Rebekah J. Byrd

BECKY BYRD has a rich depth of ministry experience ranging from youth and camp ministry to adult ministry. She earned a BA in Bible and Theology from Moody Bible Institute, a MA in Historical Theology from the Litfin Divinity School at Wheaton College and is currently working on a PhD in theology. She has worked with bestselling author Dr. John Trent of Strong Families and currently serves as an adjunct professor for both Moody Bible Institute and Moody Theological Seminary. She writes and speaks on topics such as the special needs family, hospitality, ministry, history, and theology. She is married and has been blessed with four children. Her story of being a special needs mom is featured in Sharing Love Abundantly in Special Needs Families by Dr. Gary Chapman and Jolene Philo.

William P. Dillon

BILL DILLON serves as founder and President of People Raising which focuses on providing fundraising training for missionaries, church planters and Christian organizations. He also is the founder and Executive Director of Inner City Impact in Chicago. Bill's family has served Chicago's Inner City since 1918 and he is third generation inner city minister. In 2005 he was honored by Moody Bible Institute as Alumnus of the Year. He is married, has three grown children and seven grandchildren. He resides in Des Plaines, Illinois.

Brandon J O'Brien

BRANDON J. O'BRIEN (PhD, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is Director of Content Development and Distribution for Redeemer City to City, where he coordinates, edits, and shepherds writing projects with Timothy Keller and urban church planters around the world. Brandon has served in pastoral ministry, worked in publishing, authored a few books, and taught for state and Christian colleges and universities. He and his wife Amy and their two children live in Washington Heights, NY. They enjoy good food, good company, and exploring New York City.

Dr Issam Smeir

DR. ISSAM SMEIR is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who specializes in trauma treatment for refugees, victims of torture, and severely abused and neglected children. He holds a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology from Wheaton College and a Doctoral Degree in Counseling and Clinical Supervision from Northern Illinois University, and has done post doctorate training in trauma and refugee issues at Harvard University. He has worked for World Relief since 2001, serving refugees and other immigrants from dozens of countries of origin. Prior to joining World Relief, Issam worked with several missions and relief organizations. Originally from the country of Jordan, Issam now lives in Suburban Chicago with his wife and four sons.

Josh Clemons

JOSH CLEMONS resides in Atlanta, GA along with his wife Lakisha and sons Langston Grant and Duke Ellington. He has built a reputation as a lover of God, builder of people, and a reconciler of cultures. Leading a racial reconciliation movement and serving as a professor, Josh shares his brilliance, wisdom, and practical instruction impacting audiences in both religious and secular communities. He is privileged to serve as the Executive Director for OneRace Movement, and is pursuing his Ph.D. at Fuller Theological Seminary.

Samantha Decker

SAMANTHA DECKER is a wife, mom, writer, Bible teacher, and above all, a follower of Jesus. She is passionate about encouraging believers to deepen their walk with Jesus through discipleship relationships and an unrelenting love for the Word of God. She and her husband, Dustin, live in Oklahoma and enjoy serving in their local church, trying new restaurants (especially if it’s Tex-Mex), and adventuring with their three rambunctious boys and baby girl. You can connect with her at samanthadeckerwrites.com

Ellen Krause

ELLEN KRAUSE, aka Mentor Mama, is cofounder of Coffee and Bible Time with daughters Ashley and Taylor. She hosts the CBT Podcast, which equips people to delight in God’s Word and thrive in Christian Living! Ellen has been involved in women’s ministry for over 20 years and mentors women worldwide through CBT. Her MA in marketing and her years in corporate America help CBT flourish. In her free time, she enjoys working out, doing mixed media art, sewing, gardening, and cooking.

Prayer and Spiritual Disciplines

07.22.2016

Harry Verploegh