1. Church and Culture Northern Ireland

2. Europe Protestant North, Catholic South Orthodox East. Islam, Communism, Secular Humanism. New Age.

3. Northern Ireland Today 1.8 million people 30% attend Church – down from 45% ten years ago – Committed, Affiliated, Non-Affiliated. 2020 – 21% non-religious. PCI – Down from one third to one fifth.

4. Why? 1) Materialism 2) Secularisation 3) False Religion 4) Insipid Loveless Christianity. 5) Failure to pass on to the next generation

5. What? Circle the Wagons Concede Confront Change

6. Why persuasive evangelism? Our evangelism is stage one, not stage five evangelism Defeater Beliefs. Our Reasonable Faith The best product in the post modern marketplace of ideas Total apologetics – the whole gospel to the whole person by the whole church.

7. Origins of Solas The New Atheism The Da Vinci Code The Dawkins Letters Gordon Wilson, the BBC, Universities. Where can I find Jesus?

8. 10 target areas of engagement Society Science Café Music Art Medicine History Media Philosophy Church

9. 1. SOLAS SOCIETY Road to Recovery Family Support Euthanasia Pregnancy support Christians in Politics Constructive Engagement with Politicians. Pray for Kings and those in authority.

10. 2. SOLAS SCIENCE Science/Faith Interaction The Apologetic of Science Challenging claims of scientism. Christians in Science.

11. 3. SOLAS CAFE Quench The Marketplace Public Forums Street Evangelism

12. 4. SOLAS MUSIC Atheists ain’t got no songs! The Apologetic of beauty. From Mozart to Metallica

13. 5. SOLAS ART Can Artists be Atheists? Europe’s rich artistic heritage and it’s Christian roots and ethos Christians in art. The word through image. Contemporary media

14. 6. SOLAS MEDICINE Christian Medical Fellowship Medical Ethics eg. Euthanasia Healing the Sick

15. 7. SOLAS HISTORY History is His Story The Apologetic of History Where do we come from? Where are we going? Those who do not know their history are condemned to repeat it.

16. 8. SOLAS MEDIA Christians in Media A contact point for the secular media Development of high quality Christian Media.

17. 9. SOLAS PHILOSOPHY Greeks to Goths – we are what we think. Plantinga and Craig. Renewed Minds, Renewed Hearts

18. 10. SOLAS CHURCH God’s instrument for outreach not self- preservation 1,000 Churches reaching 1,000 communities An Open Door? Church planting, re-potting, renewal. Contemporary Biblical Churches for 21 st Century Ireland