0. Apologia- a defense
…”but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” (1 Peter 3:15)

1. “Apologetics defends the defining Christian truth claims against various challenges from unbelievers.”
What would you say are some of the challenges that unbelievers make to our faith?

2. “But apologetics is offered not only in response to the doubts and denials of non-Christians. It also fortifies believers in their faith, whether they are wrestling with doubts and questions or simply seeking a deeper grounding for their biblical beliefs.” (D. Groothuis)

3. Why Teach Apologetics?
The Bible says we should be prepared to give a defense.
It fortifies the faith of believers.

4. Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. (Jude verse 3)

5. The Percentage of Churched Teens that leave the Church upon entering College:
Barna (2006) 61%
The Last Christian Generation, (Josh McDowell, 2006) 67%
Lifeway Research (2007) 70%
This Present Future, (Jossey-Bass, 2009) 90%
Already Gone (Beemer and Ham 2009) 60%
Southern Baptist Convention – currently losing 70-88% of their teens
You Lost Me (David Kinnaman, 2011) 60%

6. Soul Searching (2005)
“The majority of teenagers are incredibly inarticulate about their faith, religious beliefs and practices, and its place in their lives.
“Teens leave faith behind primarily because of intellectual doubt and skepticism.”

7. 63% of teenaged Christians don't believe that Jesus is the Son of the one true God.
51% don't believe that Jesus rose from the dead.  
68% don't believe that the Holy Spirit is a real entity.
Only 33% of churched youth have said that the church will play a part in their lives when they leave home.”

8. 58% of teens who call themselves Christians believe that all faiths teach equally valid truths.

9. Why Are They Leaving?
A survey of various studies shows some similar themes:
1. Shallow belief system: “The result is a faith that cannot stand the scrutiny of trials or intellectual questions.”
2. No Room for Doubt: Those who leave the faith sometimes do so because they had questions and they didn’t receive answers.

10. 3. Exclusivity of Faith: They struggle with the idea that Jesus is the only way.
4. No Answers for Opposition: Not prepared with answers to philosophical and scientific opposition to Christianity Christianity is viewed as anti-Science. Faith and science are seen as incompatible.
“Most Christians are completely unprepared to provide logical, coherent, well-examined reasons for their belief in Christianity. When faced with opposition, these teens find that the answer is simple: you can’t be a Christian and an intellectual. Faith and science are incompatible.”
(Brian Housman)

11. Already Gone, is the result of a study of 1000 young adults between 20 and 29 who had regularly attended evangelical churches but who had left the church, no longer believing that all of the accounts in the Bible are true.
Nearly 85% of these young adults began to doubt the truth or accuracy of God's Word before they ever went to college.

12. When did you first begin to doubt?
About 40% first had doubts in elementary school. (The majority of these were in Grades 6-8.) 
Another 44% first had doubts in high school. 
About 11% had their first doubts during college.

13. We are losing many more people by middle school and many more by high school than we will ever lose in college.”
“Clearly there is a slightly delayed reaction going on. Students didn’t start doubting in college, they simply departed by college…If you look around in your church today, two thirds of those who are sitting among us have already left in their hearts, it will only take a couple years before their bodies are absent as well.” (Already Gone, p 33)

14. J. Warner Wallace, police detective
and Christian “Case Maker.”

15. Defend the Word. Live the Word.
Equip yourself.

16. Rooted Ready Reaching
The vision of Roots Ministries is to see children, teens and young adults rooted in their faith, ready with answers, and reaching others.

17. Train Support Promote
The mission of Roots Ministries is to train and support children, teens, young adults and leaders and promote a biblical worldview locally and globally.
Train: your leaders, children, teens and young adults, at camps, Sunday Schools, youth Groups, Christian schools etc.
Support: families, churches, educators with resources

18. Future Dreams… Teaching Kits Travelling museum-type displays
A Bible Discovery/Training Centre

19. True greatness is “a passionate love for Jesus Christ that shows itself in an unquenchable love and concern for others.” 
“Are we as concerned with Scripture memorization as we are about academics? As fired up about Christ as about sporting events? Do our children know that no accomplishment would be more meaningful to us than seeing them make an impact for God’s kingdom? (Tim Kimmel)

20. “When a student realizes that his faith will bear serious scrutiny, he realizes too that he has nothing to fear from non-Christian worldviews. Sharing one’s faith becomes a much less daunting task, as does bringing that faith to bear on the public square.” (Jeff Baldwin)

21. “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” (Edmund Burke.)