DeKalb | Emmaus College Church invites NIU students of all beliefs to discuss religion on Tuesday.

The church has invited Nicholas Piotrowski of the Fox Valley Theological Society to campus to present his seminar “Proof” at 8 p.m. in the Regency Room of the Holmes Student Center.

Piotrowski, a PhD candidate at Wheaton College, will provide evidence for the existence of God, the resurrection of Christ and the reliability of the Bible. He will discuss the implications these events have for people’s lives today.

Kevin Singer, pastor of Emmaus College Church, asked Piotrowski to speak in response to the discussions about the existence of God happening around campus in sidewalk chalk.

He thought it would benefit students to listen to scholars “who have spent most of their lives learning, reading and publishing about [religion].”

After Piotrowski’s presentation, other members of the Aurora Theological Society, of which he is a co-founder, will join him for a question and answer session.

“I want to be questioned and prodded,” Piotrowski said. “I hope people will come out with good questions and responses to help me think better about these issues.”

Piotrowski said he has “noticed a decline in the public discourse about religion,” and created the seminars as a response.

His goal isn’t to alienate and marginalize people, he said, but to have a fruitful and provocative discussion.

Junior accountancy major Tyler Swanlund said he plans to attend the event.

“[I’m] interested in the factual aspects of Christianity…that [people] don’t talk about,” Swanlund said.

Singer urges all students to come, even those who don’t know what they believe. He said the tone of the seminar will not be confrontational and Emmaus is not hosting the event to pressure students into Christianity.

“The point is not to have a bunch of Christians show up and rally for their God,” he said.

This talk is part of the larger mission of Emmaus College Church at NIU. They strive to be a relevant Christian campus group, he said.

“I want people to say that it’s more than a cliquey Christian club,” he said. “We would love to put on more events that engage the campus as a whole.”