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CHRIS PAPPALARDO, PhD, is the author and cofounder of GoodKind, the makers of Advent Blocks, an organization that helps people cultivate the good kind of habits and holiday celebrations. Chris is a pastor, editor, and writer at The Summit Church in the Raleigh-Durham, NC, area. He is married to Jenn and is the proud dad of Lottie (who wants to save the planet) and Teddy (who wants you to read him another book).
Read MoreMAINA MWAURA is a freelance writer and journalist who has interviewed over 500 influential leaders, including two US Presidents, three Vice-Presidents, and a variety of others. He has learned what it takes to not only lead well, but to mentor well. Maina and his family attend High Point Church in the Kennesaw, Georgia area.
Read MoreSHAI LINNE is a recording artist who has released numerous acclaimed Christian hip-hop albums, including The Atonement and The Attributes of God. After completing a pastoral internship at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. and serving as an elder at Del Ray Baptist Church in Alexandria, VA, Shai co-founded Risen Christ Fellowship, an inner-city church in his hometown of Philadelphia, PA. Previously, Shai wrote God Made Me and You and co-authored It Was Good: Making Music to the Glory of God. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife Blair and their three children, Sage, Maya, and Ezra.
Read MorePAUL GUTACKER is a historian who lives in Waco, Texas. Since 2018, Paul, his wife, Paige, and their four children have been enjoying life with the Brazos Fellows, a community that studies, prays, eats, and discerns together. When he’s not teaching, he loves sharing in favorite pastimes with his kids: cooking, fishing, reading, and rooting on the Buffalo Bills.
Read MoreTHE VOICE OF THE MARTYRS is a nonprofit, interdenominational missions organization dedicated to serving the persecuted church worldwide through practical and spiritual assistance and leading other members of the body of Christ into fellowship with them. Voice of the Martyrs was founded in 1967 by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, who was imprisoned for fourteen years in Communist Romania for his faith in Christ; his wife, Sabrina, was imprisoned for three years. In 1965 they were ransomed out of Romania, and soon thereafter they established the global network of missions of which Voice of the Martyrs is a part. They based these missions on Hebrews 13:3, "Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering." (NIV)
Read MoreMIKE AND KRISTIN BERRY have been married for more than twenty years and are the parents of eight adopted children. In 2015 they launched the blog website Confessions of an Adoptive Parent. Their mission is simple - to offer hope to adoptive, foster, and special needs parents who feel weary, overwhelmed and frustrated, and to let them know they're not alone. They recently co-wrote the book, The Adoptive Parent Toolbox and travel extensively speaking at churches, camps, and conferences.
Read MoreNELL BRANUM is a former editor and elementary school librarian who is the daughter of both a World War II paratrooper and a Rosie the Riveter and believes God still uses lessons from history. She was married for 43 amazing years to her minister husband, and now she writes from a small town near Birmingham, Alabama, where she keeps chickens in the backyard, likes to go on adventures with her grown kids and their families (including nine grandkids), and enjoys watching sunsets on her front porch while drinking blueberry-flavored coffee.
Read MoreBEV GODBY is a senior associate and change management coach at The Giftedness Center in Dallas, Texas. She focuses on graduating students and women who are navigating challenging life transitions. She feels called to the role of an educator, teaching others about giftedness to help them find fulfilling lives. She serves as a consultant to schools and nonprofit organizations, and speaks and writes often on these topics. Bev holds degrees from Wheaton College and The University of Texas at Dallas. She is married to Dr. Dale Godby, with whom she has three married daughters and six grandchildren.
Read MoreTHOMAS J. TERRY is the founder and executive director of Humble Beast, a record label and ministry in Portland, Oregon. As a spoken word artist and a member of Beautiful Eulogy, he seeks to bring creativity and theology together to glorify the Lord who created them both. Thomas lives with his wife, Heather, and two boys, Tobin and Kuyper, and serves as the Executive Pastor at Trinity Church of Portland.
Read MoreCONWAY EDWARDS (Dallas Theological Seminary, Regent University) is Lead Pastor of the church, One, which ministers to the evolving communities of Plano, Allen, Frisco, and McKinney, Texas. He is also the Executive Director for the US-based ministry Caribbean Choice for Christ and the president of the National Center for Christian Leadership-Jamaica. Conway is the author of Leading a Turnaround Ministry: A Process for Exponential Growth. He co-authored When Love’s in View: Finding Focus in Dating and Relationships and The Undercover Woman with his wife, Jada. He and Jada reside in Allen, Texas.
Read MoreSUE EDWARDS (M.A., Dallas Theological Seminary; D.Min., Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) is assistant professor of Christian Education at Dallas Theological Seminary. She has 30 years of experience in various aspects of ministry including Christian education, Bible teaching, directing women’s ministry, retreat and conference speaking, and writing curriculum. She is author of a number of books including Leading Women who Wound, Mixed Ministry, and the Sue Edwards Inductive Bible Study Series. She and her husband, David, have two daughters and four grandchildren.
Read MoreDIANE LYNN ELLIOT is an author, professional photographer and business administrator. With a heart for people and a passion for ministry she has worked and volunteered with children, teens, women, and short-term missions and relief projects. Diane's interest in the global orphan crisis started many years ago with a trip to a hospital for terminally ill children in Siberia, and later to an orphanage in Mexico. Seeing a small snapshot of the great need started her journey and fueled her passion for the orphaned child. For the research of the book Diane also traveled to Peru and Haiti which continued to expand your vision and passion for orphaned children. Diane has a BA in Communication from Trinity International University and an M.B.A. in Global Management from the University of Phoenix. Professionally she has co-written two youth management books, and has spent many years as a freelance meeting and events planner and business manager in both not-for-profit and corporate settings. Diane, her husband David, along with their trained Alaskan Klee Kai therapy dog named Kody, live in Wauconda, Illinois and attend Willow Creek Community Church.
Read MoreDAVID FISHER is a missionary radio broadcaster working jointly with Trans World Radio and the Slavic Gospel Association. He is director and editor-in-chief of Radio Academy of Science (RADAS). Fisher believed that scientific atheism was preventing many from accepting Christ, so he began writing scripts for a broadcast which countered atheistic spins on scientific issues, and included interviews with believers professionally involved in the sciences. Nearly 30 years later, TWR’s Truth in the Test Tube program and webcast continues to make a difference in the lives of students and young adults. He is co-author of Scientists Who Believed with Eric Barrett.
Read MoreTHELMA "GRANNY" GEER was well-known throughout the South and Southwest for her extensive church and missionary conference speaking ministry on Mormonism. Her "down home" approach endeared her to thousands who heard her testimony. She is author of Mormonism Mama and Me. "Granny" has appeared in two films: The Cult Explosion and The God Makers.
Read MoreDR. TONY EVANS is the founder and senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, founder and president of The Urban Alternative, and former chaplain of the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks. He is the first African American to earn a doctoral degree from Dallas Theological Seminary, and the first to publish a study Bible and whole-Bible commentary. His radio broadcast, The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, can be heard on over 2,000 US radio outlets daily and in more than 130 countries. For more information, visit: www.TonyEvans.org.
Read MoreLOIS EVANS (B.A., Dallas Baptist University; Doctorate of Humane Letters, Eastern College) was Senior Vice President of The Urban Alternative, a national organization that seeks to bring about spiritual and social renewal through the church. Lois also served in the office of the Senior Pastor at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship Church, on the National Religious Broadcasters Board, and with many other organizations. She was also the founder of The First Lady Ministry.In addition to numerous magazine and newsletter articles, Lois was the author of Stones of Remembrance and Seasons Of A Woman's Life. She co-authored Our Love Is Here To Stay, and was a contributing author of Promises: Understanding and Encouraging Your Husband. Lois was married to her favorite pastor/teacher and best friend, Dr. Tony Evans, Senior Pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas. For more information, visit www.loisevans.org.
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