Who is this Phil Bickel?

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Who Is This Phil Bickel?

Here's what I aim for:

to transfer God's love for lost people from his heart to yours
to encourage you to serve others with Christ's love
to train you to share the good news of Christ
to explain profound biblical truths in terms you can grasp
to make reaching out to others enjoyable
to assure you that you aren't alone. The Lord and other believers are helping you!

I hope you find my ideas on target.

Basic Data

Date of birth: December 24, 1948. At church that night, when folks asked Susan, my 4-year old sister, what was new at her house, she chirped, "A Christmas tree!"
Wife and best friend: Julie. I had to journey a thousand miles from Ohio to South Dakota to find this lady. She was worth the effort!

Children: Katy, Sam, Kristy. Now testing the wings of adulthood.
Grandson: Zachary. You're hoping I don't start showing photos.
Hobbies: bicycling, cooking, creativity studies, exploring wherever I live.
Favorite foods: chicken pot pie, rhubarb, cachapas (Venezuelan corn pancakes)
High school locker combination: 27-1-28. You don't remember yours?

Education

I learn in many ways, especially from God, his word, and his people. But here's the official, academic stuff.

Bachelor of Science in Education from Concordia College, Seward, Nebraska
Master of Divinity from Concordia Theological Seminary, Springfield, Illinois
Immersion Spanish Training, CIDOC, Cuernavaca, Mexico
Doctor of Missiology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois
Applied Creativity and Innovation Certificate (audit), from Concordia University, St. Paul, Minnesota

Past Work Experiences

Five times I've retooled my career and started off in a new direction. Finally, I figured it out--I'm a generalist who thrives on variety. I'd die doing the same thing day in and year out. That why I love free-lancing. I get to do some of everything I love.

Church planter and pastor, Grace Lutheran Church, Lafayette, IN 1975-80
Evangelistic missionary to Venezuela, 1980-86
Writer/producer at media ministry office in Caracas, Venezuela, 1982-86
Pastor of Christian Outreach, Immanuel Lutheran Church Hillside, IL, 1986-90
Professor of Evangelism and Missions, Concordia University St. Paul, MN, 1990-94
Director of the Oswald Hoffmann School of Christian Outreach, St. Paul, MN, 1990-94
Advisory Pastor (part-time), Bethel Lutheran Church, St. Paul, MN, 1994-96

What I'm Up To Now

Freelance Outreach Encourager, 1994-present
Missions Pastor at St. Michael's Lutheran Church, Bloomington, MN, 1997-present
CEO and Janitor of Roller Coaster Press, 1998-present. (Explanation of name.)

Publications

My writings call Christians to joyful participation in God's mission both near and far. I have authored four books and dozens of booklets.

My articles, reviews, and hymns have appeared in:

Christianity Today
Church Libraries
Concordia Theological Quarterly
Global Prayer Digest
Lutheran Witness Reporter
Missio Apostolica
Strategies for Today's Leader
Worship Innovations

¿Habla usted el Castellano? In Spanish I wrote two books, one cassette, sixteen booklets, and hundreds of short radio programs. Some of these items have been translated into Portuguese, French, Arabic, and several other languages.

Heroes and Mentors

You can tell a lot about someone by the people they admire and learn from. Here, in rough chronological order are the people God has used and is using to mold me.

Paul the Missionary - The prototype missionary
Raymond Lull - Missionary to Muslims
Martin Luther - Bible translator and so much more
Justinian von Weltz - Martyr in Suriname
Hans Egede - Missionary to Greenland
August Franke - Professor and preparer of missionaries
Wilhelm Loehe - Visionary who persuaded my ancestors to join a missionary team
Ferdinand Sievers - Mission promoter who persevered despite apathy and opposition
John Mott - Missionary statesman and outreach encourager
Walter A. Maier I - Innovator in radio communication of the Gospel
Ottomar Bickel - My father and the best personal evangelist I know
Francis and Edith Schaeffer - Analysts of culture
D. James Kennedy - Teacher of witnessing skills
David Hesselgrave - First missiologist I learned from and am still learning from
Marvin Mayers - Creative teacher who makes learning an unforgettable experience
Eugene Bunkowske - Knowledgeable missiologist who walks humbly with his God
Keith Green - Prophet to young people and artists
Max Lucado - Preacher/Writer who consistently shows us Jesus
John Piper - Pastor with a passion for God's mission
Bob Nordlie - Best friend and persevering pastor

Guiding Bible Text

As I have reflected on my past experiences and dream of how God might use me in the future, I have come to regard Ephesians 3:8-9 as a guide for my life. In this verse Paul describes the two tasks which God had granted him as a gift. I claim these gifts as well.

The verse reads: "Although I am less than the least of all God's people, this grace was given me: (1) to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and (2) to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things."

The first task is clear: to proclaim Christ's Good News to those who do not know him.

The second task is not as evident. What is "the administration of this mystery"? Earlier in Eph. 3:6 Paul defines the mystery. "This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus." In other words, the mystery is the mission of God to draw into his kingdom and family people from all tribes, languages, peoples, and nations.

To make plain the administration of God's global mission, simply means to inform and encourage people to play their own one-person-sized role in His mission. A century ago, people who did this were called Missionary Statesmen, which sounds a bit pompous today. So I prefer the term Outreach Encourager.

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