Philosophy
People in Little Rock are asking great questions about violence and peace; education, family and the future; faith and God; and life in the city. City Center Conversations aims to ask and address these questions, and by doing so show how faith can be the center of conversation in our city. Our host, Dr. Steven W. Smith, adopted the idea that Eric Metaxas began in New York City called Socrates in the City by bringing these conversations to Little Rock that gather professionals. The strategy is to host nationally known speakers, who are living out their faith in the public square, to have open conversations about faith and tackle some of the biggest questions of the day. Life is too short to leave big questions unanswered.
Our Host
Our founder and host, Dr. Steven W. Smith, is the senior pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock. He is a fourth generation pastor. After being a pastor for many years, Dr. Smith served as Vice President for Student Services and Professor of Preaching at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also served on the preaching team at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, TX. Dr. Smith is passionate about preaching and teaching preaching in the classroom. He is the author of Dying to Preach, and Recapturing the Voice of God, and the co-author of Preaching for the Rest of Us, as well as related academic articles and chapters in books. Most importantly he is married to his best friend Ashley and they have three children, Jewell, Sidney, and Shepherd.
The Event
City Center Conversations holds multiple events each year, hosting conversations about “God, Life and Faith in the City” with nationally known speakers including Eric Metaxas, Lee Strobel, Dr. Michael G. Strauss, D.A. Horton and more to come. Topics have included “Martin Luther,” “The Case for Christ,” “Science and God,” and “Faith and Race.” After each conversation, we offer time to meet with our guests and purchase any products they have available. These events are a great place for people from different professions, different churches and different backgrounds to come together to discuss hard topics and answer hard questions. You can view upcoming events and purchase tickets on our Events page.
We have been so privileged to have wonderful guests who are not shying away from the difficult questions. These events are both thought provoking and entertaining, and every single one is worth revisiting.
God, Life & Faith in the City
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