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SARAH LEW TIERNEY is a Canadian-American who was born to missionary parents and spent her childhood in the mountains of Eastern Congo (DRC). Due to political unrest, her family moved to Illinois where she met and married her high school sweetheart. Jake and Sarah have two children -- a ninja and an artist -- and continue to reside amongst the cornfields today. She is a licensed clinical counselor by day...and a passionate writer typing madly at her keyboard by night (after the ninja and the artist go to bed). Her writing includes fiction, nonfiction, and personalized birthday songs for friends and family, which she performs accompanied by her dashing mandolin-wielding husband. She loves to collaborate on book projects and especially enjoyed teaming up for The Stranger at Our Shore with her friend, Joshua Sherif.
Read MoreREV. RAY WOOLRIDGE (M.Div., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; Master of Strategic Studies, U.S. Army War College) is the Executive Director of Life Model Works. He is thrilled to serve in a role that combines his pastoral and leadership experience with his calling, giftings, and walk with God. Ray is a skilled public communicator and a leadership coach who enjoys helping leaders discover their uniqueness and unleash their potential. He is a retired U.S. Army Brigadier General with forty-three years of military and civilian service with the Department of Defense.Ray has been blessed by thirty-five years of marriage to the love of his life, Deborah. They enjoy life in Colorado and their five children and four grandchildren. A disabled veteran, he is a malignant melanoma cancer survivor, avid skier, coffee aficionado, and mentor to young leaders.
Read MoreBECKY BYRD obtained a Master's Degree in Historical Theology from Wheaton Graduate School in 2016. She has a BA in Bible and Theology from Moody Bible Institute and was trained as a Spiritual Director at North Park Seminary. Her ministry experience spans from youth ministry to small groups, discipleship and connection ministry. She currently works with Dr. John Trent at Moody Bible Institute. She is learning to be an advocate for her children with special needs and enjoys serving her local church. Becky has been married to her husband, Steve, for 19 years and has four children. In her spare time she enjoys connecting with people, reading, photography, writing and exploring the awesome city of Chicago. You can connect with her at www.moody.edu/chapman-chair or on her blog https://coffeehousetheo.tumblr.com.
Read MoreJIMMY DODD (B.A. Wheaton College; M.Div., Gordon-Conwell Seminary) is the founder and CEO of PastorServe. This organization works across denominational lines to strengthen the church by serving pastors. He is the author of Survive or Thrive, 6 Relationships Every Pastor Needs, and Pastors Are People Too, co-authored with Larry Magnuson. Jimmy and his wife Sally have five children and three grandchildren. He enjoys reading, taking walks with his wife Sally and dog Finn, and cheering on his beloved Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, KS.
Read MoreBEV GODBY is a senior associate and change management coach at The Giftedness Center in Dallas, Texas. She focuses on graduating students and women who are navigating challenging life transitions. She feels called to the role of an educator, teaching others about giftedness to help them find fulfilling lives. She serves as a consultant to schools and nonprofit organizations, and speaks and writes often on these topics. Bev holds degrees from Wheaton College and The University of Texas at Dallas. She is married to Dr. Dale Godby, with whom she has three married daughters and six grandchildren.
Read MoreJESSICA MANFRE is a licensed social worker, author, and Chief Financial Officer of the nonprofit, Inspire Up. She holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Central Florida and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Northwestern State University. Jessica is the proud wife of a U.S. Coast Guardsman, Scott, and mama to their two children, Anthony and Raegan. She is passionate about creating a kinder and more generous world—one that Jesus prayed and gave His life for.
Read MoreNELL BRANUM is a former editor and elementary school librarian who is the daughter of both a World War II paratrooper and a Rosie the Riveter and believes God still uses lessons from history. She was married for 43 amazing years to her minister husband, and now she writes from a small town near Birmingham, Alabama, where she keeps chickens in the backyard, likes to go on adventures with her grown kids and their families (including nine grandkids), and enjoys watching sunsets on her front porch while drinking blueberry-flavored coffee.
Read MoreCINDI FERRINI and her husband, Joe, live in Cleveland, OH, with one child at home and two married daughters and their families nearby. Together they spoke for FamilyLife Weekend to Remember for 20 years. Some of the best parts of their unexpected journey are coauthoring Unexpected Journey–When Special Needs Change Our Course and Love All-Ways–Embracing Marriage Together on the Special Needs Journey, being radio guests on FamilyLife and Focus on the Family, hosting their radio segment My Marriage Matters (Moody Radio Cleveland), and connecting with readers and listeners!
Read MoreANDREW OSENGA is a songwriter, musician, record producer, and the leader of Anchor Hymns, a multi-generational community of artists creating new sacred songs for the church. He has worked extensively with Grammy and Dove award winning artists like Andrew Peterson, Steven Curtis Chapman, Jars of Clay, Sandra McCracken, and Caedmon’s Call. Beyond music, he can be found writing weekly on his popular faith and culture Substack and on his podcast, The Pivot. Andrew lives in Nashville with his wife and daughters and hikes at Radnor Lake every morning he can.
Read MoreJOE FERRINI and his wife, Cindi, live in Cleveland, OH, with one child at home and two married daughters and their families nearby. Together they spoke for FamilyLife Weekend to Remember for 20 years. Some of the best parts of their unexpected journey are coauthoring Unexpected Journey–When Special Needs Change Our Course and Love All-Ways–Embracing Marriage Together on the Special Needs Journey, being radio guests on FamilyLife and Focus on the Family, hosting their radio segment My Marriage Matters (Moody Radio Cleveland), and connecting with readers and listeners!
Read MoreVICKIE KRAFT (M.A., Dallas Theological Seminary) served as Minister to Women at Northwest Bible Church in Dallas for over 13 years. She is also co-founder of Titus 2:4 Ministries Inc., a ministry established to encourage and equip women to mentor and disciple the generation following them, and to help local churches start effective, relevant women's ministries. She travels to speak nationally and internationally and is the author of Women Mentoring Women: Ways to Start, Maintain and Expand a Biblical Women's Ministry, The Influential Woman, and Facing Your Feelings.
Read MoreMARK JOBE is the president of Moody Bible Institute and host of Moody Radio's Bold Steps. He is the author of Unstuck: Out of Your Cave into Your Call. He is also the founding pastor of New Life Community Church, a Chicago-based ministry with 27 locations throughout Chicago. Mark has a master's degree from Moody Theological Seminary and a Doctorate in transformational leadership from Bakke Graduate University. He and his wife, Dee, have three adult children.
Read MoreJ. CARL LANEY (B.S., University of Oregon; M.Div., Th.M., Western Conservative Baptist Seminary; Th.D., Dallas Theological Seminary) is professor of biblical literature at Western Conservative Baptist Seminary, Portland, Oregon. He is the author of commentaries on First and Second Samuel, Ezra and Nehemiah, and Zechariah for the Everyman's Bible Commentary series. Dr. Laney has also written several other books, including God (Understanding Christian Theology Series), Tyndale Concise Bible Commentary, The Divorce Myth and Baker's Concise Bible Atlas. He resides in Portland, Oregon.
Read MoreDM FREED, M.Ed. is a former elementary teacher and has been employed for the last 18 years as a school counselor with Central Valley School District. He holds an Elementary Education Degree from Boise State University and two Masters Degrees in education from Whitworth University. His school and district have been recognized with numerous awards by Washington State for “Outstanding Educational Excellence”. D.M. believes that a student’s academic success hinges on the positive relationships they build with other students, their family and school faculty. When he’s not working, he enjoys spending time with his family at the lake and playing golf.
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