Sarah Lew Tierney

SARAH LEW TIERNEY is a Canadian-American who was born to missionary parents and spent her childhood in the mountains of Eastern Congo (DRC). Due to political unrest, her family moved to Illinois where she met and married her high school sweetheart. Jake and Sarah have two children -- a ninja and an artist -- and continue to reside amongst the cornfields today. She is a licensed clinical counselor by day...and a passionate writer typing madly at her keyboard by night (after the ninja and the artist go to bed). Her writing includes fiction, nonfiction, and personalized birthday songs for friends and family, which she performs accompanied by her dashing mandolin-wielding husband. She loves to collaborate on book projects and especially enjoyed teaming up for The Stranger at Our Shore with her friend, Joshua Sherif.

Paige Haley Drygas

Nate Pickowicz

NATE PICKOWICZ is the pastor of Harvest Bible Church in Gilmanton Iron Works, New Hampshire. He has authored or edited more than a dozen books, including How to Eat Your Bible, The Kindness of God, The American Puritans, and Christ & Creed. He and his wife, Jess, have three children.

C Fred Dickason

C. FRED DICKASON JR., (Th.D., Dallas Theological Seminary; B.S., Iowa State College) served on the faculty of the Moody Bible Institute for thirty-four years. He was professor and chairman of the theology department until his retirement in 1995. An author and lecturer on angelology and the spirit world, he counsels many who have been involved in the occult. Dr. Dickason is the author of Names of Angels, Demon Possession and the Christian, Angels: Elect and Evil, The Spirit of Grace, Angels: Studies in the Biblical Doctrine of Angels, and From Bondage To Freedom Studies in the Epistle to the Galatians. Dr. Dickason resides in Carol Stream, Illinois.

Howard Hendricks

DR. HOWARD G. HENDRICKS remains a legendary figure in the memory of countless Christians worldwide. In sixty years at Dallas Theological Seminary, "Prof" Hendricks is estimated to have taught more than 30,000 students, and through them now impacts tens of millions throughout the world. He ministered in more than eighty countries through speaking engagements, radio, books, and recordings (including the DVD series, Living By The Book). For a period of time he was also a Bible teacher and chaplain for the Dallas Cowboys football team. Dr. Hendricks and his wife Jeanne were married for sixty-five years, and he was the father of four children, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Donald S. Whitney

DON WHITNEY (Arkansas State University; Southern Baptist Theological Seminary; Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) is the founder and president of The Center for Biblical Spirituality and is Associate Professor and Dean of Biblical Spirituality at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Don is the author of Spiritual Disciplines within the Church, How Can I Be Sure I'm A Christian, and Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. Don and his wife, Caffy, have one daughter and live near Louisville, Kentucky.

Brian Fikkert

DR. BRIAN FIKKERT (PhD, Yale University) is the Founder and President of the Chalmers Center at Covenant College, where he has also served as a Professor of Economics and Community Development since 1997. He has published numerous articles in academic and popular journals and is co-author of six books, including the best-selling When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty without Hurting the Poor...and Yourself. Brian and his wife, Jill, have three adult children.

Steve Stroope

STEVE STROOPE (B.A., Hardin Simmons University; M.Div., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) served as the Lead Pastor for 40 years at Lake Pointe Church in Rockwall, Texas. He is now the Founding Pastor. Church attendance under his leadership grew from 53 at its inception to over 11,000 today. Steve also provides coaching to partnership churches and missionaries in Africa, Australia, New Zealand, China, Cuba, Russia, Mexico, France, South Africa, and North America. He is a sought-after speaker, both nationally and internationally, and is co-author of Money Matters in the Church. He and his wife, Marsha, have two grown daughters and five grandchildren.

Penny Thrasher

PENNY THRASHER- Penny Thrasher was raised in a home given to hospitality and feels privileged to carry on that tradition, especially in hosting large holiday celebrations. She contributed to her husband's book, Believing God for His Best -- How to Marry Contentment and Singleness. Penny is in her 17th year of home schooling and enjoys serving in their church, being part of a prayer group which supports missionaries, and mentoring younger women. Bill and Penny have three sons, Will, Michael, and David.

Arnold R. Fleagle, DMin

DR. ARNOLD R. FLEAGLE is the senior pastor of Trinity Evangelical Free Church in Amherst, Ohio. Previously he served as Director of Church Development for the Central District of the Christian & Missionary Alliance that covers Northeast Ohio and West Virginia.Dr. Fleagle holds a B.S. in education from Shippensburg University, a M.A.R. degree from Asbury Theological Seminary and a D. Min. degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He has authored or co-authored devotional and academic articles and eight books, including Developing Your Secret Closet of Prayer (50,000+ sold to date).He is married to Faye and they have two sons, Matthew and Marc.

W.L. Seaver

DR. W. L. SEAVER is an associate professor of statistics at the University of Tennessee. He holds a Ph.D. in Statistics, a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies. He is not only an author of more than thirty articles and four books but also a researcher and consultant whose expertise is in finding patterns in data and the Scriptures over time. He has developed discipleship ministries with athletes, students, faculty, and the local church. He and his wife, Barbara, have three grown children.

Bob Russell

BOB RUSSELL At just twenty-two years of age, Bob became the pastor of Southeast Christian Church. That small congregation of 120 members became one of the largest churches in America, with 18,000 people attending the four worship services every weekend in 2006 when Bob retired. Now through Bob Russell Ministries, Bob continues to preach at churches and conferences throughout the United States, provide guidance for church leadership, mentor other ministers and author Bible study videos for use in small groups. An accomplished author, Bob has written over one-dozen books.Bob and his wife Judy of 50 years have two married sons, Rusty and Phil. In his leisure time he enjoys playing golf and is an avid University of Louisville football and basketball fan.

Jon Gauger

JON GAUGER hosts several nationally syndicated programs for Moody Radio and is an award-winning narrator of more than 45 audio books. As a journalist and speaker, he has traveled to 35 countries. From Billy Graham to Chuck Norris, Jon is never more at home than when hosting an interview. An ordained minister, Jon is an avid photographer and videographer. He is married to Diana, and they have two children and several grandchildren. He enjoys camping (trailers, not tents), reading, travel, and great Mexican food. His weekly blog, The Thursday Thought, is available at jongauger.com.

Laurie L Norris

LAURIE NORRIS is a Professor of Bible at Moody Theological Seminary in Chicago, having served for ten years on the faculty of Moody Bible Institute in the division of Applied Theology and Church Ministries. She has a ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary and a PhD in Biblical Theology-New Testament from Wheaton College. Laurie's ministry centers on the communication of God's Word and equipping of the church through teaching, speaking, writing, and mentoring in both academic and non-academic settings. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she presently lives in West Chicago with her husband Bob, four dogs, and a cat.

Jimmy Dodd

JIMMY DODD (B.A. Wheaton College; M.Div., Gordon-Conwell Seminary) is the founder and CEO of PastorServe. This organization works across denominational lines to strengthen the church by serving pastors. He is the author of Survive or Thrive, 6 Relationships Every Pastor Needs, and Pastors Are People Too, co-authored with Larry Magnuson. Jimmy and his wife Sally have five children and three grandchildren. He enjoys reading, taking walks with his wife Sally and dog Finn, and cheering on his beloved Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, KS.

Brittany Cragg

BRITTANY CRAGG has been editing and authoring marriage curriculum as the Director of Content for Grace Marriage since 2015. She has a degree in English Literature from Wheaton College and a law degree from Emory University, where she won the Golden Pen Award for excellence in legal editing. She has worked as an editor at Christianity Today in the preaching resources department and for investment firms in Chicago and Dallas. Brittany and her husband, Mark, have been married for over eleven years and live with their three children in Prosper, Texas.