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THOMAS A’KEMPIS (1380-1471) was a Dutch priest, monk, and writer born in Kempen, Germany. He attended a school near Deventer in Holland. Thomas of Kempen, as he was known at school, was so impressed by his teachers that he decided to live his own life according to their ideals. When he was 19, he entered the monastery of Mount St. Agnes and spent the rest of his long life behind the walls of that monastery. Thomas wrote a number of sermons, letters, hymns, and lives of the saints. The most famous of his works, by far, is The Imitation of Christ, a charming instruction on how to love God. The Imitation of Christ has come to be, after the Bible, the most widely translated book in Christian literature.
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DR. AMY E. BLACK is Associate Professor of Political Science and chair of the department of Politics & International Relations at Wheaton College (IL). Prior to joining the Wheaton faculty in 2001, she taught at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. A specialist in American Government, her research interests include religion and politics and Congress. Her books include Religion and American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Perspectives, edited with Douglas Koopman and Larycia Hawkins (Pearson Longman, 2011), Beyond Left and Right: Helping Christians Make Sense of American Politics (Baker Books, 2008), From Inspiration to Legislation: How an Idea Becomes a Law (Prentice Hall, 2007), and, with Douglas Koopman and David Ryden, Of Little Faith: The Politics of George W. Bush’s Faith Based Initiatives (Georgetown, 2004). She and her husband, Wheaton theology professor Dan Treier, live in Wheaton with their daughter Anna.
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LUIS 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.
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BECKY 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.
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GARY CHAPMAN, PhD–author, speaker, counselor–has a passion for people and for helping them form lasting relationships. He is the #1 bestselling author of The 5 Love Languages® series and director of Marriage and Family Life Consultants, Inc. Gary travels the world presenting seminars, and his radio programs air on more than 400 stations. For more information, visit his website at www.5lovelanguages.com.
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GLENN C. DAMAN is the author of Leading the Small Church, Shepherding the Small Church, Developing Leaders for the Small Church, When Shepherds Weep and Shepherding the Small Church (ECPA Gold Medallion Finalist). He grew up on a farm in Northern Idaho and attended Big Sky Bible College, Western Seminary, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Since 1991 Glenn has served as the pastor of River Christian Church in Stevenson, Washington. He has also served small rural churches in Montana and Oregon. He has served as the director of Village Missions' Center for Leadership Development and has been an adjunct professor for a number of Bible colleges and seminaries in the area of small church studies. He has also taught in Russia, the Philippines, Canada, and Mexico. Glenn enjoys photography, woodworking, camping with his family, and spending time on the family farm.
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HOWARD DAYTON is Co-founder of Crown Financial Ministries®, created by a 2000 merger of Crown Ministries, which he founded in 1985, and Larry Burkett’s Christian Financial Concepts. Howard’s books and small-group financial studies have been used by thousands of churches and individuals. He is a former naval officer, restaurateur, and real estate developer.Howard and his wife, Bev, have been married for over 35 years. They reside in Gainesville, Georgia, and have two married children.
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ARTHUR PERCY FITT was born in Limerick, Ireland on October 5, 1869. Although a European native, he spent much of his life in the United States. It was in Northfield, Massachusetts that he came in contact with D.L. Moody because of Moody’s educational involvement in the city. He eventually traveled with Moody serving as his personal secretary. Later he fell in love with Moody’s only daughter, Emma. The two were married in 1894. Their only child, Emma Moody Fitt, was born a year later. Later in life he was the managing editor of the Record of Christian Work Company based out of East Northfield, Massachusetts. He is well-known as the author of several books about D.L. Moody including Moody Still Lives and The Shorter Life of D.L. Moody. He died in East Northfield on May 5, 1947 at the age of 78.
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JOHN 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.
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DR. S. MICHAEL HARE never imagined a life looking for conflicts to resolve. Becoming a Christian at 19, he went to Bible college simply desiring to find out how to better serve God. However, following that path has led to over two decades of serving in the role of senior pastor in church turnaround ministries, 15 years of working as a church conflict consultant, and recently completing a PhD in Conflict Analysis and Resolution. Dr. Hare also serves as a senior staff chaplain and ombudsman for Compassion with its nearly 4,000 employees ministering in 26 third world countries. He has served as an adjunct instructor in several universities and is currently teaching mediation courses in a doctoral program in Denver. Michael and his wife Colleen live in Colorado Springs, CO and have four children and six grandchildren who live in Africa, Germany, and the US.
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Ruth Presswood Hutchins In 1970, to fulfill the request of Rev. J.C. Pollock, an author from England, Ruth Presswood Hutchins wrote at considerable length about the life and ministry of Ernest Presswood. At that time, a conviction came upon her that she had a story to be told, a story that had taken her 20 years to forget. She began to pray about the matter. The task seemed too great. It took her 20 years to remember, research, organize and write No Sacrifice Too Great. It is the story of her life, especially the years in the Netherlands East Indies as the wife of the pioneer missionary, William Ernest Presswood. Those years included internment by the Japanese during World War II and the tragedy of its aftermath.
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GEORGE MUELLER (1805-1898), evangelist and philanthropist in England, was a man of prayer and strong faith who depended wholly on God for his temporal and spiritual needs. During his time serving as pastor at a church in Bristol, England, his famous work with the orphans began when two young children were thrown upon the church's care. Mueller resolved never to tell anyone what his needs were. He told them to God and confidently expected them to be met. Over his life, he handled more than $8 million, although his own worldly possessions were valued at about $800 at his death. He is author of the book Answers to Prayer.
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KATE MCCORD worked in Afghanistan for nine years after the fall of the Taliban. During her years in country, she worked as a humanitarian aid worker, delivering projects to benefit the people of Afghanistan. She also learned the local language and developed deep and lasting friendships with local Afghans. After evacuating from her home in Afghanistan, Ms. McCord transitioned into a mentoring, training, consulting and coaching role to other workers serving in the region. Prior to moving to Afghanistan, Ms. McCord worked in the international corporate community as a business process and strategy consultant.Currently, she serves Christ through writing, speaking, mentoring, and conducting workshops and seminars. She is the author of In the Land of Blue Burqas and Farewell Four Waters, both published by Moody Publishers.
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MATT MARKINS serves as the President and CEO of Awana, a global leader in child discipleship. As a researcher in child discipleship and children’s ministry, Matt has commissioned eleven research projects since 2013, including a study conducted by Barna Group called Children’s Ministry in a New Reality. He’s a board member at large for the National Association of Evangelicals and is the author or coauthor of four books, most notably The Faith of Our Children: Eight Timely Research Insights for Discipling the Next Generation and RESILIENT: Child Discipleship and the Fearless Future of the Church. He’s also the cofounder of the Child Discipleship Forum and D6 Conference. Matt and his wife, Katie, have been involved in children’s ministry for more than 25 years and spend their time in Nashville with their two sons. For more information go to www.ChildDiscipleship.com and www.Awana.org.
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DR. RICHARD MAYHUE is the Executive VP and Dean and Professor of Theology and Pastoral Ministries of The Master’s Seminary. Before attending seminary, Dr. Mayhue served with the United States Navy from 1966 to 1971, including a tour of duty in Vietnam. Dr. Mayhue joined the faculty of The Master's Seminary in 1989 and was appointed as Dean of the Seminary in 1990. From 2000 to 2008, Dr. Mayhue also served in the role of Provost at The Master's College. Dr. Mayhue has authored, contributed to, and/or edited more than 25 books, including How To Study The Bible, Seeking God, Unmasking Satan, The Healing Promise, What Would Jesus Say About Your Church?, and Practicing Proverbs, plus numerous periodical and journal articles. Dick has been married to his gracious wife, "B", for over 42 years, and they have two children plus two grandsons. Dick enjoys gardening, model railroading (N scale), stamp collecting (USA), and grandfathering when he takes brief breaks from ministry.
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MARGARET PAGAN received an A.B. in English from Morgan State University and studied writing at Johns Hopkins University. Her first published work appeared in Essence magazine, and she continued to publish many freelance articles, for the most part, dealing with African American history and genealogy. After accepting Jesus Christ as her Savior she studied at Baltimore School of the Bible, and she began to desire to write on things that glorify Christ. After writing an entry on the life of Katherine Ferguson, a pioneer in the Sunday School movement, for a biographical encyclopedia, Margaret went on to write her first work of historical fiction, More Than a Slave: The Life of Katherine Ferguson. Margaret is the wife of Carl E. Pagan, pastor of Urban Bible Fellowship Church and resides in Baltimore, Maryland.
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