WEBINARS

Welcome to the Underground

Welcome to the online web portal for our virtual Underground Sessions event, “ENTER EVENT NAME”

If you are new with us, Underground Sessions is a live forum we hold several times a year where we discuss challenging and relevant issues in our world today. We do this with a spirit of grace and compassion while maintaining biblical faithfulness. Our events feature culturally relevant interviews with guest professionals specializing within the topic of discussion. Our chosen topics are often controversial. As such, we expect there will be aspects of disagreement. This is a good thing, as we hope we learn to disagree well. As you explore this web portal, we invite you to step into the tension as we create a space where respectful dialogue can happen, difficult topics addressed, and ultimately where Christ is exalted.

Books:

• Faust, Katy & Stacy Manning. Them Before Us: Why We Need A Global Children’s Rights Movement. 
• Gray Connors, Stephanie. Conceived By Science: Thinking Carefully and Compassionately about Infertility and IVF.
• Gray, Stephanie. Love Unleashes Life: Abortion and the Art of Communicating Truth.
• Marquardt, Elizabeth. Between Two Worlds: The Inner Lives of Children of Divorce.
• Rae, Scott. Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics.
• Erbig, Bob & Dave Hentschel. A Beautiful Mess: Coming From a Dysfunctional Family Doesn’t Destine You For A Dysfunctional Life.
• Matthew Arbo. Infertility. Walking Through Infertility: Biblical, Theological, and Moral Counsel for Those Who Are Struggling (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017).

Web Sites

• Them Before Us: A comprehensive website that deals with issues related to children’s rights in the family. There are stories and articles highlighted here: https://thembeforeus.com/
• Public Discourse: An online journal that moral foundations in free societies. They assert that the second pillar of decent society is the “institution of the family, which is built upon the comprehensive sexual onion of man and woman.” They have an excellent section on issues related to sexuality and the family, as well as the human person: https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/ 
• CanaVox: This is a marriage movement that offers reading groups to friends who support the historic understanding of marriage. The website offers reading lists and helpful videos: https://canavox.com/
• ERLC: The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptists is an excellent resource on marriage, family and ethical issues: https://erlc.com/
• The Colson Center’s “BreakPoint”: A prime resource for articles of culture and worldview issues. They also feature the popular “BreakPoint” podcast which tackles the latest issues in the news: https://www.breakpoint.org/
• Think Biblically: This is a blog/podcast featuring Drs. Scott Rae and Sean McDowell from Biola University. They tackled topics from a Biblical lens as they think about faith and culture: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically
• The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network: The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network (CBC) addresses bioethical issues that most profoundly affect our humanity, especially issues that arise in the lives of the most vulnerable among us. https://www.cbc-network.org/
• First Choice Women’s Resource Center: A partner ministry of Millington Baptist which ministers to families. First Choice Women’s Resource Centers exists to encourage and equip women and men to make informed pregnancy decisions. We do not benefit financially from any decision a client makes and we do not charge for our services. We believe that women and men are capable of making their own choices when given accurate information. https://1stchoice.org/

Videos 

• What Would You Say? Katy Faust, “Do Children’s Rights Override Parental Rights?” https://whatwouldyousay.org/do-childrens-rights-override-parental-rights/
• What Would You Say? Katy Faust, “Happily Divorced vs. Unhappily Married—Which is better for kids?” https://whatwouldyousay.org/happily-divorced-vs-unhappily-married-which-is-better-for-kids/
• What Would You Say? Katy Faust, “Is Surrogacy Just Like Adoption?” https://whatwouldyousay.org/is-surrogacy-just-like-adoption/
• What Would You Say? Katy Faust, “Are Reproductive Technologies Good?” https://whatwouldyousay.org/are-reproductive-technologies-a-good-way-to-help-people-have-babies/
• What Would You Say? Katy Faust, “Modern Family: Are the Kids Really Fine?” https://whatwouldyousay.org/modern-family-are-the-kids-really-fine/
• Upstream Podcast: “Making Babies Without Sex.” Interview with Stephanie Gray Connors. https://upstreamcc.libsyn.com/making-babies-without-sex-stephanie-gray-connors
• Think Biblically Podcast: “New Data on Same Sex Parenting,” with Walter Schumm. https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2021/new-data-on-same-sex-parenting
• Think Biblically Podcast: “Divorce in the Culture and the Church,” with Wayne Grudem. https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2020/divorce-in-culture-and-church
• The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network: “Anonymous Father’s Day,” Documentary (43 mins). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W87u4OhOcdo&list=PLjd_6HQBYOi_MsQwJoYxLqd8LKp3KbsMk&index=2

Articles

• Breakpoint: “Surrogacy in the Time of War.” https://www.breakpoint.org/surrogacy-in-the-time-of-war/
• Breakpoint: “We Need To Talk About Assisted Reproduction.” https://www.breakpoint.org/we-need-to-talk-about-assisted-reproduction/
• Breakpoint: “No Fault Divorce Ignores Data, Science and Children.” https://www.breakpoint.org/no-fault-divorce-avoids-data-and-harms-children/
• Breakpoint: “Redefining ‘Parent’ Is Bad for Kids.” https://www.breakpoint.org/redefining-parent-is-bad-for-kids/
• Public Discourse: “On Fatherly Figures,” by Phillip Dolitsky. https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2022/01/79653/
• Public Discourse: “How Surrogacy Arrangements Fail Children,” by Seow Hon Tan. https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2021/02/74041/
• Public Discourse: “We Are Real Parents, Too: Our Adoption Story,” by Mariana and Alfredo. https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2021/02/73796/
• The Gospel Coalition: “How IVF Can Be Morally Right,” by Wayne Grudem. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/ivf-morally-right/
• The Gospel Coalition: “Breaking Evangelicalism Silence on IVF,” By Matthew Lee Anderson & Andrew T. Walker. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/evangelicalisms-silence-ivf/
• ERLC: “Divorce and The Good of The Children,” https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/divorce-and-the-good-of-the-children/
• ERLC: “Five Facts about Marriage in America,” by Joe Carter. https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/5-facts-about-marriage-in-america/
• Should Singles Adopt? Redeeming Brokenness Instead of Creating It. https://www.breakpoint.org/should-singles-adopt-redeeming-brokenness-instead-of-creating-it/

Guest Speaker

Katy Faust
Katy Faust is the Founder of Them Before Us, the only organization solely devoted to defending children’s rights in family structure. She did her undergraduate degree in Political Science and Asian Studies at St. Olaf College and then received a Fulbright scholarship to Taiwan. Her fluency in Mandarin assisted her when she worked with the largest Chinese adoption agency in the world. In 2012 Katy began blogging about why marriage is a matter of social justice for kids. Her articles have appeared in USA Today, Public Discourse, LifeSite News, and The Federalist and The Daily Signal. She has filed three amicus briefs supporting children’s rights and advocated for the rights of children with lawmakers in the US and abroad as well as at the United Nations.  She currently appears in a video series called Dear Katy which offers advice on how to live sexual integrity in the midst of morally permissive cultures. She is married and the mother of four children, the youngest of whom is adopted from China.

Moderator

Pastor Bob Erbig
Bob Erbig is the Lead Pastor for Preaching, Family, Life and Mission at Millington Baptist Church. Bob has a particular passion to equip Christians to engage culture and worldview issues. He oversees the Underground Sessions ministry and is always excited to have a good conversation on a challenging issue. Along with his co-pastor, Dave Hentschel, he is the author of the book A Beautiful Mess, which speaks to dysfunctional family issues in the OT book of Genesis. Bob received his Master of Divinity degree from Denver Seminary and has been married to his wife, Amanda, for 8 years and they have three children.

Books:

• Faust, Katy & Stacy Manning. Them Before Us: Why We Need A Global Children’s Rights Movement. 
• Gray Connors, Stephanie. Conceived By Science: Thinking Carefully and Compassionately about Infertility and IVF.
• Gray, Stephanie. Love Unleashes Life: Abortion and the Art of Communicating Truth.
• Marquardt, Elizabeth. Between Two Worlds: The Inner Lives of Children of Divorce.
• Rae, Scott. Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics.
• Erbig, Bob & Dave Hentschel. A Beautiful Mess: Coming From a Dysfunctional Family Doesn’t Destine You For A Dysfunctional Life.
• Matthew Arbo. Infertility. Walking Through Infertility: Biblical, Theological, and Moral Counsel for Those Who Are Struggling (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2017).

Web Sites

• Them Before Us: A comprehensive website that deals with issues related to children’s rights in the family. There are stories and articles highlighted here: https://thembeforeus.com/
• Public Discourse: An online journal that moral foundations in free societies. They assert that the second pillar of decent society is the “institution of the family, which is built upon the comprehensive sexual onion of man and woman.” They have an excellent section on issues related to sexuality and the family, as well as the human person: https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/ 
• CanaVox: This is a marriage movement that offers reading groups to friends who support the historic understanding of marriage. The website offers reading lists and helpful videos: https://canavox.com/
• ERLC: The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptists is an excellent resource on marriage, family and ethical issues: https://erlc.com/
• The Colson Center’s “BreakPoint”: A prime resource for articles of culture and worldview issues. They also feature the popular “BreakPoint” podcast which tackles the latest issues in the news: https://www.breakpoint.org/
• Think Biblically: This is a blog/podcast featuring Drs. Scott Rae and Sean McDowell from Biola University. They tackled topics from a Biblical lens as they think about faith and culture: https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically
• The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network: The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network (CBC) addresses bioethical issues that most profoundly affect our humanity, especially issues that arise in the lives of the most vulnerable among us. https://www.cbc-network.org/
• First Choice Women’s Resource Center: A partner ministry of Millington Baptist which ministers to families. First Choice Women’s Resource Centers exists to encourage and equip women and men to make informed pregnancy decisions. We do not benefit financially from any decision a client makes and we do not charge for our services. We believe that women and men are capable of making their own choices when given accurate information. https://1stchoice.org/

Videos 

• What Would You Say? Katy Faust, “Do Children’s Rights Override Parental Rights?” https://whatwouldyousay.org/do-childrens-rights-override-parental-rights/
• What Would You Say? Katy Faust, “Happily Divorced vs. Unhappily Married—Which is better for kids?” https://whatwouldyousay.org/happily-divorced-vs-unhappily-married-which-is-better-for-kids/
• What Would You Say? Katy Faust, “Is Surrogacy Just Like Adoption?” https://whatwouldyousay.org/is-surrogacy-just-like-adoption/
• What Would You Say? Katy Faust, “Are Reproductive Technologies Good?” https://whatwouldyousay.org/are-reproductive-technologies-a-good-way-to-help-people-have-babies/
• What Would You Say? Katy Faust, “Modern Family: Are the Kids Really Fine?” https://whatwouldyousay.org/modern-family-are-the-kids-really-fine/
• Upstream Podcast: “Making Babies Without Sex.” Interview with Stephanie Gray Connors. https://upstreamcc.libsyn.com/making-babies-without-sex-stephanie-gray-connors
• Think Biblically Podcast: “New Data on Same Sex Parenting,” with Walter Schumm. https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2021/new-data-on-same-sex-parenting
• Think Biblically Podcast: “Divorce in the Culture and the Church,” with Wayne Grudem. https://www.biola.edu/blogs/think-biblically/2020/divorce-in-culture-and-church
• The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network: “Anonymous Father’s Day,” Documentary (43 mins). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W87u4OhOcdo&list=PLjd_6HQBYOi_MsQwJoYxLqd8LKp3KbsMk&index=2

Articles

• Breakpoint: “Surrogacy in the Time of War.” https://www.breakpoint.org/surrogacy-in-the-time-of-war/
• Breakpoint: “We Need To Talk About Assisted Reproduction.” https://www.breakpoint.org/we-need-to-talk-about-assisted-reproduction/
• Breakpoint: “No Fault Divorce Ignores Data, Science and Children.” https://www.breakpoint.org/no-fault-divorce-avoids-data-and-harms-children/
• Breakpoint: “Redefining ‘Parent’ Is Bad for Kids.” https://www.breakpoint.org/redefining-parent-is-bad-for-kids/
• Public Discourse: “On Fatherly Figures,” by Phillip Dolitsky. https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2022/01/79653/
• Public Discourse: “How Surrogacy Arrangements Fail Children,” by Seow Hon Tan. https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2021/02/74041/
• Public Discourse: “We Are Real Parents, Too: Our Adoption Story,” by Mariana and Alfredo. https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2021/02/73796/
• The Gospel Coalition: “How IVF Can Be Morally Right,” by Wayne Grudem. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/ivf-morally-right/
• The Gospel Coalition: “Breaking Evangelicalism Silence on IVF,” By Matthew Lee Anderson & Andrew T. Walker. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/evangelicalisms-silence-ivf/
• ERLC: “Divorce and The Good of The Children,” https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/divorce-and-the-good-of-the-children/
• ERLC: “Five Facts about Marriage in America,” by Joe Carter. https://erlc.com/resource-library/articles/5-facts-about-marriage-in-america/
• Should Singles Adopt? Redeeming Brokenness Instead of Creating It. https://www.breakpoint.org/should-singles-adopt-redeeming-brokenness-instead-of-creating-it/

Guest Speaker

Katy Faust
Katy Faust is the Founder of Them Before Us, the only organization solely devoted to defending children’s rights in family structure. She did her undergraduate degree in Political Science and Asian Studies at St. Olaf College and then received a Fulbright scholarship to Taiwan. Her fluency in Mandarin assisted her when she worked with the largest Chinese adoption agency in the world. In 2012 Katy began blogging about why marriage is a matter of social justice for kids. Her articles have appeared in USA Today, Public Discourse, LifeSite News, and The Federalist and The Daily Signal. She has filed three amicus briefs supporting children’s rights and advocated for the rights of children with lawmakers in the US and abroad as well as at the United Nations.  She currently appears in a video series called Dear Katy which offers advice on how to live sexual integrity in the midst of morally permissive cultures. She is married and the mother of four children, the youngest of whom is adopted from China.

Moderator

Pastor Bob Erbig
Bob Erbig is the Lead Pastor for Preaching, Family, Life and Mission at Millington Baptist Church. Bob has a particular passion to equip Christians to engage culture and worldview issues. He oversees the Underground Sessions ministry and is always excited to have a good conversation on a challenging issue. Along with his co-pastor, Dave Hentschel, he is the author of the book A Beautiful Mess, which speaks to dysfunctional family issues in the OT book of Genesis. Bob received his Master of Divinity degree from Denver Seminary and has been married to his wife, Amanda, for 8 years and they have three children.

Event Live Stream

EVENT AGENDA: 

Books:

• Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus – by Nabeel Qureshi 
• Zondervan Counterpoints – Do Jews, Christians and Muslims all worship the same God? Four Views
• What every Christian needs to know about the Quran – by Dr. James White
• Reason for God – by Tim Keller, 2009
• Understanding Islam and Christianity – Josh McDowell and Jim Walker. Harvest House, 2013.
• Honor and Shame – Unlocking the Door. Roland Muller. Xlibris, 2000.
• Dear Muslim Friend – Jerry Mattix. ECS Ministries. 2014

Web Sites

• www.whoisthemessiah.wordpress.com – This video lecture series explores what the Bible teaches about the Messiah. Some of the topics covered are: the need for, the prophecy about, and the purpose of the Messiah, as well as answering challenges Muslims make to the trustworthiness of the Bible and the deity of Jesus. 
• www.answering-islam.org – A wealth of articles and links for resources related to Muslim ministry. 
• www.commanetwork.com – The public site for Coalition of Ministries to Muslims in North America. It has a number of resources and links to helpful information and testimonies by former Muslims.
• https://multilanguagemedia.org/ – A site for ordering Scriptures in languages spoken by Muslims.
• www.ReachingTheNationsAmongUs.org – A site for the multi-language JESUS film plus links to many other resources and cooperating organizations. 

Videos 

• Crescent Project video series. – A six-part series introducing the basics about Islam and how to engage Muslims in spiritual conversations. 
• Apologetics and Islam – by Dr. James White 

Articles from Jayson Casper:

• As anti-Muslim sentiment grows in the West, European evangelical consultant urges a better response than burqa bans.
  
  
• Muslim lawyer who helped Hobby Lobby and Hosanna-Tabor win at the Supreme Court details the difficulties Muslims face in securing the freedoms that US Christians demand.
  
  
• Diaspora leaders in America disagree on how to improve religious freedom back home.
  
  
• Diverse anthology of current Christian research on Islam, the Quran, and Muhammad suggests biblically-faithful paths for better engagement beyond polemics or dialogue.
  
  
• A short history of Shiite Islam explains why the pope made peace with Grand Ayatollah Sistani, yet Iranian rival and Sunni extremists don’t accept Muslim leader’s authority.
  
  
• Annual gathering of Christian scholars seeks better engagement with Islam.
  
  
• Followers of Islam admire the mother of Jesus. But can she be a bridge to Christianity?
  
  
• To acquit Asia Bibi of blasphemy, Pakistan’s Supreme Court relied on supposed seventh-century treaty by Islam’s prophet.
  
  
• Asia Bibi’s acquittal may model how to persuade Muslims of religious freedom.
  
  
• Arab theologians advise Americans not to fear Islam’s alleged “permission to lie.”
  
  
• Christians can learn from Egyptian debate over terrorism and true Islam.
  
  
• Islam and Christianity share Second Coming hopes. Can this be a bridge?
  
  
• Christians meet with Sunni Islam’s top leader, test other responses to extremists.
  
  
• As “mosque planting” and “unmosqued youth” increasingly resemble patterns in the church, evangelical experts reflect on implications for faith and witness.
  
  
• Arabic phrase invoked during presidential debate parallels James 4 and offers a window into how Christians and Muslims view God’s will.
  
  
• A 2019 survey shows how relationships curb Islamophobia and improve understanding between the two faiths.
  
  
• Does good press lead to greater gains in the Muslim world? Or merely cover a multitude of sins?
  
  
• Remembering the first missionary to Muslims, 700 years after his death.
  
  
• Films, courses, and dialogue groups invite—rather than confront—Islamic societies toward greater openness. But will accompanying “intersectionality” undercut support?
  
  
• The latest report on government restrictions and social hostilities in 198 nations follows the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.
  
  
• Three evangelicals wrestle with faithful witness in conversations with Muslims.
  
  
• ‘Same God’ controversy echoes what Mideast Christians have wrestled with for centuries.
  
  
• In the Middle East, Christians even host iftars.
  
  
• Eleven evangelical experts weigh in as death toll of New Zealand Muslims hits 50.
  
  
• Shift in human rights language could allow for greater acceptance in the Muslim world.
  
  

Jayson Casper is the Middle East correspondent for Christianity Today, reporting on news at the intersection of religion, politics, and culture. He resides with his family in Beirut, Lebanon, having relocated following nine years in Cairo, Egypt. He has lived also in Tunisia, Jordan, and Mauritania, and appreciates the ministry God has given him to be a bridge between peoples who often misunderstand each other. He speaks Arabic, and has a MA in Islamic Studies.

Amoon Sharon, is a Founder and President of Alpha Ministries International, a non-profit faith-based organization in New Jersey and South Asia. He has a passion to build relationships with people from different cultural, religious and ethnic background. He earns a degree in Religion from Liberty University, and lives with his family in Metuchen, New Jersey.  Alpha Ministries serves new immigrants through ESL program, build bridges with people from other faiths through South Asian Fellowship, take the message of hope to the inmates through Prison ministry. He speaks, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, and Persian.