Phil @ Heartlight

Phil @ Heartlight

President. Author. Editor. Pastor.

• President of Heartlight, Inc. (30 years)
• Author of more than 1,000 articles and six daily devotional series: Verse of the Day, A Year with Jesus, Together in Christ, God's Holy Fire, Unstoppable!, and What Jesus Did! (also published as four books)
• Editor of over 4,000 articles from nearly 200 contributing authors
• Voice of the original Heartlight radio series, Two Minute Meditations, and Verse of the Day audio recordings
• Designer of Scripture graphics and PowerPoint backgrounds
• Pastor to readers through thirty years of personal correspondence
• Shepherd over ToGather, an online worship gathering of 140 weekly services
• Mentor to Verse of the Day's translators and international ministry partners
• Minister to countless believers in their daily walk with Jesus

phil@heartlight.org

A few words from Ben Steed about the man behind the email address.

My first email exchange from phil@heartlight.org wasn't what you'd imagine.

My memory is fuzzy, but let me try to set the scene: I was in college, and was working on a website called “Verse of the Day.” Heartlight.org was all the rage in the Christian internet world at the time (late 90's) and I had written them for some benign reason.

I got a reply from Phil, who noticed I had republished some of Heartlight's images on my Verse of the Day website. Not only had I published them without credit or a link back to Heartlight, but I had actually cropped the watermark out of the graphics, in effect, passing them off as my own.

Phil pointed the matter out and asked me to use the version with the watermark. That's it. No demands, no scorn, no shame. His grace through that exchange paved the way for more and more interactions, and eventually led to me interning with Heartlight in the summer of 2000, quite literally living in Phil's bedroom office for a month right before I was married.

Phil brought me under his wing. He gave me an internship, let me live in his house, and brought me into the ministry. That was over twenty years ago, and I've been shaped by this work ever since.

10,000 emails later, we're still writing each other.
Yes — I've received more than 10,000 emails from Phil.

When someone sends you that many emails, you get to know their style and personality quite well. Here's what I want to share with you about the phil@heartlight.org that I've seen over decades of emails with him:

Phil@Heartlight.org really, truly loves each person on the other end of his communication. The ones he knows and the ones he'll never know — he's mindful of them. He calls them “folks,” and that word has always helped remind me why we're doing this.

Phil@Heartlight.org is a writer, and writers don't waste words. When he says something kind, he chose those words. When he encourages you, he means it. His thought and prayer writings are honest. His style, word choice, and pace are all situational, intentional, genuine. He means what he says, and those words stem from a life lived faithfully and anchored relationally.

Phil@Heartlight.org is complimentary to people in a way that acknowledges their worth. When he talks about others, he remarks on their strengths or special qualities every chance he gets. That's everyday, “seasoned with salt” kind of talk for him.

Phil@Heartlight.org is imperfect and that's perfectly fine. He prefers “Cornbread English” and uses many phrases I've never heard anywhere else. Typos. One word replies. Verbose replies. They all reflect messages sent with heart regardless of the form.

So the phil@heartlight.org you hear from each morning is the same one I've had the honor of working with for decades. He's the same grace-filled guy who writes the way he lives: a little bit cornbread, a lotta heart for others, and chock-full of an undeniable love for Jesus.

— Ben Steed

Phil at Heartlight

Dedication and discipline behind the scenes.

Much of what Phil does at Heartlight is behind the scenes. Detailed graphics work for every article series. Nonprofit paperwork. Thank-you notes to supporters. Board meeting coordination. Holiday blessings sent when most people are taking the week off. Running the Heartlight server out of his house in the early days. Cross-referencing devotionals. Planning article series. Folders. Files. Email.

So much email.

An inbox that never empties of messages that need replies. Responding to every reader email, whether it's a profound crisis of faith or someone asking how to unsubscribe. Always keeping an eye on the daily email deliveries — weekdays, holidays, every day.

The kind of work that doesn't win awards or make news headlines but rather the kind that steadfastly blesses people, one task at a time, for thirty years. That's the Phil at Heartlight you might not know, but who has been here since the beginning.

“Who is Phil @ Heartlight to you?”

Thoughts on Phil from those who know him best.

I first met Phil in 1983 when he was our church pastor. The Lord has blessed Phil with a wonderful gift of shepherding that still blesses our family today. Phil relies on the Holy Spirit to bless thousands more through Heartlight and we give the Lord thanks for Phil's passion to serve and teach.

— David Culp

Phil is a wonderful godly man with a Christ centered heart and God is using him greatly through many ministries!

— Mary Heuss Nelson

I met Phil when he was preaching at Westover in 1992, and our relationship grew into a decades-long friendship and partnership in Heartlight. Through it all, he has loved my family and me with a genuine kindness, guided by his gentle leadership and steady vision.

— John Kirkland

I thank God for brothers like Phil. He is a true disciple of Christ who has had a profound impact on my Christian walk. My relationship with God, my marriage, my children, and even my grandchildren have all been blessed by the way he faithfully serves our Lord and Savior. In 1993 Phil baptized me...since then, he has been one of our closest brothers in Christ, always encouraging us to seek the Lord in every situation. Thank you God for Phil Ware, in Jesus Christ name, amen!

— Paula Macon

Phil @ Heartlight was the brother who made it possible to launch three Portuguese language websites which now take the Gospel in Portuguese to tens of thousands around the globe.

— Dennis Downing

I have never experienced a time when Phil's commitment wavered, and he has become a pastor of good news to thousands and thousands around the world, rather than maintaining a shepherding role in one church. He has ministered to me over these years as well, and I am grateful to be shepherded and shaped by his spirit and the blessings of close to a lifelong friendship.

— Barry Alexander

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We'd love to hear your stories about Phil and his work through Heartlight!

What has Phil's work through Heartlight meant to you?