Upcoming Events
In This Issue...
Articles
- A Theology of Humor by Cheryl Taylor
- Ministering With Humor by Stephanie Nance
- Christian Leaders Having Fun? by Pam Morton with Kathy Jingling
- The Health Benefits of Humor and Laughter by Dwenda Gjerdingen, MD, MS
Resources
Book Reviews
- Anatomy of an Illness by Norman Cousins
- The Purse-Driven Life by Anita Renfroe
Speaker Information
Evening Plenary Speakers:
Loida Espinoza:
Loida is an ordained minister with God-given gifts in songwriting, singing, Bible instruction, and preaching. Her call to ministry includes pastoral and missions emphasis, and she has led teams stateside and abroad with prayer ministries, evangelism, and children/teen/adult discipleship. She presently serves in the dual-role of Assistant District Women's Ministries Director/District Girls Ministries Director for the Gulf Latin American District.
Crystal Martin:
Crystal is a Chi Alpha missionary and dynamic young leader who has pioneered university ministries with her husband in restricted Central Eurasian countries. They are also the visionaries of The World Missions Summit, which has brought together thousands of students and missionaries to be challenged and mobilized to carry the gospel to the far corners of the earth.
Additional Speakers Include:
Marti Baca:
Marti holds credentials with the Northern Pacific Latin America District. She currently ministers alongside her husband, Lee, who is NPLAD Superintendent. The Lord has opened doors for Marti to minister bilingually in song and in the Word, speaking in churches, retreats, and conventions in both the US and South America.
Yvonne Bailey:
Yvonne co-pastors Restoration AG Church in St. Louis, Missouri with her husband, Samuel. She is active in her community and serves on several boards. Yvonne possesses a passion for preaching, expository teaching, and seeing women set free by the Spirit of God. Yvonne serves as the only African American and only woman on the Presbyter Board for her district.
Sheri Benvenuti:
Sheri is a minister of God's Word whose personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the force behind her ministry, which spans nearly 40 years. She has served in evangelistic, youth, music, and pastoral ministry. She has served as vice president at Life Pacific College, vice president of Student Affairs at Vanguard University of Southern California, and director of the Center for Women's Studies at Vanguard.
Meredith and Angeline Bradford:
Meredith and Angeline grew up in a pastor's home and have a passion to reach out to other pastors' kids. In May of 2009, they started a national ministry called the Pastors' Kids' Network. They desire to not only encourage pastors' kids but also challenge them to be a light to all those around them. Meredith has just graduated from Evangel University with a bachelor degree in Nursing and is working as a Registered Nurse. Angeline is a junior at Evangel and is majoring in Theatre/ Speech Education.
Sandi Bradford:
Sandi's years in ministry have included missions, pastoral ministry, directing graded music programs, teaching ministry, and prayer ministry to moms. She currently supports, travels, and ministers with her husband, Jim, in his ministry as General Secretary of the Assemblies of God in Springfield, Missouri, where she and her husband previously pastored Central Assembly of God for five years. Sandi is known for her practical wisdom and her ability to connect with women of various generations.
Vicki Farina:
Vicki is a speaker, life coach, and credentialed minister who lives in North Carolina. She has earned a Master of Arts degree in Christian Ministries and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Ministry degree. Vicki is passionate about partnering with individuals to help them live and lead from a faith perspective. Vicki loves to study and teach God's word and minister alongside her husband and partner in ministry, Sam.
Rebecca Grant:
Rebecca founded Rescue Arts, an outreach of Project Rescue, using the creative arts for counseling and discipleship for survivors of sexual slavery and abuse. After earning a degree in drama and speech education, God began to use Rebecca in bringing healing in the lives of women and girls in Eurasia with the integration of arts, faith, prayer, and the work of the Holy Spirit.
Krista Hampton:
Krista serves as the senior pastor of River of Life Ministries in Paris, Kentucky. Since taking the pastorate, the church has grown from 40 in Sunday morning attendance to 300. The motto of River of Life Ministries is "A church known by the way we love one another" John 13:35. The vision God has given to Pastor Krista is to love God and love people. Krista is known for her powerful preaching of God's Word.
Becky Hennesy:
Becky is a gifted teacher and minister who has been in ministry for over 30 years. She serves as both pastor's wife and director of Women's Ministry at Trinity Church in Cedar Hill, Texas. Becky has found the full expression of her heart in reaching and ministering to women. Her passion is to create a safe place for women to grow and to hear and learn about God's fantastic will and plan for each individual woman.
Donna James:
Donna is a wife and mother who has spent over 20 years in the ministry and serving the Lord as a wonderful teacher of God's Word. In recent years, Donna has been used of the Lord in sharing her testimony of victory over two bouts with cancer and the power of prayer to stir the hearts of hundreds of women. Donna loves to share her real and practical insights into life, loving God, and the daily strength found in walking with him.
Lynette Janzen:
Married to her high school sweetheart for 21 years, Lynette suddenly found herself widowed at age 41. In spite of her pain and struggle, Lynette obtained her pastoral license and now serves as the high school pastor at Newport Mesa Church in Costa Mesa California. Lynette speaks at high school groups, conferences, and retreats, in hopes that others will come to understand that God is with us even in the darkest times.
Olivia Klaus:
Olivia is a documentary filmmaker who passionately believes in the power of visual stories to create positive social change. Her various roles in production have helped create projects dealing with human rights, incarceration, poverty, and domestic violence. In 2009, Olivia directed and produced Sin by Silence, her first documentary endeavor about the first inmate led battered women's group in the US prison system.
Stephanie Nance:
Stephanie is an ordained minister with the Alaska Ministry Network and currently serves the Network for Women in Ministry. She holds a Master of Divinity and is pursuing her Doctorate of Ministry. Stephanie originates from Oklahoma and has served as an associate pastor, youth pastor, and music minister in Alaska. She loves to communicate through preaching, teaching, and music to see healing in the lives of the broken.
Ava Oleson:
Ava is an ordained minister with the Northwest Ministry Network who has been in full-time ministry for over 25 years. She is near the completion of her Doctor of Ministry degree at AGTS where she serves as the coordinator of the program. Ava has a passion and gift to inspire, raise up, and release the next generation of women in ministry to be world changers.
Judy Rachels:
Judy has been in ministry for over 45 years as a pastor's wife, minister, and the director of the Southern California Women's Ministries. She and her husband have recently retired form full-time ministry, but Judy loves to share a lifetime of stories in a lively and humorous way that always leaves others smiling and laughing. Serving people in the name of Jesus has been a joy for Judy.
Cheryl Taylor:
Cheryl is the director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary in Springfield, Missouri. She also serves as the Vice President for Academics at Asia Theological Centre for Evangelism and Missions, an Assemblies of God Bible college in Singapore. She previously served in local church ministry, on the district level, and on the foreign mission field.
Jeanie Turner:
Jeanie is an ordained minister and the founder and director of One Way Ministries located in Florida. She has a deep love and compassion for women trapped in sexual exploitative businesses and other controlling lifestyles. Her love sends her into exotic places like adult dance clubs, brothels, jail, and the streets. Her mission is to reach these women and mentor them with the love of Christ, bringing them to freedom and wholeness.
