WYSOCS At Home REALITYBITES

Diary Dates for 2009 Spring 2009 Darwin and Design - a new WYSOCS study course Leaders:  Dr Arthur Jones and Mark Roques 2009 is a Darwin double anniversary year.  Much of the celebrations will be built around a promotion of scientific materialism, coupled with an explicit or implicit attack on religious faith.  How can Christians respond faithfully and intelligently to the claims that will be made?  The course will be an excellent preparation for our Darwin and Design conference in October. Dates:  Seven sessions, approximately fortnightly from March to June Time:  8.00 – 10.00 pm Venue:  Outwood House, Horsforth, Leeds LS18. Cost:  £175 (concessions £105) plus the cost of three books. Includes tip-top refreshments (wine, coffee, cheese) Places are limited, so please book asap, via http://www.wysocs.org.uk/contact.php. [click for details] Summer 2009 Friday 5 and Saturday 6 June 2009 WYSOCS SUMMER LECTURES will be given by Dr. Keith Sewell, Professor of History at Dordt College, Iowa. What are the shapers in the history of the church that produced what it is today? And what shapes of today will gain a hearing tomorrow for the Gospel of the Kingdom of God? Lecture One Friday 5th June at 8 pm. The Idea of a Christian Society - from the Reformation to the present time. Lecture Two Saturday 6th June at 10 am. The Church of Today - the journey it took to arrive where we are. Lecture Three Saturday 6th June at 12 noon. The Church of Tomorrow - new possibilities for bringers of transformation. [click for details] Summer 2010 Friday 11 and Saturday 12 June 2010 WYSOCS SUMMER LECTURES will be given by Tom Wright, Bishop of Durham [details to follow] WYSOCS AT HOME A lecturer's audience in the Barn Post-lecture discussion spills over into the garden. This year REALITYBITES teaching has been given to sixty school students taking the increasingly popular Religious Studies courses at GCSE, AS and A2 levels in Chelmsford. The topics were Naturalism, the Sanctity of Life and the Problem of Evil. Another part of REALITYBITES is being used throughout this year in a series of Urban Saints (formerly Crusaders) training days around the UK.  For the full programme and details, see http://www.energize.uk.net/documents/2007TrainingPublicity.pdf In a third venture, a series entitled ‘Living in the Real World’ is about to begin at South Parade Baptist Church in Leeds.  Details to follow. Ethos and wider applications REALITYBITES is an exciting menu of programmes designed for both Christians and non-Christians. For churches and Christian organisations, the programme is designed to enable Christians to understand people’s dreams and worldviews, gain a Biblical worldview for themselves, and acquire the tools and skills for dynamic engagement with the ideas of others. We want to help Christians learn how to bring the gospel into their conversations about topical issues and do so intelligently and without fear or embarrassment. For non-Christians (e.g. in schools and businesses) the programme is designed to challenge the practical atheism and emotivism (‘truth’ decided by feelings) that have become the default positions of so many people today. We want to expose and critique the hidden assumptions, and present a Christianity that is rich and attractive. In Biblical language the programme is designed to unmask the hidden idolatries that are all-pervasive in Western culture. Turn on the radio, switch on the television and you will encounter sophisticated forms of idolatry (consumerism, emotivism, and the worship of science, technology and economic growth) that cry out for intelligent Christian analysis and critique. Also, see Resources.