Sydney Year 9-11
Masterclass
Tuesday 2nd August 2022 10am - 2pm AEST
The Concourse: 409 Victoria Ave, Chatswood NSW
Speakers & Topics

Natasha Moore
Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Public Christianity (CPX)
Welcome to the Apocalypse
Does thinking about the future freak you out? Is humanity doomed? What with climate change, a pandemic, and ever more polarised and ugly politics, it’s easy to be pessimistic about where we’re all headed. In a recent survey, 75% of young people across 10 countries agreed with the statement that “the future is frightening”. Are we right to feel sometimes like the sky is falling? Is being pessimistic about the future a bad thing? And is there anything you can do to make the future less scary, or make any real difference? Is hope real - and is it enough?

Mark Stephens
Lecturer in New Testament, Sydney Missionary & Bible College
How to love the Gospels
Most of us read the Bible in bite-size pieces. A passage here, a quote there. When we just read the little bits, we miss the wonder of the book. God wants to speak to you through the books of the Bible, not just a verse. The good news about Jesus comes to us in four remarkable stories called Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. When we learn to read the whole story, it might just transform your understanding of Jesus for the better.

Lily Strachan
Chaplain, Robert Menzies College
The surprising strength of weakness
Our world proclaims that the #blessed are confident, beautiful, successful and adored, yet Jesus claimed that the blessed are poor, meek, pure, and persecuted. Does that mean that if we’re with Jesus, we’re called to welcome weakness? How can there be any upsides to physical or mental illness, rejection, or pain? Lily will explain why Christ’s words to the weak are not only radical, but a wonderful, surprising source of strength.
What is Masterclass?
Bible Society’s Masterclass events are for students in school years 9-12 to explore contemporary issues from a biblical perspective.
Masterclass also includes a popular Q&A session which gives students the freedom to ask our panel of speakers searching questions about the Christian faith.
Your students are frequently challenged to give a reason for the hope they have in Jesus. Masterclass helps young Christians to grow in their confidence and withstand the pressures of living in a post-Christian society.
Please note: This event will be livestreamed, filmed and photographed, so a camera crew will be capturing footage throughout the day. Arrangements will be made for those who do not wish to be filmed or photographed on the day.