Our outreach team at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) had started up a few investigative Bible discussions with their friends in the dorm. One particular study had especially inquisitive non-Christians with a lot of intellectual questions. So when trying to determine what sort of outreach event (other than the IBDs) we wanted to do during the fall semester, we thought perhaps the campus would be intrigued by “Pizza and Hard Questions,” an idea I’d heard from Keith Cooper, I-V staff at Brown University. People could come to the student center, grab a slice of pepperoni pizza, and ask their tough questions about Christianity.

Our outreach team decided to be our “Christianity experts.” A couple weeks before I brought an array of books on apologetics and theology to our team meeting, from Give Me An Answer to Evidence Demands a Verdict to Mere Christianity. Together we brainstormed some of the tougher questions that might be asked and narrowed our list down to two questions which we thought were the ones most on our friends’ minds. Our team came up with these two: (1) Why is there a hell, and why would God send people there? and (2) How do you reconcile God and science? (Remember, we are at MIT!) Then we split the team up to research each question and come up with cogent answers.

A week before the event we met again to pray and make posters with interesting facts about Christianity: one on the Bible, one on the resurrection, and one on the universe. Throughout the process we learned a lot about the historical and scientific evidence for our faith as well.

The night of the event, we bought eight large pizzas and then sat and waited. Our students invited friends but weren’t sure who would show up (or if anyone would show up) because of their impending finals load. We also had made posters and banners to advertise the event. We started to get excited as a few seekers wandered in, grabbed some pizza, and started conversations with our team members. Eventually, we gathered everyone into a circle, and I introduced the event. I was careful to say that while we don’t have all the answers, we want to listen to students and take their questions seriously.

There were two mediums through which to ask questions. People could either ask them verbally while in the circle or write out a question and drop it in a question bag.

Much to our outreach team’s surprise, people chimed in with questions unabashedly and continuously. We were asked our “top two” questions and were also asked some really tough ones, such as “Why does God seem to command that certain people groups be wiped out in the Old Testament?” or “What do you make of the limited role women have in the Bible?” We answered as best we could. Sometimes we even answered well! Other times we simply had to give our theories and admit that we didn’t know. After an hour of questions and answers, the team left energized. And a couple of the non-Christians showed increased interest in Christianity after the meeting. One person actually said he was interested in coming to a Bible study.

We prayed with great thanks after the meeting, and one of our freshmen, a young Christian, said that she was encouraged because she had been unsure if God could use her. She felt he had spoken through her during the event. (She gave a great answer to the science versus faith question.) An older, more jaded grad student said she felt like her faith in outreach events had been restored. I felt greater desire to pray for people and for their search for God. It is clear people need him and are curious about him. Otherwise, why would they take time out on a Friday night to ask their questions and listen to some crazy Christians over pizza?

—Andrew and Jennifer Larratt-Smith both graduated from Yale University and are currently on staff with United Christian Fellowship at MIT.