Calvary Chapel in Southampton is a really great church to work with because it is so missional in its outlook. The church meets in a school, and while the majority of those attending are Christians, there was also a significant number of young people present, which was especially encouraging. Within the youth group, there are many at different stages of faith, which made for a diverse and engaging audience.
I’ve known the pastor, Simon, through CreationFest over the years. For this event, he had two main aims for the sessions: first, to equip Christians to share their faith with friends, and second, to engage with non-Christians or those on a spiritual journey who were also present.
Adjusting the Talk for a Mixed Audience
I delivered my “How to Talk About Jesus Without Looking Like An Idiot” talk with a few minor adjustments to reflect the mixed audience, seeking to embrace the fact that there were non-Christians present, I also adapted the discussion questions accordingly.
So, after exploring fears that can hold Christian people back from talking about faith, I widened the application. For those exploring faith, I also acknowledged the fear of telling friends that they are interested in spiritual things.
The discussion questions were tailored as follows:
- For Christians: What’s the toughest question you’ve ever been asked about your faith?
- For those without a Christian faith: What question would you love to have answered to help you move further on your spiritual journey?
The breadth of people in the room made the discussions lively – and I pray- useful.
Hidden in Plain Sight – Seeing the Bigger Story
In the second talk, I delivered the “Hidden in Plain Sight” message, which explores clues to a bigger story that is right in front of us. I used a detective metaphor—gathering evidence and piecing together clues.
I highlighted four key clues:
- Human curiosity – our constant drive to explore, improve, and ask questions, illustrated with the Artemis space mission
- Justice – our deep sense that things should be made right
- Beauty – especially the presence of natural beauty in the world
- Stories – the narrative shape of human experience and meaning
Bringing these together, I asked what worldview best accounts for all of them.
I used a scene from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring as an illustration. When Gandalf leads the Fellowship through the Mines of Moria, they come to a fork in the tunnels. He admits he cannot remember which way to go. After sitting in darkness for a time, while the others grow anxious, he eventually decides, “It’s this way.” When asked how he knows, he replies: “The air smells less foul this way. If in doubt, always follow your nose.”
I used this moment to suggest that when comparing big worldviews—particularly atheism and Christianity—the “direction of travel” matters. I argued that atheism struggles to account for meaning, purpose, justice, beauty, and story, whereas the Christian worldview offers a more coherent explanation of these clues. My encouragement was simply to take a closer look at Jesus.
Short Q&A Session
We then moved into a brief Q&A, as we had to leave the school building at a set time.
Question 1: Post-truth and conversations about belief
The first question asked how to respond when friends say they don’t believe in truth. I suggested gently pressing back by asking whether they apply that idea consistently. In practice, most people don’t. While they may say “that’s true for you but not for me” in spiritual matters, they don’t apply the same logic elsewhere—such as news reporting or practical decisions like flying on a plane.
Often, this phrase functions less as a philosophical position and more as a way of keeping spiritual questions at a distance.
I also acknowledged that Christians sometimes present truth in ways that can feel harsh or overly rigid, which can understandably put people off. It’s important to remember that, for Christians, truth is ultimately a person, not just a set of propositions.
Question 2: Sharing your story or testimony
The second question asked whether it is appropriate to share your testimony with friends or whether that can feel forced. I suggested beginning with their story instead—asking open questions such as, “Would you describe yourself as a spiritual person?” or “What’s your journey been like?”
Listening well, asking follow-up questions, and showing genuine interest creates a natural space for conversation. From there, sharing your own story can flow much more naturally in response.
Reflections and Follow-Up
We only had time for those two questions, but there were many good conversations afterwards. Simon, the pastor, was very positive about the day, and another visiting church invited me to come and work with their young people as well. We also discussed the possibility of returning to Southampton next year, which was encouraging.
A number of people took copies of Have You Ever Wondered? to share with friends, and the church also took several copies for their bookstore to give away.
Overall, it was a really positive and fruitful time at Calvary Chapel Southampton—an engaged, missional community with a genuine openness to conversation and exploration of faith.
