Heuertz to speak in chapel

Chris Heuertz, author and senior strategist for Word Made Flesh, will speak at Northwestern College during chapel on Monday, March 18, at 10:05 a.m. and Tuesday, March 19, at 11:05 a.m. He will speak on the topic of community. The events are free and open to the public.

Word Made Flesh was founded in 1991 as a nonprofit organization seeking to serve among the most vulnerable of the world’s poor. In 1994, Word Made Flesh opened its first children’s home in Chennai, India. The Omaha-based agency has since established communities in Asia, Latin America, Europe and Africa, and has over 300 members serving in 13 countries. Heuertz and his wife, Phileena, have been with Word Made Flesh for 20 years, which has taken them to more than 70 countries to work with some of the world’s poorest people.

Shortly after graduating from college, Heuertz moved to India, where he was mentored by Mother Teresa. He later helped launch the first pediatric AIDS care home in South Asia. Heuertz and his wife have also worked with women and children victimized by human traffickers.

In addition to being named one of Outreach magazine’s 30 Emerging Influencers Reshaping Leadership, Heuertz has written three books: “Simple Spirituality: Learning to See God in a Broken World,” “Friendship at the Margins: Discovering Mutuality in Service and Mission” and “Unexpected Gifts: Discovering the Way of Community.” A frequent speaker at Passion conferences, Urban Youth Workers Institute and Urbana, Heuertz serves on the boards for To Write Love on Her Arms and Duke Divinity School’s Center for Reconciliation.

Heuertz is appearing under the auspices of the Ronald R. Nelson Scholars and Artists in Residence Program, which seeks to inspire students with scholarship that encourages peace and justice. The program is named in honor of a history professor who taught at Northwestern from 1974 until his death in 1985.