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JIM NICODEM has been the senior pastor of Christ Community Church since its start in 1984. Beginning with a group of six families, the church has grown to over five thousand weekend attendees at four campuses. A significant focus on reaching spiritual explorers has resulted in scores of new believers being baptized each year.Born and raised in the Midwest, Jim received his BA in Biblical Studies from Wheaton College, and his MDiv and DMin from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. In keeping with Christ Community Church’s mission to "make passionate disciples of Jesus Christ", Jim loves to mentor others in prayer and the study of God’s Word. With that goal in mind, he has authored Prayer Coach: For All Who Want to Get Off the Bench and Onto the Praying Field (2008) and the four-book Bible Savvy series (2013).Jim and his wife, Sue, have been married for more than thirty years. They have three adult children, and are the proud grandparents of four grandchildren. Jim enjoys biking, hiking and kayaking for recreation. He loves to hang out in Chicago, where he can watch the Cubs play (no better park than Wrigley) or listen to the world-class Symphony Orchestra.
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CATHERINE PARKS is the author of several books, including two middle grade biography collections, Strong and Empowered. She also serves as an acquisitions editor for Moody Publishers. Catherine and her husband, Erik, live outside of Nashville, TN, with their children, Sophie and Micah. In her free time, she loves hiking, playing volleyball, and serving on her church's worship team.
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MIKE HANDLER serves as the Chief Innovation Officer for Awana. Prior to Awana, Mike was a pastor, a church planter as well as the principle of a creative agency. Mike is a coauthor of Resilient and the cofounder of the Child Discipleship Forum. Now in the Nashville area, Mike and his family are originally from Chicagoland and miss the food there.
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CLAYTON GREENE is CEO and cofounder of GoodKind. Together with friends, Clayton and his wife, Kristen, created Advent Blocks—a devotional practice to help them anticipate Jesus during the month of December. Clayton is also the Summit Collaborative Director, where he supports 70+ independent church plants. The Greenes live in Durham, NC, with their two daughters, Cara and Susan.
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KYLE DIROBERTS (PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary) is the department chair and associate professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Arizona Christian University in Glendale, Arizona, adjunct professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, and pastor of the Minister-in-Residence program at Scottsdale Bible Church. Kyle is the author of The Secret to Prayer. He and his wife, Lolly, live in Scottsdale and have three boys.
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CHRIS PAPPALARDO, PhD, is the author and cofounder of GoodKind, the makers of Advent Blocks, an organization that helps people cultivate the good kind of habits and holiday celebrations. Chris is a pastor, editor, and writer at The Summit Church in the Raleigh-Durham, NC, area. He is married to Jenn and is the proud dad of Lottie (who wants to save the planet) and Teddy (who wants you to read him another book).
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JOHN HINKLEY has been married for more than 40 years to Tris and they have three adult children. For 35 years he has worked for Moody Publishers in Chicago, IL, where he currently serves as an acquisitions editor. John and Tris reside in Northwest Indiana and serve together as directors of their church’s counseling ministry.
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JED COPPENGER is the lead pastor of First Baptist Church Cumming, GA. He earned his MDiv from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and his PhD from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of 21 Days to Childlike Prayer: Changing Your World One Specific Prayer at a Time. He and his wife, Melanie, have three kids. Connect with him at jedcoppenger.com.
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TOMMY SHELTON grew up joyfully as the son of a pastor in North Carolina and is thrilled that God called him to follow in his father’s shepherding footsteps. He loves his wife and six children. He also loves to preach the Bible, pray over people, and build things. Tommy is the pastor of Live Oaks Bible Church in Palm Harbor, Florida.
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The late ISABEL FLEECE was married to Dr. Allen Fleece in 1934, and together they ministered in three churches as pastor and wife. Mrs. Fleece is the author of Not By Accident: What I Learned from my Son’s Untimely Death. Many have come to love Isabel for her wise council and for her ministry to grieving parents.
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DAVID B. FINKBEINER is Professor of Theology at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL, where he has taught since 1998. He served as Chair of the Theology Department for several years and he ministers in Chicago-area churches through preaching, teaching, and serving as an elder. David earned his Ph.D. in Systematic Theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife, Kathy, have three daughters, Katie, Emily, and Rebecca.
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DONNA MILLER is the author of Growing Little Women: Capturing Teachable Moments with Your Daughter. Her husband, Don, is senior pastor of Westover Church in Greensboro, North Carolina, where Donna enjoys using her gift of hospitality to encourage its people. Donna further encourages mothers to mentor their daughters by leading seminars. Donna, Don, and their two daughters live in Greensboro, NC.
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COLIN SMITH is President of Open the Bible and Pastor Emeritus of The Orchard Church in northwest suburban Chicago. He can be heard daily on the radio broadcast Open the Bible, and at openthebible.org. Colin is the author of many books, including: Fly Through the Bible, Heaven, How I Got Here, and Momentum: Pursuing God’s Blessings Through the Beatitudes. He is married to Karen, and they have two married sons and five granddaughters.
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HARRY SHIELDS has served pastorates in Illinois and Colorado and currently serves on the graduate school faculty of the Moody Bible Institute. He is co-author of Caring for Souls: Counseling under the Authority of Scripture. He and his wife have two adult sons, who are also involved in local church ministries. Harry and his wife, Carol, reside in Crystal Lake, Illinois.
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PHILLIP GRAHAM RYKEN (M.Div., Westminster Theological Seminary; D.Phil., University of Oxford, England) is Senior Minister of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, where he has preached since 1995. He is the author of several books including What Is the Christian Worldview, The Heart of the Cross, and The Message of Salvation. Dr. Ryken lives with his wife, Lisa, and their children in Center City, Philadelphia.
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LLOYD M. PERRY (B.A. Gordon College; B.D., Gordon Divinity School; M.A., Columbia University; Th.D., Northern Baptist Theological Seminary; Ph.D. Northwestern University; D.Min., McCormick Seminary) was the director of the Doctor of Ministry program at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. His numerous books include Getting the Church on Target and Biblical Preaching for Today's World.
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