Karl Vaters

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.

Michelle Van Loon

Darcy Wiley

DARCY 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.

Jared C. Wilson

JARED C. WILSON is Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Author in Residence at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and the Director of the Pastoral Training Center at Liberty Baptist Church in Kansas City, Missouri. He has authored over twenty books. He and his wife, Becky, has been married twenty-five years and have dedicated this latest season of their lives to the mentoring and discipling of young men and women.

Katherine Elizabeth Clark

Skye Jethani

SKYE JETHANI is an author, speaker, consultant and ordained pastor. He also serves as the co-host (along with Phil Vischer) of The Holy Post Podcast, a popular weekly show that blends astute cultural and theological insights with comical conversation. He has been a sought-after consultant for groups facing challenges at the intersection of faith and culture like The Lausanne Movement, The White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and the Interfaith Youth Core. Included in his writings are The Divine Commodity: Discovering a Faith Beyond Consumer Christianity, WITH: Reimagining the Way You Relate to God, and Futureville. Skye and his wife Amanda have three children: Zoe, Isaac, and Lucy and reside in Wheaton, IL.

Jolene Philo

JOLENE PHILO grew up in a caregiving family and raised a son with medical special needs. As a teacher, she created an inclusive classroom for children with disabilities for 25 years. She's authored several books, including Every Child Welcome: A Ministry Handbook for Including Kids with Special Needs and Sharing Love Abundantly with Special Needs Families: The Five Love Languages® for Parents Raising Children with Disabilities. She hosts the award winning blog, www.DifferentDream.com. Jolene and her husband live in a multigenerational family in Iowa with her daughter, son-in-law and their two young children.

Karen Loritts

KAREN LORITTS has served alongside her pastor husband in ministry for over three decades as a teacher, mentor and international speaker. She is a founding member of a community outreach program that gives away thousands of dollars each year to those in need who are working towards a better future. She is a mom to four and a grandmother of eight.

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.

Ray Rhodes Jr.

RAY RHODES, JR. serves as founding pastor of Grace Community Church of Dawsonville, GA and as president of Nourished in the Word Ministries. He has served four congregations over three decades of pastoral ministry and for fifteen years, he has led Nourished in the Word. Ray has published several books and holds theological degrees from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (D.Min.). He is married to Lori and they are blessed with six daughters and four grandchildren. Ray has long been a Spurgeon enthusiast, and his doctoral thesis focused on the marriage and spirituality of Charles and Susannah Spurgeon.

Ron Zappia

RON ZAPPIA is the pastor and founder of Highpoint Church, a multi-site church reaching thousands in the western suburbs of Chicago. His teaching ministry, Highpoint Ministries provides comprehensive teaching from God's Word through radio broadcasts that air on over 400 stations around the United States. A graduate of Bowling Green State University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Ron and his wife Jody live in Wheaton, IL with their three daughters: Allie, Erin, and Emily.

Today in the Word

TODAY IN THE WORD, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute, is a daily devotional that strives to proclaim the truth of the Word. Available by email, podcast, or magazine, it helps guide your Bible study and boldly declares a biblical perspective on real issues.

Todd R. Chipman

TODD R. CHIPMAN (B.S. University of Nebraska; MA-BL, M.Div., PhD, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary) is assistant professor of Biblical Studies at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of ScriptureStoryline, a Biblical Theology commentary available at his website www.scripturestoryline.com. He and his wife have seven children and advocate for foster/adoption ministry.

Deborah E Gorton, PhD

DEBORAH GORTON (B.A. Arizona State University; M.A., Ph.D. Fuller Theological Seminary) is the Gary Chapman Chair of Marriage, Family Ministry, and Therapy at Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School. For more than fourteen years Deb has worked as a change agent for individuals, organizations, and emerging leaders, helping them refine, embrace, and thrive in their purpose. Built on the foundation of relationship, her core philosophy is that collaboration in community produces radical transformation. She resides in Chicago and loves the Cubs. If she's not home in the city or traveling for work, you're likely to find her with family in Colorado, Oregon, or Oklahoma.

Micah Fries

MICAH FRIES is the Senior Pastor of Brainerd Baptist Church in Chattanooga, TN. Micah is married to Tracy and they have two daughters, Grace and Kessed, and a son, Haddon. Prior to serving at Brainerd, he worked for LifeWay Christian Resources, served as a Senior Pastor in Missouri, as an international church planter in Burkina Faso, West Africa, and as a Youth Director in Dothan, AL. He holds a Master of Divinity, a Bachelor of Arts, and is currently a Ph.D. student, studying North American Missiology. He is the author of a commentary on Haggai and Zephaniah in the Christ-Centered Commentary Series. Micah, along with Dr. Keith Whitfield, contributed and co-edited Islam and North America.