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CAN I TRUST THE BIBLE?

APOLOGETICS CANADA CONFERENCE

M M X X I V

MARCH 1 & 2, 2024
ABBOTSFORD, BC

Day
Hour
Minute
Second
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The Bible is the most important book of the last two millennia. From sitting at the formation of governments, cultures, and law, this collection of ancient documents has shaped the modern world in ways you may have never realized. However, while the Bible's influence has remained, central attitudes towards it have radically shifted. Once referred to as "the Good Book," there has been a growing skepticism and downright distaste for the Bible.

Are there good reasons to take the Bible seriously? Can we have confidence that it hasn't been altered, adapted, influenced, and edited since its last book was penned nearly two thousand years ago? What are the implications if the Bible's claims are true?

Apologetics Canada is proud to host the Can I Trust the Bible? Apologetics Canada Conference. Join us this March to take a closer look at the reliability, relevance, and truth claims concerning the most printed, published, translated, and circulated book in the world: the Bible.

REGISTER

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SCHEDULE

Friday, March 1

5:30 PM

Registration begins. Any remaining tickets available for purchase.

6:30 PM

Doors open.

7:00 PM

General Session 1

Is the Bible True?

The Bible, while it is believed by Christians to be more than a collection of ancient documents, is certainly no less than that. Knowing how old it is, what confidence do we have that it's been preserved correctly. Didn't the Church choose what books to put in the Bible and what books to leave out, at the Council of Nicaea (325 AD), all for political and theological purposes? Even if we can establish that it's been preserved, what good reason do we have to believe that the authors of the books of the Bible were telling the truth?

• Is the Bible True? - Wesley Huff

Is the Bible Good?

Over the years, the questions people are focusing on have shifted. Regardless of whether the Bible is true, some people refuse to accept its teachings because of what they perceive to be the barbarism contained therein. Didn't lots daughters get their father drunk in order to have incestuous sex? Didn't God command raped women to marry their rapist? Wasn't Israel commanded to kill women and children to make room for them as a nation?

• Is the Bible Good? - Mark S. Francois

9:00 PM

Break

9:20 PM

Panel Q&A with Mark and Wesley
(Moderated by Andy Steiger)

10:00 PM

Conference ends for the night.

Saturday, March 2

7:30 AM

Doors open.

8:00 AM

General Session 2

How Did We Get the Bible?

The Bible you hold in your hand has a long history—almost 2,000 years of it, in fact. Most people know what a Bible looks like in its contemporary form, but have little to no idea about how it came together. 

• How Did We Get the Bible? - John Meade

Why are There So Many English Bibles and What are We Supposed to Do about It?

We have an embarrassment of riches in English Bible translation, but many Christians fail to take advantage of these riches. They are confused by the multiplicity of options in the "Christian Bibles" category on Amazon. They don't know what to do when they encounter differences among Bible translations—so they don't. They stick with just one. But there are many Bibles for good reasons, and a few basic concepts will help you profit from them in your Bible study.

• Why are There So Many English Bibles and What are We Supposed to Do about It? - Mark Ward

• Q&A (Moderated by Wesley Huff)

10:15 AM

Break

10:30 AM

Breakout Session 1
(Choose a topic of interest)

11:10 AM

Lunch

12:25 PM

Breakout Session 2
(Choose a topic of interest)

1:05 PM

Break

1:20 PM

General Session 3

Getting High with the Most High?
From Psychedelics to Jesus

The use of psychedelic drugs are becoming more and more prevalent. From the Joe Rogan Podcast to the halls of Academia, hallucinogens are being promoted and popularized. These consciousness-altering drugs are being heavily endorsed in the search for the real and the truth.

Ashley was no exception to this trend. She was heavy into psychedelics until she gave her life to Jesus and found reality and truth in Him. Now she has completely abandoned hallucinogens and encourages people to turn to Jesus in their search for truth. What happened in between? Join Ashley in conversation with Steve Kim as they discuss the growing drug culture, and how Christians might navigate it.

• Getting High with the Most High?
From Psychedelics to Jesus - Ashley Lande

2:00 PM

Conference ends.

SPEAKERS

PLENARY

Mark S. Francois

Assistant Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages
Colorado Christian University

Mark Francois, PhD, has recently joined the faculty of the School of Theology at the Colorado Christian University after serving twelve years as a pastor in Ontario, Canada. While serving as a pastor, he taught courses at Tyndale Seminary, Toronto Baptist Seminary, and the One Hope Canada School of Discipleship. Prior to serving as a pastor, he taught Hebrew Grammar, Hebrew Syntax, and a semester of Aramaic at Toronto Baptist Seminary.

Mark's primary academic interests are Deuteronomy, OT law, OT Theology, OT textual criticism, Hebrew, and Classical Syriac. His dissertation focused on the relationship between the curses of Deuteronomy 28 and the Loyalty Oath of Esarhaddon based on the types of changes that occur when curses are translated from one language to another in bilingual texts from the ancient Near East. He has a strong interest in Semitic languages and is currently writing an introductory grammar of Classical Syriac.

He lives in Lakewood with his wife, Alecia, and his two children: Jael and Caleb.

MARK S. FRANCOIS

Assistant Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages
Colorado Christian University

Is the Bible Good?

Over the years, the questions people are focusing on have shifted. Regardless of whether the Bible is true, some people refuse to accept its teachings because of what they perceive to be the barbarism contained therein. Didn't Lot's daughters get their father drunk in order to have incestuous sex? Didn't God command raped women to marry their rapist? Wasn't Israel commanded to kill women and children to make room for them as a nation?

Is the Bible Good?

Wesley Huff

Central Canada Director
Apologetics Canada

Wesley Huff was born in Multan, Pakistan and spent a portion of his childhood in the Middle East. After being diagnosed with a rare neurological condition at the age of eleven that left him paralyzed from the waist down Wes experienced a miraculous recovery that the doctors themselves said they had no medical explanation for. This experience, along with a great deal of study and soul searching in his later teens solidified his interest in the subjects of faith and engaging the beliefs and worldview perspectives of others. He spent his high school years in the Northern Ontarian town of Elliot Lake, and currently lives in Toronto, Canada with his wife, Melissa, their son Eli, and daughters Everly and Juliette.

He holds a BA in sociology from York University, a Masters of Theological Studies from Tyndale University, and is currently doing a PhD in New Testament and Christian Origins at the University of Toronto’s Wycliffe College. For five years Wes worked as a writer, researcher, and speaker for Power to Change - Students (formerly Campus Crusade in Canada) and has made online contributions to Apologetics Canada, Power to Change - Students, The Gospel Coalition Canada, and the Apologetics Academy Webinar. Along with being involved in the collective with Talk About Doubts, he has been a curriculum contributor with Trans World Radio and written multiple entries (including those on Rastafarianism, Canadian Druze Society, and Kathok Conpa Buddhism) in the Melton’s Encyclopedia of American Religions (Ninth Edition, Vol 2: Canada).

Wesley is currently the Director of Central Canada for Apologetics Canada and has participated in numerous talks and interfaith dialogue events at universities and colleges across North America. He has been participating in public dialogues on issues of faith, belief, and religion for the last ten years.

He enjoys canoeing, archery, and cats (although not all three at the same time).

WESLEY HUFF

Central Canada Director
Apologetics Canada

Is the Bible True?

The Bible, while it is believed by Christians to be more than a collection of ancient documents, is certainly no less than that. Knowing how old it is, what confidence do we have that it's been preserved correctly? Didn't the Church choose what books to put in the Bible and what books to leave out, at the Council of Nicaea (325 AD), all for political and theological purposes? Even if we can establish that it's been preserved, what good reason do we have to believe that the authors of the books of the Bible were telling the truth?

Is the Bible True?

John Meade

Professor of Old Testament
Phoenix Seminary

Dr. John Meade joined the Phoenix Seminary Faculty in 2012. He teaches courses in Hebrew Language, Old Testament Literature, Greek Language and Literature, and Biblical Theology. His research interests include Origen’s Hexapla, the Septuagint, Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible, the Canon of Scripture, and Biblical Theology. He also presents papers at scholarly meetings such as the Evangelical Theological Society, the International Organization for Septuagint and Cognate Studies, and the Society of Biblical Literature.

He and his wife have four kids and attend Camelback Bible Church. When he is not researching, he enjoys adventures with his family in the National Parks and on hikes in northern Arizona.

John Meade

Professor of Old Testament
Phoenix Seminary

How Did We Get the Bible?

The Bible you hold in your hand has a long history—almost 2,000 years of it, in fact. Most people know what a Bible looks like in its contemporary form, but have little to no idea about how it came together. 

How Did We Get the Bible?

Mark Ward

Editor in Chief
Bible Study Magazine

Mark Ward (PhD, Bob Jones University) is the Editor in Chief of Bible Study Magazine, a product of Faithlife, makers of Logos Bible Software. He has written multiple Bible textbooks for BJU Press, including Biblical Worldview: Creation, Fall, Redemption (2015) for high schoolers and Basics for a Biblical Worldview (2021) for middle-schoolers. Mark serves in his local church, is an active YouTuber and blogger (byfaithweunderstand.com), and is the author of Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible (Lexham Press, 2018). Authorized is also an infotainment documentary available on FaithlifeTV.

He resides with his wife and three children in Mount Vernon, Washington.

Mark Ward

Editor in Chief
Bible Study Magazine

Why are There So Many English Bibles and What are We Supposed to Do about It?

We have an embarrassment of riches in English Bible translation, but many Christians fail to take advantage of these riches. They are confused by the multiplicity of options in the "Christian Bibles" category on Amazon. They don't know what to do when they encounter differences among Bible translations—so they don't. They stick with just one. But there are many Bibles for good reasons, and a few basic concepts will help you profit from them in your Bible study.

Why are There So Many English Bibles and What are We Supposed to Do about It?

Ashley Lande

Artist, Author
ashleylande.com

Ashley is an artist and writer. At one point in her life, she was heavily into psychedelics and searching for something real. It was at the age of 22, high on acid and utterly lost that she encountered someone real. Jesus saved Ashley from herself. Encountering Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, she subsequently abandoned all drugs and embraced Christianity. The full story is detailed in her contribution to the new book, Coming to Faith through Dawkins: 12 Essays on the Pathway from New Atheism to Christianity.

Ashley is a lover of books, especially thick adventure tomes. She greatly enjoys being married to her husband and homeschooling her two children.

Ashley Lande

Artist, Author
ashleylande.com

Getting High with the Most High?
From Psychedelics to Jesus

The use of psychedelic drugs are becoming more and more prevalent. From the Joe Rogan Podcast to the halls of Academia, hallucinogens are being promoted and popularized. These consciousness-altering drugs are being heavily endorsed in the search for the real and the truth.

Ashley was no exception to this trend. She was heavy into psychedelics until she gave her life to Jesus and found reality and truth in Him. Now she has completely abandoned hallucinogens and encourages people to turn to Jesus in their search for truth. What happened in between? Join Ashley in conversation with Steve Kim as they discuss the growing drug culture, and how Christians might navigate it.

Getting High with the Most High?
From Psychedelics to Jesus

BREAKOUT SESSIONS

Michael Horner

PhD Candidate
University of Saskatchewan

Michael is passionate about learning and teaching. He has always had a strong interest in discovering how the world around him works. Michael holds degrees in physics and computer science. He is currently pursuing a PhD, investigating an area of physics known as quantum gravity.

The intersection between faith and science is what drew Michael to apologetics. He hopes that through apologetics the Church will have thought provoking conversations about science and how we view the world.

When Michael is not studying he enjoys working on computers and electronics, getting out into the backcountry for hiking and camping, and photographing the night sky.

MICHAEL HORNER

Christian Apologist
Power to Change

Is Christianity Harmful to Human Flourishing?

Despite serious blemishes, history reveals that Christianity is a life-giving, transformational ideology. How can we maintain our passion to be faithful ambassadors of Jesus’ kingdom, and persuade others that Jesus’ worldview and teaching is not the problem but is positively transformational personally and culturally?

Is Christianity Harmful to Human Flourishing?

Mark S. Francois

Assistant Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages
Colorado Christian University

Mark Francois, PhD, has recently joined the faculty of the School of Theology at the Colorado Christian University after serving twelve years as a pastor in Ontario, Canada. While serving as a pastor, he taught courses at Tyndale Seminary, Toronto Baptist Seminary, and the One Hope Canada School of Discipleship. Prior to serving as a pastor, he taught Hebrew Grammar, Hebrew Syntax, and a semester of Aramaic at Toronto Baptist Seminary.

Mark's primary academic interests are Deuteronomy, OT law, OT Theology, OT textual criticism, Hebrew, and Classical Syriac. His dissertation focused on the relationship between the curses of Deuteronomy 28 and the Loyalty Oath of Esarhaddon based on the types of changes that occur when curses are translated from one language to another in bilingual texts from the ancient Near East. He has a strong interest in Semitic languages and is currently writing an introductory grammar of Classical Syriac.

He lives in Lakewood with his wife, Alecia, and his two children: Jael and Caleb.

MARK S. FRANCOIS

Assistant Professor of OT and Semitic Languages
Colorado Christian University

Intro to Interpreting the Bible
Why the Bible Can Be Difficult to Interpret

On one level, the Bible is easy to understand. Christians all over the world with no training in biblical interpretation grow in their faith by simply reading the Bible. On another level, the Bible is very difficult to understand. Readers, both Christian and non-Christian, traditionalist and progressive, often misinterpret, misapply, or simply miss the point of many passages in the Bible. We will look at seven of the most common barriers that prevent us from interpreting the Bible well–and learn how to become better interprets along the way.

Intro to Interpreting the Bible
Why the Bible Can Be Difficult to Interpret

Quentin Genuis

Physician, Bioethicist
St. Paul's Hospital

Dr Quentin Genuis is an Emergency Physician at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, and the Physician Ethicist for Providence Health Care. He holds a Master of Letters from the University of St. Andrews. He teaches in academic, clinical, professional, and lay-settings on a variety of issues related to bioethics. His research and writing interests include the autonomy debates, end-of-life care, compassion, human dignity, addictions, and theological anthropology. He enjoys drinking Scottish whiskey, reading Dostoevsky, and slacklining. He loves his wife, Kalyn, and their four children: Lila, Rowan, Elias, and Junia.  

QUENTIN GENUIS

Physician, Bioethicist
St. Paul's Hospital

Medical Ethics and the Life of the Church

What features define human life? How do individuals and communities understand and withstand suffering and pain? What is good dying? In our time, these essential human questions are often viewed primarily as bioethics issues. In reality, these are not exclusively medical or bioethical enquiries. Rather, they are questions that all human individuals and societies ultimately wrestle with.

This talk will outline some of the ways that our Christian faith provides rich 'good-news' answers to these complicated and challenging questions, with particular focus on the conversations going on in our own society around issues related to bioethics.

Medical Ethics and the Life of the Church

Sid Koop

Executive Director
Youth Worker Community

From camp speaker to local youth pastor to youth ministry professor, Sid draws from over 25 years of youth ministry experience. Sid Koop is the Executive Director of the Youth Worker Community where he and his team are dedicated to equipping, empowering, and relationally supporting youth workers to help the next generation know Jesus. YWC is shaping ministry to adolescents in Canada through Digital Resources, The Coalition, Youth Worker Training Events, and Youth Ministry Coaching, and Consulting, equipping and encouraging thousands of youth workers each year. Currently, his "most important" contract is working for his wife at Green Bay Bible Camp as the Director of Leadership Development and Discipleship.

SID KOOP

Executive Director
Youth Worker Community

More Than Just a Decision
Helping Students Become Like Jesus

The most significant question our students are asking is the question of identity, "Who am I?" Culture tells them to first “look in,” then around, and maybe finally up, in order to affirm whatever identity their emotions have chosen for themselves. This process leaves our students fragile, insecure, self protective and ultimately without freedom. The Gospel flips the cultural script on its head. The Gospel calls us to look up, then around, and finally in, to figure out what needs to be re-ordered to align with the identity God has given to us—the identity we have been created for. This is freedom. How do we build our youth ministry so that it helps students discover who they actually are, and embrace the resilient, loving, and freedom giving identity they have been made for.

More Than Just a Decision
Helping Students Become Like Jesus

Ashley Lande

Artist, Author
ashleylande.com

Ashley is an artist and writer. At one point in her life, she was heavily into psychedelics and searching for something real. It was at the age of 22, high on acid and utterly lost that she encountered someone real. Jesus saved Ashley from herself. Encountering Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, she subsequently abandoned all drugs and embraced Christianity. The full story is detailed in her contribution to the new book, Coming to Faith through Dawkins: 12 Essays on the Pathway from New Atheism to Christianity.

Ashley is a lover of books, especially thick adventure tomes. She greatly enjoys being married to her husband and homeschooling her two children.

ASHLEY LANDE

Artist, Author
ashleylande.com

Nothing New Under the Sun
The Reincarnation of the New Age in Psychedelic Culture

The resurgence of psychedelic drug use has spawned a rebirth of numerous strains of New Age belief systems. Psychedelic culture tends to embrace a grab bag of philosophies derived from Eastern mysticism, self-actualization, neo-paganism and pantheism, and is characterized by its openness to nearly everything EXCEPT Christianity.

While much of the belief systems are repackaged versions of ancient heresies and ideas popularized by the psychedelic movement of the sixties, the disproportional representation of the tech industry in psychedelic culture adds the novel dimension of tech- and AI-driven transhumanism.

Join Ashley Lande and Steve Kim in conversation over what has changed, what remains the same, and how Christians might creatively and confidently confront the seductive yet specious patterns of thought emerging from psychedelic culture with the truth of Jesus Christ. 

Nothing New Under the Sun
The Reincarnation of the New Age in Psychedelic Culture

Rachel Mackenzie

Teacher, Author
The Human Project for Kids

Rachel MacKenzie is passionate about equipping children to think carefully about truth as they develop a Biblical worldview. She holds a B.Ed. in Elementary Education and is working on her M.Ed. in Instructional Leadership. She has taught in both public and private settings in the UK and Canada. She currently works as a school administrator in a Christian school in B.C.
 
While working in Children's Ministry, Rachel realized that many children who grow up in church were not being taught how to think critically or carefully about their beliefs and that parents and teachers often felt ill equipped to navigate big questions from their children. This led to a partnership with Andy Steiger and the creation of The Human Project for Kids book series. 
 
Through workshops with both educators and parents, Rachel hopes to help equip adults to help the children in their care to engage in deep conversations about faith, develop habits of careful thinking, and to build a solid worldview that will stand firm through the changing tides of culture. 

RACHEL MACKENZIE

Teacher, Author
The Human Project for Kids

Keeping the Bible Bizarre for Kids

There are some wildly bizarre parts of the Bible. A man is swallowed by a fish. A donkey talks. Blood has the ability to cleanse. Sometimes we are tempted to avoid the more complicated parts of scripture when teaching children. Or we retell the same stories so often that the wonder & mystery are forgotten. In this session we will explore best practices for teaching Biblical truth in a way that captivates children's hearts and minds.

Keeping the Bible Bizarre for Kids

John Meade

Professor of Old Testament
Phoenix Seminary

Dr. John Meade joined the Phoenix Seminary Faculty in 2012. He teaches courses in Hebrew Language, Old Testament Literature, Greek Language and Literature, and Biblical Theology. His research interests include Origen’s Hexapla, the Septuagint, Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible, the Canon of Scripture, and Biblical Theology. He also presents papers at scholarly meetings such as the Evangelical Theological Society, the International Organization for Septuagint and Cognate Studies, and the Society of Biblical Literature.

He and his wife have four kids and attend Camelback Bible Church. When he is not researching, he enjoys adventures with his family in the National Parks and on hikes in northern AZ.

JOHN MEADE

Professor of Old Testament
Phoenix Seminary

Reading the Bible for All Its Worth by Consulting Footnotes

coming soon...

Reading the Bible for All Its Worth by Consulting Footnotes

Bryan & Bonnie Pue

Founders
The Union Movement

The Union Movement exists to help people find wholeness by presenting a gospel-centred, holistic approach to the topics of identity, sexuality, and relationships. The Union exists to help individuals, churches and church leadership have a biblically grounded perspective on these challenging topics.

Bryan and Bonnie are the founders of The Union, and are both experienced communicators,  bringing life-altering, approachable lessons to audiences of all sizes. Drawing from the teachings of Jesus, the apostolic letters, and Old Testament narratives, Bryan and Bonnie are committed to bringing the truth of Scripture in a culturally relevant, compassionate way so that people's lives can be changed by the Spirit of God. In a world of judgement and despair, Bryan and Bonnie bring a compassionate message focused on the redeeming work of Jesus Christ and His desire for the flourishing of humanity.

For more info on The Union Movement visit www.theunionmovement.com and follow them on social media @theunionmovement.

BRYAN & BONNIE PUE

Founders
The Union Movement

Is God's Sexual Ethic Oppressive?

Can God be trusted when it comes to matters of sexuality or is His design oppressive? This is the question of our generation. In this session, we will rediscover the original design that God intended for sexuality in His Word, why it's under attack, and the hope of redemption that we have in Jesus. You will come away with greater confidence in a Biblical sexual ethic as well as the compassion needed to reach those who are far from Christ.

Is God's Sexual Ethic Oppressive?

John Meade

Editor in Chief
Bible Study Magazine

Mark Ward (PhD, Bob Jones University) is the Editor in Chief of Bible Study Magazine, a product of Faithlife, makers of Logos Bible Software. He has written multiple Bible textbooks for BJU Press, including Biblical Worldview: Creation, Fall, Redemption (2015) for high schoolers and Basics for a Biblical Worldview (2021) for middle-schoolers. Mark serves in his local church, is an active YouTuber and blogger (byfaithweunderstand.com), and is the author of Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible (Lexham Press, 2018). Authorized is also an infotainment documentary available on FaithlifeTV.

He resides with his wife and three children in Mount Vernon, Washington.

MARK WARD

Editor in Chief
Bible Study Magazine

KJV Words You Don't Know You Don't Know
A Gracious Answer to KJV-Onlyism

The KJV contains many dead words, words we all know we don't know—besom, chambering, amerce. But it also contains words you probably don't know you don't know, called "false friends": remove, halt, commend. If you have a KJV-Only brother-in-law, discussing translation instead of text is the way to go. You can build on the common ground of your mutual desire to understand God's word.

KJV Words You Don't Know You Don't Know
A Gracious Answer to KJV-Onlyism

more coming soon...

VENUE

NORTHVIEW COMMUNITY CHURCH

32040 DOWNES RD, ABBOTSFORD, BC

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Join a community of like-minded people to explore the big questions our culture is asking

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Student $35
*Livestream $35
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Student $40
*Livestream $35
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Adult $50
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*Livestream $35
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* Looking to host a watch party? Reach out to Nancy at [email protected] for a special rate.

† A group rate is available for groups of 10+. Contact Nancy at [email protected] for details.

Do you need lunch? You can pre-order a catered lunch here. The bagged lunch will have a sandwich, a bag of Miss Vicki's chips, a gourmet cookie, and a drink.

LUNCH

Want to watch or listen to the talks again after the conference? Why not pre-order the recordings? You will get video of the main sessions and audio of the breakout sessions.

RECORDINGS
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