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Nancy Guthrie (www.nancyguthrie.com) In today's modern world, few parents have to face the bitter task of burying a child that they love. But David and Nancy Guthrie have faced the grave twice now, burying two children who lived only six months. Those who have watched Nancy and David walk through such loss, and the millions who have read their story worldwide in TIME Magazine and USA Today have wondered at their ability to emerge from such sorrow with joy for life and passion for God. Nancy offered many of the lessons she learned from this sorrowful experience in her 2002 book, Holding On to Hope: A Pathway of Suffering to the Heart of God, which has helped thousands of people pursue God in the midst of their suffering.
Nancy’s life experience has also significantly affected her teaching style. “I’ve had to dig into God’s Word in search of answers to hard questions about God and how he works, and I find that my listeners usually have the same struggles and questions. And while I share openly the deep hurts in my life, I also like to laugh. I often have people who hear me teach say that I'm very real. I hope that's true." Continue to Nancy's conference bio page...
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Tara Barthel (www.tarabarthel.com), a former director at Peacemaker Ministries and “recovering lawyer,” currently serves her husband, Fred, and young daughters as a homemaker while regularly mediating and speaking on peacemaking. In between chasing Sophia, Ella, and her Golden Retriever, Tara published her first book: Peacemaking Women—Biblical Hope for Resolving Conflict, and video series: The Peacemaking Church Women's Study—Living the Gospel in Relationships. Continue to Tara's conference bio page... |
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Ashley Hall Belknap is a native of Greenville, South Carolina and is now a resident of Jackson, Mississippi. Ashley’s preparation for ministry began during her undergraduate studies at Erskine College where she obtained a B.A. in Christian Education and a B.S. in Business Management, while simultaneously gaining ministry experience as a Teaching Assistant in Old and New Testament, as well as serving as a student intern with RUF at Erskine and working with the youth at a nearby PCA church. Continue to Ashley's conference bio page |
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Lydia Brownback is the author of the On-the-Go Devotional series (Crossway); Fine China Is for Single Women Too (P&R, 2003); and Legacy of Faith: From Women of the Bible to Women of Today (P&R, 2002) and a speaker at women’s conferences. Lydia is an editor at Crossway, and she blogs at The Purple Cellar. Previously she served as the writer-in-residence for Reverend Alistair Begg and as the broadcast media manager for Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. Continue to Lydia's conference bio page |
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Dwayne Cogdill is the principal creative director at Saint Dwayne Design in Charlotte, North Carolina. He has received more than 80 international design awards. His work has been recognized by Communication Arts, EPA, How magazine, Print magazine, the Society of Illustrators and the Society of Publication Designers. His work includes some 20 annual reports as well as corporate identity for Universal Studios and branding for Disney. His work has been included in exhibitions in New York, Los Angeles and Europe. Continue to Dwayne's conference bio page |
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Melanie Cogdill has served as a PCA/CEP Women’s Ministry Trainer since 2001. Previously she served as South Coast Presbytery PresWIC President. For the past 18 years, she has served as the Managing Editor for the Christian Research Journal, a bi-monthly magazine that specializes in in-depth research of cults and new religions, the occult (including the New Age movement), aberrant Christian movements and teachings, and general apologetics. Continue to Melanie's conference bio page |
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Pam Ferriss, Susan Kelton, and Kathy March began their journey of writing a devotional for grandmothers in 2008. The book encourages grandmothers to be involved in the lives of their grandchildren and to pray intentionally and persistently for them. The Lord placed a passion in each life to leave a legacy of faith through prayer to their grandchildren. The desire of the authors is that the Lord would use the ideas and encouragement in their book to draw the next generation of believers to Himself and that they would reflect His character and walk in His power and strength. Continue to Pam's, Susan's, and Kathy's conference bio page |
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Elyse Fitzpatrick has been counseling women since 1989 and holds a Master's Degree in Biblical Counseling. She is the author of award-winning books and is a frequent speaker at women’s conferences. Elyse has been married for over thirty years and has three adult children and six really adorable grandchildren. Continue to Elyse's conference bio page |
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Ruth Garza, Sue Harris, and Sandy Hartley. Andrés and Ruth Garza are architects from Monterrey, Mexico. They became convinced of God’s calling on their lives to change careers and work full-time in church planting ministry in northern Mexico. The Garza family moved to Clover, SC while Andrés studied at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte. Continue to Ruth's, Sue's, and Sandy's conference bio page |
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Brian Habig planted and now pastors Downtown Presbyterian Church in Greenville, South Carolina. After graduating from Covenant Theological Seminary, he served as an RUF campus minister at Mississippi State (his alma mater) and Vanderbilt. Brian and his wife, Dana, have three children -- Henry (11), John (8), and Betsy (5). Continue to Brian's conference bio page |
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Dr. Elizabeth Hensley received a BA from the University of Southern Mississippi and an MD from the University of Mississippi Medical School, completing a residency in pediatrics at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. She has served on numerous foundations and advisory councils including the Christian Medical and Dental Association National Ethics Commission and has been a Fellow at the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity in Deerfield, Illinois. Continue to Elizabeth's conference bio page |
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Dr. Samuel Hensley, in addition to practicing medicine, serves as a bioethics consultant and as a Ruling Elder at First Presbyterian Church/Jackson, MS. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the local campus based chapter of the Christian Medical and Dental Association and has served on the CMDA National Ethics Commission. He also recently served on the Advisory Committee for Organ Transplantation at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. Continue to Samuel's conference bio page |
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Stephanie Hubach serves as Mission to North America’s Special Needs Ministries Director. Mission to North America (MNA) is an agency of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). She also currently serves on the Lancaster Christian Council on Disability (LCCD) and the Faith Community Leadership Advisory Board. Steph is the author of Same Lake, Different Boat: Coming Alongside People Touched by Disability (P&R Publishing, September 2006) and All Things Possible: Calling Your Church Leadership to Disability Ministry (Joni and Friends, August 2007). Continue to Steph's conference bio page |
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Susan Hunt is the Women’s Ministry Consultant for CEP. She is a graduate of the University of South Carolina and Columbia Theological Seminary. She has authored numerous books and travels extensively speaking to various women’s groups. Her desire to help women have a heart for each other, for the church, and for the Reformed faith is unparalleled. Some of Susan's many books include: Spiritual Mothering, By Design, True Woman, Heirs of the Covenant, the Biblical Foundations for Womanhood Bible Study series, and the new 3-year Bible study series for teen girls. Continue to Susan's conference bio page |
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Sue Jakes is mother of four, grandmother of four, and lives in Atlanta, GA where she serves as Education Specialist for the Christian Education Committee of the Presbyterian Church in America. She is also a teacher trainer and educational consultant for Great Commission Publications and has served as the children’s ministry coordinator at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Fayetteville, GA. Sue received a Masters Degree in Education from West Georgia College, taught in the public schools for seven years and home-schooled for twenty-two years. Continue to Sue's conference bio page
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Timothy S. Lane, M.Div., D. Min. Tim is Executive Director and faculty member at CCEF and has been counseling for more than 25 years. He has previous experience in both campus and pastoral ministry, including serving as a PCA pastor for ten years in Clemson, SC. He is the author of several mini-books (Conflict, Practicing Forgiveness: Joining Wisdom and Love, Family Feuds, Freedom from Guilt, and Temptation). He is also the co-author of How People Change and Relationships: A Mess Worth Making. In addition, he is the co-author of CCEF's Transformation Series Curriculum: How People Change; and the newly released Change and Your Relationships—A Mess Worth Making Study Guide. Continue to Tim's conference bio page
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Sherry Lanier and her husband Steve reside in Jackson, MS. They helped start Redeemer Church PCA, an intentionally multi-cultural church in the heart of the Deep South, where Steve is the Assistant to Rev. Mike Campbell. Sherry has a passion for God’s Word and discipleship and mentoring of young women. She served on the staff of Youth for Christ for 23 years and now meets on a weekly basis with a number of young women from her church and teaches a weekly outreach Bible study for professional women. Continue to Sherry's conference bio page |
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Debbe Mays currently serves on the staff of Mitchell Road Presbyterian Church in Greenville, SC as Counselor to Women and Families. Debbe is a graduate of Trinity Theological Seminary and holds a Master’s degree in Counseling. She has done work in mediation and conflict resolution through the Upstate Community Mediation Center, and has been a guest lecturer at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte on the subject of Christian Conciliation. Debbe and her husband, Rod, are the parents of one married daughter who lives in Greenville. Continue to Debbe's conference bio page |
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With 17 years of experience in youth ministry, Danny Mitchell has had the opportunity to first hand see teenagers wrestle with and come to grips with their own relationship with Jesus.
Danny is a graduate of Covenant College and Covenant Theological Seminary and has had broad experience in youth ministry prior to and during his enrollment at Covenant Theological Seminary. Continue to Danny's conference bio page
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Dove award winning singer/songwriter Laura Story always knew she loved music but didn’t realize she could sing or write songs until she was in her early twenties. After joining a band called Silers Bald, in which she played upright bass, she was challenged to try background vocals and even write a song to contribute to the band’s album. Story more than rose to the opportunity. Continue to Laura's conference bio page |
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Jessica Thompson has been married 16 years and home schools her three children ranging from 12-7. Jessica also has a B.A. in Theology. Because she is passionate that the gospel should inform every area of her life, she co-authored a book on gospel-centered parenting with her mom, Elyse Fitzpatrick. Give Them Grace; Dazzling your Kids with the Love of Jesus is currently available from Crossway and teaches parents how to take the glorious truths of the gospel and apply them practically in parenting. Continue to Jessica's conference bio page |
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Jim Weaver is a graduate of Chesapeake Theological Seminary and senior pastor of Crossroads Presbyterian Church in Middletown, Delaware, where he has served since 1999. He and his wife Karen have 6 children, two of them by adoption. Jim is a passionate advocate for the orphan and ministries that promote orphan care and adoption in the church. Crossroads Presbyterian Church, where Jim serves, has a growing community of adoptive and foster families and a vibrant orphan care ministry. Continue to Jim's conference bio page |
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Karen Weaver is a pastor’s wife and mother of six children, two of them by adoption. She is a graduate of University of Delaware with a degree in music education and taught private voice lessons for a number of years. Karen serves her local church, Crossroads Presbyterian, as member of the WIC leadership team, Bible study teacher, worship team member, and encourager of women. Continue to Karen's conference bio page |
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Joann White. What began as a passion to see women grow spiritually became a thrilling ministry opportunity for Joann White as she served as the first Director of Women’s Ministries at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church for 10 years. Full time ministry to women became Joann’s third career after 5 years in social work following her graduation from the University of Oklahoma and then 13 years of growing responsibility in the corporate world. Living in seminary communities for many years gave her wonderful opportunities to study, teach, and value God’s Word. Continue to Joann's conference bio page... |
Speakers