Like a mountain trail hiker, I explore God’s promises in the Bible. Whether you are already a follower of Jesus Christ or presently a stranger to Him, I encourage you to discover the joy of trekking with Him.
What qualifies me for the Faith Trekker role?
- Trekking with Jesus for decades and helping others to hike with Him.
- Weathering my share of losses, failures, burnout, addiction, death, etc.
- Trusting God’s Word, which brims with hopeful promises, increases my endurance to trudge through rugged terrain and harsh storms!
The Lord outfitted me with these basic skills:
- I study the Bible diligently and apply it to my own walk with Jesus.
- I decode theological jargon into lucid terms any hiker can grasp.
- I design encouraging, practical “how-to” training resources.
- I stay alert for further pathways Jesus calls His trekkers to traverse.
Where I’ve trekked and developed these skills.
1. Church Planter and Pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Lafayette, IN (1975-80)
- Planted and shepherded a new church from birth to maturity.
- Taught and guided both seekers and long-time believers to walk with God.
2. Missionary in Ciudad Guayana and Caracas, Venezuela (1980-1986)
- Served on a missionary team planting churches across Venezuela.
- Learned Spanish, befriended the people, and appreciated their culture.
3. Media Writer-Producer for Cristo Para Todas Las Naciones, Caracas Venezuela (1982-1986)
- Wrote radio spots and booklets on common everyday problems.
- Wrote a Bible course about God’s promises and how to walk with Him.
4. Pastor of Evangelism at Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hillside, IL (1986-1990)
- With the Lead Pastor steered a 130-year old parish from complacency to outreach.
- Served on teams for evangelism training and Hispanic ministry in greater Chicago.
5. Professor of Christian Outreach at Concordia University, St. Paul, MN (1990-1994)
- Taught courses on witnessing, discipleship, and cross-cultural ministry.
- Networked and strategized with missional leaders of the denomination.
- Taught post-graduate courses as an adjunct professor from 2003-2011.
6. Freelance Writer, Consultant, and Teacher (1994-2011)
- Wrote for missional ministries and periodicals.
- Independently published two books.
- Advised and trained churches and mission agencies in the USA, Venezuela, and the Philippines.
7. Missions Pastor at St. Michael Lutheran Church, Bloomington, MN (1997-2013)
- Taught Bible classes for the curious and trained believers how to engage the curious.
- Identified outreach ventures (both local and global); enlisted and guided volunteers until they were leading the ventures.
- Recruited and supported cross-cultural missionaries (short-term and long).
8. Awake US Now Ministries in Richfield, MN, (awakeusnow.com) (2013-2018)
- Co-founded a new ministry calling America to repent and walk with God.
- Produced videos, short spots, etc. Counseled and prayed for respondents.
- Now retired, I still trek the path of faith with my Awake US Now partners.
Publications — Free at philbickel.com/store.
- Disciple Maker: Fulfill your destiny in the Disciple-Making Movement launched by Jesus Christ (2020).
- I Married You, a drama based on Walter Trobisch’s book (2020).
- Fullness or Fraction in Acts 1-12: Power Up! (2019).
- Fullness or Fraction in Ephesians: Our Adoption Papers (2018).
- Fullness or Fraction in the Gospel of John (2017).
- Listen Up! (2016).
- Outreach Promises: God’s Encouragement for Sharing Your Faith (1998).
Other Media
- “Rock Foundations Rockumentary,” 32-video Youtube playlist on rock history (2019).
- “Fullness or Fraction,” 9-video Youtube playlist (2019).
- “Pastor Phil Bickel,” 63-video playlist produced by Awake Us Now (2013-2018).
Education
- General studies, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH – 1967-69
- B.S. Education, Concordia College, Seward, NE – 1969-71
- M. Div, Concordia Theological Seminary, Springfield, IL – 1971-1975
- D. Missiology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, IL – 1985-90
Other Training
- Immersion Spanish Training, CIDOC, Cuernavaca, Mexico – 1980-81
- Audited 5 Creativity Studies courses, Concordia University, St. Paul, MN, 1995-1997
- School of Urban Ministry (missionshift.org), Minneapolis, MN – 2006-07
- Street ministry experiences: GodTown (godtown.org), Awake US Now (awakeusnow.com), and Time to Revive (timetorevive.com); Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN – 2012-2018
What counts is not a Master of Divinity degree, but being mastered by Divinity.
“For you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.”
Psalm 56:13
Come join the Faith Trekker adventure!
