PEP Talk

Apart from toddlers, teenagers probably ask the most questions about difficult subjects! Spare a thought, then, for Christians teaching adolescents in our schools. What can we learn about how to handle faith-questions in such an environment, where a mis-step can land you in hot water so easily? Today we hear from a science teacher about using questions like "Do you believe in aliens?" to encourage gospel conversations.David Hutchings is a Fellow of the Institute of Physics and physics teacher at Pocklington School near York. David is a regular speaker on the philosophy, history, and theology of science across the United Kingdom.  He is the author of Let There Be Science and God, Stephen Hawking and the Multiverse: What Hawking said and why it matters. His latest book, Of Popes and Unicorns: Science, Christianity, and How the Conflict Thesis Fooled the World, co-written with James C. Ungureanu, examines the 19th-century origins of the faith-science conflict myth.  Support the show (https://www.solas-cpc.org/podcast-book-offer/)

Jesus didn't spend his life in church, he ministered in the real world. How can we think about life with Jesus as an adventure in the real world, not just someone we meet in church? Today's guest Tracy Cotterell speaks to Andy and (filling in for Kristi) Gavin from Solas. She encourages us to identify our primary role as God's child, participating in the Father's business to reach the world. Tracy Cotterell is a former advertising planning director and served the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity for sixteen years, latterly as Managing Director. She has degrees in theology from London School of Theology and Redcliffe College, and is completing her doctoral programme at Portland Seminary in the USA. Tracy is LICC’s Senior Mission Associate, a Board Director of the Evangelical Alliance, and engaged in the development of disciple-making models for today’s culture. Her latest publication is Mark: Living the Way of Jesus in the World, the final title in LICC’s Gateway Seven Series of Bible Studies of which she is also series editor. Tracy is married to John, and they have three adult children.Support the show (https://www.solas-cpc.org/podcast-book-offer/)

Today on PEP Talk we hear from an inspiring couple in evangelistic ministry together. Andy and Kristi cover all sorts of ground with them, from experiences in street evangelism, the gospel opportunities across Ireland,  to the joy of working together.Mitch and Amanda have been married for 22 years and together they lead Crown Jesus Ministries in Ireland. Their passion for evangelism drives the ministry to fulfil its vision; to see the people of Ireland Crown Jesus Lord of their lives. They have two teenagers, Noah (16) and Megan (13) and two border collies, Mollie and Max. Mitch loves eating curry, drinking coffee, cycling and supporting Chelsea FC while Amanda will either be found out for a long walk, watching a gripping crime series or cheering louder for Tottenham!Support the show

Top Tip: If you want to start a conversation, give yourself an unusual ministry job title that gets people intrigued! Today's guest tells us about the fantastic opportunities his unique position affords him in the armed services. What is it like sharing the gospel amongst service personnel? Lee McDade has worked with SASRA (Soldiers' and Airmen's Scripture Readers Association) for 13 years, based at Wattisham Flying Station near Colchester. His official title is “Army Scripture Reader”, an archaic phrase which he tells me goes back to the Napoleonic Wars, when the readers literally read the Bible to the illiterate soldiers in the lines. Having served in the military himself, including deployment to Bosnia, Lee became a Christian after leaving the Army in 1999. Support the show (https://www.solas-cpc.org/podcast-book-offer/)

 Pete Nicholas joins us today to speak about sharing Jesus in a diverse part of London. What are the questions cropping up and challenges to be had when sharing the gospel? Pete Nicholas is Senior Minister at Inspire Saint James Clerkenwell in London and Chair of Trustees of City to City UK. After working for Christians in Sport, Pete co-led the church plant 'Inspire London' which started back in 2013 and when Inspire combined with Saint James Clerkenwell as a revitalisation the two churches became 'Inspire Saint James Clerkenwell'. Pete speaks around the UK and has authored three books, 'Virtually Human: flourishing in a digital age', 'Five Things to Pray for your City', and most recently 'A Place for God?'Support the show

Chris Sinkinson chats with Andy and Kristi about using your passions to share the gospel. For him, archaeology and the history of the ancient world opens up the Bible as a rich historical document - where we discover the amazing person of Jesus Christ.Chris Sinkinson is on the teaching staff at Moorlands College. He has been involved in Christian ministry with UCCF as a Regional Staff worker and as a Church pastor. He was the senior pastor of Alderholt Chapel in Dorset for over ten years. His current research interests are in the archaeology of the Galilee on which he continues to write and be involved in fieldwork.Support the show (https://www.solas-cpc.org/podcast-book-offer/)

Today on PEP Talk we explore the changing relationship of culture and Christianity, with a look into the example of Northern Ireland. How do we adapt as Christians and churches to be authentic salt and light whether we are a cultural majority or marginalised minority? Andy and Kristi speak to a pastor, author and poet for some great thoughts on reaching out.Andrew Roycroft recently became pastor at Portadown Baptist Church, before that he served 10 years at Millisle Baptist Church. He is married to Caroline with two children. Read his blog on theology, poetry and literature at thinkingpastorally.com He is also the author of Kristi's favourite exam survival guide.Support the show (https://www.solas-cpc.org/podcast-book-offer/)

When sharing the gospel, perhaps no response is more common or more scary than "How can God allow suffering?" It's an ancient question, but can relate to the present moment more than anything else. Sharon Dirckx joins us today to think about how to navigate this particularly sensitive and personal area of evangelism.Sharon Dirckx is a Senior Tutor at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics (OCCA). She has a PhD in brain imaging from Cambridge and has held research positions in the UK and USA. Sharon speaks and lectures in the UK, Europe and North America on science, theology, ‘mind and soul’ and the problem of evil. She is also the author of the award-winning and recently re-released book on suffering, entitled Why?: Looking at God, evil and personal suffering. Her latest book, Am I Just My Brain? (2019) examines questions of human identity from the perspectives of neuroscience, philosophy and theology.Support the show

With all the topics, arguments and questions one could address in speaking about the gospel, sometimes it's hard to know where to start. Today we hear from someone who decided to investigate the simple question "Was Jesus the Son of God?" and was surprised at the overwhelming amount of convincing evidence he found. Derek McIntyre comes from a science background and came to Christianity in middle-age when he discovered the wealth of compelling evidence pointing to Jesus being the Son of God. When he became a Christian, he was compelled to share this evidence with others and so developed the "Jesus: The Evidence" website, presentation and booklet to allow him to do this. Read his testimony on the Solas website here.Support the show (https://www.solas-cpc.org/podcast-book-offer/)

The life of a Hindu monk can seem extreme–celibacy, poverty, thousands of miles of pilgrimage–but what are they searching for? Today we hear from a former priest about how Christianity met his heart's desire. He offers some important guidance on how to reach out to others from Eastern religions, when the cultural gap can seem so daunting.As a Hindu priest Rahil Patel was a renowned international speaker whose spiritual counsel was received by politicians, industrialists and celebrities. His life changed dramatically after encountering the love of Jesus, and he is now involved in ministries at Holy Trinity Brompton, Balham Vineyard Church and the NowBelieve Ministry, a missionary organisation serving in the UK, India and South Africa. His testimony is available in his book Found By Love: A Hindu priest encounters Jesus.Support the show (https://www.solas-cpc.org/podcast-book-offer/)