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#1 – Development of Apologetics Materials

            These materials will include books, video teachings, kid’s ministry videos, short audio programs for radio ministry and other uses, sermon notes & power point presentations, etc. Rick is currently (As of end of 2016) writing a book/training curriculum entitled “Faith & Reason Made Simple”. The book/curriculum is designed to help believers better understand how to defend and share their faith by taking the complex issues of apologetics and simplifying the topics into easy to understand and memorize, outlined points. A series of video teachings and note sheets are also being produced to make the book/curriculum user friendly for local church use. Memorization card for key points in the book are included as well.

Rick has also produced over 150 short radio broadcasts entitled “Got a Moment” (view samples at “gotamoment.org”). In the future he plans to write a number of additional books including books on “Eschatology and End Time Prophecy”, “Discipleship”, “Key Passages of Scripture”, etc.

One of the key things that Rick’s research has revealed is that there are very little kid’s apologetic materials available that are user friendly for children’s ministries within local churches. Rick is working toward the production of video materials and other materials that will be designed for use in local church children’s ministry settings. One of those materials is a video series entitled “God’s Wonderful World of Wonders” that will be a series of short videos, each approximately 3 minutes long. Each video clip will reveal in an entertaining way one aspect of God’s amazing created world, showing clearly that these things were created, not evolved by random chance. Each video clip will have a couple of discussion questions attached to it for use by the children’s ministry leader. Some of the videos will also include information about the Bible and the person of Jesus Christ, helping kids know why we believe the Bible is the Word of God and Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Savior of the world.

Rick has already begun the process of producing informational materials to bring attention to quality materials produced by other creation and apologetics ministries in order to inform local church leaders of materials that might be helpful to them.

 

#2 – Traveling Speaking Ministry

            Rick & Val have begun to travel and minister in local churches, schools, conferences, etc. Rick preaches and teaches on apologetics subjects as well as end times, contemporary issues facing the church and believers, etc. He is also making himself available to come along side churches to help them develop a plan to incorporate apologetics into their ministries. Both Rick & Val minister in song as well when this is appropriate. They have recorded 4 albums over the years.

 

#3 – Truth Conferences

            Since 2015 Rick has been coordinating Truth Conferences for local church leaders and believers. As of the end of 2016 there have been 3 Truth Conferences, 2 in Illinois and 1 in the Kansas City area. Josh McDowell has served as the keynote speaker at each of the conferences and apologetics speakers from across the nation have spoken in breakout sessions in each conference. The 6 areas that are covered in the conferences are (1) Creation vs. Evolution, (2) The Reliability of the Bible, (3) The Person of Jesus Christ, (4) A Christian Response to Contemporary Issues (In Particular – Homosexuality), (5) Christianity and Islam (Understanding the differences and understanding how to minister to Muslims), and (6) Responding to Skeptics Arguments and Questions. The Truth Conferences have been endorsed by the Assemblies of God National Headquarters and the Illinois District of the Assemblies of God. The first target audience of the Truth Conferences is church leaders, with the intention of helping church leaders bring apologetics into the local church ministries. Secondly, parents, grandparents, teens are also target audiences. Truth Conferences serve to help equip believers in knowing why they believe what they believe, and how to share those things with others. By 2018 the goal is to have about 5 Truth Conferences per year in various locations across the country. Following each Truth Conference additional ministry and help will be available through webinars, church consulting, flash drive files with audio files of the conference, etc.

 

#4 – Local Church Apologetics Web Site

            The fourth area of ministry focus is the development of a web site designed to equip local churches with apologetics materials for children’s ministries, youth ministries, small group materials, sermons, college prep class materials, ongoing educational materials, etc. The plan is to have a place where pastors and leaders can tap into much of what they will need to bring apologetics into their local church at every age level. These materials will include video materials, audio material, print materials, articles, power point presentations, etc. Information on materials by other apologetics ministries and links to their sites will also be a part of the site.

Summary

            Rick & Val believe that the Lord has called them for such a time as this to fulfill a needed role in bringing the “local church world” and the “apologetics world” together. Unfortunately, up until now there has been a bit of a distant relationship between the two. Apologetics ministries have often found it difficult to get the attention of pastors and church leaders. As a result, churches that do seek to incorporate apologetics into their ministries have often found it difficult to find the “user friendly” resources they need to equip their people in apologetics. It is our belief that the Lord will use our decades of pastoral experience and interest in apologetics to be a tool in His hand to help connect the wonderful apologetics ministries, speakers and resources across America to the pastors and local churches across the country. We also believe that the Lord has shown us some key ways to simplify apologetics issues for believers to begin to grasp and know things they desperately need to know. As we embark on this great adventure we do so recognizing that we can do nothing apart from Christ, but we can do all things through Christ Who strengthens us!