This site uses cookies to provide you with more responsive and personalized service and to collect certain information about your use of the site. You can change your cookie settings through your browser. If you continue without changing your settings, you agree to our use of cookies. See our Privacy Policy for more information.
Claire Diaz-Ortiz (@claire) is an author, speaker and Silicon Valley innovator who was an early employee at Twitter. Named one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company, she holds an MBA and other degrees from Stanford and Oxford and has been featured widely in print and broadcast media. She writes a popular business blog at ClaireDiazOrtiz.com and is the author of the new book Hope Runs: An American Tourist, a Kenyan Boy, a Journey of Redemption. For more information, visit clairediazortiz.com.
Read MoreRICH BROWN Rich and his wife Janet have served together in churches in the Midwest and the Seattle area. He and Janet have three adult children; Rich III, Jenna, and Ryan. In 2003, Rich transitioned from serving as Pastor of Student Ministries to become Associate Professor within the Department of Church Ministries at his alma-mater, Liberty University. It is in this context of mentoring, equipping, and teaching the next generation of youth ministry leaders where he ministers to the college students God has placed in his life. Along with his residential teaching load, he also teaches online to adult learners. He has developed a number of youth ministry courses, including published work texts.
Read MoreAVI SNYDER was raised in a conservative Jewish home in New York City and came to a saving faith in Jesus in 1977 with the help of a Jews for Jesus tract and the forthright witness of Christian friends. He graduated from Fuller Theological Seminary, the School of World Mission, with a Masters degree in missiology. Avi has served with Jews for Jesus since 1978 and has provided leadership for branch offices in the US, the UK, the former USSR, Germany, and Hungary. He currently lives with his wife Ruth in Budapest where he serves as the ministry director for Europe and the former USSR. He and Ruth have three grown children.
Read MoreDARCY WILEY is a storyteller who digs below the surface to find the transforming work of the Lord in unexpected places. As a youth, she took part in praying for the gateway cities of the 10/40 Window, and then traveled extensively, observing movements of God and serving on mission in various regions of the world. Even as family life has turned her from a world traveler into a stay-at-home mom, God continues to cross her path with the nations through international ministries or casual conversations in the grocery store. Darcy lives in the Indianapolis area with her husband and their three exuberant children. She writes about faith, family, and adventure at www.DarcyWiley.com.
Read MoreSAMY TANAGHO has shared the Gospel with Muslims for over thirty years. He speaks on God's love towards sinners and how we can communicate the Gospel effectively to the people we meet, including Muslims. Samy's passion is to encourage every member of the body of Christ to be active in fulfilling the Great Commission. His wife, Hala, often joins him to share her story of imprisonment in Egypt for converting from Islam to Christianity. He ministers as an evangelist to Muslims through the Salvation Army with a radio program on more than ninety stations.
Read MoreGIL MERTZ is Assistant to the President at the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C. He has been involved with full-time Christian service for nearly forty years and draws from a vast background of ministry with international missions, humanitarian causes, public policy, and consulting. He is a former pastor and radio talk show host. His daily commentaries on forgiveness have been broadcast on more than 300 stations across America. Gil and his wife Patricia reside in southern California and have three children and three grandchildren.
Read MoreRAY RHODES, JR. serves as founding pastor of Grace Community Church of Dawsonville, GA and as president of Nourished in the Word Ministries. He has served four congregations over three decades of pastoral ministry and for fifteen years, he has led Nourished in the Word. Ray has published several books and holds theological degrees from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (D.Min.). He is married to Lori and they are blessed with six daughters and four grandchildren. Ray has long been a Spurgeon enthusiast, and his doctoral thesis focused on the marriage and spirituality of Charles and Susannah Spurgeon.
Read MoreDAN STANFORD is not a comic book superhero. The glasses make you do a double take but under his shirt is not a cool costume and cape. He doesn't have a catch phrase like "Up, Up and Yahweh!" and there's no blockbuster movie about his heroic deeds. He's an ordinary, decaf drinking, nap taking, Jesus loving citizen. But in spite of being ordinary, he married his true love, Suzanne and they have three dynamic boys: Caleb, Connor and Colton. Dan holds a Masters degree from Trinity International University and started The Well Church in Kenosha, Wisconsin. To learn more visit www.danstanford.net.
Read MoreCHARLES CAUSEY is a recipient of the Bronze Star for his military service in Iraq. He is the author of several books including Words and Deeds and Unbreakable: Forging a Marriage of Contentment and Delight. Married with four children, Charles graduated from the University of Colorado and holds several advanced degrees. He formerly served at the Pentagon as a senior army chaplain for the chief of chaplains in Washington, D.C., and is currently serving as a command chaplain in Honolulu, Hawaii. His website is www.causeybooks.com.
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 MoreCHRISTOPHER SWAIN is the Disciplemaking Pastor at Long Hollow Baptist Church and the CEO of Replicate Ministries. After four years of service in the United States Marine Corps, Chris served in full-time ministry for two decades in Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Georgia, and Tennessee leading ministries ranging from students to collegiate to spiritual formation. He also served as the Director of Student Ministry Publishing at Lifeway Christian Resources, serving the church in its mission of making disciples. Chris has been with Replicate Ministries and Long Hollow Baptist Church since 2016, with a heart to expand the Gospel through disciplemaking in the local church. Along with his wife, two children, and Boston Terrier, Chris resides in the Nashville, Tennessee area.
Read MoreOriginally from South Africa, RIAN ROUX spent his adolescence in a small fishing and farming community in the far north of Australia. Intrigued by the stories that shape our lives, he travelled widely and pursued studies in Applied Science, Education, and Theology. After a year at Oxford University, he commenced a PhD in Australia with a focus on transformative learning and student leadership development in higher education. Rian has experience in pastoral ministry, teaching, and business and currently lives and works in Toowoomba with his wife, Sally, and their three children.
Read MoreSTEFANO FEHR is the president of Call of Hope US. For over a century, Call of Hope has been making the Gospel accessible to Muslims through creative media, relational evangelism, discipleship, humanitarian aid, and church planting initiatives. Stefano's twenty years of ministry among Muslims have taken him to both urban and rural areas throughout the Middle East, Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. He is a sought after speaker on topics such as: Contextualization of the Gospel to Islam, the Quran is not the Word of God, Jesus in Islam, and Evangelization of Muslims. He earned his Master of Divinity degree from the internationally renowned Freie Theologische Academy in Giessen, Germany. He resides in Germany with his wife and their two children.
Read MoreDON W. HILLIS served as a missionary to India under The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM) from 1937 to 1953. In 1960 he became associate director of the mission at TEAM's international headquarters, heading the Publications Department. Dr. Hillis moved to Florida in 1974 when he became TEAM's Southeastern Representative. He is now an honorary representative for TEAM. Don is author or co-author of a number of books including Answers to Youth Hang-ups, and God, You and That Man with Three Goats: Divine Providence.
Read MoreT. C. HORTON was the author of a number of books including Wonderful Names of our Wonderful Lord and Personal and Practical Christian Work. He was also the editor of The King's Business from 1910 to 1925. He served as a pastor in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Philadelphia, and Dallas. Rev. Horton was the chairman of the Gospel of John in Every Home campaign and was also responsible for the organization of the Fischermen's Club. He died on February 28, 1932.
Read MoreSTEVE VANDEGRIFF (Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary) is a professor of youth ministries at Liberty University in Virginia. A former youth pastor, Steve enjoys ministering and speaking to young people and their parents. He previously spent thirteen years as the executive director of Youth for Christ in Alberta, Canada. He is co-author of Timeless Youth Ministry, Disturbing Behavior, and Protecting Your Teen from Disturbing Behaviors. The parents of three children, Steve and his wife, Pamela Jo, reside in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Read More