Ken Wytsma

KEN WYTSMA is a leader, innovator, and social entrepreneur respected for his insight and collaborative spirit. He is the president of Kilns College, where he teaches courses in philosophy and justice. He is the founder of The Justice Conference—an annual international conference that introduces men and women to a wide range of organizations and conversations relating to biblical justice and God's call to give our lives away.Ken is a consultant and creative advisor to nonprofits and a sought-after speaker on justice, church, and culture. A church planter and lead pastor at Antioch Church, Ken lives in Bend, Oregon, with his wife, Tamara, and their four daughters.

Chris Nye

CHRIS NYE is a pastor, writer, and teacher living in Portland, Oregon with his wife, Allison. His writing has appeared in Books & Culture, Leadership Journal, Preaching Today, and various other publications. Currently, Chris serves as a pastor for teaching and leadership development at Willamette Christian Church, a growing community of over 2,000 people.

Jim Wilder

JIM WILDER (PhD, Clinical Psychology, and M.A. Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary) has been training leaders and counselors for over 27 years on five continents. He is the author of nine books with a strong focus on maturing and relationship skills for leaders. His coauthored book Living From the Heart Jesus Gave You has sold over 100,000 copies in eleven languages. Wilder has published numerous articles and developed four sets of video and relational leadership training called THRIVE. He is currently executive director of Shepherd's House Inc., a nonprofit working at the intersection of brain science and theology, and founder of Life Model Works that is building contagiously healthy Christian communities through equipping existing networks with the skills to thrive. Dr. Wilder has extensive clinical counseling experience and has served as a guest lecturer at Fuller Seminary, Biola, Talbot Seminary, Point Loma University, Montreat College, Tyndale Seminary and elsewhere.

Deborah Barr

DEBORAH BARR is an author, speaker, and health educator with a passion for encouraging people to engage deeply with God as they journey through tough times. Her previous devotional book, Grace for the Unexpected Journey written for dementia caregivers, was named "Best Inspirational Book" at the 2018 Digital Book World awards. Strength for the Cancer Journey is her sixth book.

Barbara Mill

LeRoy Wagner

LEROY WAGNER has served as a pastor and speaker for more than thirty years. His greatest desire is to see God's glory fill the earth and he believes that begins with training individuals to live out the gospel in their homes and through their daily life experiences. The supreme love of his life is Jesus Christ, then his wife, Kimberly, their children, and grandchildren.

Michelle Lynn Senters

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.

Chris Fabry

CHRIS FABRY is an award-winning author and radio personality who hosts the daily program Chris Fabry Live on Moody Radio. He has written more than seventy books for children and adults. His latest is War Room, a novelization of the film by the Kendrick Brothers. He has also written the adult novels Dogwood, June Bug, Almost Heaven, Not in the Heart, Borders of the Heart, Every Waking Moment, and The Song. He has won three Christy Awards and an ECPA Christian Book Award. He has also written two books with NY Times bestselling author, Dr. Gary Chapman, A Marriage Carol and Extraordinary Grace. He and his wife Andrea have been married for more than thirty years and have nine children. They live in Tucson, AZ. Chris is a graduate of the W. Page Pitt School of Journalism at Marshall University in Huntington, WV, and Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.

Pat Cimo

PAT CIMO has led a dynamic children's ministry and coached children ministry leaders domestically and internationally for nearly twenty-nine years. She is currently the director of Marriage and Family Life at Willow Creek Community Church in the suburbs of Chicago, and for many years this included direct leadership and oversight with Willow's Children's Ministry. She has a deep passion to own the game she most wants to win: influencing and developing champions of faith. Pat and her husband Dave live in the northwest suburbs of Chicago near their two married children and four grandchildren.

Jennifer Bradley Franklin

JENNIFER BRADLEY FRANKLIN is a multi-platform journalist whose work appears in numerous publications, including USA Today. Make it Zero represents not only a friendship but also a dynamic partnership in the fight against childhood vulnerability.

Edward G. Shaw

EDWARD G. SHAW, MD, MA, is dually trained as a physician and a mental health counselor. He is the primary care partner for his wife, Rebecca, who was diagnosed with eary-onset Alzheimer's disease at age 54. He was a practicing radiation oncologist for 23 years. In 2010, inspired by Rebecca's journey, his medical interest shifted to dementia diagnosis and treatment, and with his additional training in mental health counseling, he founded the Memory Counseling Program that is now part of Wake Forest Baptist Health in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. His moving personal story of caring for his wife, coupled with his innovative use of the five love languages in dementia counseling, inspired the central message of Keeping Love Alive as Memories Fade.

Paige Haley Drygas

Kim Erickson

KIM ERICKSON began following Christ after the death of her three-year-old son in 2008. Kim began a writing and teaching ministry to help other women, which can be found at www.KimAErickson.com. She is the author of His Last Words: What Jesus Taught and Prayed in His Final Hours and Surviving Sorrow, as well as a contributor to Hopelifter: Creative Ways to Spread Hope When Life Hurts. Kim is an attorney and practices immigration law. She lives in Florida with her husband, Devin, and son, Ethan.

Stephan Bauman

STEPHAN BAUMAN is the President and CEO of World Relief, an international relief and development organization partnering with the global Church to serve more than five million vulnerable people each year. World Relief is also the founder and convener of The Justice Conference. Stephan's pursuit of justice led him to transition from a successful career in the Fortune 100 sector to Africa where he directed relief and development programs for nearly a decade before returning to the United States to lead World Relief's global operations. He holds degrees from Johns Hopkins University, Wheaton College, and the University of Wisconsin. He is a poet, an author, an ordained minister and a strategist. He considers his African friends his most important teachers, and his wife, Belinda, his most important mentor. Stephan, Belinda, and their two sons, Joshua and Caleb, live near Washington, D.C.

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.

Matt Markins

MATT MARKINS serves on the Global Leadership Team at Awana as the Vice President of Ministry Resources as well as the Vice President of Marketing and Strategy. Prior to joining the Awana executive leadership team, Matt served in leadership roles with Thomas Nelson Publishers, Randall House Publishers and was the cofounder of the D6 Conference (a discipleship and family ministry community). Matt's ministry in organizational leadership has been marked by leading and influencing change from within by casting vision, forging strategic partnerships, nurturing healthy culture, developing organizational alignment and implementing sustainable plans toward ministry effectiveness, health and growth. He and his wife Katie have been volunteering and growing in children's ministry for more than twenty years. As Nashville transplants, they live and play in the Chicago suburbs with their two sons tolerating dreadful winters, but soaking up refreshingly mild weather the other seven months of the year.