Live Near Dallas? Check Out the Christian Book Expo

The first Christian Book Expo will be taking place March 19-22 at the Dallas Convention Center.  More than 200 authors – including Mary DeMuth, Nancy Rue, Lee Strobel, Beverly Lewis, Randy Alcorn, Max Lucado, and…uh, me – will be at the expo, taking part in panel discussions, seminars, book signings, and other events.  

On Friday night, come celebrate the year’s best in Christian literature and the transforming power of Christian books by attending the Christian Book Awards dinner on Thursday evening, prior to the start of the Christian Book Expo.  The 2009 winners of the Christian Book Awards, including the Christian Book of the Year will be announced, amidst an inspirational multi-media program featuring dozens of authors who will join us for this celebration.  The evening will include a full dinner and feature author readings, complimentary books, and an opportunity for author signings.  This event is a benefit for the Global Publishers Alliance , a foundation that equips Christian publishers in developing countries. 

Hourly events continue Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, including the following Christianity Today Panel Discussions:

• What is the Gospel?  Our post-Christian culture loves spirituality but can be suspicious or ignorant of the historic Christian faith. We prefer a doit- yourself spirituality and a Jesus of our choosing to the good news offered in Scripture. Is there one gospel, or many? A panel of pastors and scholars shows why we can trust our Bibles—and how to separate the doctrinal wheat from the chaff.
• Living Christianly in a Post-Christian Culture.  A Christian consensus could once be pretty much assumed for Western culture, even if many people didn’t possess personal faith. That is no longer true. Christianity is today viewed as just one of many spiritual options—and often with suspicion. How do followers of Christ respond in both word and deed?
• The Emerging Church.  We hear much about the emerging church. But pinning down its beliefs and goals can be challenging indeed. What is the movement emerging from and where is it headed? How influential is the emerging church? Participants, observers, and critics examine this movement from all angles—biblical, theological, pastoral, and missional.
• Does the God of Christianity Exist, and What Difference Does it Make? A Debate. The New Atheists usually make two charges against Christianity: (1) that it is untrue and (2) that it is harmful. A panel of Christian apologetics experts responds to an atheist critic with evidence from Scripture, science, and history about why the faith is both reasonable and good for the world.

There will also be events for children, evening worship celebrations, a Bible history display, and screenings of Collision, a documentary made of the debate between anti-theist Christopher Hitchens and Christian apologist Douglas Wilson.