Apologetics

Apologetics is a limited-prep speech event in which the competitor is given four minutes to prepare a six minute speech defending the basics of Christian faith. Apologetics was originally an NCFCA Wildcard Event in the 2003-2004 speech season, but was later put in place as a permanent event in both the NCFCA and Stoa.

Goal
The goal of the Apologetics event is to motivate students to learn more about their faith through the preparation and study, and for the speaker to gain skills in being able to articulate and defend the Christian faith.

Preparation rules
Competitors should prepare for apologetics through studying the Bible and researching and analyzing the list of topics. The competitor should arrange a card file full of scripture, definitions, quotations, or anything else they think is necessary for speech preparation. Groups of competitors may work on boxes together before the tournament, but may not share boxes at a tournament.

Administration rules
All three judges will be given a list of the topics being used for that round. One judge in each room will be given instructions for administration and the envelope with the topics for the round. The competitors will choose 3 of the topics from this envelope, choose one as their speaking topic, and return the other two. The competitor must be careful not to return their chosen topic to the envelope.

Once the competitor has picked three topics, preparation time starts. Competitors have four minutes of preparation time. The timekeeper in the room will give vocal time signals every thirty seconds until the preparation time has expired. Even if the competitor doesn’t use all of his preparation time, he can’t add any extra time to his speaking time.

All of the questions used for the Apologetics round must come from the list of topics, which can be found on the Stoa website. Judges will be given a separate orientation for Apologetics judging, and the judges should be sympathetic to the Stoa Christian ideals

Presentation Rules
The topic the speaker chooses must be the central theme for the speech, and the student must answer the question the topic asks. Each speech must be an original work and should be supported by Bible verses and quotations or analysis from outside sources. The speech should be approached from an apologetic perspective, and should be given as if the speaker was speaking to a non-Christian audience. Gratuitous vulgarity is prohibited.

During the preparation time of the speech, the competitor may have access to a Bible and his or her pre-prepared card files. The speaker is also allowed to write extra notes on note cards. The speaker may use the notecards during his speech. No visual aids or props of any sort may be used, other than the note cards. The competitor may not use the Bible during the speech. The speaker may not use any electronic device during preparation or presentation. The competitors may not watch any competitors who speak in the room before him, however he may watch the competitors after him.

Preparation time is 4 minutes. Speaking time limit is 6 minutes. There is no minimum time.

NCFCA rules
The NCFCA Rules do not differ significantly from the Stoa rules. The only major difference is in the topics.

Topics
The NCFCA and Stoa Topics have similar categories, but have some differing questions. The questions are divided into five categories: 1. Existence and Nature of God 2. Scriptures 3. The Nature, Purpose, and Destiny of Man 4. Salvation, or How to Know God 5. The Person of Christ

The full list of Stoa topics can be found here.

The full list of NCFCA topics can be found here.

Primary Judging Areas
Judges look for cohesive thoughts, thorough analysis of the topic, and the application of Christian themes. They also look for how well you back up your analysis with scripture and outside sources.