BeyondReasonHopeEquipping people to think about faith and

pursue emotionally healthy spirituality

2016 MINISTRY BROCHURE

> Introduction

> Audiences & Testimonials:

Pastors & Churches

Campus Ministers

Youth Workers

Leaders

> Speaking Topics:

Personal Growth & Emotional Health

Worldview

God & Reason

Theological Issues

God & Vocation

> Thomas’ Bio

TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Thomas Rauchenstein Public Speaker, Apologist, Mental Health Advocate

M.A. in Philosophy B.A. in Philosophy & Religious Studies Certified Career Development Practitioner

Hope Beyond Reason www.hopebeyondreason.com email: info@hopebeyondreason.com mobile: (519) 993-0824 work: (519) 224-1620 to leave a voice mail

Facebook: hopebeyondreason Twitter: @HBRupdates Youtube: HBRupdates

Dear Friend,

Over six years of combined teaching and coaching experience have taught me one thing: our minds and emotions are integrated, not separate, and therefore personal growth demands that we engage with a broad range of interrelated topics.

The need for integrated learning is what the ministry of Hope Beyond Reason is all about. As its founder, I regularly develop partnerships with pastors, youth workers, campus ministers, and business professionals to provide training for the people they lead. This training addresses a wide range of questions pertaining to the existence and nature of God, different worldviews, emotional healing, theological issues, and personal vocation.

When I do speaking events for conference gatherings, congregations and campus groups, I consistently hear positive reviews. Participants experience a deeper sense of intellectual vitality in their faith and a new willingness to do the hard, internal work of emotional healing.

If you want the people you lead to experience a similar revolution in their personal growth, then please explore the speaking topics throughout this brochure and contact me about how I can best come alongside and support your ministry. You won’t want to miss out on the calibre of training I provide!

Sincerely,

Thomas Rauchenstein

I N T R O D U C T I O N

// PASTORS & CHURCHES

Pastor Brian BulgerCelebrate Recovery, Lakeside Church, Guelph

I understand the challenge of helping people who have misconceptions about how the Christian faith should relate to their minds and hearts.

Some people view faith as an intellectual puzzle, an emotional experience, or a shield to protect themselves against tough questions. Others mistakenly believe they can grow spiritually without pursuing emotional maturity. Sadly, these misconceptions prevent people from knowing God more fully.

The good news is that there is a solution!

David Williams, M.Sc., M.Div. Pastor, Priory Park Baptist Church, Guelph, Ontario

The solution came to me during my residency as a Philosophy Instructor at L’Abri Fellowship in Switzerland. While teaching at L’Abri, I learned that faith must be reasonable and emotionally healthy in order to be transformative. I personally witnessed that transformation in my own life and in the lives of hundreds of my students who came to me asking questions. And that is what I deliver today!

In collaboration with church leadership, I help congregations to ask tough questions and engage with topics such as the existence and nature of God, faith and reason, and how to properly interpret the Bible. I also deliver life-changing content on how to forgive others, manage interpersonal conflict, and improve relationships by overcoming barriers of fear, anger, and shame.

Do these topics interest you? I would love to dialogue with you further and hear about how I can best come alongside and support your ministry by exploring these topics!

“Thomas has a rare gift of explaining big ideas in simple language, and he is an expert at creating an atmosphere of trust and acceptance where questions are always welcome.

“If you are interested in helping a congregation or campus group to grow spiritually by developing their minds, then I would recommend inviting Thomas to speak and teach. You won’t be disappointed.”

Lecture & Discussion Seminar Series Elora Road Christian Fellowship, Guelph

Signature Talks for Pastors & Churches:

Overcoming Shame • Category: Personal Growth & Emotional Health

Conquering the Fears That Hold Us Back • Category: Personal Growth & Emotional Health

Resolving Anger: From Hurt to Healing • Category: Personal Growth & Emotional Health

Practical Steps to Forgiveness • Category: Personal Growth & Emotional Health

// CAMPUS MINISTERS

Power to Change P2C+ Students Conference, Toronto

Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Guelph

I know how difficult it can be to equip students to think about their faith. Students are often unprepared for the emotional and intellectual challenges they will face at university, so it is crucial that they understand how to integrate their faith with their learning in order to grow spiritually.

The need to teach students about integrated learning became very clear to me during my tenure as a Philosophy Instructor at L’Abri Fellowship in Switzerland. While at L’Abri, I taught hundreds of international students from over 20 countries to navigate their deepest questions about God – creating safe spaces for them to ask honest questions without judgement or pat answers.

Nyssa Clements, Campus Minister Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Guelph

Nyssa Clements, B.R.E., M. Div., Campus Minister InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario

“Thomas, thank you so much for offering your wisdom and gift of teaching to Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship on the University of Guelph campus.

“As you well know, students often enter university unprepared to face the intellectual challenges waiting for them in an academic environment. They need guidance on how to integrate their learning with their faith as part of their spiritual formation. You helped to equip my students to think in new ways and provided honest answers to their questions, as you also encouraged them to listen to God. It’s been such a blessing to have you partner with this ministry!”

Power to Change P2C+ Students Conference, Toronto

Today, the ministry of Hope Beyond Reason is an extension of what I learned at L’Abri. I now create partnerships with student groups to provide them with interactive lectures on topics related to God, overcoming emotional barriers, and developing character traits that guide them to truth.

If you are interested in hosting a speaker who cares deeply about the spiritual formation of students, then Hope Beyond Reason is for you.

I’d love to hear about what God is already doing on your campus and to provide my support!

Signature Talks for Campus Ministers:

Seeking but Not Believing? • Category: God & Reason

How Do Faith And Knowledge Relate • Category: Worldview

Genesis One as Ancient Cosmology • Category: Theological Issues

Defending the Atonement Against Skeptical Objections • Category: Theological Issues

// YOUTH WORKERS

Today’s youth are particularly vulnerable to spiritual challenges. I learned this by pioneering a youth drop-in center in British Columbia and gaining years of ministry experience subsequent to that.

Today, my passion is to partner with youth workers to provide young people with the intellectual and emotional tools they need to deepen their faith and prepare for their future careers. I do this by teaching them how to engage with non-Christian worldviews, heal emotional wounds of shame, fear, and anger, and navigate the complex process of career planning.

Amplified Youth Group Elora Road Christian Fellowship

Merf Bauman, Youth Pastor, Elora Road Christian Fellowship, Guelph, Ontario

“Today’s generation of youth face unique struggles in mental health, conflicts at home, and increased risk of suicide.The need is great, and that’s why it has been a blessing to have Hope Beyond Reason as a ministry resource.

“Starting in 2014, Thomas has come to speak to our youth on how to break through fear, anger, and shame in their relationships with God and others. His seminars and talks are biblically informed and psychological sound, but most of all, he has modelled hope and authenticity to our youth by opening up about his own struggles and showing that he genuinely cares. I’d highly recommend that you’re church collaborate with Hope Beyond Reason to bring your youth to a new level of growth.”

Amplified Youth Group Elora Road Christian Fellowship

If you are interested in forging a partnership with Hope Beyond Reason to help your youth develop resilience in the face of life’s challenges, then don’t delay.

Contact me to set up an appointment!

Signature Talks for Youth Workers:

How Does God Guide Us? • Category: God & Vocation

The Recipe for Making Wise Career • Decisions Category: God & Vocation

Overcoming Shame • Category: Personal Growth & Emotional Health

Conquering the Fears That Hold Us Back • Category: Personal Growth & Emotional Health

// LEADERS

Pastor Jim Gordon, Elora Road Christian Fellowship Leadership Course & Weekly Forum, Guelph

As a leader, do you struggle with burnout, fear of failure, or the feeling that your performance is rarely good enough? Do you shy away from conflict or have a management style that is perceived by others as overly permissive or controlling?

These struggles happen to the best of us, but what’s needed is a leadership approach that focuses less on problem-solving and more on emotional health – and that is what I provide.

Pastor Ken MilesPresident of Anchor Ministerial Fellowship

“Thomas has a proven track-record of helping leaders to overcome emotional barriers in life and work. I have invited him to speak on several occasions to gatherings of ministry leaders and business professions in the city of Guelph, and his training continues to have a transformative impact in my own life.

“Thomas’ teaching style is informed by quality research and is seasoned with practical strategies that really work! Thomas, thank you so much for your openness and authenticity.”

Jim Gordon, Senior Pastor, Elora Road Christian Fellowship, Guelph, Ontario

Pastors & Ministry Leaders ‘Grow Day’ Anchor Ministerial Fellowship, Kitchener

As a Career Counsellor with professional experience in the private and public sectors, I’m convinced that leaders need to experience a radical transformation in the way they relate to their emotions. While positive thinking and healthy communication are helpful, my approach goes much deeper. I teach leaders how to lean into their emotions and hear what they are saying, so they can be dealt with, instead of avoiding them. In doing so, I equip leaders with the tools they need to overcome the barriers of fear, anger, and shame that are keeping them from success.

When leaders attend my conference talks and workshops, the results are life-changing. They develop greater empathy and acceptance of others, improved conflict resilience, and better tools for self-care and boundaries. And most importantly, they learn how to lead from a place of inner worthiness instead of “never enough.”

If these leadership results interest you, then please contact me so that we can discuss how I can best serve you.

Signature Talks for Leaders:

Managing Conflict in Your Relationships • Category: Personal Growth & Emotional Health

How to Pursue Excellence Without Becoming • a Perfectionist Category: Personal Growth & Emotional Health

The Benefits of Listening to Your Emotions • Category: Personal Growth & Emotional Health

Overcoming Shame • Category: Personal Growth & Emotional Health

PERSONAL GROWTH & EMOT IONAL HEALTH

Feel more known and loved by overcoming emotional barriers in life and ministry.

PERSONAL GROWTH & EMOTIONAL HEALTH

OVERCOMING SHAMEHave you ever struggled with people-pleasing, self-criticism, owning others’ problems, isolating, blaming others, or avoiding vulnerability? We all have these struggles to some degree, but more

often than not, they are rooted in feelings of shame. Shame is part of the air we breathe and the culture we live in, but no one really wants to talk about it, and so it rarely gets addressed. In this talk, Thomas ends the silence by speaking openly about his own journey and by teaching you how to construct and implement a recovery strategy from the toxic effects of false shame – freeing you to feel more known and loved.

MANAGING CONFLICT IN YOUR RELATIONSHIPSWhen it comes to conflict, we have all made mistakes in the heat of the moment. All too often we find our-selves taking the moral high ground, withdrawing from others, attacking

a person’s character, or playing the victim. As a result, our relationships become even more stressful, not less. So how do we change? This talk sheds new light on conflict by teaching you how to fight for your relation-ships instead of against them. Using scripture and solid psychological research, you learn proven strategies for speaking, listening, problem solving and setting bound-aries during conflict. As a result, we become more confident and assertive in our relationships and begin to enjoy them according to God’s design.

CONQUERING THE FEARS THAT HOLD US BACKWe all struggle with fear at times, especially when our safety, status, or relationships feel threatened. Fear can be healthy and natural, but it can also trap us in negative

thought-patterns that distort our view of reality. So how can we face our fears without feeling overwhelmed? This talk distinguishes between healthy and unhealthy fear, and teaches us how to regulate fear, put it in its proper perspective, and overcome it with the help of God and others. By getting a handle on our fear, we experience greater freedom and confidence in our relationships.

PURSUING EXCELLENCE WITHOUT BECOMING A PERFECTIONISTDo you find it difficult to toler-ate failure, mistakes, or see the positives in the work you do? Do you take constructive feedback

personally or consistently invest more time and effort into completing tasks than your peers do? Do you find satisfaction in your work elusive, no matter how hard you try? These are common traits in people who struggle with perfectionism, and if you can relate to this struggle, don’t worry, there is hope! This talk shows you how to avoid the perils of perfectionism by engaging in a healthier, more balanced pursuit of excellence. It does this by uncovering the emotional and spiritual roots of perfectionism, challenging unhelpful thought-patterns, and revealing the secret to becoming more productive with less effort. By applying this talk to their lives, at-tendees experience deeper, more enduring satisfaction in their achievements, relationships, and ministry work.

PERSONAL GROWTH & EMOTIONAL HEALTH

RESOLVING ANGER: FROM HURT TO HEALINGAnger is a powerful emotion. We have all felt it, and we are often confused about what to do with our hurt. Left unresolved, anger can become addictive and destructive

in our relationships. But there is hope. This talk teaches us how to resolve anger by evaluating its sources and expressing it in healthy ways. As our relationship to anger begins to change, we experience freedom from our need to control others and we become a force for healing in our relationships, as God intends!

THE BENEFITS OF L ISTENING TO YOUR EMOTIONSHow should we relate to our emo-tions? Some Christians believe that emotions are neutral. Others claim that positive emotions like

joy, hope, and contentment are good while negative emotions like anger, envy, despair, and contempt are bad and should be eliminated quickly. So who is right? This talk argues that both views are overly simplistic. Our emotions are a gift from God, but they have been distorted by the fall and there are some emotions we ought not to indulge. Nevertheless, we need to listen to what they are saying because they are the key to unlocking our deepest questions about God, others, and ourselves! By attending this talk and learning the art of listening to their emotions, participants ex-perience two key benefits. First, they discover how to trust God with the full gamut of their emo-tions. And second, they become aware of how they perceive other people and how these percep-tions may be helping or hindering their efforts to follow Christ.

PERSONAL GROWTH & EMOTIONAL HEALTHCOMBATING CYNICISM: ON THE ROLE OF SUSPICION IN THE LIFE OF FAITHDo you tend to find fault in others, distrust their motives, or be critical of their views? Do you avoid commitment unless you are forced

to or use sarcasm to avoid taking people seriously? If so, then you probably struggle with cynicism. Cynicism is the habit of looking for hidden motives in other people and then finding fault. It is a way to distance yourself from other people so they can’t hurt or disappoint you – but often with harmful consequences for relationships. So what can be done? This talk argues that the act of looking for hidden motives (suspicion) need not lead to cynicism if we are careful to be suspicious in the right way. Following the example of how Jesus dealt with the Pharisees, this talk shows you how to use suspicion to serve other people and how to combat cynicism by truly engaging with others instead of trying to undercut them. By embracing Jesus’ answer to cynicism, you experience a greater sense of appreciation for the goodness in the world and for the sincere efforts of other people.

FORTHCOMING TALKS IN THE ‘PERSONAL GROWTH & EMOTIONAL HEALTH’ SERIES:

Showing Hospitality with Your Words

Engaging the Mystery of Unanswered Prayer

The Art of Grieving Well

E m o t i o n a l h e a l i n g i s a b o u t p a t i e n t p r o g r e s s ,

n o t p e r f e c t i o nw w w . h o p e b e y o n d r e a s o n . c o m

PRACTICAL STEPS TO FORGIVENESSForgiveness is essential for human relationships to flourish, but we often resist it for fear of letting go. This talk tackles this fear head-on by clarifying what forgiveness is,

why it is beneficial, and what practical steps you can take to make it a reality in your life. By following these steps, you will experience freedom from the trap of resentment and new healing for the wounds of your past!

WORLDV IEWUnderstand the relationship between faith, reason, and other worldviews.

W O R L D V I E WHOW DO FAITH AND KNOWLEDGE RELATE?This question is important for Christians and non-Christians because there is so much confusion about it. Critics of religion sometimes view faith as obstacle

to knowledge – as a crutch for weak-minded people or as a barrier to scientific progress. Inside church doors, visitors with tough questions are often told to ‘just believe’ because faith is supposed to be ‘simple’ and questioning makes things ‘too complicated’. My purpose in this talk is to address these confusions directly. I do this by providing a basic definition of knowledge, examining its sources, and exploring the concept of a worldview. I argue that all people, religious or not, have faith in the general sense of a worldview that both informs and is shaped by its encounter with reality. Faith in this general sense is not opposed to knowledge, but a necessary ingredient of it! In this respect, Christian faith is similar to all other worldviews; but the object of its faith is unique.

HOW (NOT) TO ARGUE AGAINST RELATIVISMRelativists generally argue that our points of view determine the way we see and think about reality. Be-cause our knowledge depends on a particular perspective, relativists

conclude that we can never know if our perspective is true in the sense of corresponding to an independent reality. This conclusion makes Christian truth claims look naïve at best - or arrogant at worst. So how should we respond? Instead of dismissing relativism as self-refuting, this talk offers three persuasive arguments for rejecting the relativist’s central claim that perspectives must be totally neutral in order to be known to be true. These arguments thereby allow Christian truth-claims to be taken seriously instead of being dismissed on rela-tivistic grounds.

A FORTHCOMING TALK IN THE ‘WORLDVIEW’ SERIES:

A Simple Introduction to Buddhism

GOD & REASONExamine the rationality of belief in God in light of evidence

from philosophy and science.

G O D & R E A S O NTHREE REASONS FOR GODArguments for the existence of God have been around for centuries. Despite the long history of skeptical attempts to refute them, these arguments keep reappearing in fresh new ways, convincing

some of the most brilliant minds! This suggests that the case for God is motivated by intuitions that run deeper than the arguments themselves. But what are those intuitions, and why do they matter? This talk answers these questions by revealing how our profound experiences of cosmic wonder, the intelligibility of the universe, and the mystery of personhood are the basis for three of the classical arguments for the existence of God. By understanding why these experiences inspire people to develop arguments for God, attendees will be better equipped to speak persuasively about God with seekers and skeptics alike.

DOES SCIENCE LEAVE ROOM FOR GOD?Some critics of religion argue that God’s existence is unknowable be-cause God cannot be investigated using the methods of scientific inquiry. This argument presup-

poses that truths can only be known through scientific means—a view known as “scientism.” But is scientism correct? This talk provides audiences with compelling reasons for thinking otherwise. Science does provide us with powerful explanations of the natural world, but these explanations are partial and incomplete. Why? Because there are legitimate forms of explanation and knowledge that are presupposed by science, which go beyond science, and do not even compete with sci-ence! This fact is advantageous for Christians because it opens the door for God and science to be mutually enriching, rather than competing, explanations of the created world.

DOES GOD NEED A DEFENCE ATTORNEY?Evil calls the existence of God into question. It horrifies us and often defies explanation, leaving us wondering why an all-loving, all-powerful God would allow

it to occur. This talk defends the existence of God against the challenge of evil by answering three crucial questions: (1) is it ever permissible for God to allow evil? (2) If so, can we explain why God allows it? And (3) is it reasonable to believe in God even if some evils are left unexplained. This talk answers all three questions and provides audiences with the resources they need to affirm God’s goodness in the face of personal adversity and struggle.

SEEKING BUT NOT BELIEVING? A GUIDE FOR HOPEFUL AGNOSTICSThe challenge of searching for God in the absence of belief is often on the minds of agnostics who neither believe nor disbelieve, but

who take the question of God very seriously. This talk explores how attitudes other than belief are crucial to one’s search for God, and how seekers who think the evidence is weighed 50/50 on the question of God may be acting appropriately by living a life of profound hope that God exists. This talk concludes by providing ag-nostics and Christians with 4 key strategies for pursuing truth and cultivating hope in their own lives.

G O D & R E A S O NDOES GOD’S KNOWLEDGE ELIMINATE FREE WILL?The idea that God already knows the future seems to be incompatible with human free will. As a result, some philosophers and theologians have thought it necessary to reject

the classical concept of God, redefine the scope of God’s knowledge, or concede that free will is an illusion. However, none of these solutions are required. By drawing upon the theory of middle knowledge, this talk shows audiences how to reconcile God’s foreknowledge with human free will in a way that is both reasonable and theologically satisfying.

FORTHCOMING TALKS IN THE ‘GOD & REASON’ SERIES:

Loving God with Your Mind - The Case for Intellectual Character in Discipleship

A Philosopher Finds Hope - How Leaving the Faith Helped Me Find It Again

From Goodness to God: How States of Value Point to God’s existence

Is Nature Enough? Exploring the Limits of Naturalism as an Ultimate Explanation

Why Isn’t God’s Existence More Obvious?

CAN BELIEF IN MIRACLES (EVER) BE REASONABLE?According to David Hume, it is never rational to believe in a miracle (such as the resurrection of Je-sus) because any evidence that it occurred would be outweighed

by the massive body of evidence we have for the laws of nature – namely, the law that corpses do not come back to life. But is Hume correct in his assumption that the evidence for the laws of nature count as evidence against a miracle? This talk shows that Hume’s assump-tion is mistaken and that – once it is rejected – a rational case for the resurrection of Jesus becomes possible. Consequently, skeptics like Hume will have to give the resurrection hypothesis a fair hearing instead of ruling miracles out on principle.

O u r p r o f o u n d e x p e r i e n c e s o f c o s m i c w o n d e r , t h e i n t e l l i g i b i l i t y o f t h e u n i v e r s e , a n d t h e m y s t e r y o f p e r s o n h o o d

a r e s i g n p o s t s t h a t p o i n t u s t o G o d ’ s e x i s t e n c e .

THEOLOGICALISSUES

Gain fresh insights into God’s revelation in Scripture.

T H E O L O G I C A L I S S U E SGENESIS ONE AS ANCIENT COSMOLOGYWhat kind of literature is Genesis chapter one? Many sincere readers misinterpret this ancient creation story because they ignore the literary environment in which

it was originally written. As a result, they expect the story to answer modern-day scientific questions which were quite foreign to the worldview of its author and its Hebrew audience. This talk critiques that pattern of misinterpretation by setting Genesis 1 firmly within the context of Ancient Near Eastern literature and Hebrew cosmology. By interpreting Genesis along these lines, audiences gain fresh insight into how God speaks through Scripture on the topic of human origins.

DID THE GOD OF THE OLD TESTAMENT COMMAND GENOCIDE?Many texts in Old Testament are morally questionable to modern readers. One example comes from the conquest narratives in which

God commands Joshua to conquer the land of Canaan by “totally annihilating” its inhabitants. What are we to make of these commands? By carefully analyzing the conquest narratives and their literary parallels with other warfare texts in the Ancient Near East, this talk shows that genocide was not part of Joshua’s original mandate. Far from annihilating the Canaanites, Joshua sought to displace them gradually from the land by attacking strategic locales – all the while presupposing that the Canaanites would be Israel’s future neighbours.

DEFENDING THE ATONEMENT AGAINST SKEPTICAL OBJECTIONS Christians claim that God laid the penalty for sin upon Jesus so that humans could be forgiven and restored to God. This claim

is part of the biblical doctrine of the atonement, but it raises some pressing concerns about whether punishing innocent people can ever be an effective way to deal with the guilt of others. This talk addresses these concerns head-on by defending the idea of substitutionary punishment against four skeptical objections. As a result, audiences gain deeper insight into how the atonement works and why it magnifies the justice and love of God.

4 WAYS IN WHICH JESUS UNDERSTOOD HIMSELF AS DIVINEChristians often make mistakes when arguing for the historicity of Jesus’ divine claims. Their arguments are often obscured by

disputes about the general reliability of the Gospels or based on highly contested sayings of Jesus which historians are prone to reject. This talk takes a more convincing approach. It relies on Gospel material that most historians deem authentic and it uncovers the divine significance of Jesus’ actions by locating them firmly within the story of the people of Israel. Consequently, attendees of this talk discover four key ways in which Jesus viewed himself as the embodiment of Israel’s God. In view of Jesus’ divine self-understanding, attendees of this talk are thereby challenged to decide for themselves who they think Jesus really was.

T H E O L O G I C A L I S S U E S

FORTHCOMING TALKS IN THE ‘THEOLOGICAL ISSUES’ SERIES:

How is the Bible the Word of God?

What Genre Are The Gospels?

Can God Empty Himself? An Examination of Kenotic Christology

The Destiny of the Unevangelized: A Guide for the Perplexed

Images of Atonement: Understanding the Meaning of Christ’s Death

Hermeneutics 101

SHOULD CHRISTIANS DEFEND OLD TESTAMENT MORALITY?Some skeptics object to the authority of the Bible on the grounds that the Mosaic Law permits the exploitation of slaves and women. Their objection rests on the assumption that when the Law of Moses

was ratified, it was intended to be an ideal ethic. This talk proves that the skeptics are mistaken on that point.

God’s intention was to reform Israelite society in a gradual manner, not all at once. Therefore, many of its laws about the treatment of slaves and women would have been viewed as imperfect and provisional – rather than God’s ideal. In other words, these legislations were given by God to restrain the abuses of slaves and women, as Israelite society progressed toward a more ideal ethic.

The view that some Old Testament laws were never intended to be ideal has two key advantages for those who attend this talk. First, it assures skeptical audiences that the treatment of slaves and women, while progressive by ancient standards, was provisionally tolerated by God, never condoned. Sec-ond, it enables Christians to defend the authority of Scripture without their having to justify the morality of every passage.

C o n t e x t d e t e r m i n e s m e a n i n g . T h e m o r e w h e n k n o w a b o u t t h e

o r i g i n a l c o n t e x t o f S c r i p t u r e , t h e b e t t e r w e c a n u n d e r s t a n d i t .

w w w . h o p e b e y o n d r e a s o n . c o m

GOD & VOCATIONDiscover the calling that fits with who God made you to be!

G O D & V O C AT I O N

A FORTHCOMING TALK IN THE ‘GOD & VOCATION’ SERIES: God’s Market Place – How to Ace an Interview

HOW DOES GOD GUIDE US?Many Christians believe that God’s will for their lives is like a detailed road map. God has very specific preferences about who they should marry, which careers to pursue, and even which pets to adopt!

However, because Scripture and wise counsel do not fully clarify God’s preferences on these matters, Christians often seek guidance through other means – namely, though feelings of peace, inner nudges, or fortuitous events which get interpreted as God’s hand. But does God really have a detailed road map for us? Should we trust nudges? And is it our responsibility to decode God’s plans? These are important questions! The purpose of this talk is to address these questions by replacing the false assumption we might have about God’s guidance. This talk also instils greater confidence by providing attendees with a rubric for decision-making that encompasses all the means of guidance God has made available to us.

G o d i s i n t e r e s t e d i n h e a l i n g h i s e n t i r e

c r e a t i o n , n o t j u s t s a v i n g i n d i v i d u a l s o u l s . O u r

c a r e e r c h o i c e s s h o u l d r e f l e c t t h a t i m p e r a t i v e .

w w w . h o p e b e y o n d r e a s o n . c o m

THE RECIPE FOR MAKING WISE CAREER DECISIONSMany Christians make career decisions without adequate information. They decide on a path which they “feel” God

is leading them to, but then find themselves in an unfulfilling job with mountains of debt from years of unnecessary education. This happens when we lack self-awareness and overlook the many sources of guidance God has provided us with. Thankfully, you don’t have to make that mistake. When it comes to career decisions, this talk pro-vides you with proven strategies for deepening your self-knowledge and equipping you to dis-cover the occupations that fit with who God made you to be! This saves you time and money and enables you to maximize your impact for God’s kingdom in today’s marketplace.

Thomas, Canadian by birth and Swiss by descent, currently makes his home in Guelph, Ontario. Having been intrigued by philosophy and theology from a young age, he completed his B.A. in Philosophy & Religious Studies from Trinity Western University (2000), and an M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Guelph (2004). His studies focused on the relationship between philosophy, theology, and culture.

From 2006 to 2010, Thomas completed a four-year teaching post at L’Abri Fellowship, an internationally renowned study center in the Swiss Alps, founded by Francis Schaeffer. Thomas taught students from diverse spiritual and cultural backgrounds representing over 20 countries. He facilitated hundreds of lectures, tutorials and group discussions on key topics related to philosophy, theology, biblical interpretation, worldview and epistemology.

In addition to influencing students intellectually, he provided personal counselling during major life transitions and support during periods of spiritual questioning, doubt and exploration. As a leader at L’Abri, he modeled the core values of an intentional community, including radical hospitality, respectful dialogue, and hope.

After moving back to Canada (2010), Thomas earned a Post-Graduate Certificate in Career Counselling from Conestoga College (2013), specializing in strengths-based and hope-based interventions with clients. These interventions enable clients to overcome the shame and stigma related to their perceptions of unemployment.

In addition to career counselling, Thomas is busy speaking to university students, church groups, youth and leaders on the importance of thinking about faith, asking tough questions and how to grow emotionally. His well-researched lectures and discussions show people how to interpret multiple sources of information from a faith perspective and learn new ways of cultivating their minds and hearts.

// THOMAS’ BIO