Todd Burpo

Todd Burpo is a New York Times bestselling author, Christian pastor, and public speaker. Born and raised in Imperial, Nebraska, he is best known for his inspirational faith-based memoir, Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back, which has been developed into a feature film and other successful spin-off titles.

Early Life and Education

Burpo was born in 1964 in the small town of Imperial, Nebraska, to Ed and Marlene Burpo. He was home-schooled and later began to attend the Lee Bible College in Omaha. During this time, he leaned a great deal about the power of faith. He married his wife, Sonja, in 1985.

Career

In 1994, Burpo began preaching and teaching and graduated from Nebraska Bible College that same year. He served as the pastor at Crossroads Wesleyan Church in Imperial, Nebraska since 1994. Burpo is also known for the peer mentoring and leadership he provides to pastors and church leaders in the area.

Writing

Burpo is best-known for writing Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back, which documents his son Colton's account of visiting Heaven during a near-death experience. He wrote the book in collaboration with Lynn Vincent and was originally published in 2010 by Thomas Nelson. It debuted at number one on the New York Times Bestseller list and has sold more than ten million copies. The book was later adapted into a feature film of the same name, which was released in 2014 and starred Connor Corum as Colton.

Other Books

In addition to Heaven is for Real, Burpo wrote several other titles and has multiple books in the works. He co-authored Heaven Changes Everything: What the near-death experience of Colton Burpo can teach you about eternity (2012) with Lynn Vincent and her son Colton. He has continued to work on this and other projects with the HarperCollins religious publishing division. His other books include Heaven is for Kids (2013), Miracle of Hope (2013), The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven (2014), and Heaven, Do You Know? (2020).

BAOUT Four Miracles of Christmas (2019, co-authored with Lynn Vincent) is an uplifting holiday read based on true stories of miraculous healing and redemption, perfect for readers looking to be inspired by the true spirit of Christmas.

Final Thoughts

Todd Burpo is a New York Times bestselling author and Christian pastor. He is best known for his inspiring memoir Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back, which has sold millions of copies and been adapted into a feature film. In addition to writing and public speaking, he also provides mentorship to pastors and church leaders. Burpo has authored multiple books, including Heaven is for Kids and The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven. His most recent book, Heaven Do You Know?, was released in 2020. He continues to collaborate with Lynn Vincent to promote inspiring stories.