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DR. JERRY ROOT is an Associate Professor at Wheaton College where he teaches graduate courses in the MA in Evangelism Program as well as courses in the undergraduate Christian Formation and Ministry Department. In addition, Jerry is a visiting professor at Biola University and Talbot Graduate School of Theology in La Mirada, California.Jerry has written many books centered around the teachings of C.S. Lewis. He has lectured on C. S. Lewis at 48 College or University Campuses in 11 countries. He has taught college and graduate courses on C. S. Lewis for 30 consecutive years.Jerry and his wife Claudia have four married children, four grandchildren, and a Welsh Corgi; they live in Wheaton, Illinois.
Read MoreJILL SAVAGE is an author and speaker passionate about encouraging families. She is the author or coauthor of twenty books, including Professionalizing Motherhood, My Hearts At Home, Real Moms…Real Jesus, No More Perfect Moms, No More Perfect Kids, No More Perfect Marriages, 199 Prayers for Your Husband and her most recent bestselling release, Empty Nest Full Life.Jill and her husband, Mark, are the founders of Marriage 2.0 Ministries where they serve as Christian marriage coaches. Jill is the host of the No More Perfect Podcast and is regularly featured on Focus on the Family, Family Life Today, the Life Bible App, and Crosswalk.com. Jill and her husband, Mark, have five adult children and six grandchildren. They make their home in Normal, Illinois.
Read MoreRALPH EARLE (1908-1995; B.A., Eastern Nazarene College; M.A., Boston University; B.D., Gordon Divinity School; D.D., Eastern Nazarene College) was Distinguished Professor of New Testament Emeritus at the Nazarene Theological Seminary, Kansas City, Missouri, where he first began teaching in 1945. While holding pastorates in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, and Everett, Massachusetts, from 1933 to 1945, he was a professor of biblical literature at Eastern Nazarene College, Wollaston, Massachusetts. He later served on the fifteen-man Committee on Bible Translation, the governing body for the New International Version of the Bible. Ralph is the author of several books including Mark (from the Everyman’s Bible Commentary series), Word Meanings in the New Testament, How We Got Our Bible, Exploring the New Testament, and Story of the New Testament. He is now at home with his Lord.
Read MoreISABEL TOM is a mom, wife, daughter, and retired granddaughter. She is also the author of The Value of Wrinkles: A Young Perspective on How Loving the Old will Change Your Life and creator of the Grandkid Investigator Kit. She has been featured on ABC 7’s Good Morning Washington, and numerous radio shows and podcasts such as Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman and AARP’s Take on Today.Isabel grew up in a multigenerational household and took part in caring for her grandparents, who lived to 98 and 102. Professionally, she has served in the senior living and hospice care field. Isabel holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Maryland. To learn more about Isabel’s work find her at valueofwrinkles.com.
Read MoreRHETT SMITH is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in private practice at Auxano Counseling in Plano, TX. He is a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary (MDiv, MSMFT) and former college pastor at Bel Air Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles. Rhett has a passion for helping people navigate significant areas of transition in their lives such as parenting, marriage, and the adolescent to young adult journey. He also serves on staff at The Hideaway Experience in Amarillo, TX where he helps couples work towards having great marriages. Rhett lives in Frisco, TX with his wife Heather and their two children. You can find out more about Rhett at his blog www.rhettsmith.com or his counseling practice www.rhettsmithcounseling.com
Read MoreNICHOLAS SKYTLAND is co-founder of Quite Uncommon, a technology firm that helps organizations build, test, and launch new and innovative ideas. He is also the Deputy Chief of the Exploration Technology Office at NASA. His technical and leadership experience has helped him build high-performing teams and pioneer new ways of doing business in both government and industry for over two decades. He has trained astronauts, designed next-generation spacesuits, developed open-source technology, led missional movements, and created some of the largest purpose-driven collaborations in history. Outside of work he is an experienced diver and avid triathlete, having completed more than twenty Ironman races. He lives in Houston with his wife and three kids, and serves as an elder at Clear Creek Community Church.
Read MoreGLEASON L. ARCHER, JR. (1916-2004), (B.A., M.A., Ph.D., Harvard University; B.D., Princeton Theological Seminary; L.L.B., Suffolk Law School) was a biblical scholar, theologian, educator, and author. He authored numerous books, including In the Shadow of the Cross, The Epistle to the Hebrews: A Study Manual, and Survey of Old Testament Introduction. His instrumental work in the preparation of the Old Testament portion of the New American Standard Bible has gained wide acclaim and positioned him as a world-renowned scholar.
Read MorePAUL ANGONE is one of the leading voices in the nation to, and for, the Millennial generation. He is the best-selling author of two books, a sought after national speaker, and an organizational consultant who specializes in helping companies attract, retain, and develop Millennials. With over 10+ years writing, speaking, and engaging with Millennials, plus a master's degree in Organizational Leadership, Paul has created a cutting-edge process to help organizations called Millennial Mapping. Paul is also a media spokesperson on Millennials, executive coach alongside his father, Dr. Louis Angone, and the creator of www.AllGroanUp.com, which has been read by millions of Millennials in 190 countries. Read more of Paul Angone's work at www.AllGroanUp.com. You can follow him on Twitter @PaulAngone.
Read MoreBARRY J. BEITZEL (PhD, The Dropsie University; Fuller Theological Seminary; University of Pennsylvania) is professor emeritus of Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. He obtained a postdoctorate in ancient Near Eastern geography from the Université de Liège, Belgium, and has engaged in postdoctoral archaeological work in eastern Syria through UCLA. Dr. Beitzel is the editor and cartographer for Biblica, The Bible Atlas: A Social and Historical Journey Through the Lands of the Bible (Viking/Penguin Press), editor of the Lexham Geographical Commentary series (Logos/Lexham Press), and author of Where Was the Biblical Red Sea?: Examining the Ancient Evidence (Lexham Press). His published mapwork appears in Bibles produced by Moody Publishers, Zondervan, B. B. Kirkbride Bible Company, Tyndale House Publishers, Holman Bible Publishers, Crossway, Thomas Nelson Publishers, and Schuyler Publishers. He and his wife, Carol, reside in Mundelein, Illinois, and have three married children.
Read MoreLUIS BUSH is a prominent strategist and the originator of the 10/40 Window Movement, which has brought into focus the region of the world with the greatest human suffering combined with the least exposure to the gospel. Born in Argentina and raised in Brazil, Luis has traveled the world over for the sake of the Great Commission. Over the decades, through work with Partners International and AD2000 & Beyond, he and his network of catalysts have mobilized millions of believers to impact the world through devoted prayer and a lifestyle of service. Since 2005, he has served as international facilitator of Transform World Connections based out of Singapore. And since 2009, he has championed the 4/14 Window Movement, which seeks to protect, nurture, and empower children worldwide to embrace the inheritance in Christ. Luis and his wife Doris make their home in the Chicago area near their four adult children and nineteen grandchildren.
Read MoreSTEPHAN BAUMAN is the President and CEO of World Relief, an international relief and development organization partnering with the global Church to serve more than five million vulnerable people each year. World Relief is also the founder and convener of The Justice Conference. Stephan's pursuit of justice led him to transition from a successful career in the Fortune 100 sector to Africa where he directed relief and development programs for nearly a decade before returning to the United States to lead World Relief's global operations. He holds degrees from Johns Hopkins University, Wheaton College, and the University of Wisconsin. He is a poet, an author, an ordained minister and a strategist. He considers his African friends his most important teachers, and his wife, Belinda, his most important mentor. Stephan, Belinda, and their two sons, Joshua and Caleb, live near Washington, D.C.
Read MoreNOEL CASTELLANOS has worked in full-time ministry in urban communities since 1982. He has served in youth ministry, church planting, and community development in San Francisco, San Jose, and Chicago. Noel is a highly sought after speaker, motivator, and mentor to young leaders throughout the USA, and has a deep passion to serve and invest in the lives of emerging leaders. After serving on the Board of the Christian Community Development Association for many years, he has established the new CCDA Institute, which is working to equip emerging church leaders in the philosophy of Christian Community Development, and currently serves as the CEO of CCDA. He and his wife, Marianne, have three children, and make their home in the barrio of La Villita in Chicago.
Read MoreLAURA DINGMAN spends most of her time creating and leading worship experiences that help connect people with the story of God. She has served in vocational ministry as the Creative Arts Director at The Creek, a large church in Indianapolis, for over a decade. She loves to show people where their story intersects with God's story. She enjoys belting Broadway, laughing hysterically, reading great books, and living life with her favorite two people in the whole world, her husband, Matt, and her spunky daughter, Abigail. She is the author of Life Rhythms: Learning to Live in God-Centered Time and I Am Found: Quitting the Game of Hide and Seek with God, Ourselves, and Others. You can learn more about her journey and connect with her at www.lauradingman.com.
Read MoreTIM DOWNS is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Indiana University in Graphic Design. After graduation in 1976 he created a comic strip, Downstown, which was syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate. His cartooning has appeared in more than a hundred newspapers worldwide. In 1979 he joined the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ, where he founded and directed the Communication Center, a communication training facility. He continues to serve as a speaker and writer. He and his wife, Joy, have spoken at FamilyLife Marriage and Parenting Conferences since 1985. He is author of First the Dead, Less Than Dead, Chop Shop, Head Game, Plague Maker, Shoo Fly Pie, and Finding Common Ground, which was awarded the Gold Medallion Award in 2000. He is also co-author of Fight Fair and The Seven Conflicts: Resolving the Most Common Disagreements in Marriage along with his wife Joy. Tim lives in Cary, North Carolina, with his wife and three children.
Read MoreJOHN FULLER is vice president of Audio and New Media at Focus on the Family and co-host of the daily “Focus on the Family” broadcast. He leads the team that produces more than a dozen Focus programs reaching millions of listeners around the world. Many of these features and podcasts are also available at www.focusonthefamily.com. A media veteran of more than 30 years, John writes and speaks about creativity, media trends, influential leadership, excellence, and social media. As a father of six, he writes and speaks about strong marriages and effective parenting. John and his wife Dena are also advocates for orphan care and adoption. John has a M.A. from the University of Northern Colorado, and serves as an elected member of the board of the National Religious Broadcasters.
Read MoreJILL GARNER is an accomplished speaker, advocate, and founder of Manners of the Heart, a nonprofit reawakening respect in our society for the sake of the next generation. She is the author of the award-winning Raising Respectful Children in a Disrespectful World, Raising Unselfish Children in a Self-Absorbed World, and Manners of the Heart, an elementary school curriculum that helps children see beyond themselves to become all God created them to be. Her work is endorsed by Focus on the Family, FamilyLife Today, Dr. Kevin Leman, and many others.When Jill is not writing, you will find her digging into in-depth word studies in Scripture, baking a batch of her famous Double Delight Chocolate Chip Cookies, counting down to Christmas, planning the next great adventure, and occasionally casting a fly rod. Her greatest joy is time spent with her husband, grown children, and seven beloved grandchildren.
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