In case you missed last Thursday’s meeting - or if you just needed a refresher – I wanted to review some basics from our Apologetics class. Hopefully you found it helpful. Even if you’re not competing this year, these principles are useful for Christian speech and debate.
Event
Apologetics is a limited preparation event in which the speaker is given four minutes to prepare a six-minute speech on a topic related to defending his/her faith.
For a complete explanation of the rules, check out this page: Apologetics Rules
Method
The best way I could think about preparing for an Apologetics speech is found in the acronym: PROP. Just as actors on stage use props to help them tell a story, so also apologists can use a prop to tell his/her story.
P rayer: We should always rely on the Lord to help us in our efforts (Phil 4:6,7).
R esearch: We should prepare by gathering helpful information when discussing the faith (2 Tim 2:15).
O rganize: We should assemble the information is a convincing way (1 Pet 3:15).
P ractice: We should improve our efforts by practice (Phil 4:9).
Structure
In case you needed some help remembering how to construct an Apologetics speech. It should start with a helpful introduction – preferably a story. Second, you should have 2-4 good points backed up by Scripture and possibly Godly men or women. Finally, you should conclude with a tie back to the original introduction.
If it helps, an Apologetics speech is like a ‘Brownie Sundae’. On top you have a nice layer of chocolate syrup (introduction), followed by some tasty ice cream (main points), and the bottom is a chocolate brownie (conclusion with a tie back to the introduction).
Hopefully this helps.
Brandon
