Ben Connelly

BEN CONNELLY is a pastor, author, equipper, and occasional professor. He is honored to serve everyday disciples, ministry leaders, and church planters across the world through The Equipping Group, and to help lead Salt+Light Community and Plant Fort Worth, TX. Ben has written or contributed to several books, workbooks, articles, and publications, has overseen church planting efforts for multiple organizations, and has also taught university and seminary classes. He and Jess have three children and at times host short-term foster kids too. Learn more at www.benconnelly.com, or @connellyben on various social media platforms.

Gordon H. Fraser

GORDON HOLMES FRASER was born in Quebec, Canada. He moved to Detroit, Michigan, at the age of ten, and came to a personal knowledge of Christ when he was seventeen years of age. After majoring in business administration, he spent several years in executive and sales work. The call then came to enter full-time Christian work. His mentor in spiritual things was the late Dr. H.A. Ironside. Under private tutorship he studied Chinese while engaged for five years in Christian work in Chinese communities such as are found in Oakland and Sacramento, California. His entry into full-time missionary work under the American Sunday School Union was in 1932. He is the founder of the Southwestern School of Missions in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Stefano Fehr

STEFANO FEHR is the president of Call of Hope US. For over a century, Call of Hope has been making the Gospel accessible to Muslims through creative media, relational evangelism, discipleship, humanitarian aid, and church planting initiatives. Stefano's twenty years of ministry among Muslims have taken him to both urban and rural areas throughout the Middle East, Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. He is a sought after speaker on topics such as: Contextualization of the Gospel to Islam, the Quran is not the Word of God, Jesus in Islam, and Evangelization of Muslims. He earned his Master of Divinity degree from the internationally renowned Freie Theologische Academy in Giessen, Germany. He resides in Germany with his wife and their two children.

Jennifer Hand

JENNIFER HAND, Executive Director of Coming Alive Ministries, founded the ministry in 2012 and loves the honor of traveling nationally and internationally, inviting people to come alive in Christ through conferences, retreats, written resources, and counseling. She has had the joy of serving in over thirty countries. With a Master's degree in trauma counseling, God has opened a unique door for her to respond after natural disasters around the world, providing trauma counseling and the hope of Christ on the holy ground of suffering. She would love to keep up with you in her cozy internet corner of the world at www.comingaliveministries.com or on social media @comingalivejenn or Jenn@comingaliveministries on Facebook.

Marla Alupoaicei

Author 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.

Matt Markins

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.

Gwynne Johnson

GWYNNE JOHNSON (M.A., Dallas Theological Seminary), a popular conference and retreat speaker, demonstrates in her writing strong communication skills and extensive practical ministry to women. She is the author of So You’re Moving, Women Mentoring Women: Ways to Start, Maintain, and Expand a Biblical Women's Ministry, and contributed to More Than Conquerors. Gwynne lives in Dallas, Texas, with her husband, Don. They have one daughter and two grandchildren.

Roy B. Zuck

ROY ZUCK (B.A. Biola University, Th.D. Dallas Theological Seminary), Senior Professor Emeritus of Bible Exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary, has taught at the seminary for more than 23 years. He is author of a number of books, including Open Letter to a Jehovah’s Witness, and is the editor of Childhood Education in the Church, Biblical Theology of the Old Testament, and Biblical Theology of the New Testament. Dr. Zuck resides in Dallas, Texas.

Deanna Conrad

DEANNA CONRAD studied both education and special education at Indiana University in Bloomington. Now her classroom is right in her own house—where she homeschools her five energetic boys. Deanna also teaches at the local community college and in her local homeschool co-op. All of her writing is fully tested among the large audience of students she engages. Home remains in Bloomington where she enjoys her community of family and friends, and on occasion sleeping out under the stars.

Jim Shaddix

JIM SHADDIX (BS, Jacksonville State University; M.Div., D.Min., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; Ph.D., New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary) serves as Professor of Preaching at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC, occupying the W. A. Criswell Chair of Expository Preaching. He has pastored churches in Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana and Colorado, and also served as Dean of the Chapel and Professor of Preaching at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in New Orleans, LA. Jim is the author of The Passion Driven Sermon (Broadman & Holman, 2003) and co-author of Power in the Pulpit with Jerry Vines (Moody, 1999). Jim and his wife, Debra, focus much of their attention on discipling and mentoring young leaders and spouses. They have three grown children.

Bryan Litfin

BRYAN LITFIN grew up in Dallas, TX; Oxford, England; and Memphis, TN. He earned a degree in print journalism from the University of Tennessee, a master's degree in historical theology at Dallas Seminary, and a Ph.D. in the field of ancient church history at the University of Virginia. He now serves as Education Projects Editor at Moody Publishers in Chicago, IL. Bryan lives with his wife and two teenaged children in Wheaton, IL, and is a member of College Church in Wheaton. Connect with Bryan at www.bryanlitfin.com.

Michelle Van Loon

Linda Dillow

LINDA DILLOW is the author of the bestselling Calm My Anxious Heart and co-author of Intimate Issues. Her latest book, What's it Like to be Married to Me? was a finalist for the non-fiction book of 2011. Linda's books have sold more than one and a half million copies in the U.S. and have been translated into many languages. Linda and her husband, Jody, lived in Europe and Asia for seventeen years, training Christian leaders in closed countries with Biblical Education by Extension. The Dillows live in Monument, Colorado. They have four grown children and ten grandchildren.