Intervention 2024 Draft

Saturday, March 23, 2024 274 Delsea Drive • Sewell, New Jersey, 08080

TRAUMA: the brain’s memory of hurt, pain, and/or overwhelming stress.

Let’s face it, we’ve all experienced trauma. While life demands we get up and move on, for most, it’s just not that easy, leaving us to feel “stuck” in spite of all of the activity in our lives.

The truth is, in order to move ahead, sometimes we must face what’s held us back. For those desiring to move ahead, there’s Intervention, a healing forum by women, for women seeking to receive and extend forgiveness to recover from trauma.

9 a.m.: Doors Open/Continental Breakfast

9:30-10:45 a.m.: Opening Session in Main Sanctuary

Welcome/Vision by Angela M. Brown

Worship led by Deborah Carolina & Worship Team

Opening Session led by Dr. Sarita Lyons

11-11:45 a.m.: Workshop I: Discerning Depression

Delineating and defining anxiety, stress and depression to know when and where to get help

Girls (Chapel)

Women (Main Sanctuary)

Michaela Wells, M.S. Faith Ritter

12 – 1 p.m.: Lunch in Glocal Café, Connection Hall and Chapel

1:15 p.m: Panel Discussions in Main Sanctuary facilitated by Elder Le-Toyja Averhart Conversations addressing most persistent challenges facing women and girls and the tools to overcome them

Panel #1: The Myth of the Superwoman: Dr. Sarita Lyons, Nancy Simmons, MSCC, LMFT

Panel #2: The Father Wound: Pastor Kevin C. Brown and Elder Mike Dixon

2:30 - 3:15 p.m.: Workshops II: Mapping Hills & Valleys

Mapping root causes of trauma in our lives, identifying triggers and changing the narrative

Girls (Chapel)

Women (Main Sanctuary)

Melissa Laster Desiree Guyton, MDiv, MA, LPC

3:15-3:45 p.m.: Workshop III: Ain't No Mountain High Enough Tools in our backpack to navigate our hills & valleys

Girls (Chapel)

Women (Main Sanctuary)

Kelly Alston Marcia Myers

4-5 p.m.: Closing Session (Main Sanctuary)

Closing Session led by Angela M. Brown Altar Call

Closing Prayer by Elder Mary Jackson

Angela M. Brown

Fueled by a passion to make a difference and inspire others to do the same, Angela M. Brown is a recognized community leader, speaker, and author, leveraging more than 20 years of experience in public relations, international affairs, issues management, and advocacy to amplify the voice of women, champion causes of the marginalized and oppressed, and foster reconciliation and transformation in distressed communities locally and abroad.

US Board of Directors of Bethlehem Bible College in Bethlehem, Palestine, and the Advisory Board of Churches for Middle East Peace. She is also an officer of the Rowan University Foundation Board of Directors, chaplain of the South Jersey (NJ) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated and chair of its Women’s Issues committee, and a member of the boards of the Southern New Jersey Chapter of the American Red Cross and the Winslow Township Economic Development Council.

Main Session Speakers

Alongside her husband, Angela co-founded Perfecting Ministries in Sewell, New Jersey where she directs the women’s ministry and serves as executive director of Loving Our Cities, a 501c3 community development corporation with a mission to enhance the quality of life where we live, work, serve, and worship. As director of the women’s ministry, Angela oversees Women of the Round Table and its community engagement arm, A Woman’s Business, to change the perception and restore the position of women and girls around the world through service, a vision that has given birth to the Power TO BE Tea, Presence, Intervention, Think Pink and Girl Rising.

As an ordained minister, Angela shares the cry for justice anchoring Amos 5:24, desiring to see healing from racial trauma by and within the Church. In response, Angela facilitates monthly mentoring for ReNew Camden federal reentry participants on behalf of the U.S. Attorney General’s Office (USAO) and advocates for a just peace in the West Bank as a member of the

A member of the National Association of Social Workers, Angela will graduate from Columbia University’s dual degree program with Union Theological Seminary, obtaining her MDiv and MSW in 2025 with a concentration in Leadership, Management & Entrepreneurship for Social Justice. She holds a certificate in biblical studies from Vision International University, a certificate in non-profit management from LaSalle University, attended Hampton University, and graduated from Rowan University with a B.A. in Communication where she also obtained a certificate in African American Studies as well as a certificate in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

A daughter, sister, auntie, wife, mother, mother-in-law, and Nanna, Angela resides in Winslow Township with her husband of 34 years, Pastor Kevin C. Brown. Together they are the proud parents of two adult children, Kevin “KJ” Christopher Brown, II, and Olivia Simone Bernard, and grandparents to Remi and “Baby J”.

Sarita T. Lyons, JD, PhD

Dr. Sarita Lyons, affectionately called “Dr. Sarita,” is a wife, mother, speaker, bible teacher, and psychotherapist. She is on staff at Epiphany Fellowship Church in Philadelphia as the Director of Discipleship and Women’s Ministry. Prior to full-time ministry, Dr. Lyons was in private practice for eight years, where she provided counseling for individuals, families, couples, and groups for a variety of psychological needs. Some of her treatment specialties are recovery from trauma, depression, anxiety, marriage and family therapy. She also specializes in counseling and consultation for church leadership and their families for personal and ministry-related needs. Dr. Lyons speaks, writes, and advocates about the intersections of faith, mental health, and justice; as well as women’s issues in and outside of the church. Most importantly, Dr. Lyons is called to unashamedly preach the unadulterated Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Dr. Lyons is passionate about the emotional and spiritual health of the Church, making disciples, and developing leaders. She deeply cares about the Church being stabilized in Christ amidst the changing tides and influence of culture. She is a highly sought-after speaker and consultant for churches, women’s groups, organizations, and educational institutions around the country.

Dr. Lyons is a contributing writer for the multi-award winning book, Urban Apologetics: How the Gospel Restores Black Dignity, General Editor, Dr. Eric Mason. In her chapter she writes about, “Black Women and The Appeal of The Black Conscious

Community and Feminism.” She also contributed two chapters in the second Urban Apologetics book (2023) on the LBGTQ+ movement and church response, and a biblical apologetic for gender, sex, and marriage. Her first book titled “Church Girl: A Gospel Vision to Encourage and Challenge Black Christian Women” is scheduled to be released on August 20, 2024 and is available for preorder now at these select retailers.

A native of Philadelphia and a product of the Philadelphia Public School System, Dr. Lyons is a proud graduate from an HBCU, Florida A&M University, where she earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Psychology. In graduate school, Dr. Lyons simultaneously studied law and psychology at one of the country’s rare joint JD/PhD programs. She graduated from Villanova University School of Law, and earned a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology and a Ph.D. in Clinical and Forensic Psychology from Drexel University. She also taught as an adjunct professor at Drexel University’s College of Medicine.

Dr. Lyons is married to Pastor Mark Lyons who is a bi-vocational elder at Epiphany Fellowship Church, a commercial airline pilot (Captain) for JetBlue Airways, and a retired Lt. Colonel from the United States Air Force. They are the parents of four wonderful children Malachi, Sophia, Olivia, and Gabriella.

Le-Toyja Averhart

Le-Toyja Averhart is a daughter of the most High. Gifted as an intercessor and teacher, she currently serves as an Elder and ministry team leader at The Perfecting Church in Sewell, New Jersey.

Le-Toyja holds a Masters of Arts in Communication and certificates in Spiritual Formation and Biblical Counseling. She is the wife of MSgt

(Retired) Brian Averhart, the mother of Bri and Tre, and a career federal employee. Above all, she delights in being called His Beloved and empowering others to discover the same.

Panelists

Pastor Kevin C. Brown, Sr. MDiv.

Pastor Kevin co-founded Perfecting Ministries where he’s served as the senior pastor of The Perfecting Church since July of 2011. Since its founding, The Perfecting Church has grown to a membership of over 1,500 men, women and children discovering, developing and launching out transformed by the power of God’s Word and Presence and committed to BE the Church in addition to attending one. Today, The Perfecting Church is recognized by Outreach Magazine as one of the top reproducing churches in America fueled by a mission to not be the biggest church in the city, but to church the city, engaging society to extend the Kingdom.

Headquartered in the shadow of one of the poorest big cities in the United States, The Perfecting Church is known for its community engagement efforts with its members to address the systemic issues compromising the quality of life of the most vulnerable residents of the region. A passionate peacemaker and convener, Kevin also founded Diverse But Not Divided, a coalition of churches diverse in race, ethnicity, denominational affiliation,

and philosophy of ministry, yet committed to bring glory to God through unified prayer, worship, and acts of service. The Perfecting Church is also known for its global engagement work having served in the West Bank for more than a decade in the areas of social services, education, and business, providing training and counseling on anger, grief, and trauma among other topics.

Kevin, and the love of his life Angela, will celebrate 35 years of marriage this year and they have two beautiful, Jesus-loving adult children KJ and Olivia, a newly added son-inlaw Jalen, and two grandsons, Remi who was born last year, and “Baby J” who makes his debut next month.

Michael E. Dixon is the son of a pastor and was ordained in ministry in 1993 at True Holiness Temple in Cleveland, OH. He attended Ohio State University and holds a B.A. in Theology. He is an anointed teacher, marriage coach and author of the life transforming book, “Marriage… The Secrets to Loving It”. Michael often says, “You don’t find a great marriage, you build one.” As a marriage coach he empowers couples with critical tools and insight necessary to build healthy, passionate

Michael E. Dixon

and successful relationships. Michael serves as the Director of Marriage and Family Life at The Perfecting Church in Sewell, NJ. He was happily and passionately married to his wife Tammy Dixon for thirty-two years before she transitioned to heaven in October of 2022 after battling breast cancer. He resides with his family in South Jersey.

Nancy Simmons, MSCC, LMFT

Nancy Simmons is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) with over 13 years of experience, based in New Jersey. As the founder and CEO of Connect Our Hearts Counseling & Coaching Services, Nancy specializes in helping individuals, couples, and families build healthier relationships and reach their full potential.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Business-Economics from SUNY Oneonta (1981), a Master of Science in Christian Counseling from Cairn University (2002), and a Certificate in Marriage and Family Therapy from the Council For Relationships (2012).

Nancy’s dedication to her clients is matched by her commitment to personal growth. In addition to her therapy work, she is a certified personal development coach, having completed her training

at the CAPP Institute. She specializes in guiding highachieving individuals toward success in both their personal and professional lives.

Outside of her practice, Nancy enjoys a fulfilling family life with her husband Steve Simmons, a Senior Manager-Solution Engineering at Stefanini Group. Together, they blend their families, including Nancy’s two bonus children: Marissa, owner and managing attorney of MLS Law in California, Steven, a software engineering graduate from RIT living in Rochester, New York, and Max, their 2-year-old Golden Doodle.

Workshop Presenters

Kelly Alston

Kelly is a lover of Christ who serves as a PCell leader at The Perfecting Church embodying a passion for encouraging and empowering women. Professionally, Kelly works in the Insurance industry where she mentors future leaders. She leads a local women’s empowerment

committee that aims to engage with and build communities that support women in the workplace.

Rev. Desiree Guyton, MDiv, MA, LPC

Rev. Desiree Guyton, MDiv, MA, LPC, is the founder and executive director of Quest Trauma Healing Centers, and CEO of Healing Quest Counseling Villages. A licensed professional counselor, Desiree earned both her Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Counseling from Biblical Theological Seminary.

Desiree maintains 27 years of experience serving youth and young adults in church and para-church ministries along with 12 years in direct individual and family counseling. She taught counseling at Missio Seminary and is the co-author of Healing Wounds of Generational Trauma: The Black & White American Experience.

Desiree travels globally and domestically, serving the poor and disenfranchised communities on mission as a preacher, lecturer, professional counselor, master trainer for Trauma Healing Institute, and therapist. She

offers various trainings on generational trauma, trauma, and mental health to churches and agencies. In 2013, she received a Global Trauma Recovery Institute (GTRI) training certificate, and in 2017, the Master Trainer Trauma Healing Certificate from American Bible Society. Since 2014, she served with the GTRI team, providing trauma healing training for pastors and counselors in Rwanda, Africa.

Desiree is the proud mother of two sons and grandmother of two boys.

Melissa Laster maintains 20 years of experience in the field of education. She was an Educator and School Psychologist in the Camden City School District for thirteen years. Currently she is a School Psychologist in Winslow Twp. School District and has been there for the past six years. In this role she conducts psychological evaluations, group and individual counseling, and case management.

Melissa is passionate about advocating for children with neurodivergent abilities, especially children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). She loves helping educators see their biases and guiding them in reframing

Marcia is an actor whose credits include a principal role in MGM’s Creed 2 starring Sylvester Stallone, Michael B Jordan, and Tessa Thompson, casting as a costar in the CBS pilot Ways and Means starring Patrick Dempsey and several independent projects such as Amazon Prime’s Single and Anxious, Road Rage, and Mazurkas, as well as various national and regional commercials.

Marcia parlayed her love of performing to write and co-produce her one-woman play entitled “24 Hour Mind Battle”, shedding light on and destigmatizing mental illness. When she isn’t writing, producing, performing, or auditioning, you’ll find her serving in a classroom as a substitute teacher which she adores, having obtained an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Special Education and Theatre Arts from

Melissa Laster

how they perceive children with ADHD. Melissa Laster has been a mentor to young ladies for the past thirteen years. She enjoys pouring into the youth by helping them build their confidence, understanding their worth, teaching them the meaning of sisterhood, and the importance of having a relationship with God.

A quote by Rita Pierson is her personal mantra and guides the work that she does, “ Every child deserves a champion, an adult who will never give up on them, who understands the power of connection and insists they become the best they can possibly be”.

Marcia Myers

Burlington County College.

Marcia is a pioneering member of The Perfecting Church who alongside her husband Curtis discovered, developed, and launched out to plant The Engage Church in Burlington County. Together they are the proud parents of two adult daughters, Charisse and Victoria.

Faith Ritter

Faith Ritter is the founder of Beauty of Ashes Christian Counseling and specializes in life transitions, grief, depression, anger/self-regulation, forgiveness, Godly decision-making, and conflict resolution.

In addition to her private practice, Faith is a school-based mental health professional and is trained in several evidence-based interventions

Workshop Presenters

designed to help adolescents cope with trauma, anger, anxiety, depression, and stress, having completed her training in biblical counseling with the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, her BA from Temple University and her graduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

She is married to Bentley Ritter Jr. and has two adult daughters, Logan & Sydney.

Michaela Wells, M.S.

Doctoral Student and Behavioral Health Clinician at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Michaela is a wife and mother who is currently studying for her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and anticipates becoming a Pediatric Neuropsychologist. Michaela completed her undergraduate studies at Rutgers University and her

graduate education at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Michaela has worked as an Outpatient Therapist at the Center for Autism, and currently applies her knowledge and skills as a Behavioral Health Clinician at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Michaela loves what she does and has enjoyed working with children and teens for the past 10 years.