ACADEMIC MENTORING One of the most significant needs of the evangelical church is developing its next generation of intellectual leaders. Currently when evangelicals are sent off for PhD studies they are given the proverbial fatherly push into deep water "to sink or to swim." Sadly, many struggle to stay afloat and some “spiritually sink.” Most all experience an intense sociological pressure to give up or compromise their basic Christian convictions. How can we help these key academic leaders? The Forum’s Academic Mentoring is designed to help young academics take a practical step toward academic excellence and biblical faithfulness. All Academic Mentoring participants are required to submit a portion of their work (perhaps a chapter of a thesis/dissertation or a scholarly article), which will be read and evaluated by a more senior academic. During the Academic Mentoring meeting, the participant will have the opportunity to discuss this piece with a Forum Academic Mentor, who will carefully assess the argumentation, presentation and evidence of critical thinking in the paper.
ACADEMIC MENTORS Douglas Groothuis received his PhD in philosophy from the University of Oregon. He is Professor of Philosophy at Denver Seminary, where he has served since 1993. He is the author of Unmasking the New Age, Confronting the New Age, Revealing the New Age Jesus, Christianity That Counts, Deceived by the Light, Jesus in an Age of Controversy, The Soul in Cyberspace, Truth Decay, On Pascal, and On Jesus. He has written for journals such as Religious Studies, Sophia, Research in Philosophy and Technology, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Philosophia Christi, Trinity Journal and Asbury Theological Journal, as well as for numerous popular magazines such as Christianity Today, Moody Magazine and Christian Counseling Today. His books have been translated into French, German, Korean, Norwegian and several other languages. Groothuis's primary passion is to make Christian truth known in contemporary culture and in the church. To that end, he speaks at many colleges and universities on apologetics and ethical themes.
Dirk Jongkind is a Dutch biblical scholar who finished his PhD at Cambridge University. His main scholarly interest is in the Greek text of the Bible and the Graeco-Roman backdrop of Acts and the letters. Currently, he is the Research Fellow in New Testament at Tyndale House and the John W. Laing Fellow at St Edmund's College, Cambridge. He is working on legal language in and outside the New Testament. The focus of his work includes textual criticism of the Greek Bible, with emphases on grammar and lexicography, epigraphy, papyrology, and archaeology of the Graeco-Roman world and the relation of New Testament background and exegesis.
Scott Manetsch serves on the church history faculty at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is ordained in the Reformed Church in America, and served as an Associate Pastor for several years before pursuing his doctoral studies in early modern European history under the direction of Heiko A. Oberman at the University of Arizona and in Geneva, Switzerland. He is the author of Theodore Beza and the Quest for Peace in France, 1572-1598 (Brill, 2000), and the co-editor of The Great Commission: Evangelicals and the History of World Missions (Broadman, 2008). He is presently working on a monograph exploring the pastoral theology and practice of John Calvin and the ministers of Geneva from 1542-1609. He is the associate general editor of the Reformation Commentary Series (InterVarsity Press; 28 volumes forthcoming) and a member of the Calvin Studies Society, the Sixteenth Century Studies Society, and the American Society of Church History.
Peter (P.J.) Williams is the Warden (CEO) of Tyndale House. He received his MA, MPhil and PhD, in the study of ancient languages related to the Bible from Cambridge University. After his PhD, he was on staff in the Faculty of Divinity, Cambridge University (1997–1998), and thereafter taught Hebrew and Old Testament there as Affiliated Lecturer in Hebrew and Aramaic and as Research Fellow in Old Testament at Tyndale House, Cambridge (1998– 2003). From 2003 to 2007 he was on the faculty of the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, where he became a Senior Lecturer in New Testament and Deputy Head of the School of Divinity, History and Philosophy. In July 2007 he became the youngest Warden in the history of Tyndale House. He also retains his position as an honorary Senior Lecturer in Biblical Studies at the University of Aberdeen and is a member of the Faculty of Divinity in the University of Cambridge.
APOLOGETICS MENTORING For 19 centuries, Europe was the primary home of Christian life and mission. In the last century, however, the European church has shriveled and is now struggling to survive. Most Europeans have some sort of Christian heritage but now like the prodigal son have turned away. What did the Apostle Paul do when Pre-Christian Europe was so pagan, relativistic and pluralistic? He practiced apologetics among his contemporaries. He went first into synagogues to persuade his fellow Jews that Christianity is true, proving and arguing from Old Testament Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ. Paul also went to pagan Greeks, and beginning with their literature and cultural artifacts, demonstrated that the “unknown God” had been revealed and proclaimed in Jesus the Lord and Judge. Likewise, in front of King Agrippa, Paul declared the Gospel to be “true and reasonable!” Europe today is in great need of gifted apologists who, like Paul, can winsomely and wisely communicate that Christianity is true and relevant. Therefore, the European Leadership Forum is actively seeking to raise up a new generation of European Apologists. But how are we to do this? Apologetics is much more than the right collection of arguments and knowledge. In addition to explaining the Gospel in the power of the Spirit, a biblical apologist is spiritually mature, has honed his or her skills in persuasive communication, is able to open closed doors and has the foresight to walk across key cultural bridges. Forum Apologetics Mentoring brings together an older and more experienced apologist with a younger apologist for a time of discussion, reflection and prayer. These meetings will focus specifically on how to think strategically about apologetics, how to identify and connect with important points of contact in a culture and how to remove roadblocks to the Gospel.
APOLOGETICS MENTORS Richard Cunningham is the co-leader of the European Apologetics Network Advanced Seminar and a member of the European Leadership Forum Steering Committee. He has been Director of UCCF: the Christian Unions since early 2004. Prior to that he was Executive Director of the Areopagus Trust. A graduate of London University and ordained for ministry at Oxford University, Richard has been the primary speaker at over 25 University Missions. He founded the Biblical Evangelism Conference which has trained hundreds of British University graduates in Evangelism. He has been asked to serve on the National College of Evangelists, an outreach arm of the Anglican Church.
Lars Dahle is a theologian, educator, preacher and apologist. He works as Principal at Gimlekollen School of Journalism and Communication in Kristiansand, Norway, where he has lectured in worldviews, ethics and apologetics since 1991. Lars wrote his PhD on Acts 17:16-34. It is titled: An Apologetic Model Then and Now? (Open University, UK). He is Chairman of Damaris Norway Steering Committee, a member of the European Leadership Forum Steering Committee and has previously served as ViceChairman of NKSS (the Norwegian student movement within IFES). In addition, Lars leads the European Leadership Forum Media Communicators Network.
Douglas Groothuis received his PhD in philosophy from the University of Oregon. He is Professor of Philosophy at Denver Seminary, where he has served since 1993. He is the author of Unmasking the New Age, Confronting the New Age, Revealing the New Age Jesus, Christianity That Counts, Deceived by the Light, Jesus in an Age of Controversy, The Soul in Cyberspace, Truth Decay, On Pascal, and On Jesus. He has written for journals such as Religious Studies, Sophia, Research in Philosophy and Technology, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Philosophia Christi, Trinity Journal and Asbury Theological Journal, as well as for numerous popular magazines such as Christianity Today, Moody Magazine and Christian Counseling Today. His books have been translated into French, German, Korean, Norwegian and several other languages. Groothuis's primary passion is to make Christian truth known in contemporary culture and in the church. To that end, he speaks at many colleges and universities on apologetics and ethical themes.
Stefan Gustavsson is co-leader of the European Apologetics Network Advanced Seminar and a member of the European Leadership Forum Steering Committee. He is director of Credo Academy, a Christian study centre in Stockholm, which focuses on cultural analysis, worldview studies, apologetics and evangelism. He is the author of a book on Christian apologetics, and writes regularly for different Swedish magazines. Stefan also serves as General Secretary of the Swedish Evangelical Alliance. He is married to Ingrid and they have three children.
Bjørn Hinderaker is an Assistant Professor at Gimlekollen School of Journalism and Communication (www.mediehogskolen.no), a Christian university with accredited degrees in Journalism and Communication, where he teaches Ethical Theory and Christian Apologetics. He is also a part-time senior pastor in a local church (www.misjonshuset.com) with regular preaching and teaching appointments there and in the surrounding region. Bjørn has been a missionary to Kenya and was recently involved in the founding of Damaris Norway (www.damaris.no), an organization which is seeking to relate biblical faith to contemporary culture. He has extensive experience as a speaker on biblical, cultural and apologetic topics.
Bruce A Little has Masters degrees in Apologetics and Religion and a PhD in Philosophy of Religion. Presently, he is Professor of Christian Philosophy and Associate Dean of Theological Studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he has been on faculty since 2001. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor of Apologetics at Carolina Evangelical Divinity School. For over a decade, he has travelled widely in Europe and Asia, lecturing in universities, teaching in a variety of schools and presenting papers at conferences. He has published in various professional journals and written the book A Creation-Order Theodicy: God and Gratuitous Evil.
Gavin McGrath is Senior Pastor of Christ Church, Earlsfield, London—a recent Anglican church plant in south London. He holds a PhD from University of Durham in historical theology. He has written numerous works in the areas of puritan theology, biblical ministry and applied apologetics. Gavin is the author of A Confident Life in an Age of Change (IVP) and is the co-editor of The New Dictionary of Christian Apologetics (IVP). He has ministered in churches both in the UK and in the USA and was on staff at English L'Abri. Additionally, he served as Vice Principal of a theological college in the USA and lecturer in theology.
Ellis Potter, a native Californian, is a former Buddhist monk who became a Christian under the influence and ministry of the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer. He worked for many years with Schaeffer at L’Abri Fellowship, Switzerland and was the pastor of the Basel Christian Fellowship for ten years. Potter’s unique background includes music and the arts, theology and philosophy, which qualifies him to lecture on a variety of subjects including the relevancy of Christianity to the arts and modern philosophical and social movements. He often lectures on a comparison of Biblical and other worldviews, seeking to establish the clear truth of God’s Word. He now works as an independent missionary, based in Basel, Switzerland and directs most of his attention and energies eastward to the developing nations of Central and Eastern Europe. He is co-founder of Eastern European Renewal (EER).
APOLOGETICS IN THE LOCAL CHURCH MENTORING In increasingly secular Europe, apologetics plays an increasingly important role. But unfortunately, many churches shrink from engaging in the apologetic task. As a result they miss the chance to engage seekers with the truth of the Gospel message; in addition, they fail to prepare their congregations to answer difficult questions about Christianity. During Forum Apologetics in the Local Church Mentoring participants can ask questions about how to incorporate apologetics into the life of their church in order that believers might embrace a more confident faith and sceptics find sensible responses to their sincere objections.
APOLOGETICS IN THE LOCAL CHURCH MENTORS Christopher Brooks is the Senior Pastor of Evangel Ministries, a 1500 member church in Detroit, Michigan. He is host of the Equipped for Life radio broadcast which airs daily on Salem Communications-Detroit Affiliate. After graduating from Michigan State University with a B.A. in Finance, Christopher completed his theological training at Michigan Theological Seminary. He is also a graduate of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics at Oxford University. Christopher is the founder of the Detroit Bible Institute, a seminary preparatory institution targeting inner city Christians and is currently pursuing an M.A. in Christian Apologetics at Biola University. In 2009, Christopher published his first book, Kingdom Dreaming.
David Robertson was born on 2nd May 1962 and brought up in the Highlands of Scotland. He studied history at the University of Edinburgh and then theology at the Free Church College before becoming the minister of Brora Free Church in 1986. In 1992 they were called to St Peters Free Church in Dundee, the historic church of Robert Murray McCheyne, which had declined to single figures. In God’s providence the church has grown to around 150 people and has planted a new church in St Andrews. They have just completed a £1 million refurbishment of the building and are in the process of setting up a Centre for Public Christianity, using apologetic evangelism to communicate the Gospel. David does a great deal of debating and evangelism in public forums. David is also editor of The Record, a chaplain at the University of Dundee and European Church planting advisor for Mission to the World. He has written two books Awakening – the life and ministry of Robert Murray McCheyne (Paternoster 2003 reprinted CFP 2010) and The Dawkins Letters – challenging atheist myths (Christian Focus Publications 2007). His new book is entitled Magnificent Obsession.
CHURCH LEADERSHIP MENTORING Church leadership, while immensely gratifying and fulfilling, can also be filled with discouragement and frustration. Many church leaders feel isolated in their positions and unsure of where to turn for help and encouragement. The passionate young seminary graduate placed in a position of leadership within a church can quickly feel overwhelmed by the demands placed on him or her and sometimes even “burns out” from the day-to-day stresses of leading in the church environment. Forum Church Leadership Mentoring is designed to provide an outlet for the questions and concerns faced by church leaders. By providing such individuals the chance to sit and talk with a more experienced church leader about the struggles and joys of ministry, the Forum hopes to provide encouragement, prayer and refreshment to those in positions of church leadership.
CHURCH LEADERSHIP MENTORS Christopher Brooks is the Senior Pastor of Evangel Ministries, a 1500 member church in Detroit, Michigan. He is host of the Equipped for Life radio broadcast which airs daily on Salem CommunicationsDetroit Affiliate. After graduating from Michigan State University with a B.A. in Finance, Christopher completed his theological training at Michigan Theological Seminary. He is also a graduate of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics at Oxford University. Christopher is the founder of the Detroit Bible Institute, a seminary preparatory institution targeting inner city Christians and is currently pursuing an M.A. in Christian Apologetics at Biola University. In 2009, Christopher published his first book, Kingdom Dreaming. Eric Bobbitt is a pastor of Zionsville Fellowship in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. With an MA in Counseling Psychology and a MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, he directs the pastoral care and counselling ministries, along with providing leadership in men’s discipleship. His service in a variety of settings includes university ministry, substance abuse residential treatment, public school counselling and pastoral ministry.
Jim Cecy serves as Senior Pastor-Teacher of Campus Bible Church in Fresno, California. He is also founder and President of JARON Ministries International, a training ministry for Christian leaders in the U.S. and abroad. Jim has a Masters of Divinity in Bible Exposition from Talbot Theological Seminary and a Doctorate of Ministry from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary. He has pastored numerous churches in the
Southern California area and is a conference and seminar speaker for hundreds of churches, schools, seminars, conference centers, Christian groups and denominations in U.S. and abroad.
Dafydd Job is the pastor of the Bangor Welsh Evangelical Church. He began studying zoology at University, but changed to study theology when he felt a call to the Christian Ministry. He has been in the ministry since 1979, and had been the pastor of his present church since it was formed in 1985. He serves on the UCCF Trust Board, and was chairman of the Welsh Language work of the Evangelical Movement of Wales for 10 years. He has also visited a number of countries in Eastern Europe to preach, teach and encourage pastors and students.
Gavin McGrath is Senior Pastor of Christ Church, Earlsfield, London—a recent Anglican church plant in south London. He holds a PhD from University of Durham in historical theology. He has written numerous works in the areas of puritan theology, biblical ministry and applied apologetics. Gavin is the author of A Confident Life in an Age of Change (IVP) and is the coeditor of The New Dictionary of Christian Apologetics (IVP). He has ministered in churches both in the UK and in the USA and was on staff at English L'Abri. Additionally, he served as Vice Principal of a theological college in the USA and lecturer in theology.
Josh Moody was born in Epsom, Surrey, in the suburbs of London, England. He completed his undergraduate studies at Cambridge University, graduating with a BA degree in history. Upon graduation, Josh served as a missionary in the Republic of Georgia and Azerbaijan. After a year on the mission field, Josh returned to England where he served on staff at the Romford Evangelical Church on the north side of London. He then returned to Cambridge University to pursue his doctorate in theology which he completed in 1998. Dr Moody was a visiting Research Fellow at Yale Divinity School in 1997. He is currently Senior Pastor of College Church in Wheaton, Illinois, USA. He has authored three books The God-Centered Life: Insights from Jonathan Edwards for Today, Jonathan Edwards and the Enlightenment: Knowing the Presence of God and Authentic Spirituality, and is a regular contributor to the online magazine, Evangelicals Now, with his “Letters from America” columns.
CHURCH PLANTING MENTORING Central to the Great Commission is the idea of planting new churches. But as any church planter knows there are countless difficulties involved in this endeavour. Many church planters feel cut off from the resources that will make them successful in the long term. Others wish they were more familiar with the best practices of church planting. Still others feel bewildered and discouraged when trying to untie a particularly difficult “knot” in a church plant. Forum Church Planting Mentoring has been designed to provide guidance to church planters who are struggling with issues such as these.
CHURCH PLANTING MENTOR Øivind Augland is a pastor and church planter with Evangelical Lutheran Free Church of Norway. A graduate of School of Journalism and Communication, he is the leader of the DAWN network for Church planting in Norway and Scandinavia, and the founder and owner of xpand Norway and Persolog Norway. He is married to Linda; they have four children.
DISCIPLE-MAKING LEADERSHIP MENTORING Leadership in much of modern Christianity has been reduced to speaking and managing programmes, while neglecting the importance of making disciples and providing pastoral spiritual leadership. This oversight has been devastating to the way today’s Christians live. In order to nurture God's people toward biblical maturity there is a need for Christian leaders to recover the biblical foundation for leadership, which provides spiritual formation, pastoral care and personal discipleship. A leader's role goes beyond knowing and communicating facts about Christian (as important as these are) to being willing to love, disciple and share lives with the people he or she is leading. Disciple-Making Leadership Mentoring is designed to help participants consider how to do just this.
DISCIPLE-MAKING LEADERSHIP MENTORS Eric Bobbitt is a pastor of Zionsville Fellowship in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. With an MA in Counseling Psychology and a MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, he directs the pastoral care and counselling ministries, along with providing leadership in men’s discipleship. His service in a variety of settings includes university ministry, substance abuse residential treatment, public school counselling and pastoral ministry.
Pete Dowse is the leader of the Navigators in the UK. He became a Christian while in Cambridge studying Maths & Management, and later studied at London School of Theology. During many years working with the Navigators Pete has pursued his passion to reach and disciple those beyond the churches. Until taking on his current role he combined this with acting as MD for a company providing leadership development for secular organizations. In his spare moments he is currently pursuing a masters in consultancy for mission and ministry.
Tom Drake is Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of NorthPark Community Credit Union, headquartered in Zionsville, Indiana. He has served many years as Ministry Team Leader of Life Groups for Traders Point Christian Church. Tom received a B.S. in finance from Indiana University and is a graduate of the Stonier School of Banking. He and his wife have 3 sons and live on a farm in Whitestown, Indiana.
Eric Larsen serves as the Director of Global Youth & Family Ministry and Institute for Mission to the World. He has worked with youth and their families in the local church for 20 years. An ordained pastor, he holds degrees from Covenant College, Covenant Theological Seminary and Fuller Theological Seminary where he earned a doctorate in youth, family and culture. He serves as adjunct professor of global youth and family ministry for Covenant Theological Seminary and Reformed Theological Seminary. He has lived in Kenya, Australia, and the United States, and has served in well over 25 countries throughout Eastern and Western Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific regions. His work involves training cross-cultural youth ministers and equipping national leaders and local churches to reach the youth in their context. He and his wife Rebecca have four children.
John Musselman is the President of the Jackson Institute, a leadership development organization whose mission is to contribute to the cultural, intellectual, and spiritual formation of individuals who are on a passionate quest to be welcomed, received, and acknowledged by God. He studied at the University of Alabama (Honors BS in Mathematics), Reformed Theological Seminary (MDiv), and Fuller Theological Seminary (DMin). After serving on the staffs of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and Perimeter Church in Atlanta, he founded the Jackson Institute in 1991. John has trained leaders in disciple-making in India, Romania, Poland, Australia, Mexico, Tanzania, Kenya, Belize, Spain, and the U.S.A. He has edited John Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress, A.B. Bruce’s classic work, The Training of the Twelve, and Thomas Watson’s Man’s Chief End: God’s Glory. In addition, he has written Classic Discipleship, a manual for equipping leaders in Christian discipleship, and The Holy Spirit and His Gifts.
Tony Myrick received his B.A. in Biblical Studies from Wheaton College and M.A. in New Testament Studies from Wheaton Graduate School. He has completed two years of Doctoral studies in Paul’s Pastoral Leadership at the University of Aberdeen with Professor I.H. Marshall. He has worked for nearly 20 years in parachurch and local church contexts teaching, developing and maturing Christian leaders using the principles, strategies and tools that will be covered in this workshop. Currently Tony serves as the Minister of Discipleship at Traders Point Christian Church which has 1,800 members and 160 small groups.
Mark Stirling is the leader of the European Disciple-Making Leaders Network. He is a former medical doctor who has worked in student ministry with the Navigators in Edinburgh. In 2007 he completed an MA in Exegetical Theology at Covenant Seminary in St Louis. He, his wife Jenny and their four children now live in St Andrews, Scotland, where they seek to help students grow to maturity in Christ. Mark is also engaged in PhD studies in Theology and Biblical Studies (Learning Christ in Ephesians) at the University of St Andrews and is involved in helping to lead the work of the Navigators amongst students in the UK.
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP MENTORING Leadership in an academic setting can often be challenging. How do you effectively integrate your Christian beliefs with the day-to-day challenges of successfully leading an educational institution? How do you grapple with academic challenges to your Christian worldview while still desiring to promote the highest levels of academic scholarship? Leadership in any position often carries the danger of loneliness and isolation; and educational leaders are not exempt from this potential downfall. Educational Leadership Mentoring exists to allow participants to discuss issues related to educational leadership with an experienced mentor in their field. Participants will be able to discuss the successes, challenges, questions, and best practices related to educational leadership.
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP MENTOR Lars Dahle is a theologian, educator, preacher and apologist. He works as Principal at Gimlekollen School of Journalism and Communication in Kristiansand, Norway, where he has lectured in worldviews, ethics and apologetics since 1991. Lars wrote his PhD on Acts 17:16-34. It is titled: An Apologetic Model Then and Now? (Open University, UK). He is Chairman of Damaris Norway Steering Committee, a member of the European Leadership Forum Steering Committee and has previously served as ViceChairman of NKSS (the Norwegian student movement within IFES). In addition, Lars leads the European Leadership Forum Media Communicators Network.
ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP MENTORING Starting a new organisation and moving it through the early stages of growth can be a daunting task for anyone, even those with leadership experience. Some have great ideas but lack the confidence to move them beyond the vision. What key issues should be considered before getting started in order to avoid failure? What skill sets are needed to get a new organisation off the ground? Are you the right person to lead the organisation? What aspects of business best practice can be used in a Christian organisation, and how do you ensure that the organisation is run by Christian principles? Forum Entrepreneurial Leadership Mentoring provides an opportunity to discuss these issues and other personal concerns that you may have with an experienced entrepreneur.
ENTREPRENEURIAL LEADERSHIP MENTOR Jeremy Peckham began his career as a government scientist at the UK Royal Aircraft Establishment and later moved to Logica, an international software and systems integration company. He founded his own speech recognition company in 1993 and launched a successful public offering on the London Stock exchange in 1996. Jeremy is now a technology entrepreneur having helped to establish several high tech companies over the last ten years where he has served as interim CEO, Chairman or nonexecutive director. Jeremy served as an elder for many years at Eden Baptist Church, Cambridge, UK and is currently a member of Wood Green Evangelical Church, Worcester. Jeremy is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts and 1st class honours graduate in Applied Science.
LEADER TO LEADER COUNSELLING The European Leadership Forum draws together leaders from a variety of settings and countries. Some are isolated geographically whilst many others experience the isolation that generally accompanies leadership. Who is there to listen to the struggles of such individuals? Who is there to pray with them? Often, no one. And yet, the truth of the matter is that all leaders need someone to listen to and love them. Over the years, many Forum participants have encouraged Forum leadership to create an opportunity for experienced leaders and counsellors at the Forum can get together with and listen to other leaders who want and need to talk and pray. Forum Leader to Leader Counselling was created in response to this request.
LEADER TO LEADER COUNSELLORS Sabrina D. Black, a woman after God’s own heart, is an author, professor, counsellor, mentor, life coach and Bible scholar. She is the Clinical Director of Abundant Life Counseling Center, an outpatient mental health facility, which emphasises spiritual values. Among her credentials, Sabrina is a Limited Licensed Professional Counsellor, Certified Addictions Counsellor and Certified Biblical Counsellor with over 18 years of experience. With degrees in psychology and counselling, she has expertise in the fields of sexual addiction and sexual abuse, issues relating to clergy and ministry leaders, marital concerns, spiritual growth, stress and burnout. Sabrina is the Founder of Women Who Lead and of Global Projects a non-profit 501c3 Missions Counseling Agency serving the USA, Africa and Europe. She is a published author with Moody Press and Zondervan with over 10 books/workbooks in print. Sabrina is president of the National Biblical Counsellors Association and faculty at the Detroit Bible Institute. Eric Bobbitt is a pastor of Zionsville Fellowship in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. With an MA in Counseling Psychology and a MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, he directs the pastoral care and counselling ministries, along with providing leadership in men’s discipleship. His service in a variety of settings includes university ministry, substance abuse residential treatment, public school counselling and pastoral ministry.
Iulian Ghica was born in 1981 in Iasi, Romania, in a Christian family. He was born again when I was 13. He says “By His grace I had a special passion for studying the Bible and since then I studied daily the Bible, book by book.” He graduated the Faculty of Psychology and then received a Master in Psychology. He became a member of the College of the Romanian Psychologists with the official title of Specialist in Clinical Psychology. He worked for four years as a counselor at a lay Foundation that supports the
social and professional integration of vulnerable teenagers and then became the manager of the Foundation (his present occupation). He is also an elder in Neemia Church and serves by leading the bible study program of the church, shepherding a house church (small group), and counselling. Glynn Harrison is a practising Consultant Psychiatrist and Norah Cooke Hurle Professor of Mental Health at the University of Bristol, England. He has been awarded numerous grants to support research programmes into risk factors for mental disorders. He is especially interested in the role of social environment and gene-environment interactions in psychotic disorders. He has acted as an advisor to the World Health Organisation and UK Department of Health. He is a Lay Minister in the Anglican Church and a member of the Churches governing body, the General Synod. Ann Lenton trained as a Biblical Counsellor some 20 years ago under Selwyn Hughes, founder of CWR, one of the foremost proponents of Christian counselling in the UK. In 1998, she accompanied her husband, John, to Romania, where they lived almost full-time for seven years, where they worked in various capacities(including student counselling) at Emanuel University in the city of Oradea. They returned to the UK in 2005, so as to care for Ann's mother, a dementia sufferer who now lives with them. Ann and John have two children, both married, and six grandchildren. They live in Muswell Hill, North London. Lori Pritchard is a counselor in private practice in Naperville, Illinois. With an MA in Theology and an MA in Clinical Psychology from Wheaton Graduate School, she offers individual, marital and family counseling. She also enjoys mentoring in areas of teaching, ministry and personal development.
space Richard Winter is the leader of the European Christian Counsellors Network. He is currently Professor of Practical Theology and Director of Covenant Seminary’s counselling program. Richard is British and before coming to Covenant served as a worker at the English L'Abri Fellowship. He is a qualified clinical physician with a specialty in psychiatry who served as Senior Resident in Psychiatry at Bristol General Hospital in England. As an elder, he has served in a variety of ministry and leadership roles in the church. He is the author of the Roots of Sorrow: Reflections on Depression and Hope, Choose Life: A Christian Perspective on Abortion and Embryo Experimentation and Still Bored in a Culture of Entertainment.
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT MENTORING Christian leadership is frequently a lonely and difficult responsibility. Leadership is complicated, requiring relational and spiritual maturity as well as a variety of practical skills. And yet, few Christian leaders have received specialised management or leadership training. Moreover, due to the steep expense, few Christian leaders have the ability to access a professional management consultant who can provide answers to questions such as these:
Whom does one trust with the problems and struggles that are part of leadership? How does one grow as a leader? How does one untangle a difficult leadership problem?
Leaders sometimes need a chance to talk over difficult problems with other leaders. In fact, we believe it can be very beneficial for a leader to schedule some time with a couple of other leaders who are willing to listen, ask relevant questions and offer opinions about the problem, based on their own experience. Forum Leadership and Managing Mentoring provides such an opportunity. Several leaders took advantage of this resource at the last year’s Forum and found it quite helpful to talk with experienced Christian leaders about some of the issues that they faced. The success of this resource has therefore encouraged us to expand the possibilities of providing leadership and management mentoring with Leaders of Christian Organisations Network Leader John Lenton and other experienced leaders.
LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT MENTORS Milan Číčel is the founder and Senior Leader of the D3 Association, which he began in 2003 to mentor young professionals in Central-Eastern Europe in spiritual development. He previously co-founded and co-directed the Integra Foundation, which started in Slovakia in 1995 to help small and medium-sized enterprises in the transitioning econom of Central Europe by offering entrepreneurship training, business loans and microcredit programmes. He received his PhD in Electrotechnical Faculty from Slovak Technical University and his MA in Technical Cybernetics from the same institution. He is married to Boba and they have three children.
Tom Drake is Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of NorthPark Community Credit Union, headquartered in Zionsville, Indiana. He has served many years as Ministry Team Leader of Life Groups for Traders Point Christian Church. Tom received a B.S. in finance from Indiana University and is a graduate of the Stonier School of Banking. He and his wife have 3 sons and live on a farm in Whitestown, Indiana.
Nola Leach is the Chief Executive of CARE (Christian Action, Research & Education), one of Europe’s leading Christian charities which provides resources and helps bring Christian insight and experience to matters of public policy and practical caring initiatives. CARE undertakes a variety of social caring and educational programmes as well as research. It is represented in the UK Parliaments and Assemblies, at the EU in Brussels and at the UN in Geneva and New York. As Head of the Public Affairs team, Nola leads campaigns on topics such as human trafficking, internet pornography and the value of human life - from its beginning to natural end. She has overseen the publication of Living Free a sequel to the CARE book Searching for Intimacy – a resource designed to help those trapped in the net of internet pornography. Nola is increasingly in demand as both a writer and public speaker, penning numerous articles that regularly appear in the media.
John Lenton is the leader of the European Leaders of Christian Organisations Network. He is Honorary Pro-Rector of Emanuel University of Oradea, Romania, an evangelical Christian university accredited by the Romanian Ministry of Education. John was instrumental in helping to launch, in 1998, the Griffiths School of Business at Emanuel University. Prior to moving to Romania in 1998, John was a Senior Vice President at American Express Europe, where he occupied a number of senior positions over a period of 15 years with the company, taking early retirement at the end of 1996 in order to devote himself full-time to Christian service. John has an MA from Oxford and an MBA from Harvard, and is also an ordained minister in the Church of England, having studied full time at Oak Hill Theological College shortly before moving to Romania.
Marsh Moyle lives in Bratislava and has worked in Central Europe since 1975. He works in a learning community that thinks about the reality of Christ in the world in which we live. He is a keen observer of culture and has thought a lot about Cynicism and Romanticism and how we avoid reality through them and he is very interested in experiential learning. He is married to Tuula from Finland and has a son who works in Brussels.
Tony Myrick received his B.A. in Biblical Studies from Wheaton College and M.A. in New Testament Studies from Wheaton Graduate School. He has completed two years of Doctoral studies in Paul’s Pastoral Leadership at the University of Aberdeen with Professor I.H. Marshall. He has worked for nearly 20 years in parachurch and local church contexts teaching, developing and maturing Christian leaders using the principles, strategies and tools that will be covered in this workshop. Currently Tony serves as the Minister of Discipleship at Traders Point Christian Church which has 1,800 members and 160 small groups.
Nik Nedelchev is the former President of the European Evangelical Alliance, the international network of national evangelical alliances in Europe, which represents millions of evangelical Christians across the continent. Nick is the co-founder of the Bulgarian Bible Academy, Logos, which was merged into the Bulgarian Evangelical Theological Institute in 1990. He currently serves as this establishment’s Principal, Rector and Executive Director. His interests are in the areas of practical theology and leadership development. Nick received an Honorary Doctorate in Religious Education from Philadelphia College of Bible in 2000.
Jeremy Peckham began his career as a government scientist at the UK Royal Aircraft Establishment and later moved to Logica, an international software and systems integration company. He founded his own speech recognition company in 1993 and launched a successful public offering on the London Stock exchange in 1996. Jeremy is now a technology entrepreneur having helped to establish several high tech companies over the last ten years where he has served as interim CEO, Chairman or nonexecutive director. Jeremy served as an elder for many years at Eden Baptist Church, Cambridge, UK and is currently a member of Wood Green Evangelical Church, Worcester. Jeremy is a Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts and 1st class honours graduate in Applied Science.
Ian Smith is the Executive Director of RZIM Zacharias Trust. In this role he directs the operational management and development of all aspects of the Trust’s ministry in evangelism, apologetics and training including the prestigious Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics (OCCA). The four years prior to joining the RZIM Zacharias Trust were spent in corporate responsibility, risk management and corporate governance. Ian completed the Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University, Diploma in Biblical and Theological Studies in 2004. Married for thirty years, Ian and Rosemary have two sons, Steve and Chris.
Jiri Unger is Executive Director of the Czech Republic National Evangelical Alliance. He is also Coordinator of the Czech Republic National Evangelical Alliance’s socio-political commission, Daniel. He also leads the Czech Republic’s youth network and organizes the network’s conference for youth leaders. He is a member of the preparation committee for the Czech Republic’s Evangelical Theological Conference and a leader of various CEA evangelistic projects.
MARRIAGE MENTORING It’s no secret that marriage is as difficult as it is rewarding. Forum Marriage Mentoring provides participants with the opportunity to ask whatever questions they might have about marriage, marriage counselling, and marriage difficulties. The Forum Marriage Mentors will try to help you deepen your understanding of the issues you are curious about, and will help you develop a renewed perspective on what steps forward might look like. Questions might include issues you find difficult when helping others or sticky issues in your own marriage relationship.
MARRIAGE MENTORS Sabrina D. Black, a woman after God’s own heart, is an author, professor, counsellor, mentor, life coach and Bible scholar. She is the Clinical Director of Abundant Life Counseling Center, an outpatient mental health facility, which emphasises spiritual values. Among her credentials, Sabrina is a Limited Licensed Professional Counsellor, Certified Addictions Counsellor and Certified Biblical Counsellor with over 18 years of experience. With degrees in psychology and counselling, she has expertise in the fields of sexual addiction and sexual abuse, gambling addiction, and relational problems from substance abuse, issues relating to clergy and ministry leaders, marital concerns, spiritual growth, stress and burnout. Sabrina is the Founder of Women Who Lead and does works in the area of Human Trafficking through Global Projects for Hope, Help and Healing a non-profit 501c3 Missions Counseling Agency serving the USA, Africa and Europe. She is coeditor of “Counseling for Seemingly Impossible Problems” and co-author of “Prone To Wander: A Woman’s Struggle with Sexual Sin and Addiction.” Sabrina is president of the National Biblical Counsellors Association, faculty at the Detroit Bible Institute and frequent lecturer on Sexual Addictions. Eric Bobbitt is a pastor of Zionsville Fellowship in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. With an MA in Counseling Psychology and a MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, he directs the pastoral care and counselling ministries, along with providing leadership in men’s discipleship. His service in a variety of settings includes university ministry, substance abuse residential treatment, public school counselling and pastoral ministry.
Lori Pritchard is a counselor in private practice in Naperville, Illinois. With an MA in Theology and an MA in Clinical Psychology from Wheaton Graduate School, she offers individual, marital and family counseling. She also enjoys mentoring in areas of teaching, ministry and personal development.
MUSLIM APOLOGETICS MENTORING Islam is one of the fastest growing religious movements in Europe (and the world). Several European countries feel under siege from Muslims who do not accept Europe’s secular outlook and moral values. How should Bible-believing Christians think about and communicate to Muslims? A series of Seminars and Workshops at this year’s Forum will provide an overview of Islam and unpack various arguments that are useful in communicating the Gospel to Muslims. But Muslim apologetics is more than just knowledge—it involves personal connections with people and their culture. Forum Muslim Apologetics helps explore the ways in which Christians can both defend their faith and build relationships with Muslims. Please note you must attend at least one of the Forum’s Muslim Apologetics Seminars or Workshops to be a part of Forum Muslim Apologetics Mentoring.
MUSLIM APOLOGETICS MENTORS Jochen Katz is the founder and director of Answering-Islam.org, the largest Christian website on Islam which provides more than 10,000 evangelistic and apologetics articles written specifically to answer Muslim questions, challenges, and polemical attacks on Christianity and the Bible. The site also provides critical evaluations of the Muslim claims made for the truth of Islam and specifically the divine origin of the Qur'an. Jochen’s ministry started during his graduate studies in mathematics when he encountered a very missionary active Muslim student group and was challenged to defend his Christian faith or accept Islam as the true religion. This started an intensive time of dialogue and discussion which has continued and grown through the founding of Answering Islam which is the single most visited Christian-Muslim dialogue and debate website on the internet.
of Theology.
Keith Small has been a missionary apologist and evangelist to Muslims in the UK with Avant Ministries since 1989 and a teacher/trainer in Christian and Islamic Apologetics ministry for the last eight years. He has experience in evangelism and apologetics ministry to Muslims in local neighbourhood and church-based ministry settings; he has also delivered outreach lectures to Muslims on many UK university campuses. In addition, he has participated in formal debates on university campuses, mosques and Islamic community centres. He received his ThM in Systematic Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary in 1988, and his PhD in Islamics at the London School
ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND BIBLICAL FUNDRAISING MENTORING Many people think that fundraising is a matter of sales or manipulation. While it certainly can be these things, it is also possible to take a biblical approach to fundraising which is the result of building a healthy, God-honouring organisation. What are foundations of a healthy organisation in this perspective?
Clarifying the mission and vision that God has given you Establishing a strategy (under the leading of the Lord) to accomplish this vision Attracting and developing a team to accomplish this vision Building relationships with a larger group of partners who can help to make this happen
Forum Organisational Development and Biblical Fundraising Mentoring is focused on discussing the above as well as exploring practical ways (such as grant writing) by which you can raise money for your organisation. Please note you must attend either the Organistional Development and Fundraising Seminar or at least one of Jerry Twombly’s Workshops to be mentored by Jerry. You must attend either Lee Behar’s Pre-Forum Seminar or Workshop to be mentored by Lee.
ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND BIBLICAL FUNDRAISING MENTORS Jerry Twombly is Senior Partner of the BGW|Development Group. Building God’s Way (BGW) is a worldwide ministry committed to provide resources for Christian ministries to achieve their potential. Jerry began his developmental career in 1970 and for nearly 40 years has served thousands of Christian ministries throughout the world, enabling them to raise nearly $2 billion dollars to further the cause of Christ. Mr. Twombly is recognized throughout the world as “the architect of relational development” and his books on the topic have been circulated worldwide.
Lee Behar is Strategy Director of Maclellan Foundation, which he joined in May 2006. His focus for the Foundation is Europe, Eurasia and the US. Of particular interest to the Foundation in these areas are the rapid expansion of the Gospel in Iran, the renaissance of evangelism in Europe, and the response to media and Internet ministry throughout the Eurasian region. Prior to coming to the Foundation, he led the Alliance for Saturation Church Planting, a multi-agency partnership focused on empowering national church planters in Central and Eastern Europe. He has also served as the Associate Director of Global Outreach at Perimeter Church near Atlanta. He holds a BBA in Accounting from TCU and is a CPA. He has written articles for the Christian Management Report, the Evangelical Missions Quarterly and The Gathering. Lee and his wife, Brooke, live in Signal Mountain, Tennessee, with their three children, Mckenna, Knox and Emelyn.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY MENTORING Year after year, the number and complexity of critical, precedent-setting religious liberty cases grows exponentially. The free exercise of religion is the most basic and inalienable of all human rights. However, the right to freely exercise one’s faith has never been more threatened than it is today. And the rights of Christians are especially vulnerable. The Alliance Defense Fund is a legal alliance defending the right to hear and speak the Truth through strategy, training, funding, and litigation. We work closely with our alliance— hundreds of legal groups and like-minded organizations across the United States, Europe and beyond—developing winning legal strategies and maximising our shared strengths. We also train barristers (attorneys) and law students in religious freedom, the sanctity of human life, and traditional family values. We recognise our strength. The key to our existence at ADF can be found in the words of Jesus in the Gospel of John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” Ultimately, all of our training, all of our litigation, all of our legal victories are rendered meaningless if we don’t first recognise our source of strength and sustenance. As a ministry, we are committed to never losing sight of this fundamental, irrevocable Truth. The Forum Religious Liberty Mentoring is designed to help answer your questions in regards to international religious liberty, sanctity of life and defence of the family. Also to help guide in additional training opportunities in these areas as a barrister (attorney), law student or pastor.
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY MENTORS Benjamin W. Bull, Esquire, is formerly chief counsel and now executive director of Alliance Defense Fund –Global. He supervises the international activities for ADF. Bull practices in the area of religious freedom and international human rights law. He has served as founding Executive Director of the European Center for Law and Justice (Strasbourg, France), Senior Counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice, founding General Counsel of the American Family Association Law Center, General Counsel of the Children’s Legal Foundation, and was a founding director of the Slavic Center for Law and Justice (Moscow, Russia). He has practiced at the European Court of Human Rights (Strasbourg, France) and the U.N.’s Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Helsinki Commission.) Bull obtained his Juris Doctor from the University of South Carolina Law Center in 1975. He continued his postgraduate/continuing education at Harvard Law School and Stanford University and has been awarded an honorary Doctorate of Law from the Institute of Law and Religion in Moscow, Russia.
Roger Kiska Roger Kiska serves as legal counsel with the Alliance Defense Fund. Based in Bratislava, Slovak Republic, he specializes in international litigation with a focus on European law. Since joining ADF in 2008, Kiska has developed the ADF-allied attorney network in Europe, working with allies to litigate European cases that have a potential for impacting ADF efforts in America. Most recently, he served as legal counsel at the European Center for Law and Justice. Kiska began his legal career in the Slovak Republic as an attorney with the firm of former Slovak Prime Minister Jan Carnogursky. He has successfully litigated before the European Court of Human Rights and has provided expert briefing to various committees before the European Parliament on numerous occasions. Kiska earned his J.D. in 2003 at Ave Maria School of Law in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Jeffery Ventrella serves as senior counsel and senior vice-president of Strategic Training for the Alliance Defense Fund where he oversees the design and implementation of the Blackstone Legal Fellowship and National Litigation Academy programs. Ventrella has been serving as the general editor of the Blackstone Core Curriculum series and designs curriculum for the ADF Blackstone Legal Fellowship, a unique legal internship program that has graduated more than 800 outstanding law students. Under his direction, the ADF National Litigation Academy has trained hundreds of allied attorneys from around the world in a state-of-the-art program equipping them with legal expertise in the areas of the radical homosexual agenda, the defense of parental rights, the protection of the sanctity of life, and the preservation of religious liberties. Ventrella currently engages the culture through formal debates and serves as an approved speaker for The Federalist Society. He also serves as a Research Fellow with the Department of Constitutional Law and Philosophy of Law for the University of the Free State in South Africa, and is a Distinguished Fellow for Law and Culture for the Center for Cultural Leadership. He has written, edited, or contributed to, six books. Ventrella earned his J.D. in 1985 from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, where he served as Production Editor for the Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly.
SCIENTIFIC APOLOGETICS MENTORING Science play an increasingly important role in shaping the world as a whole and individual worldviews. We therefore must ask ourselves: What are the challenges science poses for the Gospel? How do we remove scientific objections to the Gospel? How do we build bridges to those who have been shaped by scientific naturalism? Forum Scientific Apologetics Mentoring is designed to help those who want to be involved in scientific apologetics to think strategically about questions such as these.
SCIENTIFIC APOLOGETICS MENTORS Peter Imming is co-leader of the European Scientific Apologetics Network. He received degrees in pharmacy and chemistry and a PhD and venia legendi in pharmaceutical chemistry from Marburg University, Germany. He has been involved in drug chemistry teaching and research in the UK, Germany, and China. Presently, he holds a professorship of pharmaceutical chemistry in the Martin-Luther-Universitaet Halle, Germany. He is interested in the molecular mechanisms of drug action (cf. doi:10.1038/nrd2261), and in the relation of science and Biblical truth. Since 2006, he has served as vice chairman of the Studiengemeinschaft Wort und Wissen, a German association of Christians discussing matters of science, theology, humanities, archaeology, and economics within the framework of the Scriptures.
Richard Carhart is founder of the European Scientific Network. He received his PhD in theoretical particle physics from the University of Wisconsin, and is now Professor of Physics Emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago, having taught there and done original research for 35 years. He served as an academic missionary at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, and at Charles University, Prague, and at the Czech Academy of Sciences. His interest in scientific apologetics stems from his own need to integrate his Biblical faith with the findings of science, and to counter prevailing erroneous worldviews. Adam Cenian is a physicist working on laser and plasma technologies in The Szewalski Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery, Polish Academy of Science. In the past Adam was a parttime pastor of Gdansk Baptist Church, and through the years has been actively involved in student ministry. He was a founder and continues to serve as the chairman of Hevelius Forum in Gdańsk and is a member of the European Scientific Network. The Hevelius Forum was initiated by a group of academicians, teachers, pastors, and theologians interested in the interface between science and religion. It combinines professors from Pomeranian area universities, the Baptist Theological Seminary in Warsaw, local leaders of the Polish branch of InterVarsity – CHSA, and Campus Crusade, active scientists, and pastors of local churches. This interdenominational group meets to conduct studies, engage in dialogue, and to conduct business.
SEXUAL ADDICTION MENTORING Today’s world is marked by an increasingly sexualised culture. Having led the modern sexual revolution, Europe stands at the forefront of this movement. Sex permeates TV, movies, the internet, print media and many other avenues, leaving many Christians with many questions. How do faithful believers fight their way through the sexual temptations so readily available? How do disciples of Christ break out of the dark hole of sexual sin— especially sexual addiction? How do Christian leaders develop strategies that enable their people to walk in sexual purity? All of these questions, and others like them, can be addressed in the context of Forum Sexual Addiction Mentoring.
SEXUAL ADDICTION MENTORS Sabrina D. Black, a woman after God’s own heart, is an author, professor, counsellor, mentor, life coach and Bible scholar. She is the Clinical Director of Abundant Life Counseling Center, an outpatient mental health facility, which emphasises spiritual values. Among her credentials, Sabrina is a Limited Licensed Professional Counsellor, Certified Addictions Counsellor and Certified Biblical Counsellor with over 18 years of experience. With degrees in psychology and counselling, she has expertise in the fields of sexual addiction and sexual abuse, gambling addiction, and relational problems from substance abuse, issues relating to clergy and ministry leaders, marital concerns, spiritual growth, stress and burnout. Sabrina is the Founder of Women Who Lead and does works in the area of Human Trafficking through Global Projects for Hope, Help and Healing a non-profit 501c3 Missions Counseling Agency serving the USA, Africa and Europe. She is coeditor of “Counseling for Seemingly Impossible Problems” and co-author of “Prone To Wander: A Woman’s Struggle with Sexual Sin and Addiction.” Sabrina is president of the National Biblical Counsellors Association, faculty at the Detroit Bible Institute and frequent lecturer on Sexual Addictions. Jim Cecy serves as Senior Pastor-Teacher of Campus Bible Church in Fresno, California. He is also founder and President of JARON Ministries International, a training ministry for Christian leaders in the U.S. and abroad. Jim has a Masters of Divinity in Bible Exposition from Talbot Theological Seminary and a Doctorate of Ministry from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary. He has pastored numerous churches in the Southern California area and is a conference and seminar speaker for hundreds of churches, schools, seminars, conference centers, Christian groups and denominations in U.S. and abroad. Richard Winter is the leader of the European Christian Counsellors Network. He is currently Professor of Practical Theology and Director of Covenant Seminary’s counselling program. Richard is British and before coming to Covenant served as a worker at the English L'Abri Fellowship. He is a qualified clinical physician with a specialty in psychiatry who served as Senior Resident in Psychiatry at Bristol General Hospital in England. As an
elder, he has served in a variety of ministry and leadership roles in the church. He is the author of The Roots of Sorrow: Reflections on Depression and Hope, Choose Life: A Christian Perspective on Abortion and Embryo Experimentation and Still Bored in a Culture of Entertainment.
WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP MENTORING In life, it is easy to lose sight of the calling and purpose that God has given you. From the busyness of family life, to the demands of leadership, it is sometimes difficult to feel the empowerment and inspiration that comes from living a life worthy of the calling of Christ. Sometimes there is just nothing like having another Christian to speak to about the things that may be hindering you in your walk with the Lord. All Christians are sinners and struggle to maintain the sanctification process while ministering to others. Another person may see the "blind spot" that you may have missed. That individual can consider and laugh and pray with you in the love that Jesus offers. Forum Women and Leadership Mentoring Meetings are a time to do just this—to seek the perspective that God may have on your circumstances and situations.
WOMEN AND LEADERSHIP MENTORS Ann Blaser has a BS and MA in Education and was a teacher in the public school system. While raising two children she began leading and teaching in Bible Study Fellowship, a leading international organisation for getting lay Christians studying the Bible. She has taught a weekly Bible study for 400 to 500 women for 20 years, and led and trained a 60-person leadership team for this ministry. She has been responsible for recruiting and training leaders in how to understand God’s word, and how to shepherd groups of Christians to maturity. Margunn Serigstad Dahle is Lecturer at Gimlekollen School of Journalism and Communication, Kristiansand, Norway, where she has taught in the fields of communication, media and worldviews since 1991. She is Programme Director of the Communication and Worldviews Bachelor Program, which is designed to equip evangelical communicators and apologists in various fields for the contemporary Western cultural context. A regular lecturer, speaker and writer in various contexts in Norway, especially connected to her Damaris involvement, she is also Chairman of the Lunde Publishing House. Nanette Helm is a former public school teacher with her BA and Master of Education. She is married with three adult children who are walking with the Lord. She has lead a Mom’s in Touch prayer ministry and helped lead a church prayer ministry for many years. For the past 23 years she has helped lead a Bible Study Fellowship class through a number of roles. Currently she is the teaching leader teaching the book of John to a class of 380 women in Indianapolis.
Nola Leach is the Chief Executive of CARE (Christian Action, Research & Education), one of Europe’s leading Christian charities which provides resources and helps bring Christian insight and experience to matters of public policy and practical caring initiatives. CARE undertakes a variety of social caring and educational programmes as well as research. It is represented in the UK Parliaments and Assemblies, at the EU in Brussels and at the UN in Geneva and New York. As Head of the Public Affairs team, Nola leads campaigns on topics such as human trafficking, internet pornography and the value of human life - from its beginning to natural end. She has overseen the publication of Living Free a sequel to the CARE book Searching for Intimacy – a resource designed to help those trapped in the net of internet pornography. Nola is increasingly in demand as both a writer and public speaker, penning numerous articles that regularly appear in the media.