Lorna Daniels Nichols is president and co-founder of Big Picture
Ministries, LLC, an organization devoted to encouraging spiritual
growth through the study of God's Word - the Bible. Lorna and her
husband, John, are members of Grace Church-Saint Louis, a
non-denominational church, where both are active teachers and
leadership mentors.
Lorna's spiritual heritage runs deep. Several Missouri and Illinois
churches trace their foundational roots back to her maternal
grandparents. Her mother, Ruth, was a devoted leader and avid Sunday
School teacher in the Church of God in Christ.
After enrolling in Washington University in St. Louis to major in
political science, Lorna chose a fast-track academic program allowing
her to graduate in three years. Following graduation, she began what
was to be a 28-year management career with Southwestern Bell.
An early retirement in 2001 put Lorna's journey on a new path. One of
her first God-inspired efforts was the creation of a successful
Christian Book Club, which continues to flourish. Lorna also began a
teaching ministry, from which Big Picture of the Bible has evolved.
Despite her seemingly charmed life, Lorna knows intimately what pain
and despair are. While in her late 20s and 30s, she had a health crisis
for which she could find no relief. An unfortunate and profound side
effect of the illness was several episodes of clinical depression. It
was during those difficult times that Lorna knew God was speaking to
her and leading her to Him. She turned to the Bible for comfort and
soon realized that she was also experiencing relief from her pain.
God's healing and peace sustained her and she learned to depend on and
trust in Him for her well-being.
Lorna's wide-range of expertise in project design, implementation and
management provides her with the skills essential to creating a study
guide of this magnitude. Her passion for developing this study guide
comes from her love for Christ and desire to help others develop a more
intimate and personal relationship with God through knowing His Word.
"And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should,
how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you
experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand
fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and
power that comes from God."
