PEP Talk

New Solas Speaker Gareth Black joins the podcast for a wide-ranging discussion. Touching on his own experience growing up in Northern Ireland, Gareth explains to Andy and Kristi how he moved from an insular faith in a divided society to one that embraces questions and seeks to connect deeply with others. Formerly a Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, Gareth Black holds an MTh fr...

When sharing the gospel, where do you start? Today on PEP Talk, Andy and Kristi speak with Glen Scrivener about his book 3-2-1: The Story of God, the World and You and how he works from the love of the Trinity down to our ultimate goal of union with Christ. Glen Scrivener is an evangelist and directs Speak Life , a ministry reaching out with the gospel through preaching and media. They're recruiti...

Today we hear from Nay Dawson who leads Passion for Evangelism , a mentoring and networking group for women evangelists. She speaks with Andy and Kristi about her own passion for evangelism, building community and how we can encourage both men and women to develop their evangelistic gifting in their local church context. Naomi (Nay) Dawson is the Regional Training Coordinator for IFES Europe . She...

Stories resonate deeply with human beings and we all have two powerful stories in our lives: God's story and our story. What does it mean to bear those stories through our lives in a way that impacts those around us? Phil Knox speaks with Andy and Kristi to unpack his latest book, Story Bearer . Phil Knox is the head of mission to young adults at the Evangelical Alliance UK . He has a passion for...

Universities and colleges can provide incredible opportunities, not just for education and career, but also developing one's relationships, worldview and values. Bringing the gospel into this environment can be challenging but very rewarding, as we hear from a former Christian Union leader about his experiences. Cameron McCartney is a Primary Education student at the University of Stirling in Scot...

Is there room for imagination, romance, even enchantment , in our evangelistic endeavour? In this episode we speak with Paul Gould about the concept of cultural apologetics and how it deals with the desirability of the gospel as it connects with deep-rooted cultural ideals. Paul M. Gould (Ph. D. philosophy, Purdue University) is the author or editor of ten scholarly and popular-level books includi...

This time on PEP Talk, Andy and Kristi speak with Anne Witton about Iranian home-cooking, discussing aliens and giving out donuts in your front garden. It's all part of reaching out, building community and sharing the love of Christ! Anne Witton is based in Newcastle, UK and is one of the leaders of Living Out and heads up mission at her local church ( Durham Road Baptist ). She also speaks on beh...

With the Coronavirus lockdown, many of us are having our relationships deeply disturbed as we struggle to connect with others from a distance. What impact does this have on the gospel? This time on PEP Talk, Andy and Kristi speak with small town pastor and football chaplain David Barrie about connecting and sharing with others in our churches, sports clubs and our communities. David Barrie is one...

Sometimes Christians focus on proving that Christianity is true , failing to realise that many people don't care that it's true. But what do they care about? Andy and Kristi are joined by Greg Ganssle to discuss how focussing our conversations on the deepest human desires can bring us right to the heart of the gospel. Greg also reminds us that "Any conversation that continues is a successful conve...

Kristi found the book "Questioning Evangelism" by Randy Newman to be a fantastic tool in her work ministering with university students. Today Andy and Kristi welcome Randy to the podcast to answers questions about questions with questions! Randy Newman is Senior Fellow for Apologetics and Evangelism at the C.S. Lewis Institute near Washington D.C. He served for over 30 years with Campus Crusade fo...

Sometimes we can think of the "new atheists" like Richard Dawkins as the biggest enemies of Christianity today. When we speak about God with our friends, we wonder if they think we're suffering from a "God Delusion". How can we respond in a positive way, or even take advantage of the opportunities the new atheism presents? Andy speaks with philosopher Peter S Williams to find out more. British phi...

How can we present the gospel through our lives and in our churches when, unlike Christ Himself, we are far from perfect? Navigating the tricky waters of hypocrisy or painful experiences is so important in bringing friends and family to Christ. This time on PEP Talk, Mary Jo Sharp reflects on her own journey from atheism to faith, and how she dealt with these kind of issues. Mary Jo Sharp first en...

Zealots. Fanatics. Terrorists. Religion causes conflict, wars and hatred - it's a common idea. So how can we remove this great stumbling block when talking about Jesus? This time on PEP Talk we chat about the relationship between war and religion, and what it means for evangelism. Our guest is Meic Pearse, who taught church history and theology (to Andy Bannister!) at London School of Theology for...

When you are sharing the gospel with the people around you, do you think about connecting with them or confronting them? How did Paul approach the members of the culture he worked in? This time on PEP Talk we discuss bringing the gospel into our secular culture. Our guest is Director of Oak Hill College and lectures in culture, religion and public theology. Dan Strange also worked for UCCF as Co-o...

This time on PEP Talk, Andy and Kristi chat with pastor and teacher Brian Brodersen about your personal story, avoiding pressure, brief conversations and seeing yourself as a small step in others' faith journey. With a history of church planting in the USA, England, Eastern Europe and the former USSR, Brian Brodersen works with the Calvary Chapel network. Today he serves as the senior pastor of Ca...

Your hosts Andy Bannister and Kristi Mair are joined by Joel Turner for this episode of the Persuasive Evangelism Podcast, recorded live at CreationFest 2019. Joel fully surrendered his life to Christ while operating a comedy club in Western Canada. He is currently the Lead Pastor/Evangelist at Mountain Springs Calvary Chapel, Calgary, a church he planted over 10 years ago. Across Canada, the U.S....

When you run one of the biggest evangelistic events in the UK, can you take a holiday from sharing the gospel for the rest of the year?  Sarah Yardley is a Californian based in Cornwall who loves Jesus, family, friendships, coffee, travel, and guacamole. She grew up at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, served at Reality Carpinteria, and currently lives in the UK, serving full-time with Creation Fest...

Nigel Watts is currently the British Isles Director of Precept Ministries . But he also served over 25 years in the British Army, many as a helicopter pilot in active war zones. What lessons has he learned about sharing your faith in such diverse situations as the Green Zone in Baghdad or a taxicab in Cornwall? The Persuasive Evangelism Podcast is hosted by Andy Bannister and Kristi Mair. It is a...

Your hosts Andy Bannister and Kristi Mair are joined by David Bennett for this episode of the Persuasive Evangelism Podcast, recorded live at CreationFest 2019. Last year David Bennett released "A War of Loves" which was his personal story of transformation from atheist gay activist to Christian theologian. He is from Sydney, Australia and currently studies theology at Oxford. Questions about the...

Co-host Kristi Mair swaps chairs this episode to become a guest and let Andy Bannister interview her. They discuss her background in student ministry, the current questions she's hearing and why you don't need a dramatic testimony for effective evangelism. Kristi currently works as Pastoral Support and Research Fellow at Oak Hill College, whilst studying for her PhD at University of Birmingham.&nb...

Your hosts Andy Bannister and Kristi Mair are joined by Andy Kind for this episode of the Persuasive Evangelism Podcast, recorded live at CreationFest 2019. Andy Kind is a preacher and stand-up comedian. As well as travelling the world telling jokes and talking about Jesus, he lives in Chesterfield and is on the staff of Redeemer King church. Find him @andykindcomedy or andykind.co.uk Questions ab...

Your hosts Andy Bannister and Kristi Mair are joined by Jonny Somerville for the first episode of the Persuasive Evangelism Podcast. Jonny Somerville is a Dublin native who’s worked for more than ten years in Irish schools and churches across denominations. He’s passionate about faith development and the opportunity to supplement school curriculum that helps young people grapple with their faith....