Dr. Stephen Nichols - Encouragement Retreat
2024-08-18 - 2024-08-19 | Maranatha, 4759 Lake Harbor Road, Norton Shores, MI, 49441, United States
Dr. Stephen J. Nichols is president of Reformation Bible College, chief academic officer for Ligonier Ministries, and a Ligonier Ministries teaching fellow. He is host of the podcasts 5 Minutes in Church History and Open Book. He has written more than twenty books, including Peace, A Time for Confidence, and R.C. Sproul: A Life and volumes in the Guided Tour series on Jonathan Edwards, Martin Luther, and J. Gresham Machen. He is coeditor of The Legacy of Luther and general editor of the Church History Study Bible.

Mission of the week:

CURE International
CURE’s mission is to reach and heal more children living with disabilities like clubfoot, bowed legs, cleft lips, untreated burns, and hydrocephalus. We do this through a global network of pediatric surgical hospitals that serve children.

Daniel Batarseh - Getaway Sunday
2024-08-25
Daniel Batarseh is the pastor-teacher at Maranatha Bible Church. While living in Canada and pursuing a degree in Creative Advertising (2012), Daniel sensed the call to ministry shortly after being born again. Through God’s providence, he was led to Chicago, Illinois to serve as a young adult pastor, teaching the Bible twice a week while studying at Moody Bible Institute for his Masters in Biblical Studies. It was through a series of events and God’s clear timing that led Daniel and others with him to begin Maranatha Bible Church in 2021.

Ed Moore - Labor Day Weekend
2024-08-30 - 2024-09-02
Ed Moore has served as pastor of North Shore Baptist Church in Bayside (Queens), New York, since 1992. A native of DuBois, PA, he briefly attended the University of Pittsburgh, and graduated from the University of Georgia. Ed earned his M. Div. from Columbia International University, Columbia, SC. Ed and his wife, Anna, have four children and eight grandchildren.

Mission of the week:

Colin Smith - Week One
2025-06-22 - 2025-06-28
Colin Smith is President of Open the Bible and Pastor Emeritus of The Orchard, a multi-site church located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.Born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland he trained at the London School of Theology, and then served as Senior Pastor at Enfield Evangelical Free Church in London for 16 years, before coming to the states in 1996 to serve as Senior Pastor of The Orchard for 28 years. He is the author of several books including, Momentum: Pursuing God’s Blessings through the Beatitudes, Heaven- How I Got Here, The 10 Greatest Struggles of Your Life, and most recently, Fly Through the Bible, and Drive Through the Bible. His preaching ministry is shared through the daily radio program, Open the Bible and through the website, OpentheBible.org.Colin and his wife, Karen, have two married sons and five granddaughters.

Mission of the week:

CURE International
CURE provides the highest standard of surgical care to the world’s most vulnerable children for the proclamation and demonstration of the gospel. Our Mission: to heal the sick and proclaim the kingdom of God.

Daniel Batarseh - Week One
2025-06-22 - 2025-06-28
Daniel Batarseh is the pastor-teacher at Maranatha Bible Church. After a transformative encounter with Christ while pursuing a degree in Creative Advertising in Canada, Daniel felt a strong call to ministry. This calling led him to Chicago in 2015, where he served as a young adults’ pastor while studying for his master’s in biblical studies at Moody Bible Institute. In November 2021, Daniel, along with others, established Maranatha Bible Church, where he continues to lead and teach. His journey is a testament to God’s providence and timing.

Mission of the week:

CURE International
CURE provides the highest standard of surgical care to the world’s most vulnerable children for the proclamation and demonstration of the gospel. Our Mission: to heal the sick and proclaim the kingdom of God.

Joe Stowell - Week Two
2025-06-28 - 2025-07-04
Joe Stowell has held pastorates in the Midwest and has served in presidential roles at the Moody Bible Institute and Cornerstone University. He currently serves as Global Ambassador and Special Assistant to the President at Moody. He is the author of several books, including Simply Jesus, The Weight of Your Words, Strength for the Journey, and Leadership Redefined. Joe speaks at conferences both nationally and internationally. He also serves on the boards of CURE International, ELIC, and International Aid. He and his wife, Martie, enjoy the privilege of having three children and ten grandchildren.

Mission of the week:

Moody Bible Institute
Moody exists to equip people with the truth of God’s Word to be maturing followers of Christ who are making disciples around the world.

Bill Search - Week Two
2025-06-28 - 2025-07-04
Bill Search serves as the Executive Pastor at Crossings Community Church, overseeing the largest campus and supervising pastor training and development. A passionate teacher, Bill blends humor, history, and culture to communicate biblical truths. He has authored several books and articles on small group ministry, including “The Essential Guide for Small Group Leaders.” A graduate of Moody Bible Institute and Wheaton College Graduate School, Bill has dedicated over two decades to ministry. He and his wife, Karyn, have been married for over 25 years and are blessed with three adult children.

Mission of the week:

Moody Bible Institute
Moody exists to equip people with the truth of God’s Word to be maturing followers of Christ who are making disciples around the world.

Jim Coakley - Week Two
2025-06-28 - 2025-07-04
Jim Coakley is a seasoned educator and pastor with a deep passion for teaching the Word of God. After coming to faith during his senior year of high school, Jim pursued theological education at Calvary Bible College and Grace Theological Seminary. He has served in various pastoral roles, including Senior Pastor in St. Louis, before joining the faculty at Moody Bible Institute in 1999. Jim and his wife, Gayle, who was instrumental in his spiritual journey, have two children and three grandchildren. Jim is an elder at 180 Chicago and frequently leads tours to Israel.

Mission of the week:

Moody Bible Institute
Moody exists to equip people with the truth of God’s Word to be maturing followers of Christ who are making disciples around the world.

Chris Brooks - Week Three
2025-07-05 - 2025-07-12
Chris Brooks is the Senior Pastor at Woodside Bible Church, a multi-campus congregation in Metro Detroit, and the host of the nationally syndicated radio program “Equipped with Chris Brooks.” With a background in finance and a strong theological education from Biola University and the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, Chris is deeply invested in the integration of faith and public life. He is the author of “Kingdom Dreaming,” and “Urban Apologetics.” Chris and his wife, Yodit are the proud parents of six children.

Mission of the week:

Alpha Ministries
Alpha Ministries’ mission is to make the Love of Christ known in places where people have never heard the Gospel by mobilizing national messengers to accomplish God’s global agenda among the least-reached.

Abdu Murray - Week Three
2025-07-05 - 2025-07-12
Abdu Murray is a speaker, author, and attorney who engages with the intersection of religious faith and contemporary cultural trends. As the founder of Embrace the Truth, he has spent decades exploring how different worldviews address modern challenges. Abdu has written four books, including “Saving Truth” and “More Than a White Man’s Religion.” He is a seasoned debater, having spoken at prestigious universities and with global leaders. Abdu’s insights have been featured in prominent media outlets, and he hosts several popular podcasts and YouTube shows. He lives in Metro Detroit with his wife and three children.

Mission of the week:

Alpha Ministries
Alpha Ministries’ mission is to make the Love of Christ known in places where people have never heard the Gospel by mobilizing national messengers to accomplish God’s global agenda among the least-reached.

Bill Crowder - Week Three
2025-07-05 - 2025-07-12
Bill Crowder has recently retired from the Our Daily Bread Ministries staff. He continues to write for the Our Daily Bread devotional and has written many Bible study booklets for ODBM’s Discovery Series. He has also published a number of books with Our Daily Bread Publishing, the latest being Joseph and Wisdom for our Worries. Bill also serves as a co-host with Elisa Morgan, Rasool Berry, and Daniel Ryan Day on the “Discover the Word” daily radio program, heard nationwide.On the personal front, Bill and his wife, Marlene, have been married for over 40 years and have five adult children and nine grandchildren. To relax, Bill enjoys playing golf whenever possible, and follows sports, especially the English Premier League’s Liverpool Football Club.

Mission of the week:

Alpha Ministries
Alpha Ministries’ mission is to make the Love of Christ known in places where people have never heard the Gospel by mobilizing national messengers to accomplish God’s global agenda among the least-reached.

Karl Clauson - Week Four
2025-07-12 - 2025-07-19
Karl Clauson is the host of Moody Radio’s “Karl and Crew” and the Lead Pastor of 180 Chicago Church. A man of action and faith, Karl completed the 1,100-mile Iditarod in Alaska at 18 before dedicating his life to ministry in 1984. His mission is to inspire a spiritual revolution within the church. Karl is the author of “The 7 Resolutions” and “Killing Sin”, where he explores the power of God over self-help. He and his wife, Junanne, have been married for 37 years and have two adult children.

Mission of the week:

Youth For Christ – West Michigan
YFC is a movement that reaches young people everywhere with the hope of Christ. We work with the local church and other like-minded partners to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who lead by their godliness in lifestyle, devotion to the Word of God and prayer, passion for sharing the love of Christ, and commitment to social involvement.

Josh Stephens - Week Four
2025-07-12 - 2025-07-19
Dr. Josh Stephens is the Lead Pastor of Cape Bible Chapel in Missouri and the Founder/Executive Director of the Biblical Counseling Alliance. With over 25 years of ministry experience, Josh holds advanced degrees in Biblical Counseling and Divinity. He is a certified Biblical Counselor with a passion for discipleship and equipping others in the faith. Josh and his wife, Michelle, have been married for 26 years and are blessed with five children.

Mission of the week:

Youth For Christ – West Michigan
YFC is a movement that reaches young people everywhere with the hope of Christ. We work with the local church and other like-minded partners to raise up lifelong followers of Jesus who lead by their godliness in lifestyle, devotion to the Word of God and prayer, passion for sharing the love of Christ, and commitment to social involvement.

Mark Vroegop - Week Five
2025-07-19 - 2025-07-26
Mark Vroegop is the president of the Gospel Coalition and the author of four books, including “Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy”, which won the ECPA 2020 Christian Book of the Year. Mark is known for his insightful teaching on the grace of lament and trusting God in uncertainty. He is a frequent conference speaker and former lead Pastor of College Park Church in Indianapolis. Mark is married to Sarah, and they have three married sons, a daughter, and two grandchildren.

Mission of the week:

International Needs and Living Threads
International Needs and Living Threads support homegrown missionaries with the resources and support to evangelize to their own people in some of the hardest-to-reach areas of the world.

Philip Miller - Week Five
2025-07-19 - 2025-07-26
Philip Miller is the 17th Senior Pastor of The Moody Church in Chicago. He and his wife, Krista, are graduates of Cedarville University and Dallas Theological Seminary. Philip is dedicated to proclaiming God’s Word and developing future leaders. He enjoys cycling on the Chicago lakefront and indulging in local culinary favorites. Philip and Krista have four children and reside in Chicago, where he can be heard on the weekly “Moody Church Hour” radio broadcast.

Mission of the week:

International Needs and Living Threads
International Needs and Living Threads support homegrown missionaries with the resources and support to evangelize to their own people in some of the hardest-to-reach areas of the world.

Crawford Loritts - Week Six
2025-07-26 - 2025-08-02
Crawford Loritts is a veteran pastor, author, and speaker who has traveled extensively, sharing the Gospel and equipping Christian leaders. He served for 27 years with Cru and 15 years as Senior Pastor of Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, Georgia. Crawford is the author of nine books and the host of two national radio programs. He and his wife, Karen, have been married for over 50 years and have four children and eleven grandchildren. Crawford is committed to mentoring the next generation of Christian leaders through his organization, Beyond Our Generation.

Mission of the week:

T.A.C.T.I.C.A. Ministries
The mission of TACTICA is to fulfill the Great Commission by investing into the lives of Central American authorities and their families, through high-quality police training, evangelism, and discipleship.

Bryndan Loritts - Week Six
2025-07-26 - 2025-08-02
Bryndan Loritts, son of Dr. Crawford and Karen Loritts, is the Lead Pastor of Woodside Bible Church’s Pontiac Campus. With a rich spiritual heritage, Bryndan has served in various pastoral roles across the U.S. He holds a master’s degree from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Biblical Preaching. Bryndan is passionate about preaching the Word of God and fulfilling God’s purpose in his generation. He is married to Lucretia, and they have three daughters.

Mission of the week:

T.A.C.T.I.C.A. Ministries
The mission of TACTICA is to fulfill the Great Commission by investing into the lives of Central American authorities and their families, through high-quality police training, evangelism, and discipleship.

Cisco Cotto - Week Seven
2025-08-02 - 2025-08-09
Dr. Cisco Cotto is a professor of Pastoral Studies at Moody Bible Institute and a seasoned pastor with over a decade of experience in churches across Illinois. He is also the morning host on WBBM Newsradio in Chicago. Cisco holds advanced degrees from Moody Theological Seminary and Talbot School of Theology. He and his wife, Anna, have been married for over 20 years and enjoy spending summers at Maranatha with their three children.

Mission of the week:

Jews for Jesus
Jews for Jesus exist to relentlessly pursue God’s plan for the salvation of the Jewish people.

Ron Zappia - Week Seven
2025-08-02 - 2025-08-09
Ron Zappia is the founding and senior pastor of Highpoint Church, a multi-site congregation in Chicagoland, and the leader of the Highpoint Send Network, which focuses on church planting and revitalization worldwide. With a background in business and theology, Ron has dedicated his life to pastoral ministry and leadership development. He is an author and speaker, deeply invested in mentoring other pastors. Ron and his wife, Jody, have three daughters and live in Wheaton, IL.

Mission of the week:

Jews for Jesus
Jews for Jesus exists to relentlessly pursue God’s plan for the salvation of the Jewish people.

Tim Laniak - Week Eight
2025-08-09 - 2025-08-16
Tim Laniak’s twin passions of Scripture and cross-cultural ministry have overlapped since his sense of calling in high school. Tim pursued a Bible and culture focus at Wheaton College, Gordon-Conwell Seminary, Jerusalem University College, and Harvard University. He and his wife Maureen served in short term missions in numerous countries and worked with international students and immigrants in the US. For 25 years prior to joining ODB Ministries he served at Gordon-Conwell Seminary as Bible professor and Dean. During these years he wrote six books on Esther, Exegesis, and Spiritual Shepherding (ShepherdLeader.com), and created a 45-course multi-media curriculum for Bible study (BibleJourney.com). In 2022 Tim become the SVP of Global Content at Our Daily Bread Ministries where he oversees the Center for Bible Engagement (centerforbibleengagement.org) and an online non-formal university with about 65,000 learners (ODBU.org).

Mission of the week:

Our Daily Bread Ministries
Our Daily Bread Ministries’ mission is to make the lifechanging wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to all.

Erwin Lutzer - Week Eight
2025-08-09 - 2025-08-16
Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer is Pastor Emeritus of The Moody Church in Chicago, where he served as Senior Pastor for 36 years. A prolific author, Dr. Lutzer has written over 70 books, including “Hitler’s Cross” and “We Will Not Be Silenced.” He is the featured speaker on the radio programs “Running to Win” and “Songs in the Night”, which are broadcast internationally. Dr. Lutzer holds degrees in theology and philosophy and has received several honorary doctorates. He and his wife, Rebecca, live in the Chicago area and have three grown children and eight grandchildren.

Mission of the week:

Our Daily Bread Ministries
Our Daily Bread Ministries’ mission is to make the lifechanging wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to all.

Steve DeWitt - Labor Day Weekend
2025-08-29 - 2025-09-01
Steve’s has serve as Bethel Church’s senior pastor since 1997. His primary responsibilities are teaching, shepherding the people, leading the staff, serving as an Elder, and providing overall vision for the church. Steve’s passions include expository preaching, the doctrines of grace, helping the church engage its culture, and the beauty of God. In addition to weekends at Bethel, Steve’s teaching can be heard on Bethel’s media ministry, “The Journey”. Steve enjoys learning (MTS Cornerstone Seminary, DMin Wheaton College), which means he loves books and travel. His fun time is spent on sports of all kinds and rooting for the University of Iowa teams. After serving as a single pastor for many years, Steve was married to Jennifer in August of 2012. They rejoiced at the birth of their daughters Kiralee in 2013 and Madeline in 2015. The DeWitts live in Crown Point.

Mission of the week:

Maranatha Bible and Missionary Conference
Maranatha Bible and Missionary Conference’s mission is to provide spiritual renewal in a recreational setting emphasizing Bible teaching and worldwide missions.

Andrew Davis - Week One
2026-06-27 - 2026-07-04
Dr. Andrew M. Davis, a native of Boston, Massachusetts, is the senior pastor of the First Baptist Church of Durham, North Carolina, and the founder of Two Journeys Ministry. He holds a bachelor’s degree from MIT, a master’s in divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is also a visiting professor of church history at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, a Vice-Chairman of The Gospel Coalition.
In addition to his preaching and teaching, he is the author of An Approach to the Extended Memorization of Scripture, An Infinite Journey: Growing Toward Christlikeness, Revitalize: Biblical Keys to Helping Your Church Come Alive Again, Christ Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Isaiah, The Power of Christian Contentment: Finding Deeper, Richer Christ – Centered Joy, The Glory Now Revealed: What We’ll Discover About God in Heaven, and How to Memorize Scripture for Life: From One Verse to Entire Books.
He and his wife Christi reside in Bahama, NC and have five children and four grandchildren.
“To access all of Dr. Davis’ work, please visit TwoJourneys.org.”

Mission of the week:

Africa Inland Mission
AIM AIR exists to provide safe, reliable aviation support that is personalized to enhance the effectiveness of AIM and our ministry partners. We are a lifeline that enables missionaries to live incarnationally among the least reached.

Phil Ayres - Week One
2026-06-27 - 2026-07-04
Phil Ayres has spent the last 23 years serving at LifePoint Christian Church (Orlando), where for 19 years he has been the lead teaching pastor. Beyond the pulpit, he’s the voice of “Zach” on Keys for Kids Radio, bringing God’s Word to life for children around the world. As the author of books like Flannelgraph Jesus and Little Lessons from the Fairway, Phil’s deepest passion is helping people encounter Christ through clear, contextual Bible teaching that makes Scripture come alive in practical ways. He has been married to his college sweetheart, Stefanie, for 34 years, and together they have two grown children.

Mission of the week:

Africa Inland Mission
AIM AIR exists to provide safe, reliable aviation support that is personalized to enhance the effectiveness of AIM and our ministry partners. We are a lifeline that enables missionaries to live incarnationally among the least reached.

Michael Rydelnik - Week Two
2026-07-04 - 2026-07-11
Dr. Michael Rydelnik is Emeritus Academic Dean/Professor of Jewish Studies and Bible at Moody Bible Institute. He is also the Host/Bible Teacher on Open Line with Dr. Michael Rydelnik, answering listener Bible questions on 300 stations nationwide across Moody Radio. The son of Holocaust survivors, he was raised in an observant Jewish home in Brooklyn, New York. As a high school student, Michael became a follower of Jesus the Messiah and began teaching the Bible almost immediately.
Besides his work on The Moody Bible Commentary and The Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy as co-editor and contributor, Michael is also the author of 50 Most Important Bible Questions, The Messianic Hope: Is the Hebrew Bible Really Messianic? and Understanding the Arab Israeli Conflict. In addition to leading Bible lands tours and his wide speaking ministry, Michael has also contributed to multiple study Bibles, books, and theological journals. Michael and his wife Eva live in Grand Rapids, love hiking with their collie and boxer, and have two terrific adult sons, a delightful daughter-in-law and the cutest two grandchildren in the world.

Mission of the week:

Moody Bible Institute
Moody exists to equip people with the truth of God’s Word to be maturing followers of Christ who are making disciples around the world.

Cisco Cotto- Week Two
2026-07-04 - 2026-07-11
Dr. Cisco Cotto is a professor of Pastoral Studies at Moody Bible Institute. He served as a pastor at churches in Oak Park, IL and Naperville, IL for more than a decade before joining Moody. He also serves as the morning host on WBBM Newsradio in Chicago. Cisco is a graduate of Moody Theological Seminary and Talbot School of Theology. He and his wife Anna have been married for more than 20 years. They’ve spent summers at Maranatha along with their three children for many years.

Mission of the week:

Moody Bible Institute
Moody exists to equip people with the truth of God’s Word to be maturing followers of Christ who are making disciples around the world.

Steve DeWitt - Week Three
2026-07-11 - 2026-07-18
Steve DeWitt has served as Senior Pastor of Bethel Church in northwest Indiana since 1997. His primary responsibilities include preaching, shepherding the congregation, leading the staff, and providing overall vision for the church. Steve is passionate about expository preaching, the doctrines of grace, cultural engagement, and the beauty of God. He also speaks frequently outside of Bethel, serves on the council of The Gospel Coalition, and sits on the board of Global Action, which provides theological training for church leaders worldwide.
Steve’s teaching ministry, The Journey, airs on stations nationwide, including the Moody and Bott Radio Networks. He is the author of Eyes Wide Open, Enjoying God in Everything, and Loneliness: Don’t Hate It or Waste It. Redeem It.
He holds degrees from Cornerstone Seminary (MTS) and Wheaton College (DMin). Steve enjoys reading, travel, sports, and cheering for the University of Iowa. Married to Jennifer since 2012, they have two daughters, Kiralee and Madeline, and live in Crown Point.

Mission of the week:

Good News Nepal
To reach the unreached people in the 17 target districts of North West Nepal with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Ed Moore - Week Three
2026-07-11 - 2026-07-18
Ed Moore has been the lead pastor of North Shore Baptist Church since 1992. He is originally from DuBois, Pennsylvania and attended the University of Pittsburgh. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia and Columbia International University. He and his wife, Anna, live in Bayside, New York. They have four adult children and eleven grandchildren.

Mission of the week:

Good News Nepal
To reach the unreached people in the 17 target districts of North West Nepal with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Eric Moore - Week Four
2026-07-18 - 2026-07-25
Dr. Eric Moore is Professor Emeritus of the Applied Theology Department at Moody Theological Seminary-Michigan. He is also the Pastor and co-founder of Tree of Life Bible Fellowship church located in Royal Oak, Michigan. Along with his weekly teaching and preaching duties, Eric speaks regularly at local churches, venues and conferences in greater Detroit and around the country. He has a weekly radio program (Food for the Soul) which broadcasts every Sunday morning on station WLQV in the Detroit Metropolitan area. Eric and his wife, Marilyn, have been blessed with 3 adult children whom love and serve Jesus; Chanel, Samuel and Christina.

Mission of the week:

Mission India
Mission India equips India’s Christians to plant reproducing churches.

Brady Nemmers - Week Four
2026-07-18 - 2026-07-25
Brady serves as the lead teaching pastor of Keystone Community Church in Ada, Michigan. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and holds a Master of Divinity degree from Western Theological Seminary He is passionate about communicating the story of God in a way that is relevant, engaging and applicable. He and his wife, Sarah Anne, share a love for the lands of the Bible and are honored to lead study trips to Israel and Turkey. They have live in Ada with their four boys, two dogs, two cats and three chickens.”

Mission of the week:

Mission India
Mission India equips India’s Christians to plant reproducing churches.
