Online Mentoring
Do you have questions and challenges in your ministry?
Would you benefit from a mentoring session(s) from an experienced senior leader not just at the annual Forum but during the year?
Online Mentoring seeks to unite, equip, and resource evangelical leaders personally, professionally, and spiritually throughout the year by connecting them one-on-one with experienced mentors and leaders who can mentor them and speak into their lives and ministries. Online mentoring expands support to leaders and facilitates mentoring connections throughout the year by:
- Recruiting trusted ELF leaders as mentors with extensive experience in their field and a heart to serve
- Providing a platform for leaders to find suitable mentors in their field or issue area and request an online meeting time.
Since leaders have such a wide variety of needs, the Forum will offer many different types of mentoring in areas ranging from Leadership and Management to Academic to Personal Counselling.
Who Can Sign Up?
The Online Mentoring will first be available to evangelical leaders who attended the European Leadership Forum.
See a list of the mentoring types here:
Apologetics and Evangelism
Apologetics
Apologetics Mentoring focuses 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.
Mentors
Alexander Fink is Director of the Institute for Faith and Science (Institut für Glaube und Wissenschaft) in Marburg, Germany (www.iguw.de). He studied physics at Bayreuth and St. Andrews (UK) universities and received his PhD at the Institute for Biophysics at the University of Regensburg. After working as an industrial product manager, he became the director of the SMD graduates' ministry (Akademiker-SMD, the German branch of IFES) until 2014. Since 2008, he has been a member of the ELF Steering Committee and has co-led the Scientists Network. He is the editor of the "Begründet-glauben-Podcast" (www.begruendet-glauben.org) and has produced three documentary movies, "Fascinating Universe", "More than My Brain", and “Is there meaning in suffering?” which were officially recommended for use in secular public schools. Together with his wife, Alexander enjoys raising his two children, preaching and leading a house group in his local church, and being a youth soccer trainer in his local sports club.
John Kirkpatrick is the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Previously, he was the pastor of Portrush Presbyterian Church for over 20 years. John is the director of the apologetics course Reality316 aimed at equipping a wide range of people to be relevant apologists. For a number of years, he served as Chairman of New Horizon, a well-known Christian conference in Ireland and has been a chaplain to the Motorcycle Racing community, quite unique to the Irish culture. John is married to Joan and they have four children, three of whom are now married.
Peter S. Williams (www.peterswilliams.com) studied philosophy at Cardiff University (BA), Sheffield University (MA), and the University of East Anglia in Norwich (MPhil). Peter lives in England and is an 'Assistant Professor in Communication and Worldviews' at NLA University College in Norway. His publications include: A Universe From Someone: Essays on Natural Theology (Wipf and Stock, 2022); Apologetics in 3D: Essays on Apologetics and Spirituality (Wipf & Stock, 2021); Outgrowing God? A Beginner’s Guide to Richard Dawkins and the God Debate (Wipf & Stock, 2020); Getting at Jesus: A Comprehensive Critique of Neo-Atheist Nonsense About the Jesus of History (Wipf & Stock, 2019) and A Faithful Guide to Philosophy: A Christian Introduction to the Love of Wisdom (Wipf & Stock, 2019).
Muslim Ministry
Muslim Ministry Mentoring provides an opportunity to dialogue with an experienced leader to learn more about ministry to Muslims or to discuss specific issues and ideas in building relationships with Muslims.
Mentors
Emil Shehadeh was born in Israel and educated mainly in the UK, achieving BSc Hons (Medical Biology), MSc (Biochemistry), MB ChB (Medicine), and a Diploma in Dermatology and MRCGP, as well as a DPGT and PhD in Islamic studies. Growing up in Israel, he accompanied his parents all over Galilee, spreading the Gospel amongst all communities including Muslims. He also worked with Child Evangelism Fellowship and OM. In the early 1990s, he co-founded an Arabic Church in Cardiff, S Wales. He practiced as a GP (Family Physician and a trainer) until 2016. Upon retirement, he dedicated his time to writing and speaking on the subject of Islam and evangelising Muslims. He supports evangelistic work amongst Muslims in North Africa and Nigeria. Emil has a PhD in Islamic Studies from Logos University and is engaged in another piece of research on the Causes and Consequences of Muslim Conversions to Christianity. He believes that the expansion of the Kingdom of God must be the chief concern of the people of God.
Church Leadership and Ministry
Church Revitalisation
Church Revitalisation Mentoring provides an opportunity for participants to discuss the common obstacles and available tools to bring revitalization to an existing church.
Mentors
David Brown planted three churches before revitalising a church in central Paris. For many years he was involved with GBU (Groupes Bibliques Universitaires), the French student movement affiliated with IFES. More recently he has been promoting church revitalisation through his chairmanship of the Evangelism Commission of the French “National Council of Evangelicals” and through his teaching and mentoring at the Bible Institutes in Geneva and Paris and by leading a range of seminars and workshops in France and across Europe.
Disciple-Making Leadership
Disciple-Making Leadership Mentoring helps participants consider how to nurture God's people toward biblical maturity through a recovery of the biblical foundation for leadership, spiritual formation, pastoral care and personal discipleship.
Mentors
Tom Drake recently retired from the business world as the chief financial officer of a credit union. He worked in the financial services industry for most of his professional career. He is married and has 3 sons and 5 grandchildren. Tom has been involved in small group leadership development and discipleship with his local church for over 30 years and has seen the number of small groups grow from 10 to over 350. For the last 12 years he has focused on Ministry to Men in his church and has helped develop a Core Men’s Leadership Team and Discipleship for Life small groups to help committed men grow in their maturity to become multiplying disciple-makers.
Dafydd Job served as a pastor for over 40 years in Wales, including 37 years in the Bangor Welsh Evangelical Church. He has been active in a number of organisations, including UCCF and The Evangelical Movement of Wales, and is the coordinator of the Barnabas Project for UFM Worldwide - a project for encouraging churches, pastors and Christian leaders. He visits Eastern Europe regularly to speak, and to mentor pastors. He has recently been appointed as an associate of Living Leadership, which means he is available to mentor and advise pastors, Christian leaders, and help churches through difficult times.
Jay Mosser has served in pastoral roles for 43 years – about 20 years in various assistant pastor capacities and the rest as senior pastor. Through those years he has served in three churches ranging from smaller (less than 50) to larger (about 1,000). Along the way he has worked with children, teens, worship ministry, pastoral care, preaching, and leadership. Jay has an M.Div. from Western (Conservative Baptist) Seminary and a D.Min. from Corban University in Oregon, where his doctoral thesis was titled How a Pastor’s Theology of Shepherding Affects the Health & Growth of a Church. He is married to Kathy and has three daughters and five grandchildren. In his spare time, he loves to read, hike, travel, watch sports, and spend time with his family.
Financial Stewardship
Financial Stewardship Mentoring provides a guidance to leaders in learn, apply and multiply Gods financial principles in their personal life or ministry or church.
Mentors
Bert den Hertog is CEO of Compass Europe (www.compass1.eu), a network in Europe of 18 countries for making financial disciples by financial disciplers. He is also involved in the global leadership of Compass Global (active in 80 countries all over the globe). He serves the national movements and is pioneering new countries of Compass across Europe. He is also a financial coach and trainer in the area of recovery from debt and unemployment. Previously he served for eight years as the general secretary of IFES-Netherlands, a trainer in Governance for IFES Europe, and a member of the Advisory Board of Veritas Europe. He has also been a church planter and the head of youth ministries for a Dutch Reformed Inner Mission Organisation. After graduating he spent six years as a project manager in a consultancy company and in his free time was an elder of a Dutch Reformed Church. Bert is married to Marjon, and they have five children and four grandchildren.
Zsolt Szalai, following his studies on Hungarian and English universities and completion of a university doctor’s degree in finance, has spent the last three decades in mid and upper management roles in banking, private equity, not-for-profit organizations, and Christian churches. Currently, he is self-employed as a business consultant. Besides that, he is Head of the Board of Elders of Szentendre Reformed Church, Chairman of Christian Businessmen Association, Board Member of Compass Europe, and leader of the Leadership Workshop of the Hungarian Evangelical Forum. During his career, Zsolt gained a wide range of experience in corporate finance, capital markets, project finance, innovation management, and business development areas. Zsolt is also an adjunct professor at Károli Gáspár Reformed University, Pentecostal Theological College, and Bakke Graduate University. He is also an active speaker and lecturer on conferences and leadership courses and workshops.
Men’s Ministry
Men's Ministry Mentoring addresses the basics for men’s ministry and examples of how this ministry could be started and developed, focusing on growing a small team of men to live with a heart and vision for Biblical leadership and discipleship.
Mentors
Tom Drake recently retired from the business world as the chief financial officer of a credit union. He worked in the financial services industry for most of his professional career. He is married and has 3 sons and 5 grandchildren. Tom has been involved in small group leadership development and discipleship with his local church for over 30 years and has seen the number of small groups grow from 10 to over 350. For the last 12 years he has focused on Ministry to Men in his church and has helped develop a Core Men’s Leadership Team and Discipleship for Life small groups to help committed men grow in their maturity to become multiplying disciple-makers.
Pastoral Growth
Pastoral Growth Mentoring focuses on personal spiritual health as pastoral leaders with their families, schedules, and churches; on the decisions in pastoral ministry and the preparation for work in the church- building healthy teams, leading church services and ministry events.
Mentors
Jay Mosser has served in pastoral roles for 43 years – about 20 years in various assistant pastor capacities and the rest as senior pastor. Through those years he has served in three churches ranging from smaller (less than 50) to larger (about 1,000). Along the way he has worked with children, teens, worship ministry, pastoral care, preaching, and leadership. Jay has an M.Div. from Western (Conservative Baptist) Seminary and a D.Min. from Corban University in Oregon, where his doctoral thesis was titled How a Pastor’s Theology of Shepherding Affects the Health & Growth of a Church. He is married to Kathy and has three daughters and five grandchildren. In his spare time, he loves to read, hike, travel, watch sports, and spend time with his family.
Pastors
Pastors Mentoring provides pastors with the chance to discuss questions and concerns about their ministry with a more experienced mentor and to receive encouragement, prayer, and refreshment.
Mentors
Jim Crooks is a pastor of an independent church in Perth, Scotland. After graduating in business studies in 1981, Jim went on to work in financial and administrative roles before entering further and higher education as an Assistant Principal. He became Principal of a college in Northern Ireland in 2004 and successfully led three colleges to a merger in 2007. He became Principal of a similar college in Scotland and led four colleges to merge in 2012. For three years after his retirement from secular employment in 2012, Jim was a lecturer and coordinator of part-time provision at Tilsley College, a small theological college in Scotland. In addition to his pastoral ministry, Jim also teaches and preaches in Scotland and elsewhere in Europe. He works with the Church Strengthening Initiative, supporting churches and their leadership teams to make change, and is a trustee for Echoes International, a mission support agency supporting mission workers across the globe. Jim has published his book on harnessing the power of learning to effect personal change. An exploration of Ephesians 4:22-24, the book 'I've changed my mind' is an in-depth look at spiritual transformation. Jim was widowed in 2012 but has married Laura in December 2017. He is a father of one grown son and a grandfather of two boys.
Dafydd Job served as a pastor for over 40 years in Wales, including 37 years in the Bangor Welsh Evangelical Church. He has been active in a number of organisations, including UCCF and The Evangelical Movement of Wales, and is the coordinator of the Barnabas Project for UFM Worldwide - a project for encouraging churches, pastors and Christian leaders. He visits Eastern Europe regularly to speak, and to mentor pastors. He has recently been appointed as an associate of Living Leadership, which means he is available to mentor and advise pastors, Christian leaders, and help churches through difficult times.
John Kirkpatrick is the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Previously, he was the pastor of Portrush Presbyterian Church for over 20 years. John is the director of the apologetics course Reality316 aimed at equipping a wide range of people to be relevant apologists. For a number of years, he served as Chairman of New Horizon, a well-known Christian conference in Ireland and has been a chaplain to the Motorcycle Racing community, quite unique to the Irish culture. John is married to Joan and they have four children, three of whom are now married.
Small Group Leadership
Small Group Leadership Mentoring participants will learn about the biblical role of a leader and discuss the essentials for a healthy small group that helps others to grow to maturity in Christ.
Mentors
Tom Drake recently retired from the business world as the chief financial officer of a credit union. He worked in the financial services industry for most of his professional career. He is married and has 3 sons and 5 grandchildren. Tom has been involved in small group leadership development and discipleship with his local church for over 30 years and has seen the number of small groups grow from 10 to over 350. For the last 12 years he has focused on Ministry to Men in his church and has helped develop a Core Men’s Leadership Team and Discipleship for Life small groups to help committed men grow in their maturity to become multiplying disciple-makers.
Youth Ministry
Youth Ministry Mentoring is designed to encourage youth ministers while offering them an opportunity to talk through difficult issues and to give them some of the tools they need to impact the church of tomorrow.
Mentors
Paul Bowman has 30 years of experience in full-time youth ministry in the local church. He now serves as the national director for Josiah Venture UK. He is committed to training and equipping the next generation of youth leaders, and mobilizing people, prayer and resources for ministry to youth in Central and Eastern Europe. He lives with his wife Val and their three children in Saintfield, Northern Ireland. He holds a BSc Hons in Community Youth Work and a Master’s in Transformational Leadership.
Organisational Leadership
AI Mentoring
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Mentoring provides guidance and support for leaders seeking to learn more on how to effectively use the benefits of artificial intelligence in their churches, ministries, and Christian organizations.
Mentors
Charlie Catlett is a computer scientist who has focused his research for nearly 40 years in the development of the Internet and WorldWideWeb, computer security, and high-performance computing, holding scientific leadership positions at multiple universities and national laboratories. During the past decade his research has focused on the use of computational modeling and artificial intelligence (AI) embedded with sensors to create new classes of environmental measurements and urban planning capabilities. Recently he has also used AI-based data analysis to assess community vulnerability to factors ranging from communicable disease to impacts of climate change, such as flooding and extreme temperatures. He has received numerous awards for his research and leadership, including being named to Crain’s “Tech 50” leaders in Chicago in 2014, GovTech magazine’s national “25 Doers, Dreamers & Drivers” of 2016, and as a Distinguished Performer in 2019 by the Board of Trustees of Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago. Charlie is a Computer Engineering graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Entrepreneurial Leadership
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.
Mentors
Nick Davis is a retired Managing Director of a group of international medical products companies and is a member of a large diverse church in South Wales. Nick is a qualified accountant who now sits on the boards of several charities and non-profit companies (covering areas such as the Christian response to poverty alleviation in the UK and Africa, human trafficking and slavery), advising particularly on strategic planning, business development, financial, and regulatory issues. Nick and his wife Ruth have spent much of the last year living in Uganda working with Christian businesses and NGOs.
Leadership and Management
Leadership and Management Mentoring provides organisation leaders an opportunity to talk over a specific management problem(s) with an experienced leader who is willing to listen, ask relevant questions, and offer opinions about the problem, based on their experience.
Mentors
Sarah Breuel is the founder and director of Revive Europe. Included in Christianity Today’s “33 under 33” list of leaders to watch, Sarah served as chair of the Lausanne Younger Leaders Gathering 2016. Originally from Brazil and currently living in Rome, Sarah has worked for IFES for 17 years in four national movements (Brazil, Canada, Norway, and Italy) and the European region for 6 years as evangelism training Coordinator for IFES Europe. She has a business degree, MDiv from Regent College, and serves globally in the Lausanne Board of Directors. Sarah is married to René. They have planted a vibrant church in Rome and have two boys: Pietro and Matteo.
Jen Charteris, originally from South Africa, is the executive director of Crosslands, which provides in-context theological training from Foundation to PhD level across the UK, Europe, and beyond. Previously she spent over 25 years working in strategic change, organisational consulting, and board and leadership development. She has been a senior advisor on major change programmes in government, defence, infrastructure, and financial services, taught on various MBA programmes and at the UK Military’s Defence Academy, worked internationally with the leaders of Christian ministry organisations, and has many years of board experience. She is married to Hugo, a church pastor and planter in the north of England, and they have two adult children.
Nola Leach is a co-leader of the European Politics and Society Network and served as 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 and research and is represented in the UK Parliaments and Assemblies. As Head of the Public Affairs team, Nola led campaigns on topics such as human trafficking, Internet pornography, and the value of human life from its beginning to natural end. She oversaw 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. She has a passion for developing Christian leaders and headed up CARE’s unique Leadership Programme. She is increasingly in demand as both a writer and a public speaker, has penned numerous articles, and regularly appears in the media. She now spends her time mentoring leaders, speaking, and writing.
Jane Norton is the daughter of a coach and teacher who taught her the value of work, honesty, family, and service. Those ideals led her to a career in public service where she served in appointed and elected government positions in her home state of Colorado and in Washington, DC. She also worked in the private and non-profit sectors where she served in leadership, development, and consulting roles. Jane earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Sciences, a Master’s Degree in Management, and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities Degree from Colorado Christian University. Jane is married to Mike and together they have four children and seven grandchildren.
Zsolt Szalai, following his studies on Hungarian and English universities and completion of a university doctor’s degree in finance, has spent the last three decades in mid and upper management roles in banking, private equity, not-for-profit organizations, and Christian churches. Currently, he is self-employed as a business consultant. Besides that, he is Head of the Board of Elders of Szentendre Reformed Church, Chairman of Christian Businessmen Association, Board Member of Compass Europe, and leader of the Leadership Workshop of the Hungarian Evangelical Forum. During his career, Zsolt gained a wide range of experience in corporate finance, capital markets, project finance, innovation management, and business development areas. Zsolt is also an adjunct professor at Károli Gáspár Reformed University, Pentecostal Theological College, and Bakke Graduate University. He is also an active speaker and lecturer on conferences and leadership courses and workshops.
Personal
Marriage and Family
Marriage and Family Mentoring aims to help married couples strengthen their relationships, provide effective resources for couples in distress, and encourage individuals to develop a comprehensive approach to marriage-focused ministry.
Mentors
Amy accepted Christ in grade school and was privileged to grow up in a Christian home. She attended Baylor University where she earned a BA in Social Work. Amy and her husband, Bill, have been married since 1992 and have three amazing grown children: Aly (1995), JD (1997), and Will (1999) as well as a wonderful son-in-law (Trent, married to Aly) and daughter-in-law (Savannah, married to JD). They have served together as enrichment class leaders, small group leaders, mission trip leaders, and teachers at Scottsdale Bible Church for more than 20 years. Amy teaches a regular class for women’s ministry called The Grace Based Woman and has served as a guest speaker at churches and retreats throughout Arizona. Amy and Bill regularly teach together on topics including marriage, parenting, and dating.
Bill Cavness spent 20 years in the construction industry in Arizona prior to being called into vocational ministry in 2018. He also served as the Director of Operations for Dr. Tim Kimmel and Grace Based Families from 2008-2014, where he was immersed in biblical thought and teaching on marriage and family dynamics. He now serves as the Pastor of Adult Ministry Formation at Scottsdale Bible Church in Arizona. He earned his undergraduate degree from Baylor University and is near completion of his MA in Biblical and Theological Studies at Phoenix Seminary. Bill has been married to his wife, Amy, for 32 years, and they have three adult children.
Personal Counselling
Personal Counselling was created in response to a request by many Forum participants over the years for the opportunity to meet with experienced Forum leaders and counsellors to talk and pray about personal issues or struggles.
Mentors
Jeanette Frahm has been leading women for over 45 years in the church, her community and as a staff member of The Navigators through Bible studies, discipleship groups, conferences, banquets and retreats. She co-founded The Northfield Women's Center and serves as President of the Board of Directors. A certified Narrative Life Coach who listens well and helps women feel inspired and empowered to make long-term changes that will benefit them the rest of their lives.
Tim Patterson has been involved in para-church ministry since 1976 - in the USA, Germany and Russia. He and Dawn, his wife of 35 years, are presently staff members with GLINTS (Global Intercultural Services) for whom they oversee Member Care for the small missionary sending agency. Tim and Dawn live in Minnesota, USA.
Women and Leadership
Women and Leadership Mentoring provides a time to seek the perspective that God may have on your circumstances and situations from an experienced mentor.
Mentors
Sarah Breuel is the founder and director of Revive Europe. Included in Christianity Today’s “33 under 33” list of leaders to watch, Sarah served as chair of the Lausanne Younger Leaders Gathering 2016. Originally from Brazil and currently living in Rome, Sarah has worked for IFES for 17 years in four national movements (Brazil, Canada, Norway, and Italy) and the European region for 6 years as evangelism training Coordinator for IFES Europe. She has a business degree, MDiv from Regent College, and serves globally in the Lausanne Board of Directors. Sarah is married to René. They have planted a vibrant church in Rome and have two boys: Pietro and Matteo.
Jen Charteris, originally from South Africa, is the executive director of Crosslands, which provides in-context theological training from Foundation to PhD level across the UK, Europe, and beyond. Previously she spent over 25 years working in strategic change, organisational consulting, and board and leadership development. She has been a senior advisor on major change programmes in government, defence, infrastructure, and financial services, taught on various MBA programmes and at the UK Military’s Defence Academy, worked internationally with the leaders of Christian ministry organisations, and has many years of board experience. She is married to Hugo, a church pastor and planter in the north of England, and they have two adult children.
Jeanette Frahm has been leading women for over 45 years in the church, her community and as a staff member of The Navigators through Bible studies, discipleship groups, conferences, banquets and retreats. She co-founded The Northfield Women's Center and serves as President of the Board of Directors. A certified Narrative Life Coach who listens well and helps women feel inspired and empowered to make long-term changes that will benefit them the rest of their lives.
Nola Leach is a co-leader of the European Politics and Society Network and served as 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 and research and is represented in the UK Parliaments and Assemblies. As Head of the Public Affairs team, Nola led campaigns on topics such as human trafficking, Internet pornography, and the value of human life from its beginning to natural end. She oversaw 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. She has a passion for developing Christian leaders and headed up CARE’s unique Leadership Programme. She is increasingly in demand as both a writer and a public speaker, has penned numerous articles, and regularly appears in the media. She now spends her time mentoring leaders, speaking, and writing.
Jane Norton is the daughter of a coach and teacher who taught her the value of work, honesty, family, and service. Those ideals led her to a career in public service where she served in appointed and elected government positions in her home state of Colorado and in Washington, DC. She also worked in the private and non-profit sectors where she served in leadership, development, and consulting roles. Jane earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Health Sciences, a Master’s Degree in Management, and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities Degree from Colorado Christian University. Jane is married to Mike and together they have four children and seven grandchildren.
Vocation
Academic
Academic Mentoring gives young academics an opportunity to discuss a piece of academic work (such as a chapter of a thesis/dissertation or a scholarly article) or a general issue related to their experience in academia with a more experienced academic.
Mentors
Per Ewert is the director of The Clapham Institute, Sweden’s leading Christian think tank and research institute. His PhD describes the political process which shaped Sweden into the world's arguably most secular-individualistic nation. Per is the author of several books on apologetics, relations, and the role of faith in society. He also writes weekly editorials in one of Sweden's Christian dailies. He lives with his wife and four children in southern Sweden.
Alexander Fink is Director of the Institute for Faith and Science (Institut für Glaube und Wissenschaft) in Marburg, Germany (www.iguw.de). He studied physics at Bayreuth and St. Andrews (UK) universities and received his PhD at the Institute for Biophysics at the University of Regensburg. After working as an industrial product manager, he became the director of the SMD graduates' ministry (Akademiker-SMD, the German branch of IFES) until 2014. Since 2008, he has been a member of the ELF Steering Committee and has co-led the Scientists Network. He is the editor of the "Begründet-glauben-Podcast" (www.begruendet-glauben.org) and has produced three documentary movies, "Fascinating Universe", "More than My Brain", and “Is there meaning in suffering?” which were officially recommended for use in secular public schools. Together with his wife, Alexander enjoys raising his two children, preaching and leading a house group in his local church, and being a youth soccer trainer in his local sports club.
Andy McIntosh holds an Emeritus chair in Thermodynamics at the University of Leeds and is also an adjunct professor of Engineering at Liberty University in Virginia. He has had a long scientific research career concerning mathematics, combustion and aeronautics, both in academia and in a government establishment, and is author of over 200 academic papers. Andy is the inventor of the 𝜇Mist novel spray technology which copies the Bombardier beetle spray and has led to this spray technology being applied to fuel injectors, pharmaceutical sprays, aerosols and more recently fire sprinkler systems. This was awarded the 2010 Times Higher Educational award for the Outstanding Contribution to Innovation and Technology. His work has also included investigations into the fundamental link between thermodynamics and information. This strikes at the heart of the issue concerning abiogenesis – the information in living systems is neither matter nor energy but is absolutely essential for life.
He now lectures widely on origins, and has authored the books “Genesis for Today” (Day One, 6th Edition, 2017), and “A verse by verse examination of Genesis 1-11” (Day One, 2016) and has contributed to a number of other books including “Wonders of Creation – Design in a fallen world”(co-authored with Stuart Burgess and Brian Edwards, Day One, 2017), “Origins – examining the evidence” (Truth in Science, 2011), “In six days” (Master Books, 2009) and “Should Christians embrace Evolution?” (IVP, 2009). He has also written the booklet “Are you really an Atheist?” (2018) and co-authored the booklets “Is it True – Evidence for Creation” (2018) and “A wonder of Creation – the Kingfisher” (2024) and is co-director of the UK education think tank Truth in Science. He is married with 4 children (one of whom died in infancy), and 7 grandchildren.
Artists
Artists Mentoring creates a space for participants to connect with and receive practical help and guidance from an experienced Christian artist leader on living out their calling.
Mentors
Dr. Brian S. Chan, professor at Dallas Theological Seminary, is passionate about Biblical beauty that leads to a love for God. Before joining the DTS family, he served for 18 years as a pastor in Los Angeles and taught integration courses for 17 years as a professor at Biola University on a theology of beauty, art, and film. He is a workshop instructor and conference speaker in Hollywood on story, creativity, and beauty. As a pastor, he discipled entertainment industry professionals and innovated creative outreaches to the community. As an award-winning fine artist, Chan has exhibited around the U.S. and is a member of LELA International Artists. As an accomplished martial artist in multiple disciplines of kung fu, he is a certified Wing Chun master (sifu) and worked as a fight choreographer, stuntman, and trainer for actors. As a writer, he is the author of “The Purple Curtain: Living Out Beauty in Faith & Culture from a Biblical Perspective, Not Easily Broken” (a novel), “Shadow” in “It Was Good: Performing Arts to the Glory of God,” and “Movies: Celluloid Sanctification” in “Ordinary Saints.” His other interests include geekdom in pop culture of comics, backpacking in nature, traveling, and bonsai art. He is married to his soulmate and journey mate, Ellen, and is the proud dad of his son. Chan’s mission is to create beauty out of brokenness, exhibiting the beauty of Christ in all of life.
Media Engagement
Media Engagement Mentoring provides an opportunity for creative personal dialogue with an experienced practitioner relating the individual context and calling to 'media ministries' (the creative use of media technologies in the Church and mission), 'media presence' (being salt and light in mainstream media), and/ or 'media awareness' (media analysis or critique as disciples and witnesses).
Mentors
Margunn Serigstad Dahle, the co-leader of the European Media Communicators Network, is Associate Professor at NLA University College, Kristiansand, Norway, where she has taught in the fields of communication, media, and worldviews since 1991. She was for many years Programme Director for the Communication and Worldviews Bachelor Program, which is designed to equip evangelical communicators and apologists in various fields for the contemporary Western cultural context. Especially connected to her Damaris involvement, she is a regular lecturer, speaker, and writer in various contexts in Norway and beyond. She was a co-editor of "The Lausanne Movement: A Range of Perspectives" (Oxford: Regnum, 2014). Margunn formerly served as Chairman of Lunde Publishing House.