Brochure Final 2002

What Is L’Abri?
L’Abri began in Switzerland in 1955 when Francis and Edith Schaeffer, called
to evidence a practical demonstration of Christian love, transformed their
home into a safe, nurturing environment where Christians and nonChristians could seek answers to questions about God and truth. There are
now L’Abri communities in countries around the world including Holland,
England, Switzerland, Sweden, Korea, and USA.
Our four main emphases
♦ Christianity is objectively true and the Bible is God’s written word to
mankind. This means that biblical Christianity can be rationally
defended, and honest questions are welcome.
♦ Because Christianity is true, it speaks to all of life and not to some narrow
religious sphere. Much of the material produced by L’Abri has been aimed
at helping develop a Christian perspective on the arts, politics, social
sciences, etc.
♦ In the area of our relationship with God, true spirituality is seen in the
lives of those who, by grace, are free to be fully human rather than by
trying to live on some higher spiritual plane or in some gray negative way.
♦ The reality of the fall is taken seriously. Until Christ returns, we, and the
world we live in, will be affected by the disfigurement of sin.
Although the place of the mind is emphasized, L’Abri is not a place for
“intellectuals only.” We are as concerned for living as we are for thinking, and
from the beginning the concern has been that the truth is as much exhibited
in everyday life as it is defended in discussion.
What Is A L’Abri Conference?
A L’Abri conference is an opportunity, through lectures, discussions, and
personal interaction, to feed and hone the mind in an effort to deepen your
understanding of what it means to be a Christian in our society. The on-site
housing and mealtimes are designed to facilitate an exchange of ideas among
conferees and speakers. This is the second Canadian L’Abri Conference and
we are pleased that it will be held on the beautiful campus of McMaster
University where you will enjoy comfortable accommodation as you enjoy the
conference sessions.
Jim Ingram
Dick Keyes
Jim was born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, Canada and has
been the Director of the Swiss L’Abri since 1988. He has
studied mathematics, computer science, economics and
philosophy at the University of Windsor, Queens University
and the University of Toronto. Jim has worked with L’Abri
since 1979.
Lectures:
• Why Should We Try to Live Moral Lives?
• How Does God Help Us Live Moral Lives?
Workshops:
• Living With Evil: The Downside of Life
• Dialogue with a relativist
• Marriage: Practical Christian Living
Wim Rietkerk
Jock McGregor
Jock was a staff member in the Swiss and English L’Abri and
for the past two years has been at the Rochester, Minnesota
branch of L’Abri. With a B.Sc. undergraduate degree and an
M.Div. from Regent College, Jock has had a longstanding
interest in the relationship between Christianity and Culture.
Lecture:
• Postmodernizing the Faith: Evangelical Responses to
Postmodernism.
Workshops:
• Screen Violence
• The Christian Mind
• Making the Most of Movies
• Spiritual Warfare
Thursday, August 8
1:00 p.m.
Registration
Mardi Keyes
Dick is the director of L’Abri Fellowship in Southborough,
Massachusetts. He holds a B.A. in history from Harvard
University and an M.Div. from Westminster Theological
Seminary in Philadelphia. He is the author of True Heroism In
A World of Celebrity Counterfeits, Beyond Identity, and
Chameleon Christianity.
Lectures:
• Questions That Won’t Go Away: Meanings in Life I
• Questions That Won’t Go Away: Meanings in Life II
Workshops:
• All of Life Under the Lordship of Christ
• What Is Tolerance Today?
• Can We Go Beyond Cynicism?
Wim was born in the Netherlands and has been working for
L’Abri, together with his wife Greta, since the start of the Dutch
L’Abri in 1971. He has also been pastor of a Reformed Church
in Holland. His field of study was philosophy of religion and he
has authored several books, one of which is , If Only I Could
Believe.
Lecture:
• Reasonable Arguments for the Truth of Christianity
Workshops:
• The Art of Letting Go
• Doubt
• Our Success-oriented Society (and The Prayer of Jabez)
• Is Heaven Our Future?
Friday, Aug. 9 & Saturday, Aug. 10
Sunday, August 11
9:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
10:00 a.m.
On-campus Worship Service
5:00 p.m. Dinner
7:00 p.m. Opening Session
9:30 p.m. Reception
Lectures & Workshops
1:00 p.m.—5:00 p.m.
Lectures & Workshops
Mardi is the co-founder of the Southborough L’Abri. She
frequently lectures at universities throughout New England
addressing issues relating to Christianity and Feminism. She
holds a degree in Biblical History from Wellesley College.
Lecture:
• The Mystery of Gender
Workshops:
• Hospitality
• Reflections on Stress
• Challenging Age Segregation
Andrew Fellows
Andrew is a Canadian , born and raised in Ontario. In 1985
he went on a two week trip to England and never returned.
He spent seven years pastoring a church in England and in
1995 joined English L’Abri where he is now director. He and
his wife have four children.
Lecture:
• U2 And The Search for Spiritual Reality
Workshops:
• Jesus, Socrates and the Power of Questions
• What Would it be Like to Meet a Prophet on the Corner of
Yonge and Bloor?
• The Sacrament of the Present Moment
• Integrating Left Brain and Right Brain: The Relationship
Between Rationality and Mystery
Sue Morell
After training as an RN in Perth, Australia, Sue traveled to
England and practiced midwifery. In 1987 she joined the
L’Abri staff in Greatham, and since 1995 she and her husband
Joseph have been working in Southborough, MA. L’Abri.
They live there with their two boys, Luke and Nate.
Workshops:
• In Praise of Friendship
• The Great New American Pastime—Shopping
• Life at L’Abri (for those interested in coming as students or
just interested)
Mark Ryan
With his wife Terri, Mark is a staff member at Southborough
L’Abri. An Australian, Mark has graduated from several
theological colleges and seminaries in Australia and the USA.
His interests center around helping “everyday people” to grasp
and know Christianity as a truthful, coherent and satisfying
worldview.
Workshops:
Understanding Islam I: Muhammad
Understanding Islam II: The Qur’an
Understanding Islam III: A Christian Response
Richard Bradford
Richard is from Burlington, Ontario. He and his wife Karen
met at Swiss L’Abri as students several years ago and
returned two years ago as workers. He has an
undergraduate degree in Philosophy from Trinity Western
University and a graduate degree in Philosophy from
McMaster University.
Workshops:
• A Christian Response to Nietzsche
• Postmodernism, Apologetics, and Our Need to
Understand Understanding
Alison McGregor
Alison is a native of Australia. She has spent ten years
working at the English L’Abri and is presently working,
together with her husband Jock, in the Rochester MN
branch.
Workshops:
• Reality Under Pressure—Recovering a Human Dimension
in a Technological Age
• Shame
• Everyday Creativity
For more information on this Conference check the L’Abri
website, http://www.labri.org or if you have questions or
would like additional brochures contact George Bradford.
Phone: (905)336-2542
Email: george.bradford2@sympatico.ca
Address:
L’Abri 2002 Conference
2109 Country Club Drive
Burlington, ON
L7M 4A5