speakers & music
E DWI N AG UI L A R He lived in an orphanage from the ages of 6-18yrs old. To this day, his family history is unclear and spent most of those years at the institution without any visitors, until the Lord heard his prayers and a young mentor showed up and kept showing up, thru him, the Lord made his love and care palpable. They remain close. He is currently a documental photographer specially focused on social work. He is now Mentor to 8 children from the same orphanage he grew up in, faithfully visiting them. B IS H O P A A RO N B L A KE The Bishop’s experience with foster children and leadership ignited a call within Greater Faith Community Church. This church of less than 200 members became family to scores of children previously living in the foster care system. As the movement grew stronger, The Blakes launched Harvest Family Life Ministry. They have been successful in their model of teaching and training state staff and church leaders the faith-based concepts of marrying church and state to equip the church to meet the needs of children from prevention to permanency. K E VA N CH A N D L ER Kevan Chandler has a BA in Counseling, with a focus in prison ministry, from John Wesley College. He has authored several books, including a memoir of his adventures being carried in a backpack around the world. Kevan is also the founder of We Carry Kevan, a nonprofit striving to redefine accessibility as a cooperative effort between friends. He and his wife, Katie, live in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where they bake scones, read aloud to one another, and open their home for friends to join in these pastimes. ST EV EN CURT I S CH A P M A N In a career that has spanned over 30 years, Steven Curtis Chapman is the most awarded artist in Christian music history with 59 Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, five GRAMMYs®, an American Music Award, 49 No. 1 singles, selling more than eleven million albums and with ten RIAA-certified gold or platinum albums to his credit. Chapman also became a best-selling author in 2017 with his memoir “Between Heaven and the Real World: My Story”. A vocal supporter of adoption, Chapman, along with his wife Mary Beth, founded Show Hope in 2003, a nonprofit organization that helps restore the hope of a family to orphans. C RO S S WO RS H I P Cross Worship is a collaboration of worship leaders with a heart to reconcile the body of Christ across denominational and racial divides. It was founded by Troy Culbreth in Cincinnati, Ohio as a regular gathering, inviting churches from around the city to come and worship together united as one. As a collective team of individual artists, Cross Worship blends the strengths of different styles to create an eclectic sound capable of reaching a unified church. 18
JU S TI N W HI TM E L EARLEY I’m trying to figure out how to live a life of love in an age of chaos.The Common Rule is born out of my own tendency towards inward disorder, and the habits of a culture that seem to exacerbate those tendencies. It is a communal way of forming your life in the love of God & neighbor, amidst a culture beset by individualism and consumerism. Whether you’re an office worker, stay-at-home parent, a church, or an organization – I’d love to talk to you. I’d love to share with you the way the most ordinary habits of love can create extraordinary lives of light. BRI AN F I K K E RT Dr. Brian Fikkert is a Professor of Economics and Community Development and the Founder and President of the Chalmers Center for Economic Development at Covenant College. He is coauthor of the best-selling book When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor…and Yourself as well as Helping Without Hurting in Short-Term Missions, Helping Without Hurting in Church Benevolence, and From Dependence to Dignity: How to Alleviate Poverty Through Church-Centered Microfinance. D I EG O F U LLE R Diego Fuller a foster care alumni whose past is something you would see in a movie, something so unspeakable, but terribly true. Diego, a troubled kid that grew up without his parents, molested at eight years old & neglected by family, Homeless living in the back of a church. At 15 years old Diego’s life was changed when he was Engrafted into Pastor Aaron Blake’s home. Diego is now founder of B.I.G Records and Foundation. He’s also a highly known Christian hip hop artist, Student Pastor, book author, motivational speaker, and more importantly a Husband and Father. PARI S G OODY E AR-B ROWN Paris Goodyear-Brown, LCSW, RPT-S, is the creator of the TraumaPlay™ model, the founder and Clinical Director of Nurture House, and the Executive Director of the TraumaPlay™ Institute. She is an Adjunct Instructor of Psychiatric Mental Health at Vanderbilt University, guest lecturer for several universities, and travels around the world helping clinicians, parents, and teachers better serve children from hard places. She frequently provides parent consultation, dyadic assessment and parent coaching to help parents manage and resolve their children’s behavior problems. She delights in her husband and her three children. BE TH G U C K E NBE RGER Beth and her husband, Todd, live with their family in Cincinnati, Ohio where they serve as Co-Executive Directors of Back2Back Ministries. After graduating from Indiana University, the Guckenbergers moved to Monterrey, Mexico where they lived for 15 years. Between biological, foster, and adopted children, they have raised ten children. Beth is the author of seven books including adult and children’s titles. She travels and speaks regularly at conferences, youth gatherings and church services. Her style is based in storytelling and she draws from her vast field experience as a missionary, Bible teacher and #CAFO2021 parent for illustrationsFEEDBACK of biblical SURVEY concepts.
