Every Christian has been in this conversation. A friend pushes back: "How can you believe in a God who lets children suffer?" A colleague says, "Science has moved past all that." A family member says, "I just can't be part of an institution with that history." These are not niche questions. They are the three or four objections that stop almost every serious faith conversation — and most Christians have never been trained to handle them.
But there is a second layer of challenge that is just as important and less often addressed: the stories our culture tells about identity, freedom, happiness, power, and truth. These are not abstract philosophical positions. They are the water we swim in. They shape what people believe they deserve, what they're afraid of, what they're building their lives on — and why Christianity feels so implausible to people who have never examined those assumptions.
This cohort teaches you to do both.
Over six weeks, Michael Keller, senior pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church Lincoln Square in Manhattan and co-author of The Stories We Live By with Timothy Keller (Zondervan, September 2026), will give you a rigorous, practical framework for engaging faith conversations with confidence, curiosity, and conviction. Not by memorizing comebacks. Not by winning arguments. But by learning to listen so carefully that you can see exactly where someone's worldview is reaching for something only the gospel can give.
What You'll Learn to Do
- Address the three biggest intellectual objections to Christianity — suffering and evil, science and reason, church hypocrisy and harm — with logic, empathy, and genuine theological depth
- Read the cultural narratives shaping your conversations: Identity, Power, Morality, Happiness, Freedom, Truth, and Progress
- Use the Affirm → Critique → Redirect framework to enter any conversation, find common ground, expose where the story fails on its own terms, and redirect to the gospel as fulfillment — not replacement
- Diagnose where someone is in their journey (Dissatisfied / Indifferent / Cautiously Interested / Actively Seeking) and respond accordingly
- Turn everyday conversations into gospel opportunities without being awkward, manipulative, or preachy
Who This Is For
- Christians who want to be more confident and equipped in faith conversations
- Pastors and ministry leaders who preach or teach to post-Christian audiences
- Small group leaders who want to help their communities engage skeptical friends
- Anyone who has felt tongue-tied when someone pushes back on their faith
With your registration you’ll receive:
- Teaching from Michael Keller and opportunities to ask questions of other Keller Center fellows
- Practical guidance and feedback for turning everyday conversations into gospel opportunities
- The Stories We Live By by Michael Keller and Timothy Keller
Making Sense of Us, a seven-week cultural narratives curriculum and videos from The Keller Center’s fellows
Are you on a church staff or considering this cohort as a group at a church? If so, we want you to check out this brief PDF with three ideas of how to use this cohort as a group and instructions for deep discounts.
We never want finances to hinder someone from participating. If you want to participate in this cohort and need financial assistance, please send us an email and tell us more about your circumstances (cohorts@thegospelcoalition.org).
* We are unable to offer refunds for The Keller Center cohorts
* Registration WITH books closes on October 12 and LATE Registration WITHOUT books closes on October 18.
* All sessions will be recorded and available for streaming or download at your leisure in perpetuity, so if you can’t make it live, the material is still readily available
* NOTE: we are unable to ship to those outside the United States but please use the coupon code “BOOKS15” for 15 percent off as our courtesy to international participants. You may also use coupon code “BOOKS15” if you DO NOT WANT the books for the cohort.
* If you have any questions pertaining to signing up for your cohort, group rates, elder/preaching team rates, or church rates email cohorts@thegospelcoalition.org