The Western world we live in has so much pleasure, ease, and affluence, yet the common experience of depression and even suicide indicates that our culture struggles profoundly with hopelessness. The Christian has to learn to live in the tension between the “already” and the “not yet”. So how can we preach and teach the “not yet” so that believers can live lives that are full of hope? And how do Christ, heaven, hell, judgment, resurrection, the second coming (and the millennium!) all fit together? This can’t be left to a handful of specialists, but needs to be part of our ordinary ongoing word-ministry. Phil will explore this theme and give worked examples of how we might preach this to our congregations, he will also address how we might engage with “living hope” in our own hearts - attacked as they are by disappointment, failure, or indeed, success. Phil Wells is pastor of Calvary Evangelical Church, Brighton and a member of the SEMS organising group.
Galatians could be described as Paul at his most grumpy, Paul at his most galled, or Paul at his most grieved. But perhaps what we should see is the guts and the glory as Paul fearlessly attacks those who were leading the Galatian believers astray whilst skilfully setting forth the real gospel as Christ-centred, Abrahamic promise fulfilling, utterly liberating, life-transforming truth. It’s a little letter with a powerful punch. This SEMS will be aimed at helping us preach the message with the same impact in the contemporary context. Nick McQuaker is Director of Training and Development for the Sussex Gospel Partnership. Previously he was a pastor at Haywards Heath Evangelical Free Church where he had ministered since 1996. For many years, he has been involved in training others to teach the Bible both in the UK and overseas.
Our society seems to be increasingly hostile, secular,relativistic and diverse. Perhaps more than any other, this generation of ministers therefore needs to be equipped to give a reason for the hope that we have, and in a way that is not seen as intolerant and immoral. During the morning, Richard Cunningham will outline the place for apologetics including the place of reason in preaching. He will also give some idea of what apologetics might look like in action, providing principles for how we might engage not only our culture but those in our congregations who are so influenced by it. Richard Cunningham has been Director of UCCF: the Christian Unions since early 2004. Immediately prior to that he was Executive Director of the Areopagus Trust, developing initiatives in confronting secular thought in universities across Britain and Europe and, at the same time, was Director of Evangelism at St Andrew’s Church, Oxford. He has previously served on UCCF staff as Evangelism Trainer.
‘The writings of Jonathan Edwards are permeated with a deep sense of the reality of God. In particular, Edwards and his wife were profoundly affected by their knowledge of ‘the excellence of Jesus Christ’. His practical spirituality was undergirded by a theological analysis of the human person and the way in which the Holy Spirit works in an individual. These sessions will introduce the spirituality of the Edwardses, set out some of the biblical analysis that lay behind it and the lessons for us today.’ Dr Garry Williams previously taught Doctrine and Church History at Oak Hill Theological College. He now oversees the activities of the John Owen Centre, linked to the London Theological Seminary. He is also Visiting Professor of Historical Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary and teaches on the ThM programme. Garry’s long-term project is to publish a biblical, historical, and systematic study of the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement.
There are now more people aged over 65 in the UK than those under 16. With some exceptions, society tends to value the younger over the older and though the Bible teaches that older people are to be viewed as of great value and bearing particular dignity, the church does not always reflect this. It is vitally important, therefore, that we think through the challenges and opportunities we face as churches to ensure that we reach out effectively to older people, care appropriately for them and use the much untapped grey-haired resource that Christ has given to his church. In the first session Roger Hitchings will plot this changing demographic showing its impact on society and the church and remind us of the Biblical principles that should shape our response. In the second session Roger and Peter Diack will give us examples of the kinds of things we could do practically to engage older people in the church and reach out effectively to them in our communities. Roger Hitchings is the pastor of East Leake Evangelical Church, South Nottinghamshire. He is the former Director of Age Concern, Birmingham, a trustee of the charity Pilgrim Homes and an author of books and articles on Dementia and Care of the Elderly. Peter Diack serves All Saints Church, Lindfield as pastor to the local Residential Homes and had a key role in the establishing of a Christian Care home in Lindfield.