The Role of Apologetics in Church Planting

Episode 799

Host Ed Stetzer chats with his colleague Craig Hazen, the Founder and Director of Christian Apologetics at the Talbot School of Theology. Together, they discuss the impact of apologetics within the church-planting sphere and how this study and practice grants us confidence to move forward in our missional calling to share the peace of Christ’s truth with the world.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

  • How to demystify apologetics for both yourself and your congregation
  • Ways to move from evangelism to apologetics as you minister to others
  • Why the college campus is a great place for this study and practice
  • How you can meet people where they are with the truth of Christ, no matter their starting point with the gospel
  • The role of joy within your apologetics engagement!

Helpful Resources:

  • Are you part of a new church plant? Learn more about our new church offer here.
  • Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer.

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes.

Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

Offer reasons for your faith and why it is you put your trust in Jesus. Apologetics is the ministry of helping people answer their questions. — Craig Hazen

Apologetics is going to become more and more important as the culture becomes more and more secular. — Ed Stetzer

We still make strong arguments, but we try to do so with gentleness and respect. The one thing that really juices up the gentleness and respect is having a deep knowledge of the subject. — Craig Hazen

Argumentation means different things to different people, but persuasive apologetics in the public sphere and in relationships is essential today. — Ed Stetzer

I’m much more sensitive to the Holy Spirit when I’m not working out of anxiety as I’m witnessing to a person. — Craig Hazen

The challenge is that a lot of people are just not safe conversation partners with spiritually questioning people. — Ed Stetzer


Published January 25, 2024

P.S. Get our best content in your inbox

We send one email per week chock full of articles from a variety of Church Planting voices.