The FIRST BWI will be hosted at Lincoln Christian Church
April 5, 2008
Lincoln, Illinois
204 N. McLean St.
217-732-7618 (church office)
8:15 a.m. - 5:15 p.m.
Email BWI

• Download an information sheet and printable Registration Form (pdf).
• Download a Program Schedule for the April 5 event.
• Online registration and online payment are available.
• Download a PowerPoint file for church announcements and promotion. (Simply copy and paste the four slides in this PowerPoint file into your own PowerPoint file.)
• Go to a map for the church location.

--------------------------------------

The BWI Mission and Setting:

The mission of the BWI is to help individual youth and adults, families, and churches understand, develop, and consistently apply a biblical worldview. The Institute is intended for church leaders and laymen, older Christians and newer Christians, men and women, college age youth, parents, and teens. It will be offered in host churches as a Saturday event with optional sessions on Sunday morning.

The Key Objectives of the BWI:

• Lead Christians to understand the nature of a biblical worldview and its importance for Christian discipleship and leadership.
• Describe the “big picture” of the message, history, and books of the Bible.
• Identify major competing worldview influences in our culture.
• Present the uniqueness of Christ and the Christian faith.
• Challenge youth and adults to apply the obligations and implications of a biblical worldview in ALL areas of life.
• Offer multimedia sessions and valuable resources for continued biblical worldview development.

The Biblical Basis for the BWI:  What does it mean to HAVE a "biblical worldview"? Perhaps even more importantly, what does it mean to LIVE a biblical worldview?
Someone with a biblical worldview is a person who:

• Loves God with heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). A biblical worldview is directly connected to one's discipleship. It is not an "add on" or an "option." Your real worldview comes down to what you truly Love, not merely what you say you believe.
• Has beliefs that are adequately informed by God’s revelation (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Christians need to know much more than basic truths about repentance, resurrection, and God's judgment (see Hebrews 5:11-14; 6:1-3). And they need more than a knowledge of different Bible stories and characters. They need a good understanding of the "big picture" of the Bible--about its "worldview"--and how it differs from other worldviews in our world. They also need a good overview of Bible history and Bible books, and how they contribute to the "big story" of God and His love for humanity.
• Is not taken captive by deceptive philosophies (Colossians 2:8). Alternative philosophies and religions must be exposed in a critical but compassionate way. Maintaining God's truth requires an awareness of these alternatives and avoiding their inappropriate influence in our lives.
• Takes every thought captive to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Having and living a biblical worldview involves more than not be taken captive by deceptive ideas; it also means "taking every thought captive" in obedience to Christ. This means learning how to apply Christian belief to EVERY area of one's life.
• Applies the implications and the obligations of Christian thought to ALL of life. The biblical worldview requires more than right beliefs about God and Jesus. It involves all kinds of implications and obligations for our morality, our relationships, our profession, our education, our recreation, our finances, our home, our social values, etc.

Session Topics and Presenters:

BWI sessions are offered by respected Christian scholars and skilled teachers who are passionate for the ministry of the church. Topics with asterisks will be offered at every BWI. Other topics can be scheduled based on church requests, scheduling options, and staff availability. Presenters are listed next to each topic.

* “The Need for a Biblical Worldview in an Age of Options”
George Barna, a highly acclaimed Christian pollster, claims that while 45% of American adults are “born again,” only 5% of adults and only 2% of teens have a “biblical worldview.”  This session will introduce the concept of a biblical worldview and demonstrate its critical importance for effective Christian discipleship and leadership in a world of competing philosophies and religions (or worldviews). What ARE these other worldviews? WHERE are they? The session will survey some prominent worldviews, highlight their basic principles and influence in our culture, and offer direction for how Christians should respond.

PRESENTER: Dr. Rich Knopp - Professor of Philosophy & Apologetics, Lincoln Christian College & Seminary; Director of WorldViewEyes, a program developed from nearly $1 million in grant funds from the Lilly Endowment of Indiana.  Rich teaches courses in worldviews, apologetics (defending Christian faith), philosophy, ethics, and Christianity and science.  His degrees are from St. Louis Christian College (B.A.), Lincoln Christian Seminary (M.Div.), Southern Illinois University at Carbondale (M.A.), and the University of Illinois (Ph.D.). Much of his graduate work focused on the relationship between science and religion.

Prior to teaching at Lincoln, Rich has served as a preaching minister (5 years) and a youth minister (4 years). He is currently the board president for the Christian Campus Fellowship, a campus ministry at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana.

He has written and produced about 50 different multimedia presentations for WorldViewEyes that have been attended by about 60,000 youth and adults around the country.  He edited and contributed to the book, Taking Every Thought Captive: Essays in Honor of James D. Strauss (Joplin, MO: College Press, 1997) and is currently working on a book in Christian apologetics.

* “The Worldview of the Bible”
Whether you’ve been in the church most of your life or are a relatively new Christian, it is crucial to understand the “big picture” of the Bible—its history, its books, and its overall message.  This session will connect the dots of the history, literature, and theology of the Bible in a way that will be valuable for both the long-time Christian and the new believer.

PRESENTER: Brian Johnson - Professor of New Testament, Lincoln Chrstian College. Brian has degrees from Cincinnati Bible College and Cincinnati Christian Seminary.  He is currently finishing his Ph.D. in New Testament at the University of Aberdeen, focusing on the gospel of John.

His classes at Lincoln include Introduction to the Bible, Introduction to Paul's Epistles, Interpreting Scripture, Gospel of John, and the Book of Revelation. Brian frequently reads papers at scholarly conferences and has done so as far away as Cambridge, England and Groningen, The Netherlands. He has written journal articles and contributed chapters to four different books. He served in a local preaching ministry for six years.

“The Worldview of Revelation”
Many Christians view the book of Revelation as a key to understanding modern and future world events, while others ignore the book because they are totally baffled by its symbols. What’s the real message of the book of Revelation and how should it be interpreted?  What does Revelation say about today and the end of the world?  What about books and movies like the “Left Behind” series? This session will cut through the confusion and help you understand the book of Revelation as a “Discipleship Manual” for Christian living today.

PRESENTER: Dr. Bob Lowery - Professor of New Testament, Lincoln Christian Seminary. He has degrees from Lincoln Christian College, Lincoln Christian Seminary, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and the University of Aberdeen (Ph.D.). He also regularly teaches students from various Eastern European countries as a part of the ministry of TCM International located in Vienna, Austria.

Dr. Lowery is a popular speaker and has written for The Christian Standard, The Standard Lesson Commentary, The Lookout, and The Stone-Campbell Journal, and contributed to study notes on the Book of Revelation for Zondervan's Quest Study Bible.  His specialty is the book of Revelation. His latest work, Revelation's Rhapsody: Listening to the Lyrics of the Lamb (How to Read the Book of Revelation) was released in 2006.  The second volume, now being written, will be entitled Revelation's Rhapsody:  Living Out the Lyrics of the Lamb (How to Apply the Book of Revelation). Bob has a web site, http://www.rlowery.com, to present his ideas and discuss his works.

“The Worldview of Islam”
Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world, and it often dominates the news. This session will address a number of significant questions.  What is Islam?  How and when did it begin?  Does it have any connection to biblical history?  Who was Muhammad?  How do Islam’s beliefs and practices compare and contrast with Christianity?  Is Allah the same as the Christian God?  How does the Koran compare to the Bible?  Does Islam provide any basis for terrorism? 

PRESENTER: Dr. Robert Douglas - Professor of Intercultural Studies, Lincoln Christian Seminary. He is an expert in Muslim culture and missions. For ten years he served as a missionary to Muslims in Libya, Egypt, and Lebanon. While in Beirut, he founded and directed the Middle East Bible Training College. He also served eight years as the Executive Director of the Zwemer Insitute of Muslim Studies in Los Angeles, an organization dedicated to preparing church planters for work among Muslims. For six years, Dr. Douglas led the Central Asia Study Center in Istanbul, Turkey, in an effort to provide final phase training for Christian workers going to Central Asia. He has degrees from Abilene Christian University (B.A., M.A.), Fuller Theological Seminary (M.A. in Missiology), and the University of Southern California (Ph.D. in Religion).

“Competing Pictures of Jesus” (Dr. Bob Kurka)
Increasingly, the Christian understanding of Jesus as the unique and resurrected Son of God is frequently challenged in news magazines, television specials like The Lost Tomb of Jesus, and even movies and books like The DaVinci Code. This session will expose the objectives and questionable assumptions behind these popular pictures of Jesus.   

PRESENTER: Dr. Bob Kurka - Professor of Theology and Culture, Lincoln Christian Seminary. He has degrees from Minnesota Bible College (B.A), Lincoln Christian Seminary (M.Div.), and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (D.Min.).  He is also currently working on a Ph.D. in theology from Trinity Evangelical. Dr. Kurka has been a visiting lecturer for two international graduate programs, Ghana Christian University in Accra, Ghana (2004, 2005), and the Eastern Asia Graduate School in Yangon, Myanmar (2005). He also serves as a regular lecturer for the popular “Perspectives on the World Christian Movement” course throughout the Midwest.

He has had years of preaching ministry experience in a variety of settings including rural congregations, new church work, inter-denominational ministry, university campus ministry, interim ministries, and inner city congregational leadership. He is currently an elder at Lincoln Christian Church.

* “Becoming a Kingdom Leader by Living a Biblical Worldview” -- ADULT session  (Don Green)
God calls you not just to follow Him but to lead others.  Whether you are an adults or a teen, being a disciple of Christ should prompt you to become a more consistent Christian in the daily life you live and in the way you lead. What qualities do you need to develop to become a more effective Christian leader?  How should a biblical worldview affect the way you live?  How should you apply a biblical worldview to your work or profession, education, recreation, and relationships? This session will lead you to apply a biblical worldview to some very practical areas of your life.

PRESENTER: Don Green - Vice President of Church Development, Lincoln Christian College & Seminary. He has degrees from Lincoln Christian College, Lincoln Christian Seminary, and is near completion of his doctorate (D.Min.) at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Leadership and Ministry Management.

Following 15 years of ministry in churches in Illinois and Indiana, he joined the staff of Lincoln Christian College and Seminary in 1982. Prior to assuming his current role in 2001, he served the institution as Administrative Assistant to the President, Director of Institutional Advancement, and Executive Vice President.

* “Jesus and the Life I Live” – YOUTH session (Brian Mills / Rondel Ramsey)
Christian teens are often very enthusiastic about their worship, but they sometimes don’t see the connections between their faith and their life outside of church.  If you’re a young Christian, what difference would a biblical worldview bring to your daily life?  How would a biblical worldview affect your approach to school, sports, the way you socialize, dating, and your future career?  This session will emphasize that being a disciple of Jesus means not just having a biblical worldview but living it.

PRESENTERS: Brian Mills / Rondel Ramsey

Brian Mills is the Vice President of Student Development at Lincoln Christian College & Seminary.  He is especially concerned about cultivating a campus environment and an ongoing challenges to help students become mature Christian leaders.  He is a graduate of Dallas Christian College and has served in ministries in the inner city of Dallas, Denton (TX) Christian Church, and Valley View Christian Church in Dallas.

Rondel Ramsey is professor of Youth Ministry at Lincoln Christian College. Previous to teaching at LCC, Rondel served as youth minister at Central Church of Christ in Streator, Illinois for 15 years.  Rondel graduated from Johnson Bible College in 1986 and received a Master of Arts in Preaching and New Testament from JBC in 1999.  He has also been a presenter for WorldViewEyes at various Christ in Youth Conferences.

OPTIONAL BWI SESSIONS ARE LISTED BELOW:

“Evolution, Creationism, and Intelligent Design” - Dr. Rich Knopp, presenter
Science and Christianity are often viewed in necessary conflict with each other, and the disputes over evolution and creation still grab the news.  This session will help you develop a more positive understanding of the relationship between science and the Christian faith and how to respond to the big questions involving science.  What about the Big Bang?  Is evolution true?  What are some key problems with evolution?  Why can’t Darwinism explain the origin of life?  What is Intelligent Design?  Are there any good evidences of God’s creation of the universe and of life?

“Biblical Ethics and Moral Absolutes” - Dr. Rich Knopp, presenter
Many today say they totally reject any kind of moral “absolutes,” and many professing Christians are not so certain about these absolutes either.  Is anything right (or wrong) for everybody?  Can an action be right for one person but wrong for another?  This session will offer an overview of what the Bible says about such questions and how we should determine what is right and wrong. It will suggest that while the Bible offers moral absolutes, it also speaks about how “right” and “wrong” also depend on a person's motives, on conscience, on the situation, and even on the consequences of actions.  Yet this is NOT "situation ethics." Biblical morality includes "absolutes," but it is much more capable of addressing complex situations than many Christians and non-Christians typically think.

BWI at Your Church?

If you're interested in having your church
host a BWI event,
Click Here for more information.

Email BWI for more information or with any questions.