So, what exactly does a "vacation with purpose" mean? At Maranatha, it means worshipful concerts, poignant messages, singing children, challenging Biblical conversations, crafts, tie dye, ice cream...and so much more.
Week by week, see what's happening at Maranatha.
↓ 2021 Summer Program Guide Week at a Glance ChannelDr. Ray Pritchard serves as president of Keep Believing Ministries. He ministers extensively across the US and in South Korea, Ukraine, Uganda, Kenya, China, and the Philippines. He has written 31 books, including Stealth Attack, The Healing Power of Forgiveness, and An Anchor for the Soul. He is a co-host of Today's Issues on American Family Radio. He has been married to Marlene for 47 years. They have three sons (all married) and ten grandchildren.
Dr. Pritchard’s hobbies include biking, surfing the Internet, and anything related to the Civil War. He hit the 50,000-mile mark on his bike riding in 2020.
Bill Crowder joined the Our Daily Bread Ministries staff in 2001 after more than 20 years in the pastorate stretching from West Virginia to southern California to west Michigan. As Vice President of Teaching Content, Bill provides biblical and theological evaluation of the ministry’s content for their various ministry efforts. Additionally, Bill spends much of his time in a Bible-conference ministry around the world, serving ODBM offices and their outreach to their local communities.
Bill is a contributing writer for the Our Daily Bread devotional and has written many Bible study booklets for ODBM’s Discovery Series. He has also published several books with Discovery House Publishers, the latest being Before Christmas and The God of Surprise. Bill also serves as a co-host with Mart DeHaan, Elisa Morgan, 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, most of whom are now married—which means that they have a growing legion of grandchildren. To relax, Bill enjoys playing golf whenever possible, and follows sports, especially the English Premier League’s Liverpool Football Club.
Extreme Response creates opportunities for life change through education reinforcement, life skills training, and leadership development.
Dr. Mark Jobe, President of Moody Bible Institute, is the son of missionaries to rural Spain. He came to Christ at age 15, and at 17 left his village of 200 people to attend Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. By age 21, he was pastoring a small congregation in the inner city of Chicago. For more than 30 years, Dr. Jobe has served as the lead and founding pastor of New Life Community Church, and he and his wife Dee have seen the church grow from a handful of people to approximately 7,000 meeting at 27 locations throughout the Chicago area and in 8 cities internationally. He is also founder of New Life Centers, an organization focused on helping youth in undeserved areas of Chicago, is the author of Unstuck: Out of Your Cave and Into Your Call (Moody Publishers), and is the host of Bold Steps, a weekday program heard across Moody Radio’s nation-wide network of stations. He and his wife have 3 adult children.
Pastor Ron and his wife, Jody, were in their first year of marriage when they came to the brink of divorce. Desperately searching for help, the couple discovered a personal relationship with Jesus and, with the power of God, they were able to save and strengthen their marriage.
Their experience was life-altering. They felt the call to help change the lives of others. After spending seven years in the business world, Ron quit his job, went to seminary, and in the year 2000, he and Jody stepped out in faith to plant Highpoint Church. 20 years later, what started as a handful of people praying in a basement has grown into five campus locations around Chicagoland with church plants all around the country helping thousands of people believe in, belong to, and become like Jesus.
Ron and Jody currently live in Wheaton, IL, and have three grown daughters, Allie, Erin, and Emily.
Chris Brooks is the host of the national syndicated radio program, ‘Equipped with Chris Brooks’, which is heard on over 200 stations throughout the U.S. and Canada. He is also the Senior Pastor at Woodside Bible Church in Metro Detroit. Woodside has fourteen campuses and sees nearly eleven thousand weekly worshippers. Chris is the author of Kingdom Dreaming and Urban Apologetics and is contributing author to ‘A New Kind of Apologetics’ and ‘Marriage: It’s Foundation Theology and Mission in a Changing World’. He graduated from Michigan State University with a BA in Finance, completed his MA in Christian Apologetics at Biola University, and graduated from the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics. He is currently a doctoral candidate at Asbury Theological Seminary where he is studying the Integration of Economics and Theology. He and his wife, Yodit, are the proud parents of Christopher, Zewditu (Zoe), Cameron, Judah, Sophia and Christyana.
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.
For more than three decades, Phil Tuttle has been a vital member of the Walk Thru the Bible family. He has served as Dean of Faculty, Senior VP for International Ministries, and Global Teaching Pastor before becoming President and CEO in 2007. As author of serval books, he continues to share God's Word throughout the world in churches, Bible conferences, Christian education conventions, and corporate gatherings. Phil and his wife, Ellen, have two adult children, Emily and Philip, and a daughter-in-law, Erika, and two grandchildren.
Dr. Rob Rienow’s most important ministry is loving his wife Amy and partnering with her to help their seven children love and follow God. He is the founder of Visionary Family Ministries, a pastor, church planter, international conference speaker, and the author of several books including Visionary Parenting, Visionary Marriage, and Never Too Late. When he is not fishing for men he enjoys fishing for fish. The Rienow family lives in West Chicago, IL.
By the Hand is a Christ-centered, after-school program that takes kids by the hand and walks
with them from kindergarten through college, helping them have abundant life—mind,
body and soul.
Crawford was ordained to the ministry in March 1972. He and his wife Karen have been featured speakers at Family Life marriage conferences. Crawford has written 9 books including the newly released book with Karen, Your Marriage Today … and Tomorrow. Crawford has several degrees, serves on several boards and is the host of two national radio programs, the weekend program Living a Legacy, and the daily program Legacy Moments. They have 4 children and 11 grandchildren. Presently, Crawford serves as Senior Pastor at Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, GA.
Todd VanEk is Mission India’s President & CEO. He comes to the ministry with 20 years of experience in church leadership, and has served as an advocate for India and Mission India for more than 10 years. After traveling extensively in India, Todd shares, “I hold a deep passion for advancing God’s Kingdom through evangelism and Church Planting. Advocating for people’s involvement in the Great Commission gives me great joy!” This passion has prompted Todd to speak on the topic throughout the U.S. He and his wife, Jean, have five children, including a daughter adopted from India. They make their home in Holland, Michigan.
Mission India equips India’s Christians to plant reproducing churches.
Dr. Ronald A. Cline challenges and edifies the body of Christ around the world. His background as a pastor, educator, counselor, missionary and author gives him credibility and rapport with the many groups and individuals he and his wife, Barbara, minister to in various countries each year. Ron and Barb currently serve as Global Ambassadors with Reach Beyond and live in Southern California. They travel from there throughout the world preaching, teaching and coaching.
After 7 years of church centered ministry in Southern California, Ron served as Dean at Azusa Pacific University for 10 years. The Clines’ international service began in 1976 as a short-term opportunity when he agreed to pastor the English Fellowship Church in Quito, Ecuador for two years. Those two years stretched into six years. Following that he served as the president of HCJB Global for 20 years. HCJB Global, now Reach Beyond, has media, health care and leadership development ministries in North America, Latin America, Europe-Russia, North Africa/Middle East, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia Pacific.
Ron and Barb currently serve as Global Ambassadors with Reach Beyond and live in Southern California. They travel from there throughout the world preaching, teaching and coaching.
Dr. Ellen is the Senior Pastor of Community of Faith Bible Church in Houston Texas and Senior Professor of Biblical Counseling at the College of Biblical Studies in Houston, Texas. Dr. Ellen has also developed a biblical counseling training center called Expository Counseling Training Center LLC.
He received his B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Houston, Houston, Texas, his M.A. in Christian Education from Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas, his M.A. in Biblical Counseling from The Masters University, Santa Clarita, California, his Doctorate of Ministry with a concentration in Biblical Counseling from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Louisville, Kentucky and his PH.D in Biblical Counseling from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas.
Dr. Ellen is a certified Biblical Counselor with the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC), a Fellow with the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC) and travels nationwide with the organization teaching biblical counseling principles. Dr. Ellen and his wife Dr. Venessa Ellen have two children and four grandchildren.
Reach Beyond equips and inspires the global Church to go make disciples where Jesus is least known.
Charles Price is Minister at Large with The Peoples Church, Toronto, Canada, where he was Lead Pastor from 2001 to 2016. Originally from England, for many years he was involved in the ministry of Capernwray Hall, a bible school, conference grounds and evangelistic center in the North of England. He has preached in over 100 countries on every continent and is the author of 8 books, some of which have been translated into German, Dutch, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Hindi, Malaylam, Farsi, Korean and Latvian.
He is married to Hilary and they have two daughters, one son, two sons-in-law, five grandchildren, and their family is scattered in several parts of the world.
He had an hour-long television programme, Living Truth, broadcast coast to coast in Canada each week, as well as in more than 70 countries in a variety of languages. He has a daily 30 minute radio program broadcast in parts of the U.S.A. Canada, New Zealand, the Philippines and the UK.
Dave DeSelm is the Executive Director of Dave DeSelm Ministries, a non-profit committed to resourcing everyday pastors to equip everyday people to become every day disciples. He brings over 40 years of pastoral leadership experience into the blogs, devotionals, and coaching offered to pastors and leaders.
He served on the staff of First Missionary Church in Fort Wayne, IN, from 1979-1982. Dave then went on to plant Fellowship Missionary Church in Fort Wayne, IN, where he served as Senior Pastor for 34 years. Dave and his wife, Gwen, have three grown children and seven grandchildren.
Crossroads Prison Ministries connects prisoners with mentors in Christ-centered relationships so that lives, prisons and churches are restored through the Gospel.
Dr. Michael Rydelnik is Professor of Jewish Studies and Bible at Moody Bible Institute. He is the Host/Bible teacher on Open Line with Dr. Michael Rydelnik, answering listener Bible questions every Saturday morning for more than 200 stations across America. The son of Holocaust survivors, he was raised in an observant Jewish home in Brooklyn, New York. Michael trusted in Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah in high school and began teaching the Bible almost immediately. He graduated from Moody Bible Institute, Azusa Pacific University, Dallas Theological Seminary, and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, where his doctoral research focused on the messianic hope of the Hebrew Bible.
Dr. Rydelnik is the co-editor of The Moody Bible Commentary and the author of Understanding the Arab Israeli Conflict and The Messianic Hope: Is the Hebrew Bible Really Messianic? He served on the translation team for the Holman CSB and has contributed to multiple study Bibles, books, and theological journals. Michael and his wife, Eva, have two adult sons who call and write all the time.
As the son and grandson of missionaries, Steve grew up in Nigeria, West Africa. After graduating from Northeastern Bible College, Steve became a Lead Pastor at the ripe old age of 21. He went on to earn a graduate degree from Westminster Seminary, while pastoring the International Church of Khartoum, Sudan. Upon returning to the United States, Steve served as the Lead Pastor of some dynamic missions-minded churches in New York, California, and Colorado. After more than 30 years of pastoral leadership, Steve became the President of Reach Beyond (formerly HCJB Global). While in that role, he had the privilege of travelling throughout the world, exploring where God is at work and how His people can join Him.
This past year, Steve co-founded Compel Global. Compel is a search firm for mission agencies that connects workers, resources, and church partners with opportunities to make Jesus known in the world’s least reached places.
Steve is married to Becky Harling, a best-selling author and noted Bible teacher. Together, they wrote the book Listen Well; Lead Better, Becoming the Leader People Want to Follow.
Steve and Becky are the parents of four adult children and have a growing tribe of 14 grandchildren. When they’re not on the road, speaking in churches and coaching ministry leaders, Steve and Becky make their home in the mountains of Colorado.
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.
Dr. Erwin Lutzer is Pastor Emeritus of The Moody Church where he served as the Senior Pastor for 36 years. A clear expositor of the Bible, he is the featured speaker on three radio programs: “Running to Win,” “Moody Church Hour,” and “Songs in the Night.” He has authored several books including One Minute After You Die, When A Nation Forgets God, and the Christian Bookseller’s Gold Medallion Award winner, Hitler’s Cross. He and his wife Rebecca have co-written the books: Life-Changing Bible Verses You Should Know and Jesus, Lover Of A Woman’s Soul. A frequent Bible conference and seminar speaker, he also leads tours to Israel and the cities of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. Dr. Lutzer and his wife Rebecca live in the Chicago area and have 3 children and eight grandchildren.
Rod VanSolkema is the founding and senior pastor at Crossroads Bible Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is also the founder of Ancient Path Study Tours. In addition to being very invested in the local church and its mission, Rod is extremely passionate about bringing people to the lands of the text. His hope is that by having people walk the story in community while studying its culture and context that people will gain a rich understanding of the text and gain a vision for discipleship. Currently, Rod leads trips to Israel and study tours that include Turkey, Greece and Rome. Rod has an undergraduate degree from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois and completed his seminary work at Trinity University in Deerfield, Illinois. In addition, Rod has spent time in Israel attending and completing graduate work at Jerusalem University College. Rod lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan with his wife and three children.
Good News Nepal's mission statement reads simply “Reach to Unreached,” following the words of Jesus to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. Good News Nepal seeks to evangelize, disciple and plant churches in northwest Nepal while also assisting in disaster relief.
Roy Patterson is a broadcaster, worship leader, facilitator, preacher and soloist. He came to Christ in 1973. He immediately developed a love for God’s word. During high school he established an afterschool Bible Study. During college, Roy preached at Cook County Jail weekly. He currently serves as the Community Relations Director at Moody Bible Institute. He had his wife Lynette have been married for over 30 years and have 3 adult children.
He is the host of a local and national show called Music for Sunday. He’s also the creator and former host of Urbanpraiseradio.org.
He served as the station manager of Moody Radio Chicago, 90.1fm for four years.
He has led praise and worship throughout America and internationally.
He served as a youth pastor for 10 years.
He pastored New Life Baptist Church in Chicago Heights for 11 years.
He has provided substance abuse counseling to youth and adults.
He has led numerous racial reconciliation workshops.
He is committed to seeing the body of Christ come together to bring hope and healing to the world.
He believes the ultimate addiction is sin and the ultimate cure is the cross.
He is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute and Trinity International University.
He is the host of a local and national show called Music for Sunday. He’s also the creator and former host of Urbanpraiseradio.org.
He served as the station manager of Moody Radio Chicago, 90.1fm for four years.
He currently serves as the Community Relations Director at Moody Bible Institute.
He has been married to Lynette for over 30 years and has 3 adult children.
He has the most wonderful grandchildren in the universe.
Greg Speck is a youth and family communicator who travels around the world through his organization, Greg Speck Ministries. He has authored several books including Mustard Seeds on Youth Ministry. He has been a caseworker, a youth pastor, youth specialist for Moody, President of Youth Ministries International, and the youth and family communicator for Bethel University.
Child Evangelism Fellowship's ministry vision is to reach Every Child, Every Nation, Every Day.
Evangelize people who have life-controlling problems and initiate the discipleship process to the point where the student can function as a Christian in society applying spiritually motivated biblical principles to relationships in the family, local church, chosen vocation, and the community. Teen Challenge endeavors to help people become mentally sound, emotionally balanced, socially adjusted, physically well, and spiritually alive.
Dr. Mike Fabarez is the founding pastor of Compass Bible Church and the president of Compass Bible Institute, both located in Aliso Viejo, California. Pastor Mike is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Talbot School of Theology and Westminster Theological Seminary in California. Mike is heard on hundreds of stations on the Focal Point radio program. He has authored several books, including 10 Mistakes People Make About Heaven, Hell, and the Afterlife, Raising Men Not Boys, Lifelines for Tough Times, and Preaching that Changes Lives. Mike and his wife Carlynn have two grown sons and one teenage daughter.
Maranatha's mission is to provide spiritual renewal in a recreational setting emphasizing Bible teaching and worldwide missions.
Between your kids' morning and evening sessions full of Bible teaching, worship, and games, there are so many activities happening around Maranatha's campus! From swinging down the zip line to swinging on the beach, from building muscle in our exercise room to building friendships over a game of pickleball - we've got something for you.
Week by week, see what's happening at Maranatha.
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Use your free time in the afternoon and after the evening program to explore our campus. From building muscle in our exercise room to building friendships over a game of pickleball, there’s something for everyone.