opening years of the 21st century? Here’s a sampling of life at New England’s largest Christian apologetics residential study center. hide

Following brief comments by each panel member, this session consists of an interactive exchange on such topics as: Is apologetics enough? What works best in New England? Available Networking, Consultation, Follow Up Resources. hide