Harry Verploegh

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.

John K. Goodrich

JOHN GOODRICH (BA, Moody Bible Institute; MDiv, ThM, Talbot School of Theology; Ph.D., University of Durham) is the dean and professor at Compass Bible Institute in Southern California. John's teaching and writing focus on the literature, context, and theology of the New Testament, with a particular interest in the interpretation of the Pauline epistles. He also is deeply committed to the church and to training people to be active in ministry. He has been married to Christin since 2005 and together they enjoy following UCLA football and spending time with their son, Justin.

Claire Diaz-Ortiz

Claire Diaz-Ortiz (@claire) is an author, speaker and Silicon Valley innovator who was an early employee at Twitter. Named one of the 100 Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company, she holds an MBA and other degrees from Stanford and Oxford and has been featured widely in print and broadcast media. She writes a popular business blog at ClaireDiazOrtiz.com and is the author of the new book Hope Runs: An American Tourist, a Kenyan Boy, a Journey of Redemption. For more information, visit clairediazortiz.com.

Philip Nation

DR. PHILIP NATION is the Director of Content Development with the Resources Division of LifeWay Christian Resources. He is also the Teaching Pastor for The Fellowship and Assistant Professor of Leadership and Biblical Studies for Houston Baptist University. He holds a Master of Divinity from Beeson Divinity School and Doctor of Ministry from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Philip is a frequent speaker in churches and conferences. From 2010 to 2012 he served as the national spokesperson for the "National Back to Church Sunday" campaign for Outreach, Inc. Philip and his wife, Angie, make their home in Tennessee with their two sons, Andrew and Chris.

Doug Logan

DOUG LOGAN serves as Lead Pastor of Epiphany Camden. Doug and his wife Angel have been married since 1996 and have been blessed with three sons, Bernie, Aharon, and Avery. He is ordained in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). Doug served at both 10th Presbyterian and Epiphany Fellowship in a 2-year Church Plant Residency program before planting EFC. He also served as Vice President of Relational Connectivity and is a Board Member of Thriving, a Urban Church Planting Network. Doug has served in the inner city for nearly a decade as a pastor of Calvary Bible Church of Kensington and at Epiphany Fellowship in North Philly. He is currently completing his Masters at Capital Seminary.

Becky Harling

BECKY HARLING has a degree in Biblical Literature and is a speaker and Bible teacher. The host of The Connected Mom podcast, Becky has a passion for helping women find hope, healing, freedom, and life transformation through Jesus Christ. She is the author of many books and Bible studies, including Our Father, The Extraordinary Power of Praise, Who Do You Say That I Am, Psalms for the Anxious Heart, The 30-Day Praise Challenge, How to Listen So People Will Talk, and How to Listen So Your Kids Will Talk. Becky and her husband reside in Colorado.

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.

Linda Barrick

LINDA BARRICK is a wife, mother, author, Bible teacher, and founder of Hope Out Loud Ministries. Her daily radio feature, Hope Out Loud, is heard on 733 stations in the US, Canada, and overseas. A graduate of Liberty University, Linda is a dynamic speaker who has conducted a weekly Bible study for 500 women at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, VA, for the past ten years. Linda and her daughter Jen Barrick, travel across the country sharing their miraculous story of faith, hope and forgiveness. Jen suffered a traumatic brain injury over a decade ago when her family's van was struck head-on by a drunk driver going 80 miles per hour. Though Jen still suffers from vision impairment and memory loss, she knows there is no limit to what God can accomplish through her life. Connect with Linda and Jen at hopeoutloud.com.

Aaron Damiani

AARON DAMIANI (MA, Biblical Exegesis) serves as the lead pastor of Immanuel Anglican Church in Chicago and is the author of The Good of Giving Up: Discovering the Freedom of Lent and Earth Filled with Heaven: Finding Life in Liturgy, Sacraments and other Ancient Practices of the Church. Aaron writes and speaks regularly about spiritual formation, leadership, and recovering the gifts of the ancient church for today's challenges. Aaron and his wife Laura live with their four kids in Chicago's Irving Park neighborhood.

Chelsea Patterson Sobolik

CHELSEA PATTERSON SOBOLIK is the author of Longing for Motherhood: Holding On to Hope in the Midst of Childlessness, and works in Washington, DC, as the Director of Government Relations for a nonprofit organization. Previously she’s worked for the leading evangelical child welfare organization in the country, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), and on Capitol Hill. Chelsea has been published at the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Gospel Coalition, Christianity Today, and other outlets. Chelsea was adopted as a newborn from Bucharest, Romania, grew up in North Carolina, and holds a BA in International Relations from Liberty University. She and her husband, Michael, are welcoming their son home through international adoption.

Dan Stanford

DAN STANFORD is not a comic book superhero. The glasses make you do a double take but under his shirt is not a cool costume and cape. He doesn't have a catch phrase like "Up, Up and Yahweh!" and there's no blockbuster movie about his heroic deeds. He's an ordinary, decaf drinking, nap taking, Jesus loving citizen. But in spite of being ordinary, he married his true love, Suzanne and they have three dynamic boys: Caleb, Connor and Colton. Dan holds a Masters degree from Trinity International University and started The Well Church in Kenosha, Wisconsin. To learn more visit www.danstanford.net.

Gil Mertz

GIL MERTZ is Assistant to the President at the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C. He has been involved with full-time Christian service for nearly forty years and draws from a vast background of ministry with international missions, humanitarian causes, public policy, and consulting. He is a former pastor and radio talk show host. His daily commentaries on forgiveness have been broadcast on more than 300 stations across America. Gil and his wife Patricia reside in southern California and have three children and three grandchildren.

Avi Snyder

AVI SNYDER was raised in a conservative Jewish home in New York City and came to a saving faith in Jesus in 1977 with the help of a Jews for Jesus tract and the forthright witness of Christian friends. He graduated from Fuller Theological Seminary, the School of World Mission, with a Masters degree in missiology. Avi has served with Jews for Jesus since 1978 and has provided leadership for branch offices in the US, the UK, the former USSR, Germany, and Hungary. He currently lives with his wife Ruth in Budapest where he serves as the ministry director for Europe and the former USSR. He and Ruth have three grown children.

A. J. Swoboda

DR. A. J. SWOBODA is a professor, author, and pastor of Theophilus Church in Portland, Oregon. He teaches biblical studies, theology, and church history at George Fox Evangelical Seminary and Fuller Theological Seminary, among others. Previously he served as a campus pastor at the University of Oregon. He is the author of A Glorious Dark: Finding Hope in the Tension Between Belief and Experience, Messy: God Likes it That Way, and The Dusty Ones: Why Wandering Deepens Your Faith, and coauthor of Introducing Evangelical Ecotheology.

Trip Lee

WILLIAM LEE BAREFIELD III, better known as TRIP LEE, is a Christian hip-hop artist under the Reach Records label. Trip Lee’s music has topped Billboard charts, the iTunes chart, and has received Dove nominations and a Stellar Award. His Christ-centered and God-exalting music has reached thousands with the Good News of Jesus Christ.Trip Lee now resides in Washington, DC with his wife and is finishing his Biblical and Theological Studies degree with Boyce College. Trip’s unending desire is to proclaim the grace and beauty of Jesus Christ to anyone that will listen. Ultimately, he hopes this journey will someday lead to pastoring a church.