The Henry Center is pleased to announce that Alistair Begg’s recent Scripture & Ministry lecture and interview sessions are now posted free of charge for the viewing of the general public.

October 26, 2011 | Alistair Begg | Parkside Church, Cleveland, Ohio

“Inadequacy: The Surprising Secret to Being Useful to God”

The NBA champions this year was a team made up of fewer stars and less glitz than their opponents.  We might say that humility triumphed over hubris.  There are lessons-a-plenty in this for an evangelical church that routinely produces all-stars.  Such an approach endangers the recipients of such adulation and discourages those who are by-passed in the process.  In this lecture, Alistair Begg will consider God’s pattern of using unlikely and ordinary characters and address the possibility that what we regard as a hindrance may be the key to usefulness in God’s service.

Lecture: Audio | Video

Interview: Audio | Video

The Henry Center is pleased to announce that the Wallis-Mohler Debate is now available online. The streaming audio and video are available below.

October 27, 2011 | 7:00 pm | Is Social Justice an Essential Part of the Mission of the Church?

Participants |  Jim Wallis – “Yes”    Dr. R. Albert Mohler – “No”

Moderator | Chris Firestone

Location | ATO Chapel (TEDS)

Description:

North American Evangelicals have recently experienced a revival of interest in issues of social justice. The growing sentiment among many today is that Jesus preached “good news to the poor,” and was indeed among the poor and marginalized. These Christians believe that the implications of these facts should renew the church’s understanding of the gospel and its mission. Rightly or wrongly, this interest in social justice is transforming the blueprint and vision of ecclesial ministry.

For others, this blueprint conjures up concerns about 20th century liberal Protestantism and a watering down of the gospel’s message of salvation. The defining mission of the church, for them, continues to be the sharing of the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ to all nations, generations, and social classes. The issue of social justice, though important, is not to be considered as an essential part of the mission of the church.

A basic question at the heart of the debate is this: Is social justice an essential part of the mission of the church?

The Henry Center for Theological Understanding, in its Trinity Debates forum, is pleased to provide a public venue for addressing this question by hosting two prominent voices from competing perspectives. Jim Wallis will answer “Yes” and R. Albert Mohler will answer “No.”

Debate Media: Audio | Video

The ATO chapel of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School was filled to capacity as over 600 people attended the stimulating debate between Jim Wallis and Al Mohler on the question: Is Social Justice an Essential Part of the Mission of the Church? An even larger audience was able to view the debate through our live-stream. Dr. Chris Firestone, philosophy professor at Trinity International University, was excellent at moderating the event. Many people in attendance agreed that the discussion clarified in a helpful way the important theological and social issues that are at stake.

For those of you who missed the conversation, we’ll be posting the free audio and video of the entire event within two weeks here.

Alistair Begg is the senior pastor of Parkside Church in Cleveland, OH, and he can also be heard regularly on the radio program Truth for Life. On October 26, he will be the speaker for the Scripture and Ministry lecture series sponsored by the Carl F. H. Henry Center for Theological Understanding.

The lecture will be held in TEDS chapel. This event is free and open to the public.

Refreshments will begin at 12:45 pm, followed by the lecture at 1:00 pm (with Q&A to follow).

The topic of the lecture …

“Inadequacy: The Surprising Secret to Being Useful to God”

The NBA champions this year was a team made up of fewer stars and less glitz than their opponents. We might say that humility triumphed over hubris. There are lessons-a-plenty in this for an evangelical church that routinely produces all-stars. Such an approach endangers the recipients of such adulation and discourages those who are by-passed in the process. In this lecture, Alistair Begg will consider God’s pattern of using unlikely and ordinary characters and address the possibility that what we regard as a hindrance may be the key to usefulness in God’s service.

October 27, 2011 | 7:00 pm | Is Social Justice an Essential Part of the Mission of the Church?

Participants | Jim Wallis and  Dr. R. Albert Mohler

Moderator | Chris Firestone

Location | ATO Chapel (TEDS)

Description:

North American Evangelicals have recently experienced a revival of interest in issues of social justice. The growing sentiment among many today is that Jesus preached “good news to the poor,” and was indeed among the poor and marginalized. These Christians believe that the implications of these facts should renew the church’s understanding of the gospel and its mission. Rightly or wrongly, this interest in social justice is transforming the blueprint and vision of ecclesial ministry.

For others, this blueprint conjures up concerns about 20th century liberal Protestantism and a watering down of the gospel’s message of salvation. The defining mission of the church, for them, continues to be the sharing of the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ to all nations, generations, and social classes. The issue of social justice, though important, is not to be considered as an essential part of the mission of the church.

A basic question at the heart of the debate is this: Is social justice an essential part of the mission of the church?

The Henry Center for Theological Understanding, in its Trinity Debates forum, is pleased to provide a public venue for addressing this question by hosting two prominent voices from competing perspectives. Jim Wallis will answer “Yes” and R. Albert Mohler will answer “No.”

The HCTU will also live-stream this event here.

The Henry Center is pleased to announce that Timothy Laniak’s recent Scripture & Ministry lecture and interview sessions are now posted free of charge for the viewing of the general public.

September  14, 2011 | Timothy Laniak | Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Charlotte, North Carolina

“Shepherds After My Own Heart: The Enduring Challenge of Pastoral Identity”

The most consistent biblical metaphor for leaders among the people of God is the shepherd. But what, really, is a spiritual shepherd? Beyond the specific job descriptions and role expectations of others, what does God expect of us? How does God see us? In this illustrated presentation, Dr. Laniak will take us into the world of Bedouin shepherds for unique perspectives on Scripture’s challenge to shepherd God’s flock. Come renew your pastoral calling with images and insights designed to keep you on course as you serve the Chief Shepherd. Let God reset your identity as his shepherd.

Lecture: Audio | Video

Interview: Audio | Video

Bruce McCormack has made slight changes to his original lecture titles for the forthcoming Kantzer Lectures (Sept 27-Oct 4, 2011). Here are the new lecture titles:

Everyone is invited to attend these free lectures. They will also be live-streamed here.

As a part of the Kantzer Lectures in Revealed Theology, Dr. Bruce McCormack will present seven lectures on the doctrine of election. Dr. McCormack will present the lectures at various times from September 27 – October 4. Click on the graphic below to see the schedule!

The Henry Center welcomes Timothy Laniak who is the Academic Dean at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (Charlotte Campus). Dr. Laniak has served as a missionary in 15 countries in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, as the director of the International Fellowship House in Boston, and as a welfare housing manager for elderly immigrants in Brookline, MA. He launched the Urban Ministry Program at the Charlotte campus and directed it for eight years.

Dr. Laniak also has a long-time interest in the relationship between Scripture and cultures. Those interests shape the talk he will be giving on the theme of “Shepherds After My Own Heart: The Enduring Challenge of Pastoral Identity.” The most consistent biblical metaphor for leaders among the people of God is the shepherd. But what, really, is a spiritual shepherd? Beyond the specific job descriptions and role expectations of others, what does God expect of us? How does God see us? In this illustrated presentation, Dr. Laniak will take us into the world of Bedouin shepherds for unique perspectives on Scripture’s challenge to shepherd God’s flock. Come renew your pastoral calling with images and insights designed to keep you on course as you serve the Chief Shepherd. Let God reset your identity as his shepherd.

All are welcome; the lecture is free and will take place in the ATO Chapel on Wednesday, September 14, 2011 at 1pm.