• Albers, Steve
• Albrecht, Carol
• Fryar, Jane L.
• Giesler, Ruth
• Graham, Diane
• Keurulainen, Pastor Barry
• Marsh, Gail
• Mitchell, Patricia R.
• Norris, Julie
• Robinson, Jane
• Schmitt, David
• Wagener, Ken
• Werner, Cherie
• Wesemann, Tim
• Zeller, Alison

Tim Wesemann

Tim Wesemann founded Foolish Words (cf., 1 Corinthians 1:18), a writing and speaking ministry, in 2000 after serving as a Lutheran pastor for eleven years. A best-selling author with more than a million copies of his work in print, Tim has written more than 30 books for children and adults. Tim also writes magazine articles, dramas, greeting cards, and pastoral resources. He speaks across the nation on a variety of topics.

Tim and his wife, Chiara, a native from NC, love the blessings of parenting three children and a foster child. They live in the St. Louis area. Tim enjoys Cardinal baseball, movies, brainstorming sessions, and serving God's people in a variety of ways.

You can find out more about his ministry at www.FoolishWords.com.

To contact Tim about speaking for your group, use this address: TimWrite@aol.com

Jane L. Fryar

Jane L. Fryar has served God's people as a writer, Sunday school teacher, editor, mentor, church consultant, retreat speaker, university professor, and graduate dean. She has authored picture books for children, books focused on servant leadership for business and church, a variety of Christian curriculum pieces, and many devotional titles, including the popular Today's Light Bible. She holds two doctoral degrees, one academic, one honorary.

Jane lives in suburban St. Louis with Marty the Wonder Dog. She enjoys lifting weights, baking bread, leading retreats, and cheering the Cardinals on to victory.

Ken Wagener

Ken Wagener's ministry passions are Christian Education (Discipleship), strengthening families, and leadership training to "equip the saints." He currently serves as an associate pastor in Macomb, Michigan.

He has studied at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO, the University of Iowa ( Iowa City ), and Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI . He loves reading history and biographies, and is also involved in character education at the local high school. He's written a wide variety of devotions, Bible studies, and articles for journals and magazines.

Pastor Ken, his wife Brenda and daughter, Libby, enjoy reading, watching DVDs, and activities at church and with their families.

Gail Marsh

Gail Marsh has taught in early childhood settings in Illinois, Iowa, and Florida. She now teaches kindergarteners in Missouri. She treasures the opportunities God has given her in all four states to share Jesus with her students and their family members in Christian schools.

In addition, Gail has published dozens of curriculum pieces for use in Sunday schools, VBS, and mid-week programs. Her work for CTA has included titles like God's Promises for Moms, Abundant Blessings, and the Timely Tips column that appears in each month's Ministry Newsletter.

Patricia R. Mitchell

Patricia R. Mitchell, former Editorial Director with Hallmark Cards, is a freelance writer specializing in Bible studies, inspirational articles, devotionals, and gift books. She also enjoys leading workshops at women's retreats and writers' conferences.

Pat, her mother, and her brother share a home with four cats in Kansas City, Missouri. The cats are especially interested in Pat's newest hobby, hand quilting. They believe she stretches a quilt over a quilting frame for the sole purpose of making them a hammock.

Carol Albrecht

Carol Albrecht lives in a beautiful Victorian town with her pastor husband. They have four grown children, all of whom live too far way. She is a retired paraeducator who teaches a fifth grade Midweek class, leads a women's Bible study, and does public speaking. After years of writing freelance and on assignment, Carol published her first book last year, a Christian novel for women titled, Dearest Mandy.

Besides writing, Carol enjoys reading, crocheting, and scrapbooking. She makes yearly scrapbooks for each of her seven grandchildren, which keeps her very busy.

Alison Zeller

Alison Zeller was born and raised in Iowa, and moved to St. Louis after graduating from the University of Iowa in 2007. During her college years, God blessed Alison with the opportunity to work and gain writing experience in several different internships, working for USA Boxing, the American Red Cross, and the University of Iowa athletic program.

Alison has been involved with teaching Sunday school and singing in the choir at her church. By day, she works as the community relations coordinator for a St. Louis homeless shelter. When she’s not writing or working, Alison enjoys spending time with her new husband, Michael (married in October 2009), and training for her second half-marathon, slated for April 2010.

Cherie Werner

A preschool teacher for many years, Cherie Werner now works with kindergarteners all day in a Christian school in Battle Creek, Nebraska. In addition, she’s deeply immersed in other leadership activities for her church including Sunday school, VBS, and adult Bible studies.

Cherie enjoys reading, writing, and walking with friends. Originally from Littleton, Colorado, she misses the mountains and the weather there.

David Schmitt

David R. Schmitt serves the church through teaching, writing, speaking, and conducting workshops for both pastors and congregations. His interests involve preaching, evangelism, the devotional life, and the relationship between Christianity and literature. He currently serves as a seminary professor in St. Louis and enjoys lifting weights, biking, and playing racquetball.

Jane Robinson

Jane Robinson has taught in Christian schools, Sunday schools, and VBS settings. She now wears several hats: mom, church musician, and product development manager. Jane lives and laughs with her husband, Paul, and children, Emily, William, and James, in St. Louis. When she’s not cheering for one of the children’s sporting events, attending their band and choir concerts, or preparing for her next choir rehearsal, you might find her reading in her screened-in porch or puttering about the garden.

Pastor Barry Keurulainen

Barry J. Keurulainen pastors a church north of Pittsburgh, PA. The opportunity, the challenge, and the privilege that are connected with being a pastor captivate his heart even more so now than when he began. His interests are reaching the lost and skeptical, developing leaders, spiritual formation, and coaching others in their journey. He enjoys reading, fishing, and woodworking.

Ruth Giesler

Ruth Giesler teaches first grade at Abiding Savior School in California. Earlier in her career, she served for nine years as an editor at a Christian publishing house where she developed hundreds of picture books and devotional books for children. She has led Christian writing workshops across the country, in addition to writing ten books, numerous devotional pieces, and curricular materials.

Along with writing, Ruth enjoys music. She serves as an organist at her church, directs a children’s bell choir, and accompanies a children’s choir. Reading and playing fetch at the beach with Jem (short for Jeremiah), her black lab, are her favorite free-time activities.

Steve Albers

Steve Albers has pastored the same congregation in suburban St. Louis for nearly thirty years. He is the author of Front Page Preaching, a book of sermons that addresses contemporary issues facing our culture. He also has taught homiletics, served as editor of a preaching journal, and received a graduate degree from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana.

He enjoys both golf and gardening. He and his wife, Cathie, a nurse practitioner in women’s health, love to travel. They celebrate their four children and four grandchildren.

Diane Graham

Diane Graham is a long-time member of her church. She sings in the church choir and teaches a ladies’ Sunday school class. She facilitates a monthly support group focused on Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders. She enthusiastically participates in mission activities and in women’s ministry at the local, regional, and state level. Diane enjoys inspirational speaking and writing. In December 2007 her first book, Whispers from the Pit: The Pathway of My Life, was published. She speaks on a variety of topics, such as mentoring, depression, infertility, and caregiving for patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Julie Norris

Julie Norris is a pastor’s wife and serves on her church’s staff as the Women’s, Children’s, and Youth Ministry Director. She also serves the larger church as Associational Director of Women’s Missions and Ministry in her region. In addition, Julie owns and operates a tea room in DeSoto, Missouri. She is a mom and “stage-mom” to four fabulously talented sons, two beautiful daughters-in-law, one brilliant grandson and seventeen additional daughters-in-law-in-training. Julie is a designer, director, actress, singer, costumer, seamstress, special-events coordinator, party planner, wedding consultant, and writer who hates housework. She loves tea parties and all things dramatic.