Mark Oestreicher

Mark Oestreicher is a partner in The Youth Cartel, challenging youth ministers through holistic professional coaching, strategic consulting, transformational events and inventive resource development for youth ministry. He has had a broad experience working in churches in roles ranging from junior high pastor to executive pastor. He has served as vice president of ministry resources and later as president of Youth Specialties in San Diego, an organization that trains and equips church youth workers. Oestreicher has authored or contributed to more than sixty books, including extensive youth ministry curricula and books like and He actively continues in his calling to middle school ministry by volunteering with young teens at Journey Community Church in La Mesa, California, where he leads a small group of middle school students each week. He is married to Jeannie and has two children in high school and college.

Scot McKnight (Ph.D., University of Nottingham) is professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary in Lombard, Illinois. He is the author of and commentaries on James, Galatians and 1 Peter, and coeditor of the award-winning . He is also a widely recognized blogger at the Jesus Creed blog. His other interests include golfing, gardening and traveling.