Speakers


INTRODUCTION:

We, the writers of this introduction and creators of this conference, wanted to make sure that it was representative of a wide range of denominations, persons, ideas, methods, and contexts. We hope that we have been able to stay loyal to that intention and we offer you our [always expanding] panoply of speakers, preachers, and teachers with whom we hope to learn and grow, together, in community with during this long weekend in February.


KEYNOTE:

Sarah Cunningham (@sarahcunning) is an author, idea junkie, and Chief Servant to her four year old emperor and his one year old Chief of Staff. Her first job was as Director of Outreach at a creative non-denominational church, which eventually led her to become an author and freelance producer of Christian conferences. Her most recent books, released in 2013, include Portable Faith and The Well Balanced World Changer: A Field Guide to Staying Sane While Doing Good. You can learn more about her at her website - www.sarahcunningham.org


PRE-CONFERENCE GUEST FACILITATOR:

Larry Bourgeois is a "third place" ministry advocate, and he has been involved in starting coffeehouses and bookstore projects since his early college and graduate school years in the 1970s. He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees studying theology and biblical studies at Wheaton College and Fuller Theological Seminary, but decided early on that his calling was in creating gathering places where young adults could explore faith questions openly. Larry believes that effective young adult ministry requires using more untraditional places and spaces than are found in common institutional church settings. Quality coffeehouses conveniently located can provide essential hospitality and common ground where "conversations of consequence" can naturally occur. Bookstores and music and art venues, film discussion groups, service learning opportunities can add necessary creativity and ideas and hands-on life experience and act as a catalyst for life and societal transformation. Larry has been a "spiritual entrepreneur" all his life and worked in the coffee industry for more than 30 years. 


OUT-OF-TOWN GUEST SPEAKERS:


Rev. Mary Frances currently serves as the Associate Program Director for New Congregations in the Congregational and Synodical Mission Unit of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.  Mary is a graduate of National-Louis University where she majored in Psychology and Human Services as well as Chicago Theological Seminary where she received her Master of Divinity degree.  A native of the Chicago area, she lives in Naperville, IL with her husband, Kent Christianson.  Mary served three congregations in the Chicago area prior to her work at the church-wide offices and has experience with redeveloping congregations as well as new starts.  Mary is also an experienced registered yoga teacher (E-RYT) and is the creator and owner of Divine Power Yoga, a yoga studio and ministry. She also developed Lunchtime Yoga, a yoga community she teaches twice a week at The Lutheran Center in Chicago. 



Tamára Lunardo is a writer, editor, and blogger seeking to work out redemption in very small, very important ways. She shares her humorous, insightful, and unfiltered thoughts on life and faith at Tamara Out Loud and writes monthly for A Deeper Story, where she and her colleagues "tell stories of Christ and culture." Tamára is a contributor to several books, published and forthcoming, and her first solo project will be represented by Rachelle Gardner of Books & Such Literary Agency. Editor of What a Woman is Worth through Civitas Press, she holds a BA in English and her five children, when they let her; she almost never holds her tongue. 


Rev. James Reho is an Episcopal priest, yoga instructor (RYT-200), kirtan artist, and scientist who currently pastors Lamb of God Lutheran-Episcopal Adventure, a federated congregation in Fort Myers, FL.  Previously, James served on the staff and faculty of The General Theological Seminary where, as Chaplain and Director of Formation, he established a Wellness program and co-created a course on wholistic spirituality.  James has been initiated into several lineages of spriritual practice, both of the East and the West, and teaches liturgy and spirituality both academically and in workshop formats.  Before entering the ministry he was a professor of chemistry and a researcher at a government laboratory.  His research focused on laser science and molecular spectroscopy. He is a native of New York City who is happy to have found a warmer home, and writes for Parabola and Psychology Tomorrow in his spare time.


Steve Knight...info coming soon.



Holly Roach is a cultural and community organizer who works on social and environmental issues. In short, Holly broke up with Jesus in high school when her bible study teacher presented a vision of God’s judgment that she just couldn’t accept. Her return to Christianity came through an introduction to the Emergent Church 20 years later. Holly's experience as a movement organizer makes her think that Jesus was a movement founder and that Christians need to get to work! So she gets really excited about the potential people power of progressive Christianity. Also, Holly loves to sing, practices contemplative prayer and lives with no less than two dogs at a time.

Holly's Workshop: Building Social Movements that Transform

How can one be free while another is in bondage?  In this workshop, we will explore the intersection of liberation theology and liberation politics sharing organizing methods toward action. We will put the collective wisdom of the group to work, exploring how we as spiritual people in the U.S., can lend our privilege, institutional relationships and perceived moral authority towards acts of solidarity with others engaged in mutual liberation.


LOCALLY-BASED PRESENTERS:


Rev. Wendy Tobias is an Episcopal priest who has come home. She grew up Delray and Boynton. Worked as a staff nurse, a Montessori teacher, an R.N. specializing in psychiatric nursing, a children & youth minister at St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church, and a chaplain and Emotional Intelligence teacher at St. Joseph’s Episcopal School. One morning in 2002 while processing out of one of the school church services she realized she was being called to the priesthood. Terrified and excitedly willing, she began the process and in 2005 went off to Virginia Theological Seminary. She was ordained in 2008, worked at Washington National Cathedral for 3 ½ years where she worked in the worship department and with young adults. Always wanting to return to South Florida, she accepted a position back home at St. Joe’s in October of 2011 as Associate Priest and specifically as the lead priest for a worship gathering called Unplugged. (Started in 2005, Unplugged is a ‘Fresh Expressions’ worship gathering whose call is to 20s and 30s, the unchurched, dechurched, burned-by-church, and/or  love church. We gather each Sunday with Word, music, experience to rock (and soothe) the soul and strive to then live the gospel outside-the-walls. www.stjoesunplugged.org )



Rev. Angela Cortinas: BIO COMING SOON!

REV WENDY & REV ANGELA'S WORKSHOP will be on inter-parish collaborations & various platforms with which to reach the young adult community, create authentic and safe space, and work with other parishes/communities to provide the best fit to meet the most people's needs and areas of specialization in this work.




Charles Milling is the founder, producer and creative director for the live-band worship community, Live Hymnal. 

Check out Live Hymnal at their site HERE.

Charles Workshop :  The Hymnal is for Bands Too (Sophisticated Young Adults Like Poetry & Drums)

**he will also be performing some of his amazing music LIVE to open the conference at our Friday AM Welcome & Friday PM closing program**



Teresa B Pasquale serves as co-chair of the Diocese of Southeast Florida's Young Adult Community with Daniel Ledo & leads a spiritual "SEEKers" Community in weekly worship, food, and discussion Sunday nights at St Paul's Episcopal Church in Delray Beach, Fl. She is a "crooked" mystic, a trauma therapist, a mind/body/spirit yoga teacher, advocate for the underdog, hope conspirator, creativity-monger, and animal lover. She believes we can all find healing and help others heal by sharing the deepest parts of our souls & our selves. She blogs, when she can, over here. Her first book is Mending Broken: A Personal Journey Through the Stages of Trauma + Recovery. She is currently working on her second book, which is a personal and professional exploration of spiritual wounding and "church-hurt" titled The Journey of Desert FlowersShe believes: "Whatever you love, live it out with a mystic heart."


Daniel Ledo serves as co-chair of the Diocese of Southeast Florida's Young Adult Community with Teresa B Pasquale. He
has been a member of St. Stephen's in Coconut Grove, Florida for eight years and leads a Sunday night "dinner church" service.  He has completed the EfM program and served in Sunday School, Children's Chapel, Intermediate Youth Group, Prosperity Center and the GLBT Ministry. He is director of advertising for a local marketing firm and serves as a Vestry member at his parish. 


Peyton Davis Peyton Davis has been the music leader for Seekers worship young adult ministry at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Delray Beach, Florida since 2012. Peyton received her Bachelor's and Masters degree in Music/Music Therapy at Florida State University focusing on classical piano & Psychiatric/Neurologic Music Therapy. She has been composing music on the piano for 23 years and performing vocals with guitar for 19 years. She has been a music leader of a contemporary young adult worship for over three years in both Tallahassee, and Delray Beach, Florida. She has gained recognition as a singer/songwriter since 2004 and performed with artists such as Bobby McFerrin's vocalists and Grammy nominee as Tibet's renown spiritual music composer, Nawang Khechog at the Omega Institute. Peyton is dedicated to a holistic professional career working not only with Music Therapy but Massage Therapy holding many related certifications. She currently works for Hospice of Palm Beach County as an Integrative Therapist and also teaches piano and guitar.


Joseph Kim, MT-BC, is a board certified music therapist serving full time with Hospice of Broward County and Hospice of Palm Beach County. He also serves as music director for @OurTable, the young adult ministry at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Miami, FL. Joe grew up in Los Angeles where he began his experience as a worship leader with Young Nak Presbyterian Church of Los Angeles. He earned his Bachelors of Music in Music Therapy at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ, where he continued to serve as music director for both traditional and contemporary worship services.



Christopher Pasquale is a Lead Therapist at The Delray Recovery Center. He implements innovative methods and spiritually-infused care to support every person who comes across his path--whatever their background, whatever their story. He pulls from the metaphors of popular culture, myth, and religion to create parallels to the addiction and recovery story, and to help reflect a relevant path to healing. A great majority of his clients are young adults and he strives to be both relevant but also capable of referencing the eternal truths to all of our human addictive nature--the addiction to our own ego. In addition to his work as a therapist, Chris enjoys being a Youth Minister at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, where he organizes weekly groups and community events for local teenagers, as well as co-organizes a weekly spirituality service called Seekers for those seeking a deeper connection with their Higher Power. Christopher is originally from East Rutherford, New Jersey.



Sarah Gentry is Clinical Director at The Delray Recovery Center, in Delray Beach, Florida. She brings years of experience in trauma treatment, mental health diagnosis, and the treatment of substance abuse and eating disorders. A renowned clinician, she is frequently asked to be a guest speaker at conferences nationwide on topics such as creative healing and gender-specific issues.
At The Delray Recovery Center, Sarah works with clients who are both chemically dependent and trauma survivors. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology (BS), and a Master of Mental Health Counseling (MS) from Palm Beach Atlantic University. Sarah is a Certified Addiction Professional, Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), and board-certified supervisor of mental health counselors, and she is certified in the Creative Journal Expressive Arts Method. Sarah is originally from Franklin, New Jersey.


Sarah Gentry & Chris Pasquale's workshop will reference the nature of addiction, its increasing impact on the young adult community & addiction in the context of faith.