Janice McWilliams (MDiv, LCPC), author of Restore My Soul: Reimagining Self-Care for a Sustainable Life,has nourished a lifelong curiosity about human nature. This has propelled her to serve in campus ministry, to speak and train groups in churches and organizations, and to work as a therapist, spiritual director, and writer.Her love of the depths and intrigue of the human experience is matched by her desire to find her place in God's work of restoring and revitalizing souls everywhere.

Episode Talking Points

Jim Belcher (PhD, Georgetown University) is a political philosopher, researcher, and writer. He previously served as president of Providence Christian College in Pasadena, California, and was the founding lead pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach, California. He is the author of In Search of Deep Faith and Deep Church, which won a 2010 Christianity Today Book Award in church/pastoral leadership.

Episode Talking Points

Resources

David E. Fitch (PhD, Northwestern University) is the B. R. Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology at Northern Seminary. He is also the founding pastor of Life on the Vine Christian Community, a missional church in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He is the author of Faithful Presence, The Great Giveaway and The End of Evangelicalism? and is the coauthor of Prodigal Christianity. Fitch coaches a network of church plants in the Christian and Missionary Alliance and he writes, speaks, and lectures on issues the local church must face in mission including cultural engagement, leadership, and theology. He has also written numerous articles in periodicals such as Christianity Today, The Other Journal, Missiology, as well as various academic journals.

Resources:

Johnathan Arnold is a husband, father, and Senior Pastor in Central Pennsylvania. He came to faith while reading the Scriptures in public high school, began attending a local church, completed a Bible college program, then served as an assistant and associate pastor for seven years before becoming a senior minister. He is pursuing graduate studies and enjoys writing and podcasting. Johnathan founded holyjoys.org to explore important theological ideas in community with experienced theologians and practitioners, in service of local churches and pastors.

Brent Vernon is a singer-songwriter, ventriloquist, and children's author-illustrator from South Florida. As a creator, he continues to balance his tour schedule with developing products, writing new stories, and designing children's books for other authors. Despite the constant motion, Brent insists there is a point to it all: "My ultimate goal is to make a meaningful connection with people and point them to a loving God—a God who can change us from the inside out. What we do in this life matters in the next. And because of God's grace revealed to us through Jesus, we have the hope of eternal life. I feel strongly that my talents must be used to share redemptive messages to promote healing and wholeness in our hearts and homes."

Episode Talking Points

Resources

Sarah is a ministry trainer, consultant, and coach based in Providence, RI. With nearly 20 years of ministry experience in the church and parachurch, Sarah is passionate about equipping ministry leaders to flourish in their unique callings and contexts.

Before starting her own business, Sarah served as a Campus Staff Member and Area Director with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, where she developed local, regional, and national training experiences for both staff and students. After more than a decade on staff with InterVarsity, Sarah was assessed and approved by the Covenant Church as a church planter and served as the Executive Pastor for Sanctuary Church, a family of neighborhood congregations in Providence. Her primary responsibilities at Sanctuary included developing the people and the systems necessary to sustain healthy planting and growth.

Episode Talking Points

Resources

Hannah Nation is a frequent writer and speaker on both contemporary Chinese gospel movements and the history of women in the church, both academically and popularly. Her speaking on both topics ranges from presenting at academic conferences to leading local church retreats. She is a research associate at Gordon-Conwell's Center for the Study of Global Christianity and member of several societies, including the Tyndale Fellowship and the Evangelical Missiological Society (EMS). She has written for The Gospel Coalition, Christianity Today, Plough, byFaith, and Mere Orthodoxy, among other various platforms.

Episode Talking Points

Trevin Wax (PhD, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is vice president of research and resource development at the North American Mission Board and a visiting professor of theology at Cedarville University. A former missionary to Romania, Trevin is a regular columnist at The Gospel Coalition and has contributed to The Washington Post, Religion News Service, World, and Christianity Today.

He has served as general editor for The Gospel Project and has taught courses on mission and ministry at Wheaton College. He is the author of several books, including The Multi-Directional Leader, Rethink Your Self, This Is Our Time, Eschatological Discipleship, and Gospel Centered Teaching. He lives in middle Tennessee with his wife, Corina, and their three children.

Episode Talking Points

Resources

Bishop Claude R. Alexander Jr. is senior pastor of The Park Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. He serves on the board of Christianity Today, Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and Movement.org. He is the chair of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary's board of trustees and a past president of the Hampton University Ministers Conference, and previously served on the board of Mission America Coalition.

A leader among both Christian and civic organizations, Bishop Alexander has consistently been listed among the most influential persons in Charlotte, North Carolina, working with government and community officials to address the community's most critical issues. He holds a BA in philosophy from Morehouse College, an MDiv from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and a DMin from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Kimberly, have two daughters.

Episode Talking Points

Resources

Bonnie is the author of Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community (2022) and A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today (2018).  Her column, "The Lesser Kingdom," appears in print and online at Christianity Today. Her work has also been published at outlets including USA Today, Defense One, the Los Angeles Times, CNN, Politico, Time, Reason, National Interest, New York Times, and The American Conservative. A graduate of Bethel Seminary, she lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and twin sons.

Episode Talking Points

Bonnie's journey as a writer

Resources

David T. Lamb is the Allan A. MacRae Professor of Old Testament and dean of faculty at Missio Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He previously worked in campus ministry with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and has taught extensively in various crosscultural contexts. He is the author of God Behaving Badly, Righteous Jehu and His Evil Heirs, Prostitutes and Polygamists: A Look at Love, Old Testament Style, 1 and 2 Kings. in the Story of God Bible Commentary series, and The Historical Writings: Introducing Israel's Historical Literature (coauthored with Mark Leuchter).

Episode Talking Points:

Helpful Resources