CI’s inaugural ‘Colin Hart Lectures’ testify to the power of biblical friendships in helping build the kingdom of God

God powerfully uses Christian friendships to strengthen faith and change whole nations for the better. That’s the theme of this year’s annual lecture series from The Christian Institute (the CI).

Renamed in honour of its first Director, the ‘Colin Hart Lectures’ will be shared on YouTube in the New Year. The lectures have taken place each autumn since 1991. This series is titled ‘Iron sharpens iron’, sparked by the special friendship between the CI’s founders Colin Hart and John Burn OBE, which was used by God in the charity’s development for over 30 years. Sadly, both leaders have died in the last eight months.

Starting off the first lecture last week, Mike Judge, Pastor of Chorlton Evangelical Church in South Manchester, offered biblical examples of strong friendships such as Ruth and Naomi, David and Jonathan, and Paul and Timothy, demonstrating their loyalty, love, faithfulness and spiritual growth.

The four other lectures will include Revd Dr Richard Turnbull, the Institute’s Chairman, and Director of the Centre for Enterprise, Markets and Ethics, speaking on the 18th century Oxford Holy Club and the Clapham Sect – a group dedicated to the abolition of the slave trade, its most famous member being William Wilberforce.

Stories from the Cambridge Seven, young men who arrived in China in March 1885 to engage in mission work via the China Inland Mission, and the work of the Haldane Brothers, fervent preachers of the Gospel in Scotland, will conclude the series with a focus on evangelism and world mission.

All five lectures from November 4 till December 2 are being delivered live to the charity’s supporters at Elswick Parish Church, Newcastle upon Tyne. They will be released on the CI’s YouTube channel from January.

Simon Calvert, Deputy Director of The Christian Institute, said:

“Our annual lectures have featured prominently in the life and work of the Institute for over three decades. From its inception, the Institute has seen the need for Christians to think Christianly in all areas of life. They are now renamed in honour of Colin Hart, a man who knew the value of ‘iron sharpening iron’.

“We are not meant to live the Christian life alone. Fellowship with believers, whether in local churches to which all believers belong, or among close groups of friends, is used by God to enable us to persevere and progress as disciples of Christ.”

• For further information about the Colin Hart Lectures, see the CI’s flyer: the.ci/CHlectures2024, email info@christian.org.uk or telephone 0191 281 5664.
• You can watch a short trailer for Mike Judge’s lecture here.

ENDS

Editor’s notes

Previous speakers at The Christian Institute’s annual lectures have included:
Revd Rupert Bentley-Taylor, Revd Dr Matthew Roberts, Dr Chris Sinkinson, Dr Nick Needham, Dr Peter Saunders, and the late Prof John L Mackay.