SHANE CLAIBORNE

 

With tears and laughter, Shane Claiborne unveils the tragic messes we’ve made of our world and the tangible hope that another world is possible. Shane graduated from Eastern University, and did graduate work at Princeton Seminary. His ministry experience is varied, from a 10-week stint working alongside Mother Teresa in Calcutta, to a year spent serving a wealthy mega-congregation at Willow Creek Community Church outside Chicago. During the recent war in Iraq, Shane spent three weeks in Baghdad with the Iraq Peace Team. Shane is also a founding partner of The Simple Way, a faith community in inner city Philadelphia that has helped to birth and connect radical faith communities around the world.

Shane is the author of the several books including The Irresistible Revolution, Jesus for President, and Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers. Shane speaks over 100 times a year in a dozen or so countries and nearly every state in the US. His work has been featured on Fox News, CNN, National Public Radio, and in the Wall Street Journal. Shane will speak on the main stage on Saturday at 2:45 p.m.

KYLE IDLEMAN

Kyle serves as Teaching Pastor at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, where over 18,000 attend each weekend. He is the author and presenter of the award-winning video curriculum H20: A Journey of Faith. Prior to moving to Kentucky, he planted a church in Los Angeles County. Kyle will speak on the main stage on Friday at 2:45 p.m.

BOB LENZ

Bob is Founder of Life Promotions and the Lifest music festival in OshKosh, Wisconsin and is considered one of the nation's top youth speakers. He easily connects with his audiences by intertwining stories and personal experiences that help young people deal with real life. He explores sober issues while using his unique gift of humor to help listeners realize their need for God. Bob will speak on the main stage on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m.

MATT PITT

Following a drug overdose that almost took his life, Matt Pitt gave his life to the Lord in his family's basement. "The Basement" is now a ministry in the Birmingham, Alabama area, where Matt speaks to thousands of young people each week to remind them that God loves them. Matt is a high-energy speaker who is passionate about knowing and serving Jesus. Matt will speak on the main stage on Thursday at 6:55 p.m.

DAVE RAMSEY & RACHEL (RAMSEY) CRUZE
 

Dave Ramsey is a personal money management expert and a popular national radio and TV personality. He is also author of the New York Times best-sellers The Total Money Makeover, Financial Peace, and More Than Enough. 

Rachel (Ramsey) Cruze is Dave's daughter. She was taught at a young age how to manage the four main areas of money: working, saving, spending, and giving. 

She has been speaking to audiences of thousands since age 16 and is now completing her communication studies degree at the University of Tennessee. Rachel is also entering “the family business” and is excited about reaching high-school and college students with the message of Financial Peace. Dave & Rachel will speak on the main stage on Thursday at 2:45 p.m. Rachel will also speak on the Deep End on Friday at 10:30 a.m.

 JOHN VERMILYA (A.K.A., JOHNNY V)

John Vermilya is a preacher who challenges large audiences of people every year at universities, music festivals, conferences, churches and special events. He is part of the Kingdom Building Ministries itinerant speaking team and is also the lead pastor of Buckley Tabernacle, a non-denominational church in the barbarian wilderness of northern Michigan. John will speak on the main stage on Saturday at 7:15 p.m. He'll also speak on the Deep End on Friday at 9:30 a.m.

JON WEECE

Jon is the Lead Follower of Southland Christian Church in Lexington, Kentucky, where he speaks to more than 10,000 people each weekend. He also speaks to tens of thousands of people each year at various conferences and events around the nation. He has a special place in his heart for Haiti, where he and his wife, Allison, lived and ministered for four years after finishing college at Ozark Christian College. Jon will speak on the main stage on Friday at 7:10 p.m.

GERALD COLEMAN
 

Gerald Coleman is the High School Ministries Director at Fellowship Missionary Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana where he also co-leads Immersion, a local missional experience that reaches out to refugees.  Born and raised in Chicago, he attended Elim Bible Institute, Roberts Wesleyan College, Northeastern Seminary, and has spent 10 years working as an urban youth worker and mentor.  In addition to his wife and four children, Gerald is passionate about seeing humans live out what it means to be made in the image of God. Gerald will speak on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. in Altar Tent 1.

COLMON ELRIDGE

At age 28, Colmon Elridge is the youngest Executive Assistant to the Governor in the history of Kentucky. He's also one of the youngest Executive Directors of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives in the nation. Colmon speaks a message of hope all over the nation, challenging people to work across party lines to improve the quality of life for all people in their communities. He believes it's time for us to strengthen our bonds as Americans, as citizens of the Earth, and as children of God. Colmon will speak on Friday at 10:30 a.m. in Altar Tent 1.

CLINTON FAUPEL

Clinton Faupel is the Director of Remedy.FM, the official web station of Ichthus. As a 17-year youth ministry veteran, Clinton has adapted to many changes in youth culture. He now helps parents and other youth leaders understand and adapt to those changes as well...for the sake of having greater impact in the lives of students. Clinton is also the host of the popular interactive show "The Clinic", which streams live on Sundays at 7:00 p.m. EST on Remedy.FM. Clinton will speak on Thursday at 9:30 a.m. on the Deep End and on Friday at 10:30 a.m. at the Indie 1 stage.

NATHAN ELLIOTT

As the former project director for The Doorpost Film Project (DFP), Nathan Elliott brought DFP from startup to a premier player in the film community. Among many accolades under his leadership, DFP was named among the "25 film festivals worth the entry fee" by MovieMaker magazine in 2009. Prior to Doorpost, Nathan was a senior developer at Media Sentry, fighting the war of anti-piracy. He  worked directly with clients such as Disney, ABC, MPAA, RIAA, Sony, FOX and Universal. Now, Nathan is fighting poverty and social injustice. He's recently launched the I AM ACTIVE activism platform,  which mixes social media and grass roots, "on the ground" initiatives by partnering with local churches and non-profit organizations. Nathan will speak on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. on the Indie 1 stage. 

CHRIS HUERTZ

As leader of the Word Made Flesh community, Chris Heuertz has traveled with his wife, Phileena, through nearly 70 countries working with the most vulnerable of the world's poor—Roma (gypsies), children with AIDS, prostituted women and girls, recovering drug addicts, children on the streets, and refugees. He is an activist, author, visionary, and international speaker.

Chris has written several books, including Simple Spirituality: Learning to See God in a Broken World and his newest book, Friendship at the Margins: Discovering Mutuality in Service and Mission, where Chris exhorts the church to move beyond cause to a community approach to ministry. Chris will speak on Thursday and Friday at 10:30 a.m. on the Edge stage.

MICAH KEPHART

Micah is a worship leader and teacher with the heart of a prophet. Through music, teaching, and the creative arts, Micah seeks to convey God's vision for restoration and freedom in a broken world. This passion led Micah to found Poetice in 2007, which leads international AIDS education concerts in various parts of Africa. Micah and Poetice have recently started an initiative to get used musical instruments in the hands of children in Third-World countries in order to teach them how to play these instruments. Micah will speak on Friday at 10:30 a.m. on the Galleria stage.

DAN LEWIS

Dan is the Director of Outreach and Culture for First Southern National Bank and the Executive Director of The River Foundation, a private foundation established by First Southern for giving to local, national, and global Christ-centered organizations. Dan is also an Adjunct Professor at Asbury Seminary and is Vice Chair of The Commonwealth Compassion Bridge, which “netweaves” faith-based organizations and resources in Kentucky to meet felt needs and proclaim Jesus both verbally and nonverbally. Previously, Dan spent 22 years on staff with YoungLife, and he received his Masters from Fuller Seminary and his Doctorate in Missional Leadership from Asbury Seminary. His heart beats for equipping, encouraging, and launching the next generation of "missional leaders," and he blogs a bit about that on his fledgling website Next2Lead.org. Dan will speak on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. in Altar Tent 1.

JUSTIN LOOKADOO

Justin was a part-time youth ministry leader and a full-time "safe and drug free school" consultant.  A Juvenile Probation Department hired him as their Crime and Drug Prevention Specialist, where he spent the next five years creating programs to keep young people safe from harm.

In 2000, he left the Juvenile Probation Department and became a national "safe and drug free" consultant.  He speaks in public schools all over the nations and in various oyouth ministry settings as well, including churches, camps, conferences, and festivals. 

Since 1993, Justin has made more than 4,000 presentations to 1.5 million young people. He has written ten books, of which four have made it to best-seller lists.Justin will emcee the main stage each evening Thursday through Saturday. He'll also speak on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. and Saturday at 9:30 a.m. on the Deep End.

MICAH and AUDREY McELVEEN

Micah and Audrey McElveen started Vapor Sports Ministries in 2005, after Micah traveled to an African slum and was shocked by the humanitarian crisis that he witnessed there. Rocked by his exposure to abject poverty and spiritual darkness, God birthed in him a vision to bring aid and sustainable life to poor countries. Micah and Audrey speak all over the US, casting the global vision of Vapor Sports Ministries. Their passion for people emanates from what Jesus has done personally in their own lives. Micah will speak on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. on the Edge stage and Audrey will speak on Friday at 10:30 in the Altar 1 tent.

DAVE SPRING

Dave has spent his life serving God and others. At the age of 10, he felt called by God to be a missionary.  His early influences were missionaries who visited his father’s church from Africa, New Guinea, South America, and the Caribbean.  He would sit, enraptured for hours by the tales people would tell of exotic places, fascinating foods, and lives changed because a few people obeyed what God asked them to do.  He knew this was the life God was asking him to live.

Since then, Dave has done ministry in 23 countries on five continents.  Currently, Dave lives in Nashville, where he's doing cross-cultural ministry of a different kind--ministering to young musicians and filmmakers. He's the Executive Director of The Doorpost Film Project, a film festival that focuses on developing emerging filmmakers. Dave will speak on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. on the Galleria stage.

sterling

A certifiable tomboy, it’s tough to keep sterling away from the outdoors. you're more likely to spot her riding next to her husband (shawn) on her harley than sitting around the house. sterling has always loved adventure, and after years of destructive addiction, she jumped into the biggest adventure of her life: following Jesus. A passion for God and music–and a desire to reach hurting people–make radio the perfect platform for Sterling. She worked for 10 years in mainstream radio around the country, before hosting the afternoon show on Air 1 and now the midday show on  KLOVE. She is humbled and grateful every day to be used by God while doing what she loves! Sterling will emcee afternoons on the Main Stage and will speak on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. in Altar Tent 2.

ERIC SAMUEL TIMM

He’s part artist, part speaker, part author...and all passion. It all helps Eric Samuel Timm connect with just about any audience.  Speaking, painting, and performing to thousands each year, he is sought after for his ability to present God's truth in ways that are attractive both to the church and to people who aren’t in a current relationship with Christ.  Find out more about Eric's unique ministry at  www.nooneunderground.com. Eric will speak on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. on the Galleria stage. He will also emcee Saturday night on the Deep End and make other surprise appearances throughout the festival.