Forum on Public Faith

Many perceive the Christian faith as in conflict with or hostile to science and the scientific endeavor. Join our conversation with Logan Pearce on how our belief in a Creator, an incarnated Christ, and the Gospel support and affirm science and the work of scientists. Logan is a partner at City Life Church and has studied astronomy and physics at UT Austin, and is pursuing graduate studies in astrophysics. Recently she has published original research in the field of planetary system formation, developed an algorithm for deducing the orbits of planets in other solar systems from observations, and given a public talk on how scientists look for possible evidence of other technological civilizations.

Local issues and elections influence us, our neighbors, and city more than anything that happens in the State Legislature or Washington, D.C. How can Christians steward our local political influence well? What questions should we ask when it comes to city issues and elections? How can we love our neighbors and city through civic engagement?

One in four women, and one in six men, have experienced sexual assault. What is sexual assault? What role can the church play in fostering healing? Recent Hollywood scandals and the #MeToo movement have pushed the issue of sexual assault into public consciousness. How should we respond? Can the church be a safe place for survivors? What does it look like for a survivor to recover? How does the gospel of Christ offer a unique and distinct hope in the midst of sexual brokenness? Our guests for this forum are Shanda Anderson, LPC-S and Jessie Wells, LMSW. Shanda and Jessie join us from the Austin Stone Counseling Center to discuss this important issue.

Race / Ethnicity by City Life Church

Our guest for this forum is Pastor Jonathan Dodson who tells his story of kidney donation and addresses the issues of faith and sacrifice as a christian amidst the worlds overwhelming need for organ donations.

How should Christians think about poverty and helping the poor? Our guest for this forum is Dr. Ryan Streeter. Dr. Streeter is the Executive Director of the Center for Politics and Governance at the University of Texas at Austin and Clinical Professor of Public Policy at the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

A conversation about how the Christian faith should inform how we think through the complex challenges in Bioethics.

A discussion on Refugees, ISIS, and the roles of church and state with Paul Miller and Jonathan Dodson.