Episodios
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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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This week we have the return of Clare Williams, who contributed three chapters to our book, Have You Ever Wondered? She explains how contemporary questions around race and social justice so quickly point to the gospel when you take the time to wonder about their importance.
Clare Williams is the founder of Real Questions, a platform which explores the intersection of race and faith within the Black British context. She is also a speaker and tutor at The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. Prior to her work in apologetics, she was an English teacher in London secondary schools for ten years. Clare has a degree in English Language and Literature from Oxford University, and Masters in Leadership (2012) and Culture, Diaspora and Ethnicity (2021) from the University of London. She is now a doctoral student conducting research in Sociology at The University of Westminster.
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In many parts of the UK, we can expect to encounter people from Muslim backgrounds in our communities. Sharing the Gospel with them can be a great opportunity, but can be daunting. There are many assumptions we can make, but how can we approach them in a spirit of humility and friendliness? Today's guest shares with Andy from his experience working with Muslims in the UK and in Pakistan.
For more information on the resources mentioned in this episode, email Matt<at>frontiers.org.uk
For over 20 years, Matt has been with Frontiers, a mission agency dedicated to making disciples and planting churches amongst Muslims. He spent most of his 30s in northern Pakistan, where he had close calls with terrorism, sectarian fighting and a massive earthquake. Now based in the UK, Matt regularly speaks at CUs, churches and conferences on God’s heart for all peoples and how to communicate the gospel to Muslims. He hosts a podcast, called Raw Mission and has just begun volunteering as a prison chaplain.
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On PEP Talk today, Kristi and Steve chat with Matt, one of Kristi's old school friends! He wasn't a Christian at all back then, but over the years, Jesus wonderfully drew him in. Now working on a PhD at Cambridge, he reflects on the amazing ways that a scientific, enquiring mind can find satisfaction in a God-centred worldview. If you or your friends think Christianity is anti-science or anti-intellectual, Matt's testimony is great food for thought!
Matthew Fell is a PhD student in the Divinity Faculty at the University of Cambridge. His thesis considers the implications of evolutionary theory for the Christian understanding of the soul and its creation. Alongside his studies, he is an associate lecturer at Ridley Hall, Cambridge, and the director of a discipleship and church internship programme that serves the Newfrontiers network across Europe. Matthew is a passionate believer that modern science can open theological questions and dialogue with people rather than shut it down.
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In addition to podcasts ;) books and tracts can be great tools for sharing the gospel and helping you learn about evangelism. Our guest today leads a Christian publishing ministry. He shares some top title recommendations, insight into trends in reading, and top tips on getting printed material into the hands of those who need to hear the gospel message.
Along the way, we mention "Scattering Seeds of Hope" by the late Jeremy Marshall and "Have No Fear" by Prof John Lennox. You can find our own "Have You Ever Wondered?" and plenty of tracts to give away on the 10ofThose website.
Jonathan Pountney is the Editorial Director at 10ofThose, responsible for their publishing house 10Publishing. Prior to working in publishing, he taught Literature at the University of Manchester and he holds a PhD in American Studies.
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Steve Osmond and Kristi Mair are delighted to chat with a living legend of the British church, Roger Carswell. Roger reflects on over 40 years of sharing the gospel in different ways, with his trademark warmth and wisdom. HIs insights on the changing world, the consistent gospel, Christian literature and the heart of gospel preaching are so encouraging.
Roger Carswell is a travelling evangelist and author. He leads evangelistic church and university missions as well as speaking at Christian conferences. He has written a number of books including ‘And some evangelists’ and ‘Where is God in a messed-up world?' and publishes numerous gospel tracts and booklets. He is married to Dot, has four children and lives in North Yorkshire
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If you know the life-changing experience of tasting traditional Japanese ramen, you know it is something you want everyone to experience. Is it the same with our Christian experience? Today on PEP Talk, Andy and Kristi speak with our ramen-loving guest about the roles of enthusiasm and duty in our evangelistic life.
Matthew Mittelberg is an experienced Christian teacher and apologist, serving as Director of Content at Apologetics Inc. He has spoken to thousands at universities, churches, conferences and youth events in both the US and the UK and his talks have been seen online hundreds of thousands of times. Matthew completed his MA in Philosophy of Religion at Palm Beach Atlantic University, received his BA from Grand Canyon University, and a certificate in theology from Wycliffe Hall at Oxford University. Find Matthew on YouTube here.
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After the Covid pandemic, we've all had enough of statistics! But sometimes they can reveal amazing surprises about things we take for granted. Today Gavin Matthews learns more about the fascinating "Talking Jesus" report, which tells us so much about the nuances of faith in the UK and the untapped opportunities for sharing Jesus today.
Find out more about the Talking Jesus research here and watch a summary on YouTube here. The Talking Jesus course for churches is here.
Dr Rachel Jordan-Wolf is passionate about sharing the gospel of Jesus and has worked for various churches and mission agencies in places such as London and Amsterdam. She’s involved in a church plant in London and is a adjunct lecturer in mission in the UK. She holds a PhD in Church History, focussing on women in mission in early 20th Century Britain. She has been an advisor for the Church of England on mission. Rachel is the Executive Director of Hope Together - a ministry which works with local churches to share the gospel of Jesus. She also loves chocolate!
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Where does our desire for the supernatural fit in the modern world? With a society built on rationality and technology, do we still have longings for a connection with something transcendent? Steve Osmond sits down with Belle Tindall to identify areas in our friends' lives where we can show how the gospel story meets those longings.
Dr Belle Tindall is a biblical scholar, writer, speaker, and podcaster. Based at the Centre for Cultural Witness, she is the writer in residence at Seen and Unseen. She is also a columnist for Premier’s Woman Alive magazine and co-host of Re-Enchanting, a podcast that ponders whether our disenchanted world can be re-enchanted with the wonder and mystery of the Christian story.
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Steve Osmond fills in as host this week on PEP Talk and gets the chance to speak with an expert on mission and evangelism in postmodern culture. Hannah Steele is an academic and author whose passion is to see churches and groups of Christians grow together to become more missional and evangelistic.
The Revd Dr Hannah Steele is Director of St Mellitus College, London and Tutor and Lecturer in Missiology. As well as Living His Story, she is author of New World, New Church? (SCM Press, 2017). Alongside her academic work, Hannah has spent time engaged in mission and evangelism among students in central London as a staff worker with UCCF. She is married with three sons and loves watching football, baking and traveling.
Pre-order her next book here: Living His Story Together, due out 20 June 2024.
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Today on PEP Talk we chat with a church pastor about how sharing the gospel is a natural part of both his church work and personal relationships. With a particular emphasis on the essential role of prayer, Matt talks with Gavin Matthews about the formal and informal elements that make up a vibrant evangelistic lifestyle.
Our Guest
After 14 years as senior pastor of City Gates Church in central London, Matt Frost moved to Cirencester in July 2009 to become pastor at Cirencester Baptist Church. Matt loves playing cricket for North Cerney CC, praying for the sick, supporting Liverpool, sharing the good news of Jesus with all kinds of people, listening to jazz-funk, bringing change, watching films of all kinds and chatting with God. You can follow Matt on Twitter here.
His podcast “Two Pastors in a Pub” is available from Google Podcasts or Apple Podcasts.
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Today's guest can relate amazing stories of adventurous missions in remote areas experiencing miracles and dramatic conversions. But even if that is not what most of us experience, we can still take from it practical lessons about prayer, following the Spirit's leading and hospitality in our day-to-day lives at home.
Kevin Elliot is chair of trustees for the Christian charity Mission Macedonia. He makes regular mission trips to North Macedonia, and has also worked alongside churches in East Africa. With 30 years’ experience in Christian youth work and church-based outreach in the UK, Kevin also has an on-line ministry, ‘allaboutjesus.info’, teaching the four gospels through video talks. Kevin’s first book, See Miracles, was published in November 2023.
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One of the most effective methods for sharing the gospel is through personal conversations. But in our modern world, many of us struggle with 'personal' and 'conversation' for a variety of reasons. Today on PEP Talk we discuss the issues and struggles we have with conversation, personal connection and empathy in an age of digital distraction and polarised public discourse.
For further reading, books mentioned in this episode include Disruptive Witness by Alan Noble and Reclaiming Conversation by Sherry Turkle.
Our Guest
Nathan Rittenhouse is a speaker, preacher and podcaster. After double-majoring in Physics and Philosophy, Nathan studied theology and pastoral studies in several institutions and holds an M.Div from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. Nathan has been preaching and speaking in the field of Christian apologetics at churches, campuses, and conferences for the last 8 years. He is the Co-Founder of Thinking Out Loud. Nathan, his wife Erin, and their four children enjoy the great outdoors and are grateful for the wisdom, support, and opportunities to serve and grow in their local church.
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Today we hear from an incredibly successful businessman and philanthropist and discover his heart for the gospel. Starting with the influence of his mother, he explains how his relationship with Christ has shaped his life, his giving, his ministry and his own personal evangelism.
Sir Brian Souter grew up on a council estate in Perth, Scotland. He and his sister built the Stagecoach company into one of Britain's largest bus companies in the 1990's, moving into other transport and international ventures. He set up the Souter Charitable Trust with his wife Lady Elizabeth in 1992. Since 2006 the Trust has awarded more than 15,000 grants totalling over £100 million (including support for Solas). He received a knighthood in 2011 for his contributions to transport and the voluntary sector. Still resident in Perth, Sir Brian has four grown up children and five grandchildren.
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In this episode we chat with a church planter and football chaplain working in the heart of Edinburgh. Be inspired by his approach to multiplying churches by sharing life and faith with individuals in a busy and cosmopolitan city.
Derek Lamont has been a pastor for 33 years, 22 of them in the centre of Edinburgh, with the Free Church of Scotland. His current church, St Columba's, has planted four new churches in different communities of the city. He will be leaving St C's in January to re-plant a Gospel church at the foot of Leith Walk. Derek is married to Catriona with four grown-up kids - two of whom live in America, the other two are married and work for churches in Edinburgh.
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Andy and Kristi sit down with the newest member of the Solas team to discuss his passion for evangelism. Having arrived in Scotland recently from South Africa, Steve Osmond reflects on the opportunities, surprises and challenges we have here. Kristi is also interested in Steve’s background in zoology and how that has informed his conversations with atheists.
Steve Osmond hails from South Africa, where he earned his MSc in Zoology from the University of Johannesburg, specialising in ecotoxicology and ecological risk assessment. Along with his passion for the natural world, he also has a love for theology: exploring the connections between faith and reason, and how Christianity makes sense of the world. He has been involved in pastoral ministry and creating training programmes for discipleship in theology and apologetics. Steve holds a MA in Apologetics & Theology from Southern Evangelical Seminary. He now lives in Perth, Scotland with his wife Robin and two young daughters.
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Listen through to the end for a special 20% off discount code from 10ofThose.com!
When it comes to sharing our faith, we are blessed with a wealth of books and writings available from articulate Christians defending and presenting the gospel. Today on PEP Talk we have a great testimony from someone whose reading quest helped immensely in moving him from atheism to Christ. He now works for a Christian book distributor and gives us some great recommendations for books and evangelistic tracts we might find helpful.
Adam White became a Christian in 2020 after reading book after book on the evidence for Christianity. He now travels around Scotland recommending books that point people to Jesus in his role with 10ofthose.com, the Christian book ministry. Adam loves reading and has a keen interest in apologetics, spending his free time giving seminars on how to talk to atheists and engaging people in 1-2-1 evangelism.
Adam's Tract Recommendations:
Christmas tracts by Roger Carswell
Peace on Earth?
Love at Christmas
Whiter Than Snow
Titantic (A night to remember)
Last on God's List
The Scariest Stories Are the True Ones - Halloween tractBook Recommendations:
Support the show
The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel
Mere Christianity and The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis
Strange New World by Carl Trueman
Can Science Explain Everything? by John Lennox - Mostrar más