Rita A. Schulte, LPC

RITA A. SCHULTE is a licensed professional counselor who specializes in the treatment of mental health disorders. In 2011, she created Heartline Radio, a broadcast show that addresses cutting-edge mental health issues and provides content to educate and equip listeners in how mental health affects our culture. Rita is frequent contributor to many publications and is the author of Shattered: Finding Hope and Healing through the Losses of Life; Imposter: Gain Confidence, Eradicate Shame and Become Who God Made You to Be, and Think This Not That: Rewiring Your Brain to Eliminate Toxic Thinking. She speaks around the country on mental health-related issues. She received her B.S. in psychology and her master's degree in counseling from Liberty University. Rita is no stranger to loss and suffering. In 2013, she lost her beloved husband to suicide and her world was decimated. She speaks candidly about this loss at her national workshops in the hope of helping others heal. Rita makes her home in the northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, D.C.

Drew Dyck

DREW DYCK is an editor at Moody Publishers and the former managing editor of Leadership Journal. He is the author of several books, including Your Future Self Will Thank You: Secrets to Self-Control from the Bible and Brain Science (Moody, 2019). Drew’s work has been featured in Christianity Today, Relevant, and CNN.com. He lives with his wife, Grace, and their three children, near Portland, Oregon. Connect with Drew at DrewDyck.com or on Twitter @DrewDyck.

Tyler Braun

TYLER BRAUN is a 20-something worship pastor. After graduating from college with a business degree, Tyler decided to pursue a life of serving God through church ministry. When Tyler isn’t playing music or writing, he enjoys exploring the city, training for distance running races, and biking around town. Tyler lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Rose. You can connect with him online at www.manofdepravity.com or follow him on Twitter @tylerbraun.

Jennifer K. Dean

JENNIFER KENNEDY DEAN was the executive director of The Praying Life Foundation and a frequent keynote speaker for retreats and conferences, most notably at the Billy Graham Center at the Cove, specializing in prayer and spiritual growth. Jennifer is the author of When You Hurt and When He Heals: Experiencing the Surprising Power of Prayer.

Dan DeHaan

DAN DEHAAN (1943-1982) was the director and founder of Training Church Leaders, Inc., a division of Ambassadors For Christ, Inc. The author of The God You Can Know, Intercepted By Christ: Biography of Steve Bartkowski, and Principles of Spiritual Growth and Leadership, Dan also served as a conference speaker, and minister of the Word before his accidental death in February, 1982.

Laurel Shaler

DR. LAUREL SHALER is a national certified counselor, licensed marriage and family therapist, licensed professional counselor, and licensed social worker. She is a professor at Liberty University in the Department of Counselor Education and Family Studies. Dr. Shaler is the author of Relational Reset: Unlearning the Habits That Hold You Back and Reclaiming Sanity: Hope and Healing for Trauma, Stress, and Overwhelming Life Events. Learn more and contact her about speaking at www.drlaurelshaler.com.

Chris Pappalardo

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).

Karl Vaters

Renaut van der Riet

RENAUT VAN DER RIET loves to go zip-lining with his eight kids through the adventure course they built together. He walks quickly. He talks with his hands and arms. And if you find him at home, you're likely to see him tilling soil because Brooke, his wife of 25 years, loves gardening. In 2002, Renault founded Mosaic Church in Winter Garden, FL. It has become a nationwide pacemaker for fostering and adoption and a model for trauma care. He is also the founder of Axum Coffee Company, named after the Ethiopian city from which he and Brooke adopted four of their children. Renault is developing The ReStory, a project aimed at providing Gospel clarity to followers of Christ and inviting them to consider how their lives might be different if they dared to believe Galatians 5:1: "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free."