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RON HUTCHCRAFT is a veteran of youth and family work, president of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries and a visiting faculty member for the Billy Graham Schools of Evangelism. He is the author of several books, including The Battle for a Generation, A Life That Matters, and Called to Greatness. Ron is the host of the popular radio broadcasts A Word With You and Call To Greatness. He and Karen, his wife, are the parents of three adult children and reside in Harrison, Arkansas.
Read MoreDARCY WILEY is a storyteller who digs below the surface to find the transforming work of the Lord in unexpected places. As a youth, she took part in praying for the gateway cities of the 10/40 Window, and then traveled extensively, observing movements of God and serving on mission in various regions of the world. Even as family life has turned her from a world traveler into a stay-at-home mom, God continues to cross her path with the nations through international ministries or casual conversations in the grocery store. Darcy lives in the Indianapolis area with her husband and their three exuberant children. She writes about faith, family, and adventure at www.DarcyWiley.com.
Read MoreALICIA LLEWELLYN is co-founder of Quite Uncommon, a technology firm that helps organizations build, test, and launch new and innovative ideas. She is also a strategist and collaboration leader at NASA, currently directing the 1958 Coworking Space at the Johnson Space Center. She has more than two decades of cross-sector experience in growing effective teams and building engaged communities with resiliency and foresight--including for some of the largest hackathons in the world. Ali has served as a teacher, a team trainer, a youth pastor, and the Director of Ministries at Antioch Community Church in Houston, TX. This background in education, communication, and theology provides the clarity and articulation necessary to help organizations and communities take their mission to the next level.
Read MoreHAROLD MYRA served as the CEO of Christianity Today International for 32 years. Under his leadership, the organization grew from one magazine to a communications company with a dozen magazines, copublished books, and a major Internet ministry. Myra started his journalistic career with "Youth for Christ" magazine, which under his leadership became "Campus Life" magazine. Author of five novels, numerous children's and nonfiction books, and hundreds of magazine articles, Myra has taught writing and publishing at the Wheaton College Graduate School in Illinois. He holds honorary doctorates from several colleges, including Biola University in California and Gordon College in Massachusetts. Myra has received various awards, among them the prestigious Magazine Publisher's Award and the James Deforest Murch Award from the National Association of Evangelicals. The Evangelical Press Association presented him with its highest honor, the Joseph T. Bayly Award, for his triple career as an editor, author, and publishing executive. Harold and his wife, Jeanette, are the parents of six children and grandparents of five. They reside in Wheaton, Illinois.
Read MoreSoong-Chan Rah is Milton B. Engebretson Associate Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, IL. He is the author of The Next Evangelicalism (IVP Books, 2009). Prior to coming to North Park, Soong-Chan was the founding and senior pastor of Cambridge Community Fellowship Church, a multi-ethnic, urban church in Cambridge, MA. Soong-Chan has a B.A. from Columbia University, a M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, a Th.M. from Harvard University, and a D.Min. from Gordon-Conwell. Soong-Chan serves on the boards of Sojourners, the Christian Community Development Association, World Vision, and the Catalyst Leadership Center. He lives in Chicago with his wife Sue, a special educator and his two children, Annah and Elijah.
Read MoreJOSH WEIDMANN has traveled the world speaking to churched and un-churched crowds about the truth of the Gospel from the authority of God’s Word for more than a decade (since his late teen years). Josh started preaching at a young age and soon found himself living out God’s calling on His life to communicate the Bible through whatever means possible. After the 1999 Columbine high school shooting tragedy in his hometown, God used Josh as a voice of hope to his generation around the nation. Over the last decade, Josh has continued to preach the truth around the world. He has had the privilege of speaking for some well-known ministries such as Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, Youth for Christ, and others.His years as a student at Moody Bible Institute served to deepen his understanding of God’s Word and equipped him for a long-term role in serving the church. Josh has had the privilege of fulfilling several pastoral roles in various churches in Colorado and Illinois, including a recent role as a lead pastor in Aurora, Colorado. He currently serves as the Discipleship pastor of Mission Hills Church in Littleton, CO. He also leads and writes for a web ministry called Honest To God. He and his wife, Molly, live in the suburbs of Denver with their two kids and enjoy loving Christ, loving each other, and loving on God’s people.
Read MoreERIC DEMETER (B.S., Purdue University; M.A., Bethel University) is a relationship and conflict resolution specialist with advanced studies in mediation, peacemaking and negotiation from the Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver and Peacemaker Ministries. He is currently a missionary with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) based in Athens, Greece where he disciples young people from the Middle East, and teaches conflict resolution and healthy relationships to YWAM staff and missionary students. His experiences growing up listening to heavy metal, working alongside ex-convicts, and being raised in the Roman Catholic tradition give him the ability to connect well with people of diverse belief systems. He considers every reader a friend and challenges everyone to become more like Christ in everything they do.
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 MoreJODY ZAPPIA is the wife of Pastor Ron Zappia. After a successful career in corporate America she left to become fully engaged in ministry at HighPoint Church, leading the Women's Ministry for many years. Jody brings wisdom, humor, and much needed transparency into the conversation of marriage.
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