Christianity Explored is an informal seven-week course for people who would like to investigate Christianity, or just brush up on the basics. Looking at Mark’s gospel, it explores who Jesus is, why he came, and what it means to follow him.  This can be summarized in three words: Identity, Mission, and Call.

Dr. Alan J. Avera has been appointed as executive director of Christianity Explored USA (CE-USA), leading this rapidly expanding North American ministry. CE-USA created this new full-time position in order to mobilize more churches in the U.S. and Canada in effective evangelism.

In this role, Dr. Avera will establish and direct a team to build on Christianity Explored’s current networks of churches and advocates; increase awareness of the evangelism and discipleship tools provided by Christianity Explored; train people to confidently share the gospel message; and build a strong base in North America for reaching into Central and South America.

Avera comes to CE-USA from the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church (ARPC), where he was Executive Director of Outreach North America (ONA), which helps introduce people in the United States and Canada to Jesus Christ by supporting ARPC presbyteries in planting new churches and renewing existing churches.

He was converted to Christ through the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ at the University of North Carolina.

Having planted a church in the Washington, DC, area and pastoring that church for 16 years, Avera understands the role of pastors.

“Churches today face a challenging environment where fewer people have any background in Christianity,” Avera said. “The Christianity Explored (CE) course is an excellent tool to help people meet Jesus in the pages of Scripture by creating a highly relational, non-threatening environment where people can ask their questions while engaging with the Gospel of Mark.”

Christianity Explored is an informal seven-week course for people who would like to investigate Christianity, or just brush up on the basics. Looking at Mark’s gospel, it explores who Jesus is, why he came, and what it means to follow him.  This can be summarized in three words: Identity, Mission, and Call.

Rico Tice, along with Barry Cooper and Sam Shammas, developed Christianity Explored in the late 1990s under the tutelage of John Stott and Richard Bewes at All Souls Church, Langham Place in London, England.  It is popular all over the world, with over 5,000 courses a year being run in more than 80 countries. It has also been translated into more than 20 different languages.

“The potential is vast,” commented Christianity Explored Ministries (CEM) Chief Executive Ian Roberts.  “Alan’s unique background as a successful church planter and executive, overseeing church growth and renewal at the denominational level, brings crucial insight into what today’s churches need from evangelism tools. Our prayer is that through him, more and more churches will discover our various courses, and the fruit of lives transformed will be seen across the whole continent.”

“This is the next step in the expansion of CE-USA to better serve churches in the United States,” said Christianity Explored USA Board Chairman Paul Chelson. “In 2009, we established CE-USA as a non-profit 501.c.3 charity in the US; now we have an executive to help move us forward.”

CE-USA works closely with its UK partner, CEM, serving churches through providing tools to equip them to: reach those who do not yet believe; train believers in sharing their faith; and strengthen leaders’ confidence in the Bible as the Holy Spirit brings it to life. Christianity Explored is published by the Good Book Company.

Dr. Avera will assume this new role on July 1 2013.