2025 Session Descriptions
Sunday, June 22
EVENING KICKOFF (for parents + students): Rooted in Christ (Todd Cothran)
Description to come!
Monday, June 23
Session 1: Worldview Basics (Todd Cothran)
Description to come!
Session 2: Investigating Christianity (Jordan Weethee)
This session will feature an in-depth analysis of the Gospel accounts utilizing investigative concepts and methodologies (based heavily on J. Warner Wallace’s Cold Case Christianity) to help determine dating, reliability, and document preservation.
Session 3: Why Should We Trust the Bible? (Alan Shlemon)
It’s popular to beat up on the Bible these days, but many critics are uninformed and pass on urban legends about its unreliability. Since the Bible is foundational to our faith, it’s helpful to be equipped to answer these challenges. Alan will help you sort through the nonsense and provide a helpful mnemonic so the facts undergirding the reliability of the Bible are—literally—at your fingertips.
Session 4: Never Read a Bible Verse (Alan Shlemon)
Are you interpreting the Bible correctly? Though anyone can pick up the Bible and learn from it, it’s also possible to miss the meaning of some passages because they were written in a different time, culture, and language. In this presentation, Alan will show how to apply three simple principles to everyday Bible reading so you accurately interpret God’s Word. You’ll be amazed how proper biblical interpretation will help you glean new insights from familiar passages, correct mistaken understandings of the text, and deepen your appreciation for Scripture. This is a must-take class for every Christian eager to accurately understand and be transformed by God’s Word.
Session 5: A Closer Look at Islam (Alan Shlemon)
Islam is the faith of nearly 20% of the world’s population. In this talk, Alan will demystify what Islam really teaches and examine how it stacks up to Christianity, giving you a better understanding of Muslims and their faith. He’ll also explain how to begin a conversation with your Muslim neighbor that can naturally lead you to introduce Jesus and the Gospel.
Session 6: The God of the Old Testament: Just Judge or Moral Monster? (Sam Raju)
Through the centuries, Scripture has been attacked both from within the church and from without. Many people (even some pastors) today argue that the New Testament should be “unhitched” from the Old Testament. The God of the New Testament is often portrayed as loving, merciful, and compassion while the God of the Old Testament is typically thought of as harsh and unforgiving; but is this an accurate dichotomy? How do we respond to these charges against the Bible and God? We’ll touch on difficult areas of Scripture, especially as they relate to God’s character, such as violence, slavery, and the role/treatment of women. (Note: This session title is based on a book by Paul Copan, Is God a Moral Monster? Making Sense of the Old Testament God, which in turn references a famous quote by the atheist Richard Dawkins.)
Tuesday, June 24
Sessions 1 & 2: Homosexuality & Transgenderism: Truth & Compassion (Alan Shlemon)
Homosexuality: What should our relationship with friends and family who identify as gay or lesbian look like? Alan will help you answer that question in a way that’s faithful to the truth, but with grace. He’ll clarify what both Scripture and science say about homosexuality and then offer practical principles that will help guide your interactions with friends and family in an uncompromising, yet compassionate way.
Transgenderism: More people are questioning whether to identify with the gender of their biological sex. This creates a lot of questions for Christians who desire to understand the truth and reach out with compassion. Alan will help demystify this new phenomenon by looking at what Scripture and science say about it and provide some biblical principles that can help navigate your relationships and guide your conversations in an uncompromising, yet compassionate way.
Session 3: Tactics in Defending Your Faith (Alan Shlemon)
Have you ever been tongue-tied in a conversation about your faith or convictions? Are you ever unsure how to respond when someone challenges your religious beliefs? You’re not alone. There are some simple tactics—tools to maneuver in conversation—that can help you engage people on any topic. In this talk, Alan will show how simple questions can help productively advance a conversation about your faith. You’ll walk away feeling more confident and better equipped to make an impact on any topic and with anyone. (Based on Greg Koukl’s best-selling book Tactics.)
Session 4: New Finds in Biblical Archaeology (Charles Dumaresq)
Although archaeology cannot prove the Bible is true, it can confirm it (a wonderful gift of God!). Charles will discuss significant recent discoveries—including some exciting finds in just the past two years—that support the biblical texts. He will also review what biblical archaeology is and why it’s a great apologetic tool. He will additionally discuss how technology has emerged to assist in these discoveries, and he will point students to active digs in which they can participate as well as resources they can consult if this is an area in which they wish to learn more.
Session 5: Jesus Was a Sociologist & You Should Be One Too! (Skip Burzumato)
In His teachings and actions, Jesus demonstrated a deep awareness of social structures, power dynamics, inequality, and human behavior. He critiqued unjust systems, uplifted the marginalized, and used parables to reveal truths about human relationships and society. In this session, we will examine the connections between Jesus’s teaching and the work of the sociologist, with the hope that students will be inspired to observe, analyze, and engage with their own social world with wisdom, compassion, and a commitment to justice.
Session 6: Why You Should Get Married (Someday) (Skip Burzumato)
If current trends continue, 25–30% of today’s young adults may never marry. During this session, we will examine the latest data and trends in dating, cohabitation, and marriage. We will also discuss the benefits of marriage both for the individual and for society. (Note: In this session, Skip will bring in his wealth of knowledge and experience from his work as associate director of the National Marriage Project at UVA, where he worked closely with Dr. Brad Wilcox, author of Get Married!)
EVENING SESSION OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY (for parents, youth and church leaders, educators, etc.): Bulletproof Faith (Alan Shlemon)
MORE INFO HERE
When students leave the comfort of a Christian home or education, who is waiting for them (at college, the workplace, or elsewhere)? Are they prepared? Virtually every study says they’re not. Students are typically ill-equipped to handle the challenges to their Christian convictions. Alan will explain what is causing students to ditch their faith and what we can do about it. With the right training from teachers, parents, and church leaders, young believers can withstand the assault and make a positive impact for Christ. Alan will equip attendees with a five-part strategy for training young believers so that their faith is bulletproof. This presentation is geared for parents, youth leaders, teachers, school staff, or pastors.
Wednesday, June 25
Session 1: Making the Case for Life on Hostile Turf (Scott Klusendorf)
Session 2: What Is the Unborn & What Makes Humans Valuable? (Scott Klusendorf)
Session 3: Five Bad Ways People Argue for Abortion (Scott Klusendorf)
In the wake of the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, it’s increasingly important that local communities and families understand the issue of abortion clearly and can shape conversations and culture to reflect a life-honoring value system. Whether you are searching for more clarity in your own beliefs, or you are looking for language to know how to communicate pro-life convictions to a secular culture, Scott Klusendorf illuminates the issue in a persuasive and respectful way.
Sessions 4 & 5: Christ Over All: How Scripture Informs Every Area of Life, 2-part talk (Todd Cothran)
Description to come!
Session 6: Engaging Creation Biblically: Stewardship vs. Environmentalism (Peter Forister)
Description to come!
Thursday, June 26
Session 1: The Bankruptcy of Moral Relativism (Megan Almon)
Relativism will probably be the biggest confronter of students as they leave home/church/school. Any claim to truth, especially truth that is religious or moral in nature, our world categorizes as a preference. Students need to be able to recognize and combat this view and make sure they haven’t relativized their own thoughts in regard to their Christian convictions.
Session 2: Jesus, the Only Way? (Tripp Almon)
The culture has some responses and questions regarding the Christian claim that the person and work of Jesus is the only means of salvation. “That is narrow-minded.” “Christians are so arrogant.” “All religions are basically the same.” “What about those who’ve never heard of Jesus?” “Are you telling me people go to hell just because they don’t believe in Jesus?” In this session we will explore this exclusive claim of Christianity, discuss these objections, and more.
Session 3: Good God, Why Evil? (Tripp Almon)
This talk addresses the argument that since evil exists, therefore a God who is all-powerful and all-good does not exist. We interactively deal with this argument on an intellectual level by addressing a typically proposed syllogism. We finish by talking about how to deal with individuals who are making this claim. Often what sounds like an intellectual objection is often an emotional one. Tripp will deal with this issue at a head (intellectual), heart (relational), and hands (practical) level.
Session 4: Beauty: The Art of War (Megan Almon)
We live in a culture that thinks it is obsessed with beauty, but beauty has been brushed aside as unimportant, something that is only “in the eye of the beholder.” As a result, we actually live in a culture that is starving for it. Megan demonstrates that beauty is not only real but vital. Learn how beauty has been defined, the effects that it has, and how it awakens longing within us. Explore beauty as it relates to God, to art, and to us; and leave knowing that every beautiful contribution you make is an act of defiance against brokenness and death.
Session 5: What About Evolution? (Tripp Almon)
This talk serves as an introduction to thinking well about evolution and intelligent design. As it turns out, the general theory of evolution is more philosophical than scientific. In this talk we, will see that macro-evolution depends on two pillars that don’t hold up: (1) Life from non-life, and (2) change from simple to complex organisms. Finally, we will quickly examine three lines of positive evidence that macro-evolution is not true and that intelligent design is a more reasonable conclusion.
Session 6: Launching & Thriving: Practical Wisdom & Tools for Students Leaving Home (Megan Almon)
We’ve heard of the startling number of students who leave home and leave their Christian faith behind. Let’s look at things from a different angle: What about those who leave home and flourish in their faith? It turns out they have some things in common. Learn from these findings as you prepare for what’s coming, and navigate your next steps with confidence.
Friday, June 27
Session 1: Man, Economy, and Law (Hunter Baker)
This session will describe the economic nature of human beings and the world in which we live. It will also address how we should respond to the world given these realities.
Session 2: Christianity and Politics (Hunter Baker)
This presentation will explore the major themes that are fundamental to politics and then comment on the ways Christianity interacts with our political understanding.
Session 3: Thinking Skills & Tactics for “Studies Show” Shutdowns (Jen Dimeo)
While research studies can be wonderful ways of investigating and understanding God’s created order, unfortunately, many people misuse research in order to shut down thought and dialogue over important issues. By understanding what research can and cannot do and by using tactics,* we can (1) confidently think through research misused to shut down arguments, and (2) reengage in dialogue that prompts thinking and points toward Truth. *With a nod to Greg Koukl and his book by the same name—also the focus of a session earlier in the week by Alan Shlemon.
Session 4: Discussion Panel on Smartphones, Social Media & Technology (multiple panelists)
Description to come!
Session 5: What Am I Supposed to Do with My Life? (Luke Forister)
“When in Rome…” One of the most difficult questions facing young people is what to do with their lives in a world of choices and consequences. Luke tackles the issue with a simple tenet in mind: the end goal of our lives is to bring glory to God. Covering some of his own testimony, Luke will present a biblical framework—and a few simple practical tips—on the ever-pesky concept of personal direction.