On 4 March 2017, 400 young adults and youth leaders came through the doors of Central Hall, Edinburgh for the launch of Scotland’s first ever REBOOT event. Filling the venue with 400 people was testimony to God’s providence and faithfulness as, prior to the event, local Church and youth leaders said they would be pleased with 100-150 attendees (and that anything above 200 would be surprising)! Evidently, REBOOT was scratching a very present itch.
The high-energy day began with people being welcomed on a rainy morning by a highly enthusiastic team. After some short-fire answers to key apologetics questions, Amy Orr-Ewing went into greater depth on the topic of ‘Why Trust the Bible?’ She was followed by Andy Moore, who looked at arguments for God’s existence, Lara Buchanan on the cross and suffering, and Daniel Rangel on the topic of sex and relationships. Interspersed throughout the day were seminars on mental health, other religions, and ‘Apologetics in real life’, as well as an interview with Ben Thomas, a Christian medic who is same-sex attracted.
We felt God’s spirit providing a tangible sense of freedom in the room, allowing people to ask vulnerable questions. The global nature of REBOOT was reflected in the speaking team who came from as far afield as China, USA, Australia, South Africa, Northern Ireland, Scotland and England. An open environment for questioning was also encouraged by the interactive Q & A sessions where people could ask any question anonymously – ‘no question off limits’ was the motto – via their own phones. This allowed personal and sensitive questions to surface, which otherwise might have been difficult to ask in front of a crowd.