An author and a former Packer will speak at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 18, at the Waupaca High School gym.
Lee Strobel is the former award-winning legal editor of the Chicago Tribune and the New York Times best-selling author of nearly 20 books. He will share the story of his journey from atheism to Christianity.
Joining Strobel will be the three-time Super Bowl champion and former Green Bay Packers Harry Sydney. He will talk about his journey from the NFL to becoming the founder of My Brother’s Keeper Inc., a nonprofit mentoring service that helps people facing difficulties in life.
Strobel has been described by the Washington Post as “one of the evangelical community’s most popular apologists.” His New York Times best-selling book The Case for Christ, is now widely considered a standard text on evangelism the world over.
Strobel received his bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and a master’s in law from Yale Law School. He worked for 14 years as a legal editor for the Chicago Tribune and taught First Amendment Law at Roosevelt University.
As an ardent atheist, Strobel embarked on a nearly two-year investigation of the evidence for Jesus Christ. At the conclusion of his investigation Strobel became convinced of the truth of the Bible and he became a Christian. The findings of his research were published in his first book The Case for Christ.
Strobel has also served as teaching pastor for Bill Hybels’ Willow Creek Community Church and later as teaching pastor for Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church. He co-authored the Becoming a Contagious Christian evangelism course, which has trained more than a million Christians.
He shared the Christian Book of the Year award in 2005 for a curriculum he co-authored about the movie “The Passion of the Christ.” For two seasons, he was executive producer and host of the weekly national network television program “Faith Under Fire.” In recognition of his extensive research for his books, Southern Evangelical Seminary honored Strobel with a Doctor of Divinity in 2007.
After playing in the NFL for 10 seasons, coaching for six and winning three Super Bowl championships, Sydney founded My Brother’s Keeper Inc. in November 2003. He has since helped more than 7,000 boys and men in the Brown County area.
Although he enjoyed a successful football career, Sydney has dealt with his share of disappointment. He came from a childhood filled with abuse, alcoholism, divorce and an environment filled with prejudice.
Having overcome these obstacles, he has dedicated himself to helping others find success in dealing with the hardships in their lives. Sydney personally mentors each individual, helping them gain the knowledge and skills to make positive changes in their lives.
By teaming with the Green Bay Correctional Institution, Brown County Juvenile Detention Center and various school districts in the area, Sydney has been able to work directly with boys and men who have a history of making bad decisions, and have taught them about respect, integrity, responsibility and goal setting.
The event is free to the public and open to everyone. The doors will open at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Faith Community Church at 715-258-8857 or at www.faithwaupaca.org.