James Laurence

Writer

James is passionate about walking alongside other Christians in their spiritual formation as they grow in faith through prayer, learn and ponder God’s Word, and live the life to which Jesus has called them. He studied at Bowdoin College and the University of Chicago, and then received a Master of Divinity from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary. James serves as Pastor of First Lutheran Church in Albemarle, North Carolina.

He is a husband, father of two, and avid runner. You’re invited to explore James’ personal pastoral ponderings, where he shares sermons, devotions, book reviews, poetry, and other thoughts with his congregation.

Terri Conlin

Writer

Terri Conlin is a Certified Spiritual Director and writer who enjoys creating space for spiritual rhythms, creativity, and resilience to flourish so we can encounter God in everyday life. She has a degree in Architecture from the University of Texas and a Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation from Portland Seminary with training in Spiritual Direction.

Terri and her husband Mike live among the rainy firs of Oregon. They have four grown children and seven feisty grandchildren she calls "the Wonders." She is passionate about listening for the quiet voice of God and the architecture of home and soul. You can find her sipping dark roast coffee in a thrift store mug while writing about spiritual formation. 

Visit her on her website or on Instagram at @terriconlin.

Jolene Nolte 

Writer

Jolene studied English Language & Literature at Biola University as part of the Torrey Honors Institute. She recently completed a Master of Arts in Theological Studies at Regent College in Vancouver, BC, and produced a collection of original poetry as her culminating project. Compelled by the imagination, stories, the arts and wide open spaces, she is consistently drawn to literature and poetry as a way of exploring theology, what it means to be human, and what these things mean in everyday life.

Jolene is a freelance writer and editor, and regularly nourishes her poetry habit. She attends St. Thomas Mission, an Anglican church on the campus of UBC.

Tamara Mitton 

Writer

While struggling to read the Bible herself, a friend introduced Tamara to effective methods for understanding the Word. This began an exciting journey of wonder and discovery as she explored the world of the Bible, stepped into the shoes of ancient readers, and saw its relevance for all of us today. Tamara now teaches others about the Inductive Method of studying the Bible, and offers tools and insights through her personal website.  

Tamara is equipped with a Master of Divinity, ten years’ experience teaching alongside Youth With A Mission (YWAM), and has a heart to prepare Christians for empowered ministry through Bible study. She is currently undertaking a PhD in Old Testament studies from McMaster University. In addition to her studies, she works as a part-time florist, where she uses the beauty of God’s creation to express His beauty and minister to people’s souls. She also dabbles in landscape painting, bread baking to relieve stress, and drinking too much coffee.

Sarah Butterfield

Writer

Growing up as a missionary kid in France, Sarah thought you had to go big for God or go home. Over the past fifteen years, she’s discovered that belonging in the Kingdom of God means taking even the smallest opportunities to love and serve our neighbours well. For Sarah this means finding ways to pursue missional moments in the midst of everyday motherhood. Sarah served as a special education teacher for eight years, teaching children who are deaf or hard of hearing to communicate orally. Check out her website for great ideas on how busy moms can grow in their faith, as well as her new book, Around The Clock Mom: Making The Most Of Your God-Given Time on Amazon.

Sarah is currently a stay home mom who lives in San Diego with her husband and two sons, and is busy completing a master's degree in curriculum and instruction. In her spare time you can find her scouring local thrift shops for treasure, ignoring housework to read a good book, or writing a memoir about finding belonging as a missionary kid.

Joy Lenton

Writer

Joy is a contemplative writer and poet from Norfolk, UK, whose adverse life experiences have given her a heart for the hurting and a passion for sharing hope and encouragement. She became involved in city street missions before completing her nurse's training. Unfortunately, her health crashed when she developed M.E and chronic illness 30 years ago.

Joy is the proud mother of two sons and the grandmother of one grandson. She loves observing nature and spending time with family and friends. Her health challenges have taught her to be thankful for grace and life's small mercies.

On her Words of Joy blog, Joy writes devotionals and prayers about embracing hope in the hard. In addition, she has thousands of followers on her blog, Poetry Joy, where she pens poetry about sensing the sacred in the everyday.

Joy is a member of the Association of Christian Writers, a contributor to the Chronic Joy Ministry and Godspacelight blogs, and a published author. You can find her books on Amazon.

Lyn Pace

Writer

Lyn is the college chaplain at Oxford College of Emory University. He studied at Wofford College (Spartanburg, SC) and followed this with a Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University (Oxford, Georgia). A lifelong Methodist, Lyn was ordained in 2005.

He is particularly interested in how we create meaning in our everyday lives, especially for the college students he works with. He also enjoys creating spaces of community and welcome that cultivate flourishing for all members of a community.

Lyn lives with his wife, Ami, and son, Sam. He enjoys good books, running, Jimmy Buffet concerts, and sitting around the table with friends and good food. You can learn more about his work here.

Christine Aroney-Sine 

Writer

Christine Aroney-Sine is the founder and facilitator for God Space, an online community that grew out of her passion for creative spirituality, gardening, and sustainability. She and her husband, Tom, are cofounders of Mustard Seed Associates. Her books include Rest in the Moment, Return to Our Senses, GodSpace, and Tales of a Seasick Doctor.

Christine trained as a physician in Australia, practiced in New Zealand, and developed and directed the healthcare ministry for Mercy Ships. Her work on the ship and in refugee camps around the world fueled her passion for seeing us all become instruments of God's wholeness in our hurting world.

Her favorite spiritual practice is creating small contemplative, seasonal gardens. They sit on her desk as a focus for morning reflections. You can read more about these in her latest book, Digging Deeper: The Creative Art of Contemplative Gardening.

Lisa Elliott

Writer

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, Lisa had an unquenchable longing to know God from a young age. She met her husband, David, while completing her Bachelor of Religious Education at Tyndale University. They have worked together in full-time pastoral ministry for the last forty years.

Lisa is the mother to four children, three on earth and one in heaven, and a grandmother to four. Her speaking ministry, Straight From The Heart, has impacted the lives of men and women across Canada at conferences, retreats, camps, and special events. She is also an award-winning author, a long-standing contributor to Just Between Us magazine, and a devotional writer for several publications.

To follow more of Lisa’s work, check out her blog and follow her on Facebook.

Shirley Thiessen 

Writer

Twelve days after her son’s wedding, Shirley Thiessen was thrown into the unimaginable task of planning his funeral. Grief threatened to extinguish her purpose for living. Gradually, hope and resiliency emerged as Shirley learned to recycle the pain of loss for good purposes. 

Shirley's book, The Little Black Funeral Dress, emerged from this difficult time, as well as her ministry as a grief coach. She provides thoughtful insights on how to walk alongside those struggling with grief by becoming a Hope Hero.

Visit her website for more information on her ministry and read her blog here.

Kristen Vincent 

Writer

Kristen is an award-winning author, spiritual director, retreat leader, and prayer bead artisan. She holds a Master of Theological Studies from Duke Divinity School, and has completed the two-year Academy for Spiritual Formation. She is in the process of becoming a certified Enneagram practitioner through The Narrative Enneagram. Kristen is most passionate about helping people know they are deeply loved by God.

She lives in Atlanta, GA with her husband, Max, a United Methodist minister, and their son, Matthew. You can find Kristen at www.kristenevincent.com.