Did you know that Christianity Explored partners with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association to provide an online coached version of the Christianity Explored course? Participants go through the course alongside a one-on-one mentor who walks alongside them as they go through the course. This online version of Christianity Explored has reached thousands across the globe. …
Continue reading Testimonies from Christianity Explored Online
Natalie shares her story about discovering a new life in Jesus... I am from Northern Virginia, but God really captured my heart in San Diego, California. After graduating from college, I moved to San Diego, in hopes of hitting a “reset button” on life. I had recently gone through a challenging season after tearing my …
Continue reading “There’s got to be more to life.” | Natalie’s Story
Before knowing Christ, Benjamin was alone and struggled to find simple joy and happiness in his day-to-day life. He knew of God and his teachings, but he did not want to be judged by others for his past. Benjamin started going to a local coffee shop in South Metro Atlanta to read and after a …
Continue reading “The light of the Gospel transformed me.” – Benjamin’s story
There is no doubt that Christmas is a wonderful opportunity for evangelism. Churches worldwide go to great lengths to get as many people as possible through their doors in December to hear the gospel but that normally means the schedule for December is chock-full. Unsurprisingly, it’s hard for many of us to see beyond the …
Continue reading Hope Explored was made to be your Christmas follow-up
While summer is in full swing, many pastors and church staff are looking towards the fall and planning for one of the busiest times on the church calendar. But in the midst of Sunday schools, small groups, and back-to-school bashes, it's important to create spaces for newcomers, young Christians, or churchgoers struggling with questions about …
Continue reading 4 Ways to Use Christianity Explored this Fall
Did you know that Christianity Explored has children's material? Just like our flagship course, Epic Explorers takes children (ages 4 - 11) on an exciting adventure through the Gospel of Mark to discover the truth of Jesus. Our team in the UK spoke to two churches who used Epic Explorers in their kids summer camps …
by Randy Newman, Senior Fellow for Apologetics and Evangelism, C.S. Lewis Institute and author of Mere Evangelism You’ve probably heard about “the rise of the nones,” that is, the steady and significant increase in the number of people who say they have no religion.* As Christians who love the mission of Christianity Explored and desire …
Continue reading Spiritual but not religious: The rise (and surprise) of the Nones
Life. We're all looking for it. Not simply the state of being alive but the quality that makes life worth living. Real, satisfying, meaningful life that lasts. Have you found it? And if you have, can you be confident it will last? We’re thirsty for something, but we don't know what. Jesus said, “Everyone who …
from Christianity Explored Ministries “Christian hope is about a joyful expectation for the future, based on true events in the past, which changes everything about my present.” Hope Explored - Session One A golden opportunity As we talk to churches across the country one of the most encouraging messages we have been hearing recently is about …
Continue reading Using Hope Explored for your Easter follow-up
This winter, a small team of church members and their pastor ran Life Explored in a San Diego coffee shop. Each week, their friends, coworkers and even strangers joined in. A biologist, a Hollywood script writer, yoga students, and workout buddies were some of those that gathered to discuss questions of life, meaning and Christianity. …
by Randy Newman, Senior Fellow for Apologetics and Evangelism, C.S. Lewis Institute My friend and Christianity Explored founder Rico Tice often says we need to “cross the pain line” when we evangelize. Rico is talking about that awkward moment where our conversation turns from light topics like the weather, sports or current events to weighty …
Continue reading Gospel Transitions: How to move conversations from mundane to eternal
Written by Craig Dyer, Training Director at Christianity Explored Ministries “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.When a man found it, he hid it again,and then in his joy went and sold all he hadand bought that field."Matthew 13:44 I’m sure we’ve all encountered detectorists on the beach or in a field …
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6 We all want our lives to mean something. We all need purpose. But the reality of death …
John Lennon wrote the words, So this is Christmas And what have you done? Another year over And a new one just begun...A very merry Christmas And a happy New Year Let's hope it's a good one Without any fear Perhaps it's not his most profound lyric, but then Lennon closes the song with – War is over If you want it War is over Now …
The first of thee Christmas devotionals looking at hope, peace and purpose from Christianity Explored Ministries. "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulders and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor." Isaiah 9:6 Amid the excitement and preparations of Advent, do …
By Randy Newman, Evangelism Coach for Christianity Explored Whenever I present seminars on evangelism, I talk about the need for pre-evangelism. Most people look confused. What do I mean by pre-evangelism, they wonder, and why do I think it’s so necessary? Perhaps most importantly, they want to know how to do this pre-evangelism thing. I …
Continue reading From Narnia to Evangelism: What C.S. Lewis teaches us about sharing faith
The good news of Jesus doesn't just rescue us spiritually; it also can rescue us from physical harm. Such was the case with Darcey, whose journey to Christ meant leaving an abusive partner and finding healing and restoration through the Gospel. Darcey spoke with us a few months ago to tell her powerful story... "I …
Continue reading “God wants me as I am”: One woman’s journey through abuse to Christ
"Go and make disciples of all nations..."Matthew 28:19 One of the highest callings in the Christian life is to discipleship. This month, we are focusing on what this call to be a disciple-making disciple means and how we can do it well. First, let's start with a definition. What is discipleship? There are certainly many …
Continue reading Discipleship Tips: Starting with our own hearts first
Last night we premiered our short documentary Re-Thinking Evangelism, which shares the story of one local church who radically re-thought how they shared the Gospel and the many lives that were changed as a result. (Watch it here, if you haven't yet!) If you've watched the film already, you probably noticed we shared a lot …
Jesus once asked his followers this question: “Who do you say I am?” A prophet with a new teaching? A healer to the sick? A savior to a lost world? Jesus claimed each of these, but most importantly, he claimed to be God in the flesh. There is a creative tension in the Gospels which …
Originally published on ceministries.org. What is the first place you visit when you arrive somewhere new? I have learned different tactics from those I have travelled with in the past. Some head straight for the landmark building to get the sightseeing in early. Others head straight to a restaurant to sample the local cuisine. More …
Continue reading Sharing the Gospel in the Digital Marketplace
We are thrilled to introduce a brand new resource for you to use in your evangelism: a two-minute animation telling the gospel story... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lJa-PcEGE4 The animation provokes people, perhaps for the first time, to ask that crucial question about Jesus: "Who do you say I am?" Lots of people have a vague idea of who …
Continue reading “What is Christianity?” A New Animation from Christianity Explored Ministries
We now live in a world where the words "social distancing" and "isolation" are commonplace. Our ability to freely move and interact with our family, friends and colleagues has been restricted. We’re also having to be cautious when we go outside and interact with our local communities. There’s a tension that we as Christians experience …
Continue reading An Equipping Tool for your Personal Evangelism
Each New Year’s Day since 2014, I’ve chosen three words to give me focus and direction for the upcoming year. Coming out of the most troubling year of my lifetime, the pandemic year of 2020, one overarching word that the world needs is hope. We have that hope in the Gospel, but it’s so easy to forget …
Our team at Christianity Explored Ministries in London have been working to produce our most popular course, Christianity Explored, into a plan for the YouVersion Bible app. Our goal for this plan is that it will equip you to open up Scripture and explore Jesus with anyone in the world. The plan is a 21-day …
"The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer In a year so crazy the phrase, "It's 2020" has become a synonymous with bad news, many of us are caught in a …
Continue reading What better year to celebrate Advent than 2020?
"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV) A global pandemic, a bitterly contested election, separation from loved ones, economic uncertainty, a divided country, worship services at reduced capacity – maybe God will give us a pass on giving thanks this …
Continue reading Can we get a pass on giving thanks this year?
In October, Kevin and Beth Allen and I traveled to Colorado for some database training and to meet with several local pastors and course leaders of Christianity Explored. Colorado Springs is home to one of the pioneer churches for CE in the States - Village Seven Presbyterian Church, which adopted the new ministry coming out …
Continue reading An afternoon with pioneers of Christianity Explored in the U.S.
Meet Candi Thorpe, a staff member at Calvary Baptist Church Burlington in Ontario. Candi has been involved with Christianity Explored at her church since 2014, as an attendee first and then a course leader. In 2017, Candi was preparing to lead her first course on her own when something unexpected happened. "We found that the …
Continue reading When women encounter the Gospel together: Candi’s Story
This month, we've been sharing stories of lived changed by the Gospel through Christianity Explored. This week, we're sharing a story about how Christianity Explored can change the culture of a church. Meet Karl Willock, a former member of a pioneer church for Christianity Explored in the US. We spoke with Karl about his experience …
Continue reading Is changing a church’s culture possible? Karl’s story
Lighthouse Harbour Ministries was established in 1981 to reach sailors (also known as "seafarers") on board cargo ships with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Located in Vancouver, Canada, the Ministry began when a Gideon businessman looked out over the local harbour and wondered if anyone was sharing God’s Word with the seafarers. Pictured: seafarer Elma …
Continue reading Bringing the Gospel to the seas: Paul’s story
This month we're sharing stories of lives changed through the Gospel. Last week we met Joy, a woman who initially attended a CE course to learn how to be stronger in her opposition to Christianity. This week, meet Dan, an intellectual agnostic whose only reason for coming to a Christianity Explored course was to keep …
Continue reading “From stone to flesh”: How an intellectual agnostic met Jesus
What happens when church is a reason someone leaves faith? How do we share the Gospel with those who may have been hurt by Christians? Meet Joy Sunyoung Fitzgerald, a woman who initially started Christianity Explored so she could learn to fight against faith better... yet unexpectedly fell in love with Jesus. Below is an …
Continue reading When church is why they reject Jesus: Joy’s story
Last month, we shared a story from Joy Frey, a Christianity Explored course leader at Wallenstein Bible Chapel in Ontario. Joy has led dozens of people to Christ both through CE courses at her church and one-to-one coaching through an online version of CE offered by BGEA. Her testimony is one of perseverance, love, and …
Continue reading Three things to pray before running a Christianity Explored course
Todd and Sheila Alewine will be the speakers for our upcoming webinar on July 30, 2020 @ 2pm. Register for free here. And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the …
Continue reading Equipping the Saint for the Work of Evangelism
https://youtu.be/9G09KKq7BpQ If you joined us for Multiply 2020, you'll remember Joy Frey, a CE table leader in Ontario. Joy has been running Christianity Explored courses since 2006 and shared some of her stories from her experience using CE with us. Read part one below... I knew very early on in my Christian life that my …
Continue reading How ten years of prayer changed lives: Joy and Jeff’s story
This blog has been adapted from an article by Randy Newman that first appeared at http://www.cslewisinstitute.org. Several people have asked me for ideas about reaching out with the gospel to our non-Christian friends during this time of trial, anxiety, and the unknown. I’m more than happy to offer some help. As a student of C. …
While Zoom and other platforms have allowed many churches and small groups to stay connected during lockdown, they can also present challenges. We reached out to a few of our expert friends to give us their best practices for successfully running small groups on Zoom. How do I view everyone on the call at once? …
Continue reading Best practices for hosting Christianity Explored on Zoom
From CE Ministries: The COVID-19 pandemic has created many great opportunities to reach new people with the gospel. However, it also brings with it new challenges for online security. No two situations are the same, and they will all involve a great deal of wisdom and prayer. We've put together a few thoughts for how …
If you're running an online course during the COVID-19 pandemic and want as many people as possible to find out about it, we've collated some top tips for getting the word out. Some of these ideas require a cost, but as you're saving money on printing flyers, venue or food and drink costs you'd normally …
Easter is usually one of the highest attended services for churches in the calendar year. As a result, many churches launch small groups, introduction classes, or new series as a way to follow-up with visitors. COVID-19 drastically changed both Easter services and follow-up opportunities for all churches. Although you may not have seen new visitors …
Read on for some ideas for how you can keep reaching out to others with the gospel in these trying times. As ever, please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. Share For a limited time we have put all of our course films on our YouTube channel to make them easier to share: …
Continue reading Sharing the Gospel in a time of social distancing
As ever yesterday I was trying to finish my morning Bible reading on the subway. Sadly in this secular society, contrary to the call of Jesus in Mark 8:38 to not be “ashamed of me or my words”, I always feel a little embarrassed to get the Bible out and be reading it in public. …
Continue reading A message from Rico Tice on coronavirus and the loss of idols
Western Region Director Kevin Allen and CE staff share some thoughts in light of the increasing concerns around COVID-19. Recently, I saw a picture of a woman entering a Costco in Seattle with a gas mask. While not everyone will take measures to that extreme, the last couple of weeks have certainly changed, for the …
Continue reading Thoughts on COVID-19 and Christian Community
If you've known about our ministry for a while, chances are you've run our flagship series "Christianity Explored." You may be less familiar with our newest series: Life Explored. Launched in 2016, Life Explored is a creative, thought-provoking series that explores our longing for more. LE raises questions such as: where do I find happiness? …
The first time I went through Life Explored, I found myself in tears... on more than one occasion! Although I'd been immersed in Christian culture since childhood, I was taken aback by the powerful truths about our Savior so uniquely revealed through these beautiful, vulnerable stories. Perhaps the story that struck me deepest was Session …
Continue reading Re-learning Love: Why the Gospel isn’t just for the Lost
Do you ever wonder whether we’ve gotten prayer and evangelism backwards? When thinking about how we share the Gospel, do we prioritize prayer? Or are we all too quick to focus on our own evangelistic efforts? Take a look at the Twelve Apostles. When a dispute broke out in Acts 6 about caring for widows …
From CE USA Director Alan Avera: A few years ago, my son forwarded me a New Year’s blog by Christopher Penn, introducing a “3-word exercise” for the new year. Slightly different than the typical New Year’s resolutions, these three words are chosen to reflect a desired character growth or aspirational value you want to see …
As 2019 ends, we want to recognize some of our faithful supporters who partner with Christianity Explored. Bill Fullilove, Ministries Pastor at McLean Presbyterian Church and CE Board Member, briefly shares why he uses Christianity Explored. When and how did you first become involved with CE? I was approached by a new member of our …
Continue reading Donor Stories: “I have gotten to watch folks find the truth of all eternity.”
This month, we want to recognize some of our faithful supporters by sharing their stories of partnering with Christianity Explored. This week, Bruce Longbottom, a trademark attorney with Eli Lilly and Company, shares how and why he got involved with Christianity Explored Ministries. When and how did you first become involved with CE? In the summer …
TELLING THE GOSPEL 