John Ortberg
John Ortberg Junior ( born May 5, 1957 in Rockford ( Illinois), USA) is an American psychologist, theologian, author, speaker, and senior pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church ( MPPC ).
Life
John Ortberg (Junior) grew up as the son of the Swedish -born American John Ortberg (senior) to the more rural Rockford. He studied at Wheaton College ( Illinois) in Chicago and graduated with a bachelor of theology from. Then he studied clinical psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena (California), Los Angeles. He also made a master and his doctoral thesis. Later he has to continue studying at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. 1985-1990 he worked as a senior pastor in the rapidly growing Simi Valley Community Church, 1990-1994 at Horizons Community Church (now Baseline Community Church in Claremont, California). In 1994 he moved back to Illinois as a teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, near Chicago to work. In 2003 he returned to California, where he has headed as Senior Pastor at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, a multi-campus church near Stanford ( California). This Protestant church has about 4,000 members.
In addition, Ortberg is a speaker at major conferences, he spoke at Promise Keepers (2006), Westmont College (2007 ), Global Leadership Summit (2008 and 2012 ) and at Willow Creek Leadership in Germany ( 2005, 2010 and 2012 ).
Ortberg has written several books and also won awards: Christianity Today Book Award winner 2002: The Life You've Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People ( with over 500,000 copies sold by 2008, in German: the Life after you long ) and ECPA Christian Book Award winners for 2008: When the game is over, its all goes back in the box ( in German: When the game is over, everything ends up back in the box ). With the latest work Who is it this? (2012, in German: Weltbeweger, 2013) Ortberg landed on the American bestseller list.
Since 2013 his sermons with German subtitles at ERF Medien ( Germany ) are heard. He also serves on the board of Fuller Theological Seminary, Dallas Willard Center for Spiritual Formation and Christianity Today International.
He is married to Nancy Ortberg, they have three adult children and live in Menlo Park.
Teaching
Ortberg combines theology, psychology and life experience in his teaching. The central theme of his lectures and his books is the spiritual formation and transformation of man by God. By this he means the embossing and transformation of human character through authentic experiences with God. That conclusion is now often contrary to the personal desire and social pressure for greater safety, convenience, importance, and success. All this could not bring lasting happiness, because people are created in God's eternity.
In his 2012 book appeared apologetic " Weltbeweger " he explains also why Jesus and his followers have done more for the advancement of our culture, for education and health and the equality of man and woman as other movements before.
Works
- Travel to life. Spiritual life for people like you and me. Gerth, Asslar, ISBN 978-3-89490-369-5 (along with Laurie Pederson and Judson Poling )
- The love for which you long. From the head to the heart - feel God's love. Projection J, Asslar, 2001, ISBN 978-3-89490-316-9.
- Much closer than you think. How God can be found in everyday life. Gerth, Asslar, 2006, ISBN 978-3-86591-823-9 ( Original title: God is closer than you think )
- When the game is over, everything ends up back in the box. Gerth, Asslar, 2007, ISBN 978-3-86591-847-5 (Original Title: When the game is over, its all goes back in the box)
- The woman silent? Gifts in the community - a contribution to the discussion. Hänssler, Holzgerlingen, 2008, ISBN 978-3-7751-4239-7.
- Strong storm. Hänssler, Holzgerlingen, 2008, ISBN 978-3-7751-4843-6.
- I - einzigartich. For Teens. How do I become as God wanted, that I am. Gerth, Asslar, 2012, ISBN 978-3-86591-869-7 (along with Scott Rubin)