Teens learn Christian response to racism, evil, pop culture at ENDURE

High school sophomores, juniors and seniors attended Charleston Southern University’s ENDURE apologetics conference on Friday, Sept. 28 to learn about three issues facing our world: racism, evil and pop culture. The annual event addresses topics that are critical to equip teens in their Christian faith.

“As we prayed and talked through the most pressing concerns to address this year, we realized that the teenagers of our churches want answers to legitimate questions from our culture,” Dr. Peter Link, chair and associate professor in the College of Christian Studies, said. “In the end, we wanted to help them think about how to worship Jesus so that they may live and think Christianly.”

Topics were taught by faculty within CSU’s College of Christian Studies:

• Christianity and Racism, Dr. Ed Gravely, associate professor
• Christianity and Evil, Dr. Ross Parker, assistant professor
• Christianity and Pop Culture, Dr. Peter Beck, professor

Faculty posed questions like, what do the Scriptures actually teach about racism? Since we have an all-good and all-powerful God, why does He permit evil in so much of life? And, how can they honor God with their use of media?

“ENDURE is important for our teenagers, their families and our churches because their lives matter to God, and the Scriptures handled rightly show them how to answer the culture, as they maintain and pass on the faith,” Link said. “Today’s teenagers want real answers to real questions, and it is key that we show them that they have only begun to discover the depth and breadth of the cross in their lives and in this world.”

With a record response of 140 participants this year, the College of Christian Studies has begun the planning for 2019’s ENDURE, with plans to expand capacity for next year’s conference. To learn more about this and other similar events, go to churchandgospel.com/endure.

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