Laura Hendrickson

DR. LAURA HENDRICKSON (MD, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine; Diplomate, American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology) was a medical doctor and board certified psychiatrist. She was a member of the National Association of Nouthetic Counselors and author of Finding Your Child's Way on the Autism Spectrum, Will Medicine Stop the Pain? and co-author of When Good Kids Make Bad Choices. She lived in Southern California with her husband, Daniel, before her passing.

Tyler Braun

TYLER BRAUN is a 20-something worship pastor. After graduating from college with a business degree, Tyler decided to pursue a life of serving God through church ministry. When Tyler isn’t playing music or writing, he enjoys exploring the city, training for distance running races, and biking around town. Tyler lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife, Rose. You can connect with him online at www.manofdepravity.com or follow him on Twitter @tylerbraun.

John Smiley

JOHN SMILEY is a retired USAF Reserve colonel. When he is not writing or out on speaking engagements with his wife, Kendra, he is working on his 600+ acres of farmland in Central Illinois. He has co-authored two books on parenting entitled Journey of a Strong Willed Child and Be the Parent. John and his wife Kendra have three married sons and two grandchildren.

Joseph Parker

William Nicholson

Christmas Carol Kauffman

CHRISTMAS CAROL KAUFMAN received her unique name in honor of her Christmas morning birth in 1901 in Elkhart, Indiana. She was raised in a Mennonite home and spent some time as a student at Goshen College. When she was 22, she married Norman Hostetler. However, tragedy struck when two months after their second anniversary, Norman was killed in an electrical accident. She worked in a sewing shop following the wake of her loss, but in 1928, her bishop recommended that she get away for a while and enroll as a Bible student at Hesston College. It was there that she met the man who would be her life partner—Nelson Kaufman. The two were married in 1929. Five years later they were commissioned by the Mennonite General Mission Board to start a mission church in Hannibal, Missouri. It was in their 22-year ministry in Missouri that she found the inspiration to write her many novels. In 1956, they returned to Elkhart where Kaufman wrote her last several books. She died in Elkhart on January 30, 1969.

James Ingles

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.

Kenneth Kemp

KENNETH KEMP, author and blogger, writes like he takes photographs. When a scene strikes him, he frames it and checks the lighting. If a story moves him, he takes on the challenge of capturing the essence in a narrative that will engage a reader. He complains that he has too much education. He currently serves as Western Regional Director for Global Generosity with Operation Mobilization, USA. He and his lifelong partner, Carolyn, cherish their children and grandchildren and live in Southern California. He is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute (B.A., 1971) and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (M.Div., 1974), and the author of To Everything a Season, Fire in Paradise, Why Not Today, and Broken for Good.

Ashleigh Slater

ASHLEIGH SLATER is also the author of the book Team Us: The Unifying Power of Grace, Commitment, and Cooperation in Marriage and Braving Sorrow: The Transformative Power of Faith and Community When Life is Hard. With over twenty years of writing experience and a master's degree in communication, she loves to combine the power of a good story with practical application to encourage and inspire readers. She and her husband Ted married in 2002 and have four daughters.

Maggie Paulus

MAGGIE PAULUS is a beauty seeker. She looks for God each day not only in His Word, but in creation, in her family, in the pain of life, in the humdrum—at the kitchen sink—everywhere. Maggie lives in Buchanan, MI, with her bearded husband, three precocious children, and one cat. When Maggie's not capturing life in words and photos, you'll find her digging in the dirt, deep-fat-frying anything within reach, prank calling, and garage sale-ing. Maggie loves God and people, and wants to love them more.

Trillia J. Newbell

TRILLIA NEWBELL is the author of several books including 52 Weeks in the Word, A Great Cloud of Witnesses, Sacred Endurance, If God is For Us, Fear and Faith and the children's books, The Big Wide Welcome, Creative God, Colorful Us and God's Very Good Idea. When she isn't writing, she's encouraging and supporting other writers as an Acquisitions Director at Moody Publishers. She is also the host of the 52 Weeks in the Word podcast and the Living By Faith weekly radio program. Trillia is married to her best friend, Thern; they reside with their two children near Nashville, TN.

DM Freed

DM FREED, M.Ed. is a former elementary teacher and has been employed for the last 18 years as a school counselor with Central Valley School District. He holds an Elementary Education Degree from Boise State University and two Masters Degrees in education from Whitworth University. His school and district have been recognized with numerous awards by Washington State for “Outstanding Educational Excellence”. D.M. believes that a student’s academic success hinges on the positive relationships they build with other students, their family and school faculty. When he’s not working, he enjoys spending time with his family at the lake and playing golf.

David J. Fant Jr.

David J. Fant, Jr. became influential in the Christian and Missionary Alliance beginning when, fresh out of college, he accepted an appointment to The Alliance Weekly staff. Fant used his considerable literary skills to write numerous articles, booklets and books including Modern Miracles of Healing, Foundations of the Faith: Twelve Studies in the Basic Christian Revelation (an exposition of the Apostles Creed), All about the Sunday School (with Addie Marie French), and a biographical sketch of his father, Ambassador on Rails: David J. Fant--Engineer Evangelist.

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.

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.