Sterling College has announced The Ross and Fern Freeman Lecture Series for Servant Leadership will feature Jellyfish Labs founder and VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer as well as author and apologist Sean McDowell in the 2016-17 academic year. The lecture series, established in 2014, is free and open to the public.

“We are very excited to bring these two outstanding speakers to Sterling College. Both Phil and Sean are wonderful communicators who will no doubt impact our students and staff and bring their own unique messages about what servant leadership looks like,” said David Landis, vice president for administration and institutional initiatives.

Vischer is an animator, puppeteer, writer, voice actor, songwriter and the founder of Jellyfish Labs, a creative workshop where he develops new faith-based projects for kids and families. Vischer, who made his first animated film when he was nine years old, founded Big Idea Productions in 1993. He led his team in creating VeggieTales, the computer-animated children’s video series that teaches biblical values and lessons through vegetable characters.

McDowell is a gifted communicator with a passion for equipping the church, and in particular young people, to make the case for the Christian faith. He is listed among the top 100 apologists and is an assistant professor in the Christian Apologetics program at Biola University. McDowell earned a Ph.D. in Apologetics and Worldview Studies from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2014. He is the author, co-author, or editor of over 18 books.

The Freeman Lecture Series seeks to educate individuals on the various values and applications of leadership by highlighting the servant leadership attributes present in others.

Sterling College is a Christ-centered, four-year college located in Sterling, Kansas, with a mission to develop creative and thoughtful leaders who understand a maturing Christian faith. For more information, visit www.sterling.edu.