Today (!), we officially launched The Gift of Disillusionment, which I’ve worked on with Peter Greer over the past three years. The following acknowledgments show up in the book for a reason.
This endeavor, like the previous books we wrote together, is possible because of the amazing team surrounding us. While our names are on the spine, we unequivocally could not have done this without the support of our incredible team. We want to put the world’s biggest asterisk alongside our names as authors of this book. Like the leaders we featured in this book, we wrote this book from, with, and because of the community surrounding us.
Jill Heisey and Brianna Lapp served as collaborators, advisors, writers, editors, counselors (!), cheerleaders, and coaches from the genesis of the idea. More than any project we’ve undertaken, this one saw the book’s big ideas twist and turn over the course of our research. Jill and Brianna: Thank you for your patience, wisdom, and kindness throughout this harrowing journey! Your contributions to this book are innumerable, but it’s the steadfastness of your character and your enduring hope in Christ and in this project that we most cherish.
Our amazing interns and fellows—Sarah Woodard, Sarah Beth Spraggins, and Adrian Schunk—each joined at critical junctures in the journey. Sarah did significant foundational research for this project back. Sarah Beth helped us with early interviews and with the initial direction of the book. And Adrian carried the baton beautifully down the homestretch.
This is our third rodeo with our literary agent, Andrew Wolgemuth at Wolgemuth & Associates, and our editor, Andy McGuire at Bethany House. We are so fortunate to have these two leaders in our corner. Their professionalism and skill in their craft is evident, but it was their words of encouragement at key junctures that we appreciated most. Thanks for believing in us and for believing in this project.
Our families endured our personal journey from idealism through disillusionment to enduring hope over the course of writing this book. We both had moments of frustration, confusion, and exhaustion while trying to put this book together. They helped us navigate our disillusionment and find hope even in this project itself. We are so thankful for Laurel, Keith, Lili, Myles, and London and for Alli, Desmond, Abe, Juni, and Mack.
We each had foundational conversations early in the ideation process. Daniel Rice suggested we consider Jeremiah 17 as an anchor text. Dan Williams proposed we examine the ways disillusionment may be a gift. Many other friends and colleagues helped to strengthen our thinking and clarify our perspective.
On our own, we could not have met the amazing leaders we interviewed for this book. Our sincere thanks to Chad Hayward, Katelyn Beaty, Harlan VanOort, Chilobe Kalambo, Durwood Snead, Francis Kaitano, Lisa Espineli Chinn, Tim Hoiland, Rob Gailey, Tyler Green, Hunter Beaumont, Candy Sparks, and Lesly Jules for each opening their networks to us.
We’re grateful to the team of readers whose early edits, questions, and critiques made the book what it is. In particular, we’re grateful for Claire Stewart, Phil Smith, Pat Ryan, and Mark Cunningham. Thanks to Benj Petroelje for introducing us to Dr. Samuel Hildebrandt, a scholar and theologian whose invaluable understanding of and passion for Jeremiah helped to make sure we got Jeremiah right.
Our talented colleague Jeff Brown helped bring order from the chaos. His design of the journey illustrations used throughout the book enabled the book’s big ideas to finally arrange themselves. While the Fruit Loops metaphor did not make it into the book itself, it lives forever in these acknowledgments.
Finally, our thanks to our amazing interviewees, Florence Muindi, Bill Massaquoi, Dickens Thunde, Eris Labady, Dr. Michael Badriaki, Jo Anne Lyon, Christa Crawford, Farai Mutamiri, Camille Melki, Melba Maggay, Phil Thuma, Tita Evertsz, Chris Brewster, Marek Kucharski, Tass Saada, Lisa Johanon, Edouard Lassegue, Ann Saylor, and to Riaan.
