Contributors

Deep & Wide Contributors For some time, God has been impressing on me the need to invite a number of other people to be regular contributors to Deep & Wide. It has been a prayerful struggle to figure out who these individuals should be, but four particular people kept coming to mind. I’m thrilled to tell you that beginning in June of 2008, Deep & Wide will be featuring a monthly post from a panel of expert contributors made up of these four people. They’ll bring you more encouragement, tips, and application of God’s Word than I could ever do on my own. They are people who love Jesus, who love His Word, and who know what it means to be people of the Book. Each of the contributors has two biographies listed. The first is the standard name, rank, and serial number. The second will give you a little more background on why I’ve asked each one to be a part of the Deep & Wide team. Each of these dear people has impacted my life and I am overjoyed to be able to share their wisdom and experience with you.
	Jan Silvious is an author, counselor, and popular speaker known for her biblically sound, psychologically positive answers to life’s challenges. Described as the female "Dr. Phil," Jan's no-nonsense yet humorous style captivates and motivates her audience. A guest speaker at Women of Faith and many other events in the US and beyond, Jan served for five years as the co-host (with Kay Arthur) for the call-in radio program Precept Live. Jan and Charlie, her husband of over forty years, live in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with their dog Pearl. Their three grown sons, two daughters-in-law, and five wonderful grandchildren live nearby. Jan is the author of numerous books the most recent of which is Smart Girls Think Twice. You can visit Jan online at www.jansilvious.com. Why Jan? In His sovereign way, God crossed my path with that of my mentor, Jan back in 2003. Though she lives several states away from me and our e-mail far exceeds our face-to-face time, Jan has a way of zeroing in on bottom line, biblical truths and helping me to apply them to my life. It’s one thing to know the Bible, it is entirely another to be able to apply it to life with wisdom. Jan has been a gift from God in my life. Bottom line: God has used Jan in my life to help me learn how to think better and more biblically. I’m eager for her to share her wisdom with you, too!
	Joe Boerman is Senior Pastor at Immanuel Church in Gurnee, Illinois, where he has served for close to 20 years. Prior to his time at Immanuel, Joe served for 10 years as Senior Pastor at Leroy Community Chapel in Ohio, as well as in two youth pastorates during his early ministry years. Joe graduated from Grand Rapids School of the Bible and Music and received his BA from Bethel College in Mishawaka, Indiana. He earned his MA and DMin from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. Pastor Joe and his wife Debbie live in suburban Chicago. They have three married adult children and two grandchildren. Why Joe? Pastor Joe is my pastor. His wife Debbie has been a mentor to me over the years. They are faithful shepherds who have helped many grow up in the faith. Joe is authentic. He loves his grandchildren (and the rest of his family). He loves Disney World. He loves the Cubs. He loves people. But most of all, he loves Jesus and has a way of making the complex simple, the confusing clear, and the profound somehow attainable for regular people like you and me.
	Mike Vanlaningham is a professor of Bible at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois, where he teaches courses including New Testament Survey, Hermeneutics, Romans, the Pauline Epistles, and New Testament Greek. Also known as “Mr. Israel,” Mike coordinates and leads annual student tours to The Beautiful Land. Mike did his undergraduate work at Nebraska Wesleyan University, received his MDiv from Talbot Theological Seminary, and earned his PhD from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Mike and his wife Sue have two adult children and a son-in-law. They live in suburban Chicago and attend Immanuel Church in Gurnee where Mike serves as an elder. Why Mike? Mike’s a professor and he’s been a pastor, but to the men in my household he’s a mountain biking partner and their favorite theological conversationalist. I always know I’m in trouble when my husband Dave and Mike find a race that is over a six-hour drive away, because Dave would do almost anything to sit in a car and chat biblical topics with Mike for that long! Mike is passionate about God’s Word, the Bible, and God’s place, Israel . . . and his passion is contagious. Anybody want to go to Israel? As Mike will tell you, “It is God’s will for you to go to Israel!”
	Greg Spencer is Senior Pastor of Northview Evangelical Free Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He has been in ministry for over 15 years, serving Evangelical Free Churches in Hastings, Nebraska, and Crystal Lake, Illinois, prior to his current position in Colorado. Pastor Greg received his BA from Northwestern College in Roseville, Minnesota. He earned his MDiv and MA in New Testament Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Greg and his wife Cindy have been married for over 20 years and have two teenage daughters, Katie and Kelsi. The Spencers live in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Why Greg? When I first met Greg, the standard he needed to reach in my eyes was extremely high as he was seriously dating (and eventually married) one of my best friends, Cindy, who was like a sister to me growing up. Greg and Cindy have now been married for well over 20 years, one month longer than my husband Dave and I. One of the things that I love about Greg is that he has the heart of both a pastor and a scholar. The fact that he is a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan is also a plus! Greg’s heart is to help others to come to know Christ and grow in their relationship with Him . . . and that desire is evident in his life!

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