COMING TO YOUTH 2011
More announcements coming soon, including more keynote speakers, bands and other talent!
Kristian Stanfill – Worship Leader
Worship leader Kristian Stanfill is emerging as one of this generation’s most compelling singer/songwriters. A writer of rare insight and vulnerability, he has the unique ability to build bridges over boundary lines that separate the hurting from the Healer.Consequently, the songs on ATTENTION, his sixstepsrecords debut, create an atmosphere of worshipful unity in this too often fragmented world. read more
rezlife band – Worship Leaders for Bible Study
The rezlife student band leads more than 800 students a week in passionate worship at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in the Kansas City area. Resurrection is one of the fastest growing and influential mainline churches in America. Their youth pastor Jason Gant and worship leader Cory Ryan encourage youth to rise up and lead. In response many of the band members have begun writing original and powerful praise songs, some of which you will hear at this years Youth 2011! rezlifekc.org
Fred Lynch – Keynote Speaker
Fred Lynch is the lead pastor of a new urban church plant in Dallas, TX called Tha MYX. He is a dynamic youth communicator with more than 20 years of inner-city ministry experience and is the founder of UrbNet, a National Network of Urban Youth Workers. At the age of 18, Fred helped found P.I.D. (Preachers in Disguise), one of the first gospel rap acts and went on to record 6 albums. He is also the author of The Script, an artistic translation of the Gospel of John in rap. Fred and his wife D’Ann live in Dallas with their two children: Asia and Jordan.godstyle.com
Jim Walker – Keynote Speaker
Jim Walker is the founding pastor of the Hot Metal Bridge Faith Community on the South Side of Pittsburgh. Hot Metal was planted in 2002 with help of young people doing ministry out of a local tattoo shop. Hot Metal has grown significantly in its 8 years of existence and has recently purchased and renovated a local bar in which they hold their worship services, concerts, art shows, feed the homeless, and community events. Jim is the author of a book called “Dirty Word” and is currently working on a book entitled “Something Strange”. hotmetalbridge.com
Gracie Schram – Singer/Philanthropist
Gracie Schram is a 12 year old singer/songwriter, entrepreneurial philanthropist and member of the UM Church of the Resurrection in Kansas. In 2008, Gracie heard a sermon series about a mission trip her pastor took to Africa. She saw videos of the children there who are orphans due to AIDS and saw the conditions of extreme poverty they lived in and was inspired to help them. She recorded a CD of some of her original songs and donated the profits to the African village. To date she has raised over $17,000 and has built two fish ponds in Africa and is currently building an orphan home in Haiti. She is also working on songs for her next CD which will be released summer 2011 and is hoping to make a trip to Haiti early next year. site.showersfromgod.com
Olu Brown – Bible Study Leader
Olu Brown is the founder and lead pastor of Impact Church 1.0 and the author of Zero to 80: Innovative Ideas for Planting and Accelerating Church Growth. He is married to Farrah Brown and they are the proud parents of Daya Brown. A native of Texas, Olu graduated from The Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta and was Associate Pastor at Cascade United Methodist Church for six years prior to starting Impact Church. impactdoingchurchdifferently.org
Steve Keaton – Emcee
Steve Keaton is the minister of students at Mt. Tabor UMC in Winston-Salem, NC as well as the Founder/President of Tsunami Ministries, Inc. He has spoken at hundreds of youth events, conferences and gatherings around the country and with Tsunami serves youth ministries by providing youth spiritual growth experiences, youth worker training events, youth leadership conferences and mission opportunities. TsunamiMinistries.com
Ciona Rouse – Emcee
Ciona Rouse is a writer and co-creator of Pray With Africa, a non-profit organization hoping to affect change in the world through learning people’s stories, joining them in prayer and acting alongside them to change their community. Her writing has covered topics like child soldiering, Hurricane Katrina, HIV/AIDS and anorexia, and she released her first book “Like Breath and Water: Praying with Africa” in 2009. Ciona is the former director of the denomination’s Shared Mission Focus on Young People. She also hula hoops, dances and plays hopscotch as often as possible and is grateful that God manages to meet her always in her playfulness.
Strangely Warmed Players – Drama/Skits
The Strangely Warmed Players, under the direction of founder Beth Miller, is a UM youth drama troupe presenting original comedy sketches. They have performed on five continents, bringing insight and inspiration to audiences around the world. Through humor, they challenge Christians with compelling questions of faith. The Strangely Warmed Players are committed to working for peace and justice, funneling all proceeds for educational scholarships for youth in Meru, Kenya.
Agape* – Hip Hop Artist
AGAPE* (Dave Scherer) has inspired youth from Brooklyn to Bosnia with his relational ministry “Hip Hop Outreach.” Combining rapping, dancing, storytelling and his fluency in Spanish, AGAPE* connects with his listeners in a way that they really “get it”. His energy is contagious, and his stories of faith transcend differences. Even those who do not normally enjoy hip-hop find themselves dancing to his music and captivated by his unique presentation of the Gospel. hiphopoutreach.com
Jared Hall – Illusionist
Jared uses illusions and comedy to present the gospel of Jesus Christ in relevant, engaging ways. Traveling extensively across the nation, Jared does shows for many conferences, festivals, outreach events, youth camps, and Upward award nights. He has shared the stage with many artists including Chris Tomlin, Louie Giglio, David Crowder, Shane and Shane, Toby Mac, Building 429, P.O.D., GRITS, Jeremy Camp and Leeland. jaredhall.com
Scott Erickson – Artist
Scott is a working studio artist as well as an experiential artist – bringing the making of art into public spaces. Scott has collaborated with a number of non-profits, such as WorldVision and International Justice Mission, using his art skills for advocacy and fund-raising. He has also worked with a number of musicians and has been on two nation-wide tours making art in live concert settings. Scott’s work has been exhibited throughout the Seattle area, and in galleries in Atlanta and Central California. He currently lives with his wife Holly in Houston, TX where Scott is the artist in residence at Ecclesia Church. scottericksonart.com
