PEP Talk

Everyone is afraid of evangelism. But guess what? Almost everyone in the Bible expressed fear when God called them. Maybe it is time to re-evaluate the role of fear in evangelism. For a bit of a re-think, and information on great practical initiatives like the Weekend of Invitation and ACORN groups, we welcome Michael Harvey to the podcast.Michael Harvey is married to Eike and they have three adult children Ben, Kirsty and Lydia. In 2004 Back to Church Sunday was birthed and Michael started to work with churches throughout the UK and eventually throughout the English speaking world and to his surprise started to notice a healing component in mission. He has spoken to thousands of church leaders and congregational members in his seminars and has to date seen hundreds of thousands of Christians mobilised to invite, resulting in 1 million+ accepted invitations. He launched the first National Weekend of Invitation in June 2018. He is author of the books Unlocking the Growth, Creating a Culture of Invitation and his latest book is Invitation to Heal. As an itinerant speaker and has a ministry across 18 countries and 5 continents. He is a member of the College of Evangelists.Support the show (https://www.solas-cpc.org/podcast-book-offer/)

From classical literature to throw-away tweets, communication and language are part of how we reflect the image of a God who is revealed by his Word. This time on PEP Talk, Andy and Kristi speak with US academic and author Karen Swallow Prior, exploring the touchpoints we have with the entire human race in the great books and stories of our culture. How can we make use of these when sharing the gospel?Dr Karen Swallow Prior is Research Professor of English and Christianity and Culture at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. She has written a number of books including On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Literature (Brazos 2018). Her writing has appeared at Christianity Today, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, First Things, Vox, Relevant, Think Christian, The Gospel Coalition, Religion News Service, Books and Culture and other places. She is a founding member of The Pelican Project, a Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum, a Senior Fellow at the International Alliance for Christian Education, and a member of the Faith Advisory Council of the Humane Society of the United States. Facebook: Karen Swallow PriorInstagram: karenswallowpriorTwitter: @KSPriorSupport the show

New Solas Speaker Gareth Black joins the podcast for a wide-ranging discussion. Touching on his own experience growing up in Northern Ireland, Gareth explains to Andy and Kristi how he moved from an insular faith in a divided society to one that embraces questions and seeks to connect deeply with others.Formerly a Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, Gareth Black holds an MTh from the University of Oxford and an MSc in Bioethics from Kings College London. In autumn 2020, he will commence a PhD in end-of-life ethics at the University of Oxford.  He speaks regularly in university and local church settings, and has pioneered several initiatives aimed at training students and teenagers in the intellectual defence of Christianity. Gareth is married to Amy and they live in Northern Ireland. In his spare time he enjoys playing sport, scenic walks with his Labrador ‘Murphy’, and volunteering with the Northern Ireland Hospice.Support the show (https://www.solas-cpc.org/podcast-book-offer/)

When sharing the gospel, where do you start? Today on PEP Talk, Andy and Kristi speak with Glen Scrivener about his book 3-2-1: The Story of God, the World and You and how he works from the love of the Trinity down to our ultimate goal of union with Christ.Glen Scrivener is an evangelist and directs Speak Life, a ministry reaching out with the gospel through preaching and media. They're recruiting creative evangelists now for an internship called the Speak Life Foundry. Glen has written several books including Long Story Short and Reading Between the Lines. He lives in Eastbourne with his wife Emma, his daughter Ruby and his son JJ.Support the show (https://www.solas-cpc.org/podcast-book-offer/)

Today we hear from Nay Dawson who leads Passion for Evangelism, a mentoring and networking group for women evangelists. She speaks with Andy and Kristi about her own passion for evangelism, building community and how we can encourage both men and women to develop their evangelistic gifting in their local church context.Naomi (Nay) Dawson is the Regional Training Coordinator for IFES Europe. She has been one of the writers behind the UCCF Uncover project and is part of the UCCF Leadership Network. She is the founder of Passion for Evangelism and Community in a Crisis, an initiative to help churches get online during COVID19.Support the show (https://www.solas-cpc.org/podcast-book-offer/)

Stories resonate deeply with human beings and we all have two powerful stories in our lives: God's story and our story. What does it mean to bear those stories through our lives in a way that impacts those around us? Phil Knox speaks with Andy and Kristi to unpack his latest book, Story Bearer.Phil Knox is the head of mission to young adults at the Evangelical Alliance UK. He has a passion for his generation, the local church, loves learning and has degrees in law and mission and evangelism. Phil is married to Dani and they have two sons, Caleb and Jos. He is an avid runner, enthusiastic water-skier and also a performance poet. He lives in Birmingham.Support the show

Universities and colleges can provide incredible opportunities, not just for education and career, but also developing one's relationships, worldview and values. Bringing the gospel into this environment can be challenging but very rewarding, as we hear from a former Christian Union leader about his experiences.Cameron McCartney is a Primary Education student at the University of Stirling in Scotland. He has been involved in CU leadership and student evangelism throughout his time at university. He is passionate about people discovering more about who Jesus is and walking with them through that journey. He loves how God uses weak and unworthy people to proclaim the glorious and precious gospel.Support the show (https://www.solas-cpc.org/podcast-book-offer/)

Is there room for imagination, romance, even enchantment, in our evangelistic endeavour? In this episode we speak with Paul Gould about the concept of cultural apologetics and how it deals with the desirability of the gospel as it connects with deep-rooted cultural ideals.Paul M. Gould (Ph.D. philosophy, Purdue University) is the author or editor of ten scholarly and popular-level books including Cultural Apologetics, Philosophy: A Christian Introduction, and The Story of the Cosmos. He has been a visiting scholar at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School’s Henry Center, working on the intersection of science and faith, and is the founder and president of the Two Tasks Institute. He speaks regularly at Summit Ministries, the C.S. Lewis Institute, and the Evangelical Philosophical Society’s annual apologetics conference. https://www.twotasksinstitute.orghttp://www.paul-gould.comSupport the show (https://www.solas-cpc.org/podcast-book-offer/)

This time on PEP Talk, Andy and Kristi speak with Anne Witton about Iranian home-cooking, discussing aliens and giving out donuts in your front garden. It's all part of reaching out, building community and sharing the love of Christ!Anne Witton is based in Newcastle, UK and is one of the leaders of Living Out and heads up mission at her local church (Durham Road Baptist). She also speaks on behalf of True Freedom Trust and is studying for an MA in Contemporary Missiology at Redcliffe College.Anne loves to help others know life in all its fullness in Jesus. She is happily single and loves Christian community, books, and playing her ukulele.https://www.annewitton.uk/ | Twitter - @MissionWitton | YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/user/bluemackerel Support the show (https://www.solas-cpc.org/podcast-book-offer/)

With the Coronavirus lockdown, many of us are having our relationships deeply disturbed as we struggle to connect with others from a distance. What impact does this have on the gospel? This time on PEP Talk, Andy and Kristi speak with small town pastor and football chaplain David Barrie about connecting and sharing with others in our churches, sports clubs and our communities.David Barrie is one of the pastors of Pitlochry Baptist Church in Highland Perthshire. He has served as a chaplain in Scottish Football since 2001, and for the past 8 seasons, chaplain to St Johnstone Football Club in Perth. Support the show (https://www.solas-cpc.org/podcast-book-offer/)