Jon Eckert earned a doctorate in educational leadership, policy and organizations from Vanderbilt University. He has served as a middle school science teacher and was selected as a Teaching Ambassador Fellow at the U.S. Department of Education where he worked in both the Bush and Obama administrations on teacher quality issues. Currently, Jon is a professor of education at Wheaton College where he serves as the faculty coordinator of the elementary education program. Jon’s desire is to see passionate, effective teachers in every classroom. He still returns to local public school classrooms to maintain contact with the realities of teaching. In addition to his professional interests, Jon enjoys playing basketball, trying to keep up with his three children, and spending as much time as possible with his wife.

Dale Hudson has been in children’s ministry for over 24 years and currently serves as the Director of Children’s Ministry at Christ Fellowship Church in Palm Beach, Florida. Dale leads a Children’s Ministry staff team of over 40 and a volunteer team of over 2,000. Dale has coauthored five books, which include 100 Best Ideas to Turbocharge Your Children’s Ministry and Children’s Ministry in the 21st Century. He currently writes the “Leading Volunteers” column for Children’s Ministry Magazine (and was named by the magazine as one of the Top 20 most influential leaders in children’s ministry in 2013). His ministry has been featured in numerous reports including Time Magazine, Christianity Today, and an ABC national television special called “The Changing Face of Worship.” Dale’s passion is helping children and families discover God’s life-changing grace. He is also passionate about encouraging and equipping Children’s Ministry leaders. Dale’s greatest joy is his family. He and his wife, Pamela, have been married for 24 years and they have two sons in college.

Scottie May is an experienced church educator and developer of materials for children’s ministries. She serves as an Associate Professor of Christian Formation and Ministry at Wheaton College and is co-author of two books: Children Matter and Listening to Children on Their Spiritual Journey. She earned a Ph.D. in education from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. The Christian formation of children is an area of passion for Scottie. She has researched ways children come to faith and how the local church shapes that process. Other areas of interest are the power of the learning environments that the church creates, particularly “authentic” experiential learning, the implications of the church being “the family of God,” and intergenerational worship and learning experiences.

Ryan Frank serves as Vice President of Innovative Strategies at Awana and is the CEO of KidzMatter. Ryan served as a children’s pastor for 15 years. He is the author of 9 Things They Didn’t Teach Me in College About Children’s Ministry (Standard). Ryan and his wife, Beth, live in Converse, Indiana, with their three daughters. They share a blog that can be found at justfranktalk.com. You can follow Ryan on Twitter attwitter.com/ryanfrank75.

Sybil MacBeth is a dancer, a doodler, and a former community college mathematics professor. She combines her experience in the mathematics classroom with her lifelong love of prayer to offer workshops and retreats that engage differing learning styles. Her 2007 book Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path to God has been translated into Korean, Spanish, and Italian. Praying in Color: Kids’ Edition was published in 2009. With her husband, Andy, Sybil wrote Praying in Black and White: A Hands-On Practice for Men. Praying in Color: the Portable Edition was released last March. She is the mother of two grown sons and lives in Memphis, Tennessee. Learn more at www.prayingincolor.com.

This episode features an interview with Dr. Luis Bush. Luis Bush is a Christian servant catalyst on God’s mission of transformation. He serves as international facilitator of Transform World Connections based in Singapore. Luis has degrees in economics and ministry as well as a Ph.D. in Intercultural studies. He has served as a pastor and as the leader of numerous mission movements and organizations. He introduced the concept of the “10/40 Window” in 1989. More recently, Luis has catalyzed a new global initiative called The 4/14 Global Initiative with the purpose of raising up a new generation from the 4/14 Window to transform the world. 4/14 national and local facilitators have been at work around the world launching events, activities and academic curricula furthering the movement aimed at impacting children between the ages of 4 and 14. Bush was born in Argentina and raised in Brazil. He is married to Doris and they have four children and 16 grandchildren.

This episode features an interview with Chris Castaldo who serves as director of the Ministry of Gospel Renewal at the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College. He is the author of Holy Ground: Walking with Jesus as a Former Catholicand a main contributor to Journeys of Faith: Evangelicalism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Anglicanism.Chris has earned degrees from Moody Bible Institute (BA, Bible and theology) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (MDiv) and he is currently completing a PhD at the London School of Theology, which examines the doctrine of justification in the writing of Peter Martyr Vermigli and John Henry Newman. Chris lives outside of Chicago with his wife, Angela, and four children. He blogs at www.chriscastaldo.com.