Past Speakers
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Toolbox Executive Director
Tom Douthit
tdouthit@toolboxministries.com
Galleria Area
Kendall Oelfke
kendall@toolboxministries.com
West Houston
Kendall Oelfke
kendall@toolboxministries.com
Downtown
Kendall Oelfke
kendall@toolboxminstries.com
Scott McClelland is one of the most recognizable and respected leaders in our community. Scott is the President of H-E-B Food and Drug Stores. With special application to our current season, his talk focuses on resilience.
Pat is currently Senior Vice President of Teamalytics (business division of the Flippen Group) and a college baseball color analyst for Fox Sports. Prior to that he spent 11 years working in the financial services industry with Morgan Stanley and 8 seasons playing professional baseball for the Philadelphia Phillies and MIllwauke Brewers. He was a member of the 1988 gold medal Olympic team and is the author of a soon to be released “More Than the Score” (October 2020). He and his wife Christina have raised three sons.
Change comes with challenges – whether career or life changes – but how do you move through those transitions in healthy and wise ways? Our top-notch panel discussed their own transition journeys and lessons they learned along the way. Panel Discussion includes Andy Hovis, Mark Vise, Mike Gustafson
Tullian is a graduate of Columbia International University, where he received a degree in Philosophy, and Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, where he earned his Master of Divinity.
A grandson of (Evangelist) Billy and Ruth Graham, Tullian was the Founding Pastor of the former New City Church (in Fort Lauderdale, Florida) which merged with the historic Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in 2009. He served there as Senior Pastor until June 2015.
During his time at Coral Ridge, Tullian founded LIBERATE—a ministry that sought to “connect God’s inexhaustible grace to an exhausted world” through annual conferences (2011–2015), training, book and music publishing, daily blog posts, a daily radio program, and a weekly TV broadcast.
Tullian has written eight books including, It Is Finished: 365 Days of Good News (2015), One Way Love: Inexhaustible Grace for an Exhausted World (2013), Glorious Ruin: How Suffering Sets You Free (2012), and Jesus + Nothing = Everything (2011) which won Christianity Today’s Book of the Year in 2011. Both “Glorious Ruin” and “Jesus + Nothing = Everything” were ECPA finalists for Book of the Year. He has also served as a Contributing Editor to various magazines and journals. Tullian has traveled extensively around the USA to speak at conferences, churches, universities, and seminaries.
Tchividjian has appeared on Fox & Friends, Sean Hannity, 60 Minutes, CBS News, The Ingraham Angle, Morning Joe, the 700 Club, and many other TV and radio outlets.
After a season of self-destruction leading up to, and following, his resignation from Coral Ridge in June 2015, Tullian is now married to Stacie, and together they have five children and one grandchild. They live in Fort Myers, Florida, and are members of Living Faith Church.
Tullian longs to see broken people encounter God’s boundless love.
Source: https://www.tullian.net
Les Csorba is a Partner with Heidrick and Struggles in Houston. Prior to that, Les served in the White House as a special assistant to the President of the United States for presidential personnel during the George H.W. Bush Administration. He also serves on the Board of Yellowstone Academy, and is the author of Trust: The One Thing that Makes or Breaks a Leader.
Jeff Thomas is the Founder/CEO of Archetype Wealth Partners and author of Trading Up: Moving from Success to Significance on Wall Street. After 25 years of working for the biggest names on Wall Street, Jeff and his team concluded that they could only pursue their vision by starting their own firm in 2017. Jeff and his wife Dolly are also well invested in the community, serving with a variety of non-profit organizations, ministries and foundations.
Matt Van Zandt ….
David Cook is a top sports psychology consultant, speaker, business consultant, and best-selling author on the mental advantage. He has coached world champions and MVP’s in the NBA, National Champions in the NCAA and has worked with hundreds of elite athletes from the PGA, NFL, and MLB using his principles of focus, passion, and mental toughness.
Terry Looper is the Founder, President and CEO of Texon LP. His passion is to mentor fellow business and nonprofit leaders. Terry is also deeply involved in the community, serves numerous non-profit organizations, and is the author of Sacred Pace: Four Steps to Hearing God and Aligning Yourself with His Will.
David Lumpkins is co-founder of PetroLogistics LP, and worked in the investment banking industry for 17 years. He is also deeply involved in the community including co-founding Yellowstone Academy in the Third Ward in 2001 with his wife Kristi. David’s talk, entitled A Practical Guide to the Christian Life, will help us understand how faith can affect all aspects of our lives.
Back in September 2015, I had a near-death experience that changed my life completely, as I was attacked by a grizzly bear in the deep wilderness of Canada. Some could say I’m very lucky for being alive. But for me, that was the ultimate sign of how God’s pre-determined plan is infinitely clearer than any effort or resolution we may have.
Source: http://thebearman.com/
Larry O’Donnell…
Tom Doyle fell in love with the Middle East on his first Bible tour of the Holy Land. In 1995 he became an official tour guide for the state of Israel and developed a passion for ministering to the Israeli people, Arabs and Jews alike. Tom and his wife, JoAnn, felt a call from God to full-time ministry there in 2001. In 2017 the Doyles launched Uncharted Ministries, which seeks to inspire the Body of Christ to rise up join the new great awakening among Jews and Muslims in the Middle East and in uncharted territories around the world. Tom is a master storyteller with several books highlighting God’s miraculous work among the Muslim people. His best-known books include Dreams and Visions, Killing Christians, and Standing in the Fire, which was a finalist for the 2018 Book of the Year by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association.
Source: https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Incredible_Journey_A_Concise_Road_Ma.html
Husband to Lynelle, dad to my seven adult kids and grandfather of 5. I have the unique opportunity to be the President and CEO of Family Legacy. I am formerly the President at East-West Ministries International. From 1998 to 2015, I had the privilege of serving as the President and CEO of Pine Cove located in Texas. Before being called to Pine Cove in 1998, Prior to Pine Cove, I worked in the commercial real estate business for 17 years.
My wife, Lynelle, is a nationally-recognized speaker and author. She is the author of “Choose Words Choose Life”, a book about what we can do in the lives of our children to teach them truths that transform.
Lynelle and I also speak frequently at Family Life Weekend to Remember conferences throughout the United States addressing key issues in marriage.
I have a sincere passion for revival in our country and throughout the world and believe in the everlasting power of the Gospel!
I was born in The Hague, Netherlands and grew up in southern California. I graduated from the business school at The University of Southern California before moving to Texas.
Lynelle and I currently live in Dallas, Texas and are blessed with seven children ranging from college to early 30’s – Laura, Will, Joel, Mary Claire, Hannah, Daniel and Sarah Grace. We also have five grandchildren, Parker, Ben, Bess, Elah, and Holland.
Source: https://mariozandstra.com/about/
Eric Metaxas (born 1963) is an American author, speaker, and radio host. He is known for three biographies, Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery about William Wilberforce (2007), Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy about Dietrich Bonhoeffer (2011), and Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World about Martin Luther (2017). He has also written humor, children’s books, and scripts for VeggieTales. Metaxas is the founder and host of the NYC-based event series, “Socrates in the City: Conversations on the Examined Life” and the host of the nationally syndicated radio program, The Eric Metaxas Show
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Metaxas
Jonathan Currie Byrd (born January 27, 1978) is an American professional golfer. He was the 2002 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, and has won five times on the PGA Tour.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Byrd_(golfer)
LaRue Coleman began his career in window cleaning in October 1970 at age 18 while in college. In 1977, LaRue bought out his business partner and continued to develop JOBS into one of the largest window cleaning companies in the U.S.
In 1981, LaRue formed Aluminum Maintenance Systems of Texas. AMST provides building restoration and waterproofing to a large percentage of office towers in the cities they service. In 1992, the AMST Interior Division was created to provide metal refinishing. The newest division of AMST, formed in 2005, provides elevator Renovation services with onsite fabrication shop.
LaRue has served the International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA) as a board member and its President in 1994. In addition, LaRue serves on the AMSE A120.1 Committee and the IWCAI.14.1 Committee and is an active member of BOMA since 1977 and IREM.
Source: https://www.jobs-amst.com/laruecoleman
Fred began his career with The Originals Group in 1983 and joined Southern Realty Corporation in 1985, becoming President in 1988. Fred was the founding partner of Caldwell Nyberg Interests in 1990, which was later renamed as Caldwell Companies. Today, the firm serves as a holding company for a family of related companies that invest in, develop, broker and manage residential and commercial real estate interests and participates in private equity investments.
Fred is a graduate of Texas A&M University and holds both a Master of Science in Finance and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Fred was a three year letterman on the Texas A&M football team.
Fred and his wife, Susan, have been married for 30 years and have two children: Amanda and Lindsey. The Caldwell’s reside in Northwest Houston.
Source: http://caldwellcos.com/investment-team/fred-caldwell
Dwight Edwards was born in El Paso, Texas and is a direct descendent of renowned theologian and pastor, Jonathan Edwards. He has pastored for over thirty years in various capacities. He ministered for 23 years at Grace Bible Church in College Station, TX. From 1980-1990 he served as the college pastor and from 1990-2003 he ministered as the senior pastor of the 2500 member congregation. As well, he has served on the staff of Grace Bible Church in The Heights (Houston), and WoodsEdge Community Church (The Woodlands).
He presently serves as the Senior Pastor of WatersEdge Community Church in Houston, Texas. A former professional tennis player, he has ministered throughout the United States and many places in the world over the last 35 years. He is also widely sought after as a motivational speaker for businesses, schools, athletic teams, and governmental agencies. He has given presentations at Yale, Princeton, The Air Force Academy, Vanderbilt, Rice, Texas A&M University, and many other schools. He is a graduate of The University of Mary Hardin Baylor and attended Dallas Theological Seminary.
In addition, Dwight is a bestselling author. He has written six books prior to Game-Changing Christianity – “Revolution Within”, “Releasing the Rivers Within”, “A Tale of Three Ships”, “Kindling for the Fire”, “Say ‘No’ to Vanilla”, and “High Octane for the Spirit”. He also has a workbook entitled “Experiencing Christ Within” and has written numerous magazine articles. He is a Community Associate for McMurtry College at Rice University.
Bob Doll is a senior portfolio manager and chief equity strategist at Nuveen Asset Management. Bob manages seven portfolios, including large caps and alternatives. He is a highly-respected authority on the equities markets among investors, advisors and the media. As the author of widely-followed weekly commentaries and annual market predictions, Bob provides ongoing, timely market perspectives.
Prior to joining Nuveen Asset Management, Bob held similar roles at other large asset management firms, including serving as chief equity strategist at BlackRock, president and chief investment officer of Merrill Lynch Investment Managers and chief investment officer of Oppenheimer Funds, Inc. He has 37 years of portfolio management experience, received a B.S. in accounting and a B.A. in economics from Lehigh University and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a Certified Public Accountant and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation from the CFA Institute.
Bob appears regularly on CNBC, Bloomberg TV and Fox Business News discussing the economy and markets. He has also been quoted in major business publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s and Financial Times.
Source: https://www.nuveen.com/NuveenAssetManagement/team/robert-doll.aspx
Born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana, Sutton was a promising player at its Centenary College, and was named Golf Magazine’s 1980 College Player of the Year. At Centenary, Sutton won 14 golf tournaments, was an All American, led the Gents to the NCAA Tournament, and finished ninth nationally. He quickly established himself as one of the PGA Tour’s top young stars in the early 1980s. His first win was at the 1982 Walt Disney World Golf Classic in a playoff with Bill Britton after the two had tied at 19-under-par 269 after 72 holes.
Sutton’s most notable year came in 1983, when he won the Tournament Players Championship in March, followed by his only major title, the PGA Championship at Riviera in August. He entered into a long drought shortly thereafter, going from 1987 to 1994 without a PGA Tour victory. He nearly lost his tour card late in the string, maintaining it only by using a one-time-only exemption for players in the top 50 of the all-time PGA Tour career money list. After this disappointing eight years, Sutton rejuvenated his career in 1995 with a win at the B.C. Open.
In 1998, Sutton won the Valero Texas Open and the prestigious Tour Championship to finish fifth on the PGA Tour money list. Other than his spectacular 1983 season, Sutton had his best year to date in 2000 by beating Tiger Woods in the final group of The Players Championship to win. He also had an additional win to that—the Greater Greensboro Chrysler Classic two starts later. He would go on to finish fourth on the PGA Tour money list. In 2001, Sutton made the cut in 22 of 26 events with one victory at the Shell Houston Open at TPC at The Woodlands and a season winnings total of $1.7 million.
Sutton ranked in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Rankings for over 50 weeks from their debut in 1986 to 1987 and then again for over 50 weeks between 1999 and 2001. He has reached the top five of the rankings.
In 2007, Sutton received the Payne Stewart Award for his charitable efforts, which include the establishment of the Christus Schumpert Sutton Children’s Hospital in his hometown of Shreveport. He also teamed up with Louisianans Kelly Gibson and David Toms to raise more than $2 million in aid to Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita victims. Sutton was also awarded the Omar N. Bradley Spirit of Independence Award in 2004 and the Golf Writers Association of America’s 2006 Charlie Bartlett Award with Gibson and Toms for their relief efforts.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hal_Sutton
Os Hillman owned and operated an ad agency from 1984-2001. During this time he served clients such as American Express, Steinway Pianos, US Kids Golf, Peachtree Software, ADP Payroll Services, Parisian Department stores (now Belk), Thomas Nelson Publishers and many non-profit organizations. His company won many prestigious awards from the Direct Marketing Industry such as the International Echo Award, Direct Marketing’s highest achievement for excellence in direct marketing for specific ad campaigns.
Os has been featured on CNBC, LA Times, NY Times and many Christian media. He has been a regular contributor to Crosswalk.com, Charisma, and Christian Post. He has spoken at Harvard University and was a visiting professor at Regent University for a season. Os is also an editorial contributor to Crosswalk.com and iDisciple platforms.
Today Os Hillman is president of Marketplace Leaders and Aslan Group Publishing, and is involved in several entrepreneur ventures related to publishing and internet marketing. He has an online bookstore, TGIFbookstore.com serving the faith and work movement. He is an author of 18 books, speaker, consultant and recognized authority in the role that faith and ethics play in the marketplace. Os began sending out a daily internet email newsletter entitled TGIF Today God Is Firstin 1998. Today TGIF is subscribed to by more 150,000 people daily worldwide but read by many more in 104 countries.
Os attended the University of South Carolina on a golf scholarship and was a golf professional for three years before going into business in 1980. Os also attended Calvary Chapel Bible School. Os is married to Pamela and has one married daughter, Charis. He and his wife live in Cumming, Georgia a suburb of Atlanta.
Source: http://www.marketplaceleaders.org/os/
Bruce Rankin Matthews (born August 8, 1961) is a former professional American football player who was an offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for 19 seasons, from 1983 to 2001, for the Houston Oilers franchise, later renamed the Tennessee Titans during his tenure. Highly versatile, throughout his NFL career he played every position on the offensive line, starting in 99 games as a left guard, 87 as a center, 67 as a right guard, 22 as a right tackle, and 17 as a left tackle. Having never missed a game due to injury, his 292 NFL games started is the second most of all time.
Matthews played college football for the University of Southern California, where he was recognized as a consensus All-American for the USC Trojans football team as a senior. He was selected in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft by the Oilers. He was a 14-time Pro Bowl selection, tied for the most in NFL history, and a nine-time first-team All-Pro. Matthews was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2007, and his number 74 jersey is retired by the Titans.
After retiring as a player, Matthews served as an assistant coach for the Houston Texans and Titans. A member of the Matthews family of football players, he is the brother of linebacker Clay Matthews Jr.; father of center Kevin Matthews and tackle Jake Matthews; and uncle of linebacker Clay Matthews III and safety Casey Matthews.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Matthews_(American_football)
Reid Ryan (born April 21, 1971) is an American baseball executive, former college baseball and professional baseball player, and son of Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan. He was a pitcher in minor league baseball, and currently serves as the CEO of Ryan-Sanders Baseball Inc., which owns the Round Rock Express and Corpus Christi Hooks. He was introduced as the president of the Houston Astros on May 17, 2013.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reid_Ryan
Mike Barber played in the NFL for ten years when he received the call to go into prisons bringing the Good News of Jesus to those who are incarcerated. Mike has been ministering behind bars for 38 years. With the national recidivism rate of 76.6%, within 5 years of release, the need for Mike Barber’s heart for prisoners is evident.
Source: https://www.mikebarber.org/
Russell Henley was born and raised in Macon, GA. His parents Sally and Chapin Henley still live in the Macon area. His brother Adam Henley also lives in Macon, Georgia with his two sons Carter and Avery. This strong family unit has allowed Russell to pursue his dream of becoming a PGA TOUR golfer. Henley currently resides in Kiawah Island, South Carolina.
Henley is a graduate of the University of Georgia, and won the 2010 Haskins Award as the most outstanding collegiate golfer. He immediately took that success and played in the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach where he tied for low amateur. He had great success on the Web.com Tour, winning three times. He has continued that success on the PGA Tour earning two victories in his first two years on the PGA Tour. Russell is looking forward to getting involved in various charitable activities on the PGA TOUR.
When he’s not golfing, Russell enjoys cheering on the Georgia Bulldogs and Atlanta Braves. While he’s not on the road, Russell loves taking his boat out and playing guitar in his free time.
Source: http://www.rhenleygolf.com/biography
David Cook is a top sports psychology consultant, speaker, business consultant, and best-selling author on the mental advantage. He has coached world champions and MVP’s in the NBA, National Champions in the NCAA and has worked with hundreds of elite athletes from the PGA, NFL, and MLB using his principles of focus, passion, and mental toughness. Most notably Dr. Cook served as the mental training coach for the San Antonio Spurs for eight years that included their first two World Championships.
Renowned in the science of peak performance, he has created a seamless transition from applying game day readiness strategies to the fast paced, competitive business arena. David’s performance principles have increased results to a variety of Fortune 500 organizations such as American Express, Exxon Mobil, Valero, Sprint, Heinz, Bayer, Frito Lay and many more.
Source: https://www.davidcookspeaker.com/bio/
Dean Niewolny spent more than twenty years in executive roles with three of Wall Street’s largest financial firms, finishing his career in the financial sector as market manager for Wells Fargo Advisors in Chicago, where he oversaw a $100 million market. In 2010, Dean traded his marketplace career for Halftime Institute to help more people who, like him, wanted to expand their own “first half” success and skills into passion and purpose for meeting human needs and making a significant difference. Dean joined Halftime Institute as managing director and, in 2011, became the CEO. He speaks at events around the world, encouraging business leaders to channel first half achievement into a second half defined by joy, impact, and balance. He and his wife, Lisa, have two children and live in Texas.
Source: https://www.tradeupbook.com/
Atheist-turned-Christian Lee Strobel is the former award-winning legal editor of The Chicago Tribune and best-selling author of more than twenty books. His classic, The Case for Christ, is a perennial favorite which details his conversion to Christianity. His recent release, The Case for Grace, just won the 2016 Nonfiction Book of the Year from the EPCA. For the last twenty-five years, his life’s work has been to share the evidence that supports the truth and claims of Christianity and to equip believers to share their faith with the people they know and love.
Lee has been a featured guest on national networks including ABC, Fox, Discovery, PBS, and CNN. He was the host of Faith Under Fire, a provocative program that brought together some of the brightest Christians and skeptics to debate issues central to the Christian faith. He also appeared in the feature film, God’s Not Dead 2, as an expert witness for the defense. In 2017 Pure Flix Entertainment will release a major motion picture depicting Lee’s journey from atheism to faith. You can learn more about the film, watch the trailer, and subscribe for updates at thecaseforchristmovie.com.
As part of his speaking ministry, Lee travels across the country (and sometimes the world) sharing his testimony, encouraging believers, and challenging skeptics. He regularly speaks at conferences, commencements, fundraisers, and other major events. Lee is currently a teaching pastor at Woodlands Church in Texas where he speaks multiple times each year. He recently joined the faculty at Houston Baptist University as a Professor of Christian Thought.
Source: https://leestrobel.com
Kevin Palau is president of the Luis Palau Association, a Portland, Oregon based ministry that has shared the Good News of Jesus Christ with 1 billion people around the world through Kevin’s father, evangelist Luis Palau.
Kevin joined the Palau Association in 1985 and began directing the day-to-day operation of the ministry in the late 1990’s. Under his leadership, LPA has produced some of the largest Christian events ever staged, including festivals that have drawn crowds from south Florida to south America of up to 1 million people. The festival model for mass evangelism is based on free, family-friendly celebrations that bring together well-known Christian and main-stream music artists, prominent Christian athletes, extreme sports exhibitions, interactive children’s areas, and much more.
While Kevin’s brother Andrew joins Luis Palau as an evangelist in his own right, Luis remains the leader and driving force of the ministry. “As long as Dad continues proclaiming the Gospel—and he shows no signs of slowing down—I’ll encourage the team to take full advantage of his spiritual gifts and steadfast commitment to evangelism. We must do everything we can as a team to share the Good News with a world that is searching for hope.”
Source: http://www.palau.org/kevin-palau/
Bob Goff is the author of the New York Times Best-Selling book Love Does. The U.S. Department of State recognizes Goff as a diplomat and he is known as an Honorary Consul for the Republic of Uganda due to his work with Love Does, formerly known as Restore International, a non-profit organization he founded.
Goff founded Restore International in 2003, now known as Love Does, to “find daring, productive, and effective ways to fight the injustices committed against children.” Love Does works to promote human rights and education in current and recovering conflict zones. Love Does currently works in Uganda, Iraq, Nepal, Somalia and India.
Goff founded Goff and Dewalt, LLP in 1968 as a construction defect attorney. Located in Washington, the firm specializes in construction defect litigation, general counsel, and international rights (through Restore International).[9] Goff worked as an adjunct professor at Point Loma Nazarene University where he taught a class in business law. Goff similarly serves as an adjunct professor to Pepperdine University, in both the law school, and the graduate degree programs with courses such as Nonprofit Law in their Global Justice Program.
Goff is a writer and an international motivational speaker. In 2016 he launched the Dream Big Framework, a curriculum and workshop designed to motivate people to accomplish their biggest dreams and ambitions.
Source: Wikipedia contributors. “Bob Goff.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 30 Sep. 2017. Web.
Benjamin Watson (born December 18, 1980) is a tight end for the Baltimore Ravens. Watson attended Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, South Carolina and was a letterman in football. In football, as a senior, he caught 31 passes for 515 yards. The two-time All-Region selection and Northwestern HS Student of the Year led his team to the state championship in his junior season. He was also a member of his high school chapter of The Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
After attending Duke University as a freshman, he transferred to the University of Georgia where he majored in finance. After an all-SEC senior campaign, he was drafted in the 1st round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. As a Patriot, Benjamin was blessed to receive a Super Bowl ring in his rookie season as well as appear in another in 2007.
Off the field, Benjamin stays busy with his foundation One More, his growing family, and the NFL Players Association, where he serves on the Executive Committee. He is also an NFL Spokesman for the All Pro Dad Campaign. In 2015, Watson published his first book, “Under Our Skin: Getting Real About Race- And Getting Free From The Fears and Frustrations That Divide Us”. In October of 2016, he authored a “Group Conversation Guide” to aid readers’ journey to honest conversation about race, bias, and justice in America. On May 2nd, 2017 Watson will release his next literary work, “The New Dad’s Playbook: Gearing Up for the Biggest Game of Your Life.”
Source: http://www.thebenjaminwatson.com/bio/
Joe and his wife, Debbie-Jo, run a family of multi-cultural Christian sports camps that attract 23,000 children from around the world each summer. Joe has written over twenty books and speaks to men’s, women’s and student’s conferences, NFL teams and on Christian radio. He played nose tackle for the SMU Mustangs and coached the defensive line at Texas A&M. He has been awarded two honorary doctoral degrees and was named one of the ‘Top Ten Influencers of the Century’ by New Man Magazine. Dr. James Dobson says that, ‘Joe White knows more about teenagers than anyone in North America.’ Joe and Debbie-Jo have been married for 44 years and have been blessed with four children and 13 grandchildren.
Source: http://kanakuk.com/about-kanakuk/joe-white
Cal Thomas is one of the most popular syndicated columnists in the country, appearing in hundreds of newspapers and regularly appears on Fox News and other media outlets. He began his career in radio, TV, and print at the age of sixteen. 2014 marks the thirtieth anniversary of his syndicated column.
Source: http://calthomas.com
Gregg Matte is the senior pastor of Houston’s First Baptist Church. Under his leadership, this historic church founded in 1841 has moved to the cutting edge of ministry and experienced tremendous growth, including the addition of four campuses in the greater Houston area.
Before coming to Houston in 2004, Gregg founded Breakaway Ministries at Texas A&M University — the largest college Bible study in the nation. What started with 12 participants in his apartment grew to a weekly gathering of more than 4,000 students each Tuesday night under his leadership. He continues to serve on Breakaway’s Board of Directors.
Gregg is the author of Finding God’s Will (2010), I AM Changes Who i Am (2012), and Unstoppable Gospel (2015). He has also written Bible study guides The Highest Education: Becoming a Godly Man and Birds and Bees: A Conversation about God, Sex, and Sexuality.
Gregg holds a Bachelor’s degree in marketing from Texas A&M and a Master’s degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. In 2011, Gregg received the Outstanding Alumni Award from the Mays Business School at Texas A&M. He was the first pastor to receive the honor in the history of the award.
Gregg married Kelly in 1997 and together they have a son and a daughter, Greyson (2001) and Valerie (2008).
Jim McIngvale (born February 11, 1951) is a businessman from Houston, Texas. He is known for owning and operating the Gallery Furniture retail chain.
Gallery Furniture engages in a number of charitable projects. It aims to refurnish, redesign, and revitalize the more than 130 USO Centers around the world, and has become a USO Worldwide Strategic Partner Sponsor. For 30 years, Gallery Furniture has been holding its annual Christmas Giveaway, outfitting needy Houston area families’ homes with brand new furniture. For the 30th anniversary of this tradition, 30 families received all new furniture, delivered by Gallery Furniture.
Source: Wikipedia contributors. “Jim McIngvale.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 27 May. 2017. Web. 2 Aug. 2017
William Lance Berkman (born February 10, 1976), nicknamed “Big Puma”, is an American former professional baseball outfielder and first baseman. He played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers. Berkman is a six-time MLB All-Star and won a World Series championship and the National League Comeback Player of the Year Award with the Cardinals in 2011. He stands 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m), and weighs 220 pounds (100 kg). Berkman has spent various seasons of his career as a regular at all three outfield positions.
A standout baseball player at Canyon High School, Berkman attended Rice University, where he played college baseball for the Owls. Named the 1997 National College Player of the Year, the Astros selected Berkman in the first round of that year’s amateur draft, and he debuted in the major leagues in 1999. He joined the Astros’ vaunted “Killer B’s” lineup that included Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio as all three players were instrumental in the club’s playoff success. The Astros traded Berkman to the Yankees at the 2010 trade deadline. He signed with the Cardinals as a free agent for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. He played the 2013 season with the Rangers before signing a one-day contract with Houston to officially retire as an Astro.
Active in charity work, Forbes recognized him on their list of “30 most generous celebrities” in 2012. He has led a group called “Berkman’s Bunch,” an outreach for 50 underprivileged kids to meet Berkman before each Saturday home game for autographs and other gifts. In 2013, he purchased a fire truck and donated it to the City of West, Texas, after the West Fertilizer Company explosion.
Source: Wikipedia contributors. “Lance Berkman.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 26 Jul. 2017. Web.2 Aug. 2017