John Ortberg

John Ortberg, Jr. (born May 5, 1957, Rockford, Illinois) is an evangelical Christian author, speaker, and senior pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church^[1] in Menlo Park, California, an evangelical church with more than 4,000 members. Ortberg has published many books including the 2008 ECPA Christian Book Award winner When the Game is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box,^[2] and the 2002 Christianity Today Book Award winner If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat.^[3] Another of his publications, The Life You've Always Wanted, has sold more than 500,000 copies as of 2008.^[4] On August 13, 2012, John Ortberg's book Who Is This Man? debuted at #3 on the New Release chart^[5] at Amazon.com.^[6]

Background

Ortberg earned his undergraduate degree from Wheaton College, and his M.Div. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Fuller Theological Seminary. He has also studied at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. From 1985 to 1990 he served as senior pastor at Simi Valley Community Church, and then from 1990 to 1994 at Horizons Community Church (now Baseline Community Church in Claremont, California, see baselinecc.com). He then moved from California to Illinois to serve as a teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church until 2003, when he assumed his current role at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church, a multi-campus church in Northern California.^[7]

Ortberg is father to Mallory Ortberg, founder, writer and editor of the popular feminist humor blog The Toast. ^[8]

Teachings

Spiritual formation

A central theme of his teaching and books is spiritual formation, the transforming of human character through authentic experiences with God. Ortberg argues that the desire for comfort and security often stands in the way of an authentic relationship with God — when people place too high a value on being secure and comfortable they may be reluctant to make the sacrifices God asks of them.^[9]

Eternal cravings

Ortberg has warned against the societal pressures which tell people that bigger is always better, saying "I think for all of us, whatever your ministry or job, bigness will never satisfy the call."^[10] In his books he has described his own desire for importance and success, and how achieving them did not ultimately bring him happiness.^[11] "Your cravings," according to Orberg, "if you could get to the bottom of them, are for the eternal."^[12]

Modern influence of Jesus Christ

According to John Ortberg in Who Is This Man, “Jesus and the movement that followed him influenced education, the rise of universities, and the movement for universal literacy.”

In media

Ortberg's retelling of his experience of playing Monopoly with his grandmother was used as the beginning narration of Peter Joseph's 2011 documentary Zeitgeist: Moving Forward.

An official video^[13] for Who Is This Man? was created and released to media in August, 2012.

Speaking

Ortberg has been a featured speaker at many events, including

• Promise Keepers 2006 Conferences^[14]
• Westmont College (2007 commencement speaker)^[15]
• 2008 Global Leadership Summit^[16]
• 2012 Global Leadership Summit^[17]

Bibliography

• Grace: An Invitation to a Way of Life (with Laurie Pederson and Judson Poling). Zondervan, 2000 ISBN 978-0-310-22074-9
• If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat. Zondervan, 2001 ISBN 978-0-310-22863-9
• Love Beyond Reason. Zondervan, 2001 ISBN 978-0-310-23449-4
• The Life You've Always Wanted. Zondervan, 2002 ISBN 978-0-310-24695-4
• Everybody's Normal Till You Get To Know Them. Zondervan, 2003 ISBN 978-0-310-22864-6
• Living the God Life: Finding God's Extraordinary Love in Your Ordinary Life. Inspirio, 2004, ISBN 978-0-310-80195-5
• God Is Closer Than You Think: If God is Always with Us, why is He So Hard to Find? Zondervan, 2005 ISBN 978-0-310-25349-5
• Now What? God's Guide to Life for Graduates: God's Guide to Life for Graduates. Zondervan, 2005 ISBN 978-0-310-80282-2
• When the Game Is Over, It All Goes Back in the Box. Zondervan, 2007 ISBN 978-0-310-25350-1
• Know Doubt. Zondervan, 2008 ISBN 978-0-310-32503-1
• The Me I Want To Be: Becoming God's Best Version of You. Zondervan, 2010 ISBN 978-0-310-27592-3
• Who Is This Man?: The Unpredictable Impact of the Inescapable Jesus. Zondervan, 2012 ISBN 978-0-310-27594-7
• Soul Keeping: Caring For the Most Important Part of You Hardcover. Zondervan, 2014 ISBN 978-0-310-27596-1
• Wrote the foreword for William Vanderbloemen (2014). Next: Pastoral Succession That Works. Baker. ISBN 978-0801016479. 

See also

• Menlo Park Presbyterian Church
• Willow Creek Community Church

References

External links

• John Ortberg Official Site
• Who Is This Man? Official Site
• Official Publisher Site