In my small corner

Our church has just started a monthly segment at our 'youth' service called 'In my small corner'.

This is a cross between a Q&A and a time of sharing of conversations had.

The first 7 'conversations' will be the 7 basic questions that a Christian must be able to answer to follow Peter in 1 Peter 3:15.

1. Why are you a Christian?
2. Why do you read the Bible?
3. Why do you attend church?
4. Don't all religions teach the same thing?
5. That's good if its your truth, but I'm spiritual without that/its not for me.
6. How can a God of love permit so much evil and suffering?
7. Hasn't science disproved the Bible?

From this point people will be invited to relate a conversation they've had and how they deal with it, or how they might have done so. A short discussion may follow.

So, here would be my first one:

Last evening I was talking to a man who was unpersuaded by the 'moral' argument for God. He insisted that the only thing he did was what made him happy and didn't offend against the law or other people.

He put everything down to social structures that had evolved.

I tried to bat back every response, I used examples of the Holocaust, Isis, Crime cartels and Hamas, and we had a good talk for a long time, but what would you have said?

A few things we want to do with this segment:

• Get people used to talking about their faith and its implications
• Show that they don't have to 'win' every encounter (Peter tells us to explain our 'why' not win the argument)
• Discuss responses, and use these for teaching points at another time
• Stimulate conversation over coffee later
• Encourage reading of relevant books/watch videos
• Encourage thoughtful  reading of the Bible.