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MICHELLE LYNN SENTERS (B.A. Education; M.Ed. Integrated Teaching Through the Arts) raised two daughters on her own and experienced many issues common to single mothers: financial crisis, emotional trauma in children, pursuit of education, isolation from church, feelings of guilt/shame, consequences of fatherlessness, and the challenges of relationships and remarriage. Her message has been forged in her own journey as a single mom and has deepened through her years of mentoring single moms and launching ministries geared to them in the local church. She founded the Arise Ministry for Single Moms at her local church in Colorado Springs and this ministry is being considered by other area churches. She is a sought-after speaker at women's events, Bible studies, and writer's conferences.
Read MoreWILLIAM OCHAN LEVI is the founder of Operation Nehemiah Missions International, an organization dedicated to rebuilding the minds, bodies, and spirits of the Sudanese people. He is active in Christian education and humanitarian service in South Sudan and the Ugandan refugee camps. Mr. Levi, a Messianic believer from an African Hebrew tribal group, is a native of Sudan and grew up as a refugee. Following persecution, arrest, and torture, his miraculous escape from jihad forces ultimately led to life in the United States. He has written a book on his story entitled The Bible or the Axe: One Man's Dramatic Escape from Persecution in the Sudan. He is a frequent guest on Christian radio and has told his story nationwide, even testifying before representatives of the United States government regarding human rights abuses in the Sudan. Mr. Levi lives in Massachusetts with his wife, Hannah, and their six children.
Read MoreAuthor and speakerMARLA ALUPOAICEI (Dallas Theological Seminary) serves as the Director for Leap of Faith Ministries, an intercultural marriage support ministry in Frisco, Texas. Marla has authored or co-authored over twenty books and Bible study guides, including Taking the Intercultural Leap, Generation Hex: Understanding the Subtle Dangers of Wicca, and In the Flow: Spiritual Insights for Living a More Creative Life, as well as numerous nonfiction articles and poems. Marla has fifteen-plus years of ministry, teaching, and speaking experience with a variety of organizations. Currently she works as a staff writer for East-West Ministries, a grace-based church planting organization in Addison, Texas. Marla and her husband, Catalin, whom she met while on a missions trip to Romania in 1998, have been married for 7 years and currently reside in Texas.
Read MoreKELLI WORRALL is the Chair of Music and Media Arts at Moody Bible Institute. She is the co-author (with husband, Peter, Assoc. Professor Education at MBI) of 20 Things We'd Tell Our Twentysomething Selves and the author of Pierced and Embraced: 7 Life-Changing Encounters with the Love of Christ. Kelli speaks at women¿s events and retreats. She and Peter also speak together at marriage and young adult retreats. Connect with Kelli at www.kelliworrall.com.
Read MoreSusie Hawkins lives in Dallas and has been actively involved in women’s ministry as a pastor’s wife, teacher and volunteer. She has also served as the Director of Women’s Ministry at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Dallas. She has taught a weekly Bible study for business women in downtown Dallas and speaks at women’s conferences and retreats. She is also a contributor to various publications, such as Voices Behind the Veil and the soon to be released “Women’s Evangelical Library Commentary.” Susie has an MA in Christian Leadership from Criswell College as well as an MA in Theology. She is married to O. S. Hawkins, president of GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention (formerly the Annuity Board of the Southern Baptist Convention) and is the mother of two married daughters, Wendy and Holly, as well as a grandmother of five. Her favorite things to do are bargain hunting, lunching with friends and playing with her grandchildren!08/08
Read MoreELE PARROT, a Biblical Counselor by profession, is the Director of Member Care for the Paraclete Mission Group. She worked as a missionary in the Latin community with OCI for 12 years, has worked in women’s and children’s ministry in her local church and has also been involved in Christian Camping ministry. She continues to lead Bible studies and is the head Mentor Mom at Sun Valley Community Church in Gilbert, Arizona. In addition to Transforming Together, Ele has authored a Spanish-language musical, El Futboles es mi Vida as well as Spanish materials for use in Christian homes and Sunday School classes.Ele Parrot and her husband of 35 years, Don, the President and CEO of Finishers Project, have four grown children and three grandchildren.
Read MoreDR. 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.
Read MoreCYNTHIA CAVANAUGH is an author, speaker, and leadership influencer. Her story of brokenness has propelled her to write, teach, and help others redeem their pain and heal through the pages of God's Word. She is an award-winning author of several books, and the upcoming Bible study The Godly Kings of Judah: Faithful Living for Lasting Infuence, an 8-week study about how to leave a legacy that endures (2022). Cynthia holds her MA in Leadership from Trinity Western University, where she is an adjunct professor in the Leadership degree program for international students. In addition to writing, coaching, and teaching, she is a freelance editor for new authors and is the host of the podcast, The Soul Anchor. Cynthia and her husband live in the Pacific Northwest where they enjoy bicycling and spending time with their grandkids. Connect with Cynthia at: www.cynthiacavanaugh.com.
Read MoreK. A. ELLIS is the Director of the Edmiston Center for the Study of the Bible and Ethnicity in Atlanta, Georgia. She's passionate about theology, human rights, and global religious freedom. Since 2006, she has collaborated with the Swiss-based organization, International Christian Response, traveling internationally to connect local and global Christians while studying and advocating for global religious freedom. Her research explores Christian endurance from society's margins, particularly in places where it's most difficult to live the Christian life. She is the Cannada Fellow for World Christianity at Reformed Theological Seminary, and holds a Master of Arts in Religion (MAR) from Westminster Theological Seminary, a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from the Yale School of Drama, and is a Ph.D. candidate in World Christianity and Ethics at the Oxford Center for Mission Studies in England.
Read MoreJEFF SIMMONS is the founding and senior pastor of Rolling Hills Community Church, which he and his wife, Lisa, planted twenty years ago. The church has grown from 15 people meeting for a Bible study in an apartment clubhouse on Thursday nights to several thousand people and five campuses in Franklin, Nashville, Nolensville, Columbia, and Haywood Hills. Jeff is a follower of Jesus, husband, and father of three wonderful children. He serves alongside an amazing staff team at Rolling Hills and is the President of Justice and Mercy International doing mission work in the countries of Moldova and the Amazon jungle. Jeff is an author and speaker while overseeing the ministry work with over 80 full-time church staff, 55 international staff, 70 learning center teachers, and multi-million-dollar budgets. Jeff is passionate about God's work and longs to make a difference for the glory of God in His day and generation.
Read MoreCHARLES FEINBERG (1909-1995) was one of the nation's leading authorities on Jewish history, Old Testament languages and customs, and biblical prophecy. He earned six academic degrees including a B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh, a Th.B., Th.M. and Th.D. from Dallas Theological Seminary, an M.A. from Southern Methodist University, and a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins. He served as a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, Los Angeles Bible Theological Seminary, and Talbot Theological Seminary, before becoming the dean of Talbot School of Theology. Dr. Feinberg is author of numerous books including Minor Prophets, The Prophecy of Ezekiel, Daniel: The Kingdom of the Lord, and Millennialism: Two Views. Dr. Feinberg is survived by his three children and numerous grandchildren and great grand children.
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 MoreTHOMAS 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.
Read MoreDR. 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.
Read MoreANDREW SEIDEL (West Point Military Academy, University of Illinois, Dallas Theological Seminary) serves as the executive director of the Center for Christian Leadership as Dallas Theological Seminary. He also works in Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia with the mission organization Entrust. A graduate of West Point and a veteran of the U.S. Army, Dr. Seidel previously served as senior pastor at Grace Bible Church in College Station, Texas for 14 years. He is the author of Charting a Bold Course. Dr. Seidel and his wife have been married for more than 40 years and have two grown children and six grandchildren.
Read MoreSHELLY BEACH has invested her life in the field of communication as an educator, administrator, writer, and writing consultant for the past thirty years. Her writing has been published in both the secular and religious markets in a wide variety of genres including poetry, short stories, feature articles, and interviews. Shelly speaks at writers’ conference, seminars, retreats, schools, and women’s conferences through the Midwest. In the editorial field, Shelly has also served as managing editor of specialty Bibles for Zondervan and was a contributing feature writer for the Stewardship Bible (Crossway Books).Shelly is a graduate of Oakland University and Grand Rapids Theological Seminary. She and her husband Dan reside in Rockford, Michigan, where they attend Blythefield Hills Church. They have two adult children who reside in Iowa and Washington State.
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