Contend 2014: A Student Worldview Weekend (Free)

January 2-4, 2014
www.contend2014.com

Bring a Group or Just Bring Your Own Student

Point of Action: We just dropped 26,000 pieces of mail to get the word out about this free conference. But I also need your help in getting out the word. Will you e-mail this letter to your family and friends? Will you post the information on your Facebook page or tweet out the URL: www.contend2014 and let everyone know it is free as a ministry of www.worldviewweekendfoundation.com

As a parent or grandparent would you like the opportunity to bring the high school or college students in your family to a Biblical worldview conference that is specifically for them? Have you ever thought about sending your student to a worldview camp but the $1,400 or more in tuition, plus transportation, was a barrier? Colossians 2:8 tells us to:

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

Are you concerned that the students in your life may not be fully equipped and Biblically prepared to resist and refute the man-centered philosophies and empty deceit of this age? Can the students in your life destroy every argument raised up against the principles of the Lord as we are called to do in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5?  

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,   casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

Being a parent and grandparent today that is seeking to encourage the students in your life to follow the Lord and love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength presents challenges not even comprehended by your parents and grandparents. Sometimes the questions your students ask may frustrate you because you wish you had an answer for them. Perhaps you are worried about your students being included in the nearly 80% of young people that are walking about from the faith?

If the questions I have asked you have you concerned then I think you are going to be encouraged by the free Contend 2014 conference we are hosting January 2-4, 2014. We are bringing in some of the premier Biblical worldview speakers to address the major issues facing today’s high school and college students.

A sweet family from Iowa recently sent us this e-mail. I hope this is a challenge to other adults to take the leadership and ministry opportunity to do the same. The January 2-4, Contend 2014 conference will have an eternal, life-changing impact on countless young people for the gospel and church.
Why would you not take advantage of a free Biblical conference like this and organize a group of young people? Why not? We eliminated the $99 admission free to make it free because it is that important. We are doing our part but are you? As an adult will you partner with us by sponsoring and organizing a group of young people and hosting them? If you cannot bring a group then just bring your own student with you parent! Here is the testimony from this family and I hope it is a challenge to you and inspires you to follow their example. They wrote:
"Brannon,
 So excited to be bringing 11 young people to your conference in January! Thanks for the hotel discounts - my husband and I are renting a van and paying for three hotel rooms with our Christmas cash. Cannot think of a better use for that money! The college-age youth that are coming are really looking forward to the conference also.  Thank you...thank you...thank you!"
Here is a link to the conference for complete details, topics and speaker bios:  www.contend2014.com The conference is free but you must register online so we can save everyone a seat and have the free resources waiting for each student when they arrive. Some parents have asked if they can also attend the conference with their students and the answer is an enthusiastic YES!

A Short List of Some of the Topics to be Covered at Contend 2014:

• Persevering Through Persecution and Prevailing For the Gospel by Michael Furchert
• Why Christians Are Not Called to a Social Justice, Social Gospel, or Missional Agenda by Jesse Johnson
• True and False Converts: The Biblical Hallmarks of a Christian by Brannon Howse
• The Jesus of the Cults Versus the Jesus of the Bible Jared Carlson
• Question of Origins: The latest discoveries in Cosmology, Chemistry, and Biology and exposes the evolutionary errors that lead to the acceptance of the molecules-to-man theory by Jason Carlson
• Revealing The Trustworthiness and Supernatural Nature of God’s Word by Dr. Jimmy DeYoung
• The Real Face of Islam by Usama Dakdok

and much, much more including lots of question and answer time throughout the weekend. Students will be able to ask their question in front of the entire group or if they prefer they can walk right up to the speakers during the breaks and visit with them.
The church in America is in critical condition but you can help by simply bringing your student and maybe some of their friends to Contend 2014. Sadly, self-professing Christian adults and young people alike embody worldviews that are no different from those outside the church. Researchers of the problem continue to come up with increasingly grave statistics that explain how serious the condition is. Among Christian adults:
◾64% believe moral truth depends on the situation;
• 60% believe male/female co-habitation outside of marriage is acceptable;
• 55% believe a good person can earn his or her salvation;
• 44% believe Jesus Christ committed sins while on earth.
And consider the peril of college students:

◾67% of college professors approve of homosexuality;
◾84% of professors approve of abortion;
• 65% embrace socialist and communist ideals;
• 88% of students from "Christian" homes deny their faith before they graduate from college;
• 91% of students from evangelical churches do not believe in absolute moral truth.
Recognizing the life-and-death nature of the issue, the Southern Baptist Convention, to its credit, has even done a self-study and found that 88% of young people from SBC homes deny their faith before they graduate from college.

 Unfortunately, even many Christian parents are more concerned about good grades that hold down the price of car insurance than about the spiritual price their student will pay in life because the home has not taught them a solid Christian worldview. Parents too often neglect the scriptural commands to train their children in Biblical principles (see Deuteronomy 4:9, 6:6-7, 32:46; Psalms 78:3-8; II Timothy 2:2; Judges 2:7-14).

Not long ago, a Worldview Weekend article noted that churches too often sell short young people by dumbing down youth programs, focusing almost exclusively on nothing but fun and games. A teen-age reader of the article responded this way:

All I can say is AMEN !!! I'm a 17 year-old and am so saddened that adults somehow think that they always have to entertain and attract us to youth group. Adults HAVE NO IDEA that half of the kids in their youth groups ARE serious about God but don't ever go deeper because they are still being spoon-fed along with the half that doesn't care!!!! Herein lies the problem; half the teens are so ready to go deeper and grow in their faith but the adults are only teaching us about the complete basics. If adults want teens to grow spiritually then give us something to grow off of. Stop assuming that we don't care. Give us the teaching we crave and the half of us who care will become warriors for God and the half of us who don't care will leave.

Is there a resource that can be offered to parents and grandparents and church leaders to assist them in equipping student with a solid Biblical worldview? Yes, there most certainly is. And at the risk of sounding self-serving, Worldview Weekend has the statistics to prove what it is:

◾83% of adults and students that have attended a Worldview Weekend score as "Solid Biblical Worldview Thinkers."

I'm not suggesting that Worldview Weekends alone are the ultimate solution. What the 83% number shows in contrast to the previous statistics is that when people are taught clearly what the Christian worldview is all about-regardless of where they learn it-it preserves Christian life.

Most of America's Christian families find plenty of time for football practice, baseball practice, soccer practice and their associated games; for cheerleading, gymnastics, music lessons; time with friends, movies, hunting; hours and hours for television; leisure to spend on concerts, evenings out to dinner, professional sporting events; yadda, yadda, yadda. But when it comes to Biblical worldview training, the calendar is too full and interest is minimal, to say the least. How upside down are those priorities?
At this point, I'm supposed to say, "Well, of course those activities are fine and can be a legitimate part of a godly upbringing as long as they are kept in the proper perspective." But I refuse. I won't relent on this point because these activities are virtually never kept in the right perspective with respect to our families' deeper needs to be nurtured in faith that will bring them victory for all eternity-not just at a Friday night ball game. All the "good" things, to borrow a cliché, consume and overwhelm the best things.
Many parents have forgotten or don't even know the many Biblical commandments to train their children in Biblical principles. Deuteronomy 4:9, 6:6-7, 32:46, Psalms 78:3-8, II Timothy 2:2, Judges 2:7-14.
Sadly, this attitude all too often trickles down from "the top." What is important to church members is often what they've seen is important to the pastor. And what is important to parents is generally important to their children.

In very few of our youth or Sunday School programs do teens learn the Biblical worldview for the question of origins (critically needed to confront teachings in every public school in America), much less how we know the Bible is true, that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, why we know Jesus is God, or the defense of any other foundational Christian doctrine.

To show you how culpable church leaders can be: A pastor at a church that hosted a Worldview Weekend conference informed one of his staff that the youth "would not be interested" in attending a Worldview Weekend even if it was held at their church. Needless to say, the youth of this church were not present.

Worldview Weekend does not boast the latest rock band or offer all the pizza they can eat, yet students show up with Bibles and notebooks in hand. At our question-and answer sessions, students line up at the microphone. (Sounds like they're interested in worldview to me, pastor.)

On a regular basis, shell-shocked parents contact Worldview Weekend wanting to know what they can do to get co-ed Johnny or Susie back on the "Christian" track once they've left for college. They're beginning to taste the bitter fruit of having spent money, miles, and countless minutes on sports and entertainment-very trivial pursuits in light of seeing a children or grandchildren setting their hearts against the things of the Lord as they grow up.

After fielding questions and e-mails from thousands of students, I can tell you they are eager for worldview training. In fact, they're dying for it (pun intended). What they cannot figure out is why you are not interested and why you think they would not be interested. They even wonder why you don't make them go through worldview training regardless of whether they say they want to or not. After all, your kids were not interested in eating their vegetables, but you made them. They didn't want to sit in a car seat or wear a seat belt, but you insisted. They balked at having to check in with you and tell where they were going with their friends, but you required it. You were resolute in making sure they were physically nurtured and protected, but are you know going to throw them to the wolves spiritually?

Most students say they did not learn enough Bible content growing up to enable them to make biblical life decisions, let alone defend essential Christian doctrines in the face of vicious opposition. That is because no one made them. Hence a crisis in the church and home is upon us. Many of the 88% that are denying their faith before they graduate from college never return because they were never truly saved; they are false converts.

Let’s not just complain about the state of modern Christianity but let’s do something about it. Join us January 2-4, 2014 for Contend 2014 in Memphis, TN, which is centrally located. Check the map and you will see that Memphis is a day’s drive from about half the population in the United States. Parents, if you want to bring your student or a group of students and attend the conference that would be great. If you just want to bring them and then you spend the time exploring Memphis, then that is fine as well. Either way, please partner with us through this ministry opportunity.

Finally in closing, if you agree with our stepping out in faith to host this free Contend 2014 conference please consider helping us with the cost by making a tax deductible contribution on our website at www.worldviewweekendfoundation.com  At the very least, please join us in praying for a great weekend of ministry that will have an eternal impact on the life of these young adults.

Sincerely,
Brannon Howse
Worldview Weekend
Worldview Weekend Foundation