Gavin is Solas’s Assistant Director (Scotland) and does a wide variety of work for the organisation. He speaks for Solas in churches and at conferences, co-ordinates the website, writes articles and other Solas communications and presents webinars and podcasts. He also loves networking for Solas and speaking with church leaders about our work. Gavin has been married to Elaine since 1996 and they have three adult children. He has been a member of Perth Baptist Church since 1999.
What is the Gospel?
Based on Ephesians 2, this session explains and applies the gospel message. There is a lot of confusion in the world about what the core of the Christian faith is, and this is an explanation of the foundational truths of the message we proclaim about salvation.
A Biblical Basis for Apologetics
What is the biblical basis for the evangelistic methods that Solas uses and teaches? In this session we look at the way that both the content of our message and the way we communicate it should be biblical, and that the Bible itself is a great apologetic for the truth about Jesus.
Jesus & The Questions of the Age
How is culture changing in the UK today? How are the questions and objections from seekers and sceptics changing? In this session we look at survey data on our culture, as well as academic analysis of cultural trends that identify the key questions being asked. Then we look at how the Bible answers these four questions compellingly.
Engaging the Apathetic
What do you do when you meet the wall of apathy in our gospel conversations? How do we make the gospel sound interesting to people who "don't do God"? In this session we look at ways to show the relevance of Christ to people, in order to make a bridge for the gospel. It features our popular Have You Ever Wondered? book.
5 Steps for Handling Difficult Questions
Many Christians shrink back from sharing their faith, fearing that they will be asked a question they can't answer or that their answer will offend their hearers. In this session we look at five steps for engaging the hardest questions we face with truth and grace, which will enable us to win people, not just arguments.
If God, Why Suffering?
"The Great Objection" to the gospel is the problem of pain, something that affects people of all faiths and none. In this session we look at the ways other worldviews attempt to address it, and the unique explanatory power of the gospel. Then we think about some of the good and bad ways the church has answered the question in the context of evangelism.
Hospitality: your home as a tool for the kingdom
An overlooked way we can reach the lost is using our homes as places where grace is shown and a catalyst for gospel conversations. This session is an encouragement to embrace the ministry of hospitality as frontline gospel work.
Getting the Gospel Out of the Four Walls of the Church
This fast-paced, practical seminar is based on our research into churches that are sharing the gospel, and highlights all kinds of practical steps for engaging communities with the message of Christ.
Bible-based talks
Gavin also presents talks based directly on texts of Scripture. These are sometimes used in Sunday morning services following Saturday conferences, and are based on missional texts such as:
- Matthew 28: The Great Commission
- Matthew 5:13-16: Salt and Light
- Acts 17: Paul's Missionary Methods
- 1 Peter 3: What Makes a Great Evangelist?
- Acts 23: The Courageous Christian
- 1 Thessalonians 4:13 – 5:11: The Gospel, Our True Hope
Video Samples
Speaking at Riverside Church, Ayr
The Road to Emmaus – preaching at Maddiston Community Church near Falkirk.
Jesus and the Questions of Our Age – preaching at Selkirk Baptist Church
Writing Samples
Perfectionism, Grace and Drums – article for the Undercurrents series
Taking the Gospel Outside the Four Walls of the Church: Café-style evangelism in six easy steps
Finding Hope This Easter in the Age of Doomscrolling – article for The Scotsman newspaper
Photo Gallery
Right-click to download images
Biography
Gavin Matthews grew up in the west London suburbs near Heathrow Airport. His parents were Christians who brought him up in the faith, which he came to enjoy himself when he was seventeen and studying A-levels after a period of wrestling with doubts and questions. He was greatly influenced in his early Christian life by the noted Bible teacher Derek O. Swann, and the Covenanters youth movement.
After moving to Scotland, Gavin gained an MA(Hons) 1st Class, in Modern History and Political Science at the University of Dundee, and married a fellow student, Elaine. There he was involved with the Christian Union and Central Baptist Church. After that he gained an M.Litt in Modern American History and Politics at St Andrews, pursuing research into the post-Civil rights era responses of the Black Churches of Philadelphia to the development needs of the city’s African American neighbourhoods. While being the primary carer for three children Gavin then studied theology at ICC in Glasgow, gaining an Open University accredited degree.
Gavin and his family have lived in Perth since the late 1990s and have been active members of Perth Baptist Church throughout that time. He first worked for Solas as a contributor to, then editor at Solas Magazine, beginning in 2015. He is now Solas’s Assistant Director (Scotland) and does a wide variety of work for the organisation. He speaks for Solas in churches and at conferences, co-ordinates the website, writes articles and other Solas communications and presents webinars and podcasts. He also does a lot of networking for Solas and speaks to church leaders about our work.
Outside work and church, Gavin enjoys reading, hillwalking and cycling. He has climbed all 282 of Scotland’s Munros. He likes music that others find objectionable, and has a very corny sense of humour.