Learning to Think Christianly

  Pollster George Barna, one of the most astute observers of the evangelical scene today, is in the midst of a nationwide tour conducting seminars for ministers and church leaders. One of the things he discovered that disturbed him most, he said, was that so few born-again Christians have a biblical worldview. According to one study, 91 percent do not have a worldview. And this, Barna concluded, is one of the reasons the Church is so weak. At BreakPoint and the Wilberforce Forum, we're trying hard to do something about that. Daily broadcasts on radio stations nationwide tell you how to apply biblical truths to current issues. We also provide resources through our call center and websites for people who are serious about putting their faith to work in all of life. And we regularly hear from people who are using our materials to do just that. One lawyer told me that he has started a discussion group, studying worldview with non-believers in his firm. A college professor said that he uses BreakPoints to start discussions in his secular college classroom. A businessman in Minneapolis leads a group of businessmen in worldview discussions and sends them out to teach others. And my friend Nancy Fitzgerald in Indianapolis teaches worldview lessons to teenagers in her home. Last year, two groups of one hundred arrived each Sunday, listened to an hour-long lecture, and then camped out all over her house in small groups to talk about what they had learned. Many of them keep up with her after they get to college. I suspect there are many of you listening who would like to do something like this. Well, we have some ways to help you. One is an online worldview course. We're now in our third session, and I've seen a tremendous response in my online chats with students eager to learn. And today we're announcing a new program for those who want to go even deeper: a one-year intensive worldview study program called "The Centurions." Our goal is to teach one hundred Christian men and women to understand, articulate, and live out a biblical worldview -- and then, to teach it to others. Participants will learn through a self-paced study and through seminars in Washington, which I will help teach. We'll cover everything from politics to education to the arts. Since we're limited to one hundred, there is an application process that includes a pledge for each applicant to use this training to help their churches and communities learn how to think Christianly and live out a biblical worldview. We're praying that God will raise up Centurions from every part of the country, from every church affiliation, and from many different career fields. George Barna is right: A major weakness of the Church is that we don't think outside of the sanctuary, and we haven't cultivated a Christian mind. If we're going to succeed in restoring a moral influence in American culture, we need to change that. The next section of the online course begins on October 20, and we're now considering applicants for the Centurions program. For more information about either program, call us here at 1-877-3-CALLBP (1-877-322-5527). Today it is vital for us to prepare ourselves to become God's agents in shaping this culture and bringing biblical truth to bear on all of life. Anybody out there listening? Are you ready to go to war to defend what we believe? Call us.  

For Further Reading and Information

Learn more about the Wilberforce Forum's Centurions Program by calling 1-877-322-5527. George Barna and Mark Hatch, Boiling Point (Regal Books, 2001). BreakPoint Commentary No. 030131, "Bringing God's Truth to Bear." BreakPoint Commentary No. 030108, "A Turning of the Tide." Harry Blamires, The Christian Mind (Vine Books, 1997). David K. Naugle, Worldview: The History of a Concept (Eerdmans, 2002).

08/21/06