It's easy to think that the Christians who capture attention in our culture are the ones with flawless theological pedigrees, a famous name, and a healthy dose of absolute certainty. Much less prominent, however, is a story like Bethany Speier's, a story where the protagonist admits no special education, sees herself as "normal" like everyone else, denies that the story is even about her to begin with. In other words, a story of humble faith in community.

Speier (pronounced spy-er) is an artist, mother, and founder of a Facebook group and website called TheApologistMom.com. She read an article by the same name in Her.meneutics that inspired her and others to begin studying their faith in greater detail. She may be humble, but she is absolutely passionate and outspoken about the special, even unique, engagement women and mothers should have with Christian apologetics. I interviewed her to find out more about her project and why Her.meneutics' story sparked this movement.

You read Her.meneutics' story profiling Melissa Cain Travis, a homeschooling mother of two who is working on a PhD in apologetics. What was it about Cain Travis' story that inspired you to start your own group?

When I read the CT article, "The Apologist Mom," I said, "This is exactly how I feel." I emailed Melissa Cain Travis and asked for permission to ask her all of my questions. Immediately after reading the CT article, I posted on Facebook saying "Who wants to be in a book club together?" I wanted to carve out time like the article on Melissa said. Someone replied to the post saying, "Hey, can you do it online because I can't make it but would love to join?" I put together a Facebook Page for the group of us, and within a couple of days we had 50 women from across the country and even internationally. I heard women say over and over again, "I've been looking for something like this. I don't have someone to talk to or share with about this." In the Facebook group, there are several women who will ask big questions. We're doing it together; we're processing together. I think for me, one of the biggest things was that I didn't want it to be about me. I really wanted to emphasize that we're learning together and on this journey together.

A couple of things that inspired me were Augustine's mom, Susannah Wesley, and so on. I never thought about that maternal connection before. These amazing men that we revere and respect were reared by women who laid a foundation for their faith. It's exciting and humbling in knowing the responsibility we have to educate and prepare children.

How and where does apologetics enter into the picture in mothers' and women's roles?

One of the big questions that comes up is "How do I teach my children about homosexuality?" There are big questions that people are dealing with, so the group really is a safe place. I wasn't surprised by that question being raised. There are so many diverse voices—even Melissa herself has participated in conversations. Women are facing these things and being honest, and they want to know that it's a safe space for conversation.

Another goal of the group was to provide an opportunity for resources to be shared, which is why I created the website, TheApologistMom.com. I wanted to allow women to learn what they believe and why they believe it and to have the tools to know how to engage in various cultural spheres. There's a foundation to be laid for women who are looking for resources.

So why does apologetics in particular resonate so strongly with you? Why has it become your mission in this project?

In 2010 I studied under Chuck Colson in his "Centurion" Christian worldview program. That was my first introduction to the questions of "What do I believe," "What is a Christian worldview," and "How do I explain and defend that?" I was in Washington state and they had a huge campaign in 2012 to preserve traditional marriage there. I worked for the campaign, and I currently work for John Stonestreet. He currently works for the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview and has taken over for Breakpoint since Colson passed away. I really wanted to use what I learned and especially help women whose faith is more of a personal experience, or who are so consumed with constantly doing ministry, that they're not sure how their faith actually relates to the broader world.

I feel like I'm just a normal mom. I haven't written anything, I have no seminary training. But I'm passionate about educating other mothers about the need for preparing children to go off into the world and the culture. As parents see statistics about kids going off and losing their faith, they need resources for how to understand and explain the Christian faith.

What needs is The Apologist Mom project meeting for women in our culture?

I was talking to my boss, John, and asked "Is there a need for this?" He relayed a story of a mom whose son had come out as transgender. And she told John, "I don't know who to talk to. I have nowhere to go." TheApologistMom.com lays a foundation for women to learn, regardless if they're involved in the Facebook group. I picture a woman at her kitchen sink. My own kitchen sink overlooks the park across the street. She's thinking about her own faith and also how her faith links to her children. And she looks across the park and thinks about how her faith impacts others on cultural issues, social issues, and so on. The Apologist Mom is important as a place for moms who might even be alone by themselves throughout the day. It's a place where they can ask those questions.

A second picture I have is a mom at the park. A mom like me, a seasoned Christian, sitting at the park, maybe with another mom from her son's school. Eventually those two go beyond conversations about children and an issue comes up: Did you hear about such-and-such? Even if it's not theological, those questions really come down to what you believe about who God is and what you believe about who man is. I wanted an inviting, safe conversation where moms feel confident and bold in their faith, even if they don't have the right answer. The Apologist Mom is where they feel that they have a place to come and ask their big questions. It's a place where they can find maybe even one encouragement from other women and where they can have resources to point them in the right direction. Those are real life situations that I've experienced, and those are the needs I want to meet.

Where would you like to see this project go in the future? How might it change?

It's important to prepare mothers in understanding what they believe and how to defend it. I really see this group as a long-term learning experience. I'm hoping as we continue on, I can implement several ideas on how to have practical conversations in apologetics. I hope to have webinars and other ways to connect, and I would love to eventually expand to conferences or in-person regional events. Other women have said that they want to read Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis. We're considering doing Eric Metaxas' video series with different leaders on Mere Christianity. I think my approach is to balance giving conclusions for women with letting them find their own answers. I feel I'm a better at asking questions, and I enjoy asking the hard questions. There are about 150 women in the group, and the great thing is that there are other women involved who can point to other resources for the questions that arise. When it comes to apologetics, I feel my role is to be able to direct people to resources rather than give them the answers.

Samuel Ogles is assistant editor and marketer for Church Law & Tax. You can follow him on Twitter at @samuelogles.