Instead of taking a long, one-week, vacation, this past summer our family did two extended weekends away.  Our first trip was to Cincinnati and Kentucky.  The first day held a Cardinals versus Reds game at the Great American Ballpark, in the over ninety-degree heat.  Even though it was hot, the Cardinals beat the Reds with a final score of twelve to eleven, and since we are Redbird fans, the evening was awesome.

          Day two of our weekend vacation meant indoor air-conditioning and the Creation Museum, both of which I was excited to experience.  My husband and I had the privilege of visiting the museum a few years after it opened in 2007.  However, this was the first visit for our fourteen-year-old son, and parents know experiencing things through the eyes of your child is priceless.  Whether you are planning to visit for the first time, or you have been before, this list will provide you with the terrific tips for making the most of your time there.  You can also find our top ten tips for visiting the Creation Museum’s sister attraction, The Ark, here. 

          The Creation Museum highlights our amazing Creator and is a must-see attraction for anyone interested in exploring a visual representation of the book of Genesis, and the history of the world.  Located in Petersburg, Kentucky, make plans to experience this state-of-the-art facility, where millions of people have been impacted by the way the Bible comes to life!

          10.  DO THE 4-D SHOW.  Right after you enter the museum, the 4-D theater is on the right.  Our son wanted to do this half hour show first thing.  A clock outside the theater counts down until the next viewing.  The workers give you 3-D glasses to wear once inside, and there is a caution given for people who are sensitive to flashing lights or are prone to seizures.  The 4-D elements are water and wind.  We were one of the last guests to enter, so we had to sit on the end of a front aisle.  We didn’t feel any water but children next to us did.  We did feel bursts of air during those thematic parts.  It was an incredible show on the six days of creation, and we think it’s a must see for everyone who visits the museum.
 
          9.  LISTEN TO THE GUEST LECTURE.  Georgia Purdom was the staff lecturer of the day, and we listened to her hour-long presentation after we finished the 4-D show.  If you’ve never heard any of the speakers from Answers in Genesis, they offer fantastic presentations answering tough questions in easily understandable language.  I’ve heard the material before, and it still was interesting to me!  Click Here to watch her talk:  youtu.be/yt0LdAtNLe0

          8.  STOP FOR FUDGE.  Our family loves chocolate, and our fourteen-year-old couldn’t resist Uncle Leroy’s fudge shop, right outside the lecture hall.  They carry many different varieties, including mint chocolate, buckeye, and maple pecan.  We settled for a half-pound of plain chocolate, and it was delicious.

          7. WALK THE GROUNDS.  The botanical gardens are beautiful and offer over one mile of paved walking trails.  You can stroll through a butterfly garden, wobble along a suspension bridge, or take a selfie by a small waterfall.  It was an abnormally hot day, in the mid-nineties, and there was enough shade, so it was not unbearable.  The gardens are meticulously maintained and easy to navigate. 

          6.  ENJOY EXCELLENT EATING OPTIONS.  For lunch we ate at Noah’s Café, which is located on the top floor, inside the museum.  They have hot items like paninis, cheeseburgers, and chicken, or cold sandwiches, such as wraps, chicken salad, and more.  There is a small salad bar, fresh fruit, and yogurt as well.  Another eating spot, the Palm Café, is located downstairs, and it had pizza.  We also stopped at the Noah’s Coffee (which is next to Noah’s Café), where we all had ice cream before we left.
 
          5.  PICK FROM PLENTY OF PICNIC SPOTS.  While our hot day didn’t warrant weather for outdoor eating, there are plenty of picnic spots with long tables available.  If you have young children, you could eat lunch outdoors and then enjoy the new playground.  These are in close proximity to each other on the grounds.
 
          4.  ESTIMATE AT LEAST AN HOUR FOR THE 7 C’s EXHIBIT.  Whether you’re looking to visualize what Adam and Eve may have looked like, see an animatronic dinosaur, or compare differences between the evolutionary story and Biblical history, the 7 C’s exhibit is the place to go!  It will take about an hour to walk through it quickly.  Plan for more time, if you want to stop and read the information more thoroughly.
 
          3.  GET A PARKING PASS.  When you exit the gated museum, you will need to have a parking pass.  You can get them at the Creation Museum Admissions or Guest Services.  Estimate $5.00 for a standard vehicle and $10.00 for an oversized vehicle.
 
          2.  ZIPLINERS SHOULD GET A RESERVATION.  One of the many side attractions at the museum is ziplining.  If you want to do one of the many different packages of ziplining courses, the museum recommends you make a reservation in advance.  If you call 859-586-3568 the Screaming Raptor Ziplining service line will ask you to leave a message, if they don’t answer.
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          1.  SEE THE SHOW AT THE PLANETARIUM!    Hands down, the most impactful experience for all of us, this time at the museum, was seeing the Created Cosmos at the Stargazer’s Planetarium.  There are two shows to choose from, the one we saw, or Aliens: Fact or Fiction.  The shows are 23 minutes long, and separate tickets are required.  We had a lifetime membership pass, which included the $9.00 per person cost of the show.  The thirty-foot-diameter dome helps simulate a space-like experience, and the content of the show humbled us, making us feel the awe and wonder of our amazing God.

 Local Church Apologetics was birthed in 2016 to respond to the growing need within America for local churches to equip their people in how to defend their Christian faith from the onslaught of a skeptical, unbelieving culture. After pastoring an Assembly of God church in Moline, IL. for 34 years, my wife and I stepped out in faith to follow the Lord’s call to this new ministry venture. Our mission is to impact believers and local churches throughout the nation; challenging, inspiring and equipping them in the area of apologetics.

 While pastoring, a growing burden developed in my heart as I saw the attacks upon the Christian faith increasing and the numbers of Christian young people walking away from the Christian faith by the time they graduated from college. I began to study apologetics about 25 years ago and began to incorporate apologetics into my ministry at the church in various ways. Many local churches in America today do not address the issues of apologetics in any way and many others only touch on these issues lightly. I believe this must change! I devoted the remainder of my life to help see this change come about.

 Local Church Apologetics involves 4 main focuses of ministry. We seek to assist individual believers in becoming better equipped in how to defend their faith, but we our primary goal is to assist local churches in becoming better equipped to equip their people in these areas. Our 4 focus areas are as follows: (1) Preaching and Teaching in Churches, Schools and Conferences, (2) Producing Apologetics Materials for All Ages (I have recently published my first book entitled, “Faith & Reason Made Simple” and we are now working on a children’s ministry curriculum to be used in local churches to teach their children apologetics.), (3) Coordinating Truth Conferences (see description below), & (4) Developing a Web Site at “localchurchapologetics.org” that will eventually offer Materials for Local Churches to Teach Apologetics at Every Age Level.

 In my book “Faith & Reason Made Simple” I have attempted to present the complicated areas of apologetics in a simplified way so that the believer who does not have previous apologetics training can easily digest, memorize and utilize key points which will help them defend their faith. For example, the book explains 6 Scientific Flaws with the Theory of Evolution and gives 8 Levels of Evidence that confirm God Created Everything. It also presents 8 Areas of Evidence which Confirm the Bible is the Word of God. In addition, the book deals with evidences confirming who Jesus Christ is, differences between Christianity and other religions, answers to the questions of skeptics, and a Christian response to issue of Homosexuality. These are all key issues that Christians are facing today.
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 In the Truth Conferences we bring together speakers like Josh McDowell, Chris Brooks, Eric Hovind, Charlie Campbell, and many others to offer people a full day of training and inspiration. Topics covered include Creation vs. Evolution, How We Know the Bible is the Word of God, The Person of Jesus Christ, Christianity & Islam, The Christian Response to Homosexuality, and Answering the Questions of Skeptics. Phil Stacey, former American Idol finalist serves as our worship leader during the conferences. We believe that apologetics and worship go hand in hand!
 In all of our ministry efforts we seek to help believers understand that apologetics and reasoning must be combined with the love of Jesus flowing through our lives and the power of the Holy Spirit guiding our words and actions if we desire to be effective in both defending our faith and reaching the lost for Christ!
 Our current focus is the development of a children’s ministry curriculum to be introduced in a future Truth Conference and offered to local churches across the nation to help them teach apologetics to children in their churches.

You can learn more about Local Church Apologetics at localchurchapologetics.org. You can contact me at rick@lcapologetics.org. Please pray for us as we seek to follow the Lord’s calling! Thank you and God bless you!

Prayer is the foundation of the ministry efforts of the International Association of Creation (IAC). My friends and I unknowingly launched a unique organization by simply praying for one creation-affirming museum in Washington State back in 2012.  Once the museum directors began to see the Lord answer their requests, they gave other museum friends our contact details.  We began praying for them.  We also see intercession at work as we connect people together as prayer partners through the IAC ministry.  Today, IAC is an international network of creation ministries and museums that serve local communities with the love of Christ and the truth of His word.

Our passion for Jesus and declaring His glory through the Word and the truth of creation drives our efforts. In this, we remember that it is Christ who holds all things together, including the important connections between apologetics, creation, and the Gospel. As the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation, it is this truth which should compel us to share a defense of our faith (an “apologia"), and facts about our Creator God's design and purpose.  This is the mission of the International Association of Creation.

Nationally, our footprint is represented through learning centers and tour groups in major metropolitan areas including Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, Nashville, Cleveland, St. Louis, Dallas, Phoenix, San Diego, Portland, and Seattle along with many locations spread across the United States.  Internationally, we have member locations across Canada and Europe, as well as missionaries throughout the 10/40 Window, including the African continent and across the Asia-Pacific Region.

We equip families through IAC affiliated ministries by helping them to know God and understand His purpose in their lives.   Our network of creation learning locations, speakers and missionaries are excellent local resources.  We offer participating members growth through professional development opportunities including accreditation, faith-affirming resources, unified guest experiences, youth development programs, national events and strategic guidance for tactically advancing the biblical worldview.   Our global platform provides communities the opportunity to experience God's creation first-hand and advance the biblical worldview across the Earth through individual and small group ministries.

We look forward to educating, empowering and reaching your local communities with the biblical worldview and the love of Christ.  We want to encourage you through our organization, network and resources to advance the message of our Creator, Savior, and Lord.

Learn more about our work and join us at: www.AssociationForCreation.org