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OUT OF THE SILENT CHURCH
CONFERENCE 2012
Conference Programme November 24, 2012
Conference Partners:
schedule 8:45 - 9:25
Doors Open - Arrival/Admission
9:25 - 9:30
Behind the Cloud of Unknowing – Art Exhibit, David McCullough and Owen Daily
9:30 - 9:45
Announcements and opening worship
9:45 - 10:30 Chris Sinkinson - “Confident Christianity” 10:30 - 10:40 A word from our partner – Tearfund, Lynne Patterson 10:40 - 11:10 Coffee / tea break 11:10 - 12:05 John Lennox - “Confidence in Genesis” 12:05 - 12:10 Introducing Solas’ European Coordinator, Tom Courtney 12:10 - 1:50 Lunch 1:50 - 2:00
Introduction of the Edinburgh Solas Group, Stephen Allison
2:00 - 2:50
Peter Saunders - “Confidence in Christian ethics”
2:50 - 3:00
A word from our partner - Compassion UK, Darren Sharp
3:00 - 3:30
Coffee / Tea break / book signings
3:30 - 4:20
David Robertson “Confidence in Christ”
4:20 - 4:30
Church planting in difficult-to-reach areas of Scotland – Mez McConnell
4:30 - 5:15
Q & A and closing
welcome Welcome to the ‘Out of The Silent Church’ Conference for 2012. If a week is a long time in politics then what does that make a year in the work of the Kingdom?! With all the cultural changes, threats and opportunities facing the church in Scotland, we hope that today will be an equipping, encouraging and edifying day for every one of us and that above all, Christ will be exalted and glorified through what happens. - David Robertson
the speakers John Lennox John Lennox is Professor of Mathematics in the University of Oxford, Fellow in Mathematics and the Philosophy of Science, and Pastoral Advisor at Green Templeton College, Oxford. He is also an adjunct Lecturer at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University and at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics and is a Senior Fellow of the Trinity Forum. In addition, he teaches for the Oxford Strategic Leadership Programme at the Executive Education Centre, Said Business School, Oxford University. He studied at the Royal School Armagh, Northern Ireland and was Exhibitioner and Senior Scholar at Emmanuel College, Cambridge University from which he took his MA and PhD. He worked for many years in the Mathematics Institute at the University of Wales in Cardiff which awarded him a DSc for his research. He also holds a DPhil from
Oxford University and an MA in Bioethics from the University of Surrey. He was a Senior Alexander Von Humboldt Fellow at the Universities of Wuerzburg and Freiburg in Germany. In addition to over seventy published mathematical papers he is the co-author of two research level texts in algebra in the Oxford Mathematical Monographs series.
Chris Sinkinson Lecturer in Old Testament and Apologetics at Moorlands College. Chris became a Christian when he was a teenager. He has a BA in English and Philosophy, an MA in Biblical Studies and a PhD in Theology from Bristol University. He has been involved in Christian ministry with UCCF in Bath and Moordown Baptist Church in Bournemouth. Chris once had a job as an archaeologist and has a leather jacket like the one Indiana Jones wore! Chris regularly writes a monthly apologetics column for Evangelicals Now. To relax, he plays with his two young sons and enjoys jogging.
Peter Saunders Peter Saunders was born in New Zealand and originally trained as a General Surgeon, before serving with the Africa Inland Mission in Kenya and completing two years mission training at All Nations Christian College in the UK. Since 1992 he has served full-time with Christian Medical Fellowship, a UK-based organisation with 4,500 UK doctors and 1,000 medical students as members, first as Head of Student Ministries and
since 1999 as Chief Executive. His current work involves leadership training, teaching evangelism and ethics, medical mission, writing, editing and media work. He is also Campaign Director of the Care Not Killing Alliance, a coalition of over 40 organisations in the UK promoting palliative care and opposing euthanasia. Websites: www.cmf.org.uk; www.carenotkilling.org. uk; http://pjsaunders.blogspot.com/
David Robertson David Robertson - is the minister of St Peter’s Free Church in Dundee, Scotland (a church that is best known for being the church of Robert Murray McCheyne). He is the author of Awakening (a contemporary account of McCheyne’s life) and The Dawkins Letters. The latter has resulted in him being invited to debate and discuss all over the UK and elsewhere in Europe. This has been done in cafes, bars, libraries, universities, pubs, restaurants, village halls, and even occasionally in churches! David is a chaplain at the University of Dundee and Chairman of the Solas Centre for Public Christianity. David has preached through Ecclesiastes twice and is currently working on a contemporary edition of the book, suitable for evangelism. David is married to Annabel and they have three children; Andrew (24), Becky (22) and Emma Jane (13).
solas purpose statement The purpose of Solas is to bring the light and love of the Good News of Jesus Christ into the context of 21st century European culture. In response to those that seek to exclude Christianity from the public arena with their all-encompassing, negative and intolerant claims, we promote the positive teaching and example of Christ. To this end we will work with all Christians: training, equipping, proclaiming, serving and teaching to the glory of God, for the sake of all humanity and the environment in which we live. Our belief is that Europe was founded upon and largely owes its culture and existence to Christianity but that there is a retreat from Christianity going on today. We believe that the rejection of Christianity for an illdefined and untried secular humanism is at best a plunge into dangerous waters, and at worst, a return to the Dark Ages. Therefore we aim to enable people to reclaim their Christian heritage, embrace the renewing grace of God and exemplify Christ in all things. We intend to do this by promoting vigorous public engagement on a number of fronts. Christianity is applicable to every area of modern life and through the development of differing focus areas we will seek to demonstrate how public engagement can happen. We will encourage Christians and churches to use the arts, philosophy, music, history, society, media, medicine, science, theology and the community of the church, to express and teach the Christian faith, as given to us in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. We seek to represent Christ, his church and his Word against all the misrepresentations that exist in much of our secular media. We will run conferences, training courses and develop high quality media resources that help all Christians. We will work in partnership with individual churches and Christian organisations to enable them to fulfill the Great Commission. Soli Deo Gloria
Membership Application Form I apply for membership of the company. I am aware that the application shall be placed before the Trustees for approval. I understand that membership is personal to me and cannot be transferred. I profess my belief in the Christian faith as expressed by the Apostles’ Creed and have signed the Apostles’ Creed below as testimony of that faith as well as my intent to gain membership of SOLAS (CENTRE FOR PUBLIC CHRISTIANITY). I understand that the company is limited by guarantee and that, in the event of it being wound up, my contribution to the assets of the company will not exceed £10, the extent of the guarantee contained in the Articles of Association. http://www.solas-cpc.org/images/articles.pdf I enclose the sum of £5 in payment of the current annual subscription fee. This shall be returned if my application for membership is not successful. Fill in your information: Your Full Name: ________________________________________________________ Your Address:___________________________________________________________ Home Telephone: _______________________________________________________ Mobile: _______________________________________________________________ Email Address: _________________________________________________________ I r wish r do not wish to receive company documentation electronically.
Apostles’ Creed I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, died, and was buried; the third day he rose from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of the saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Your Signature _________________________________________________________ Date ________________________
solas church partnership program The work of Solas is to promote the Good News of Christ by engaging with the culture. We do much of this work ourselves but if more Christians were trained in evangelism, the message would go much further. This is why we have creatd our Church Partnership Programme. Our aim is to work through local churches to strengthen Christians in their faith so they are more willing and able to share it. We want to get involved with many churches and provide training, support, resources and gain feedback as to how we can best equip our church partners. To learn more about how your church could become a partner please fill in the sign-up sheet at the Solas table.
Notes:
Art Exhibition Solas is pleased to have another Morphē art exhibition on display during the conference. Morphē is a network of artists across the UK. It exists to support graduate artists, and helping them push the boundaries between art and faith, encouraging an integration of a Christian worldview with professional creative practice. In Scotland, by association with SOLAS we have produced a number of exhibitions in St Peter’s Church. This year will be the third that coincides specifically with the ‘Out of the Silent Church’ Conference. Cully, the director of Morphē in Scotland, invited 10 Scottish based artists to respond to the theme ‘Confident Christianity’. The exhibition will be entitled ‘ BEHIND THE CLOUD OF UNKNOWING’ and will be part of the 2013 conference. The pieces are displayed on the side walls of the main church and you can get in touch with Cully if you’d like to purchase any of the work or just learn more about Morphē.
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Accommodation options available on the university site. Paying by installments available for both tickets and accommodation.
acknowledgements Solas wishes to thank the following in the organization of the conference: St Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Free Church and all the volunteers who helped make the day possible.
Seraph Media for filming the event.
Solas Centre for Public Christianity St Peter Street, Dundee, DD1 4JJ. Tel: (01382) 525021 Email: office@solas-cpc.org European Director: Tom Courtney â&#x20AC;&#x201C; tom@solas-cpc.org Web: www.solas-cpc.org; www.twitter.com/solascpc; www.facebook. com/solascpc; www.youtube.com/solascpc Solas is a charity registered in Scotland. Charity No. SC041613