2014 Speakers

SHAUNA NIEQUIST
@sniequist

Shauna Niequist is the author of Bread & Wine, Bittersweet, and Cold Tangerines. She lives outside Chicago with her husband Aaron and their two boys, Henry and Mac.

Website /// Twitter /// Facebook

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SARAH DUBBELDAM
@SarahDubbeldam

Sarah Dubbeldam is the founder and Editor in Chief of Darling Magazine, an artistic quarterly publication that seeks to broaden the “ideals” of beauty in media and speak real, time-tested wisdom to women. Now recognized across the nation in over 100 retailers such as Whole Foods, Nordstrom and Anthropologie, the magazine is broadening into a social media movement with it’s “no Photoshop” policy and call for women to know their true worth. Sarah and her team are most excited about Darling’s recent partnership with International Justice Mission to help eradicate sex trafficking in South America. Sarah lives with her husband Steve, the CEO of Darling, in Los Angeles, California.

Twitter /// Facebook /// Instagram

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SOPHIE HUDSON
@boomama

With an urge to document the hilarity of family life, Sophie Hudson began writing her blog, BooMama.net, in November 2005. She’s just as tickled as she can be that people still read it. Sophie hopes that through her stories, women find encouragement and hope in the everyday, joy-filled moments of life. In addition to her blog, Sophie writes on a regular basis for HomeLife magazine and is a contributor to the Pioneer Woman’s blog. She also serves as co-emcee for LifeWay’s annual dotMOM event and participates in Compassion International’s blogger initiative. Her first book, A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet: Southern Stories of Faith, Family, and Fifteen Pounds of Bacon, was released in June 2013. Sophie lives with her husband and son in Birmingham, Alabama.

Website /// Twitter /// Facebook /// Pinterest

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TIM WILLARD
@TimothyWillard

Nothing captures me like the quiet words of my wife, Christine, and the epiphanies of my three pixie daughters, Lyric, Brielle and Zion. I feel like a farmer most days, plying the writing trade in the fields of imagination.

I co-authored Home Behind the Sun: Connect With God in the Brilliance of the Everyday (2014) and Veneer: Living Deeply in a Surface Society (2011). My first devotional, Longing For More, releases in the fall of 2014 with Bethany House. I also serve as the Spiritual Director for Praxis.

Me, Christine and the pixies live in Oxford, England while I study under Alister McGrath for the PhD in Theology. My topic isn’t boring: Beauty and imagination as apologetic in the works of C.S. Lewis. And yes, I do believe in faeries.

Website /// Twitter /// Facebook

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LOGAN WOLFRAM
@lifefordessert

Logan is the Executive Director of Allume who most loves to write, connect, and encourage women.  Daughter of a most extravagant and hospitable King, wife to Jeremy, and mother to 2 wild and inquisitive little boys, her days are filled with a combination of routine and plenty of the unexpected.  No stranger to broken dreams, she has found that a curious following of the Ultimate Creative, Jesus, has led her into a faith that is fuller and a life that is more exciting.  Stay-at-home-mom and interior decorator, turned writer and Allume owner and host, Logan consistently finds that God doesn’t necessarily call the equipped, but he will always equip the called. Logan is currently in process writing her first book due to come out whenever she finishes it and someone decides to publish it. She blogs at LoganWolfram.com

Website /// Twitter /// Facebook

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JEREMY COURTNEY
@jcourt

Jeremy Courtney was drinking a cup of tea in Iraq during the middle of the war, minding his own business, when he met a little girl with a huge hole in her heart who changed his life. To help save her life, Jeremy packed up a suitcase full of hand-made shoes from Iraq and began selling shoes across America from the trunk of his car. As news of this hand-made hope spread, children from across the country came in search of help, as Jeremy and his friends learned of tens of thousands of Iraqi children in need of heart surgery, many of them living behind “enemy lines” in one of the world’s most notorious war-torn countries. Today Jeremy helps lead Preemptive Love Coalition, an international development organization that has helped provide nearly 800 heart surgeries for Iraqi children, more than any other organization in the world. Jeremy’s book, Preemptive Love: Pursuing Peace One Heart at a Time, tells the harrowing, highly-acclaimed story of the only love big enough to change a nation—a love that strikes first. Preemptive Love is available wherever books are sold. 

Website /// Twitter /// Facebook

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2014 Session Speakers

CAREY BAILEY
@CareyCBailey

Carey Bailey is a woman who loves to dance around the living room with her husband to Michael Jackson, loves Blue Bell Pralines and Cream ice cream, loves reading to her kids in a tree house, and loves having Jesus as her BFF!

She is self professed candy junkie but sugar will never match her deep desire for helping women satisfy their cravings for abundant life. She does this through life coaching, speaking, and by sharing a one-of-a-kind devotional she authored, Cravings {The Devotional}.

Website /// Facebook /// Twitter /// Pinterest /// Instagram

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LISA-JO BAKER
@lisajobaker

Lisa-Jo Baker is the author of Surprised by Motherhood: Everything I Never Expected About Being a Mom, the social media manager for DaySpring, and the Community Manager of the company’s website, incourage.me, an online home for millions of women the world over. She shares her every day life lived in between kids and chaos at LisaJoBaker.com, is a contributor to HuffPost Parents, and her writings on motherhood are syndicated from New Zealand to New York. Born and raised in South Africa, Lisa-Jo currently lives outside Washington, DC with her husband and their three very loud kids. She’s on Twitter @lisajobaker.

 Website /// Twitter /// Facebook /// Instagram

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ANNIE DOWNS
@anniedowns

Annie F. Downs is an author, blogger, and speaker based in Nashville, Tennessee. Flawed but funny, she uses her writing to highlight the everyday goodness of a real and present God. An author of three books- Let’s All Be Brave, Perfectly Unique, and Speak Love, Annie also loves traveling around the country speaking to young women, college students, and adults. Read more at anniedowns.com and follow her on Twitter @anniedowns.

Website /// Twitter

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EMILY FREEMAN
@emilypfreeman

Emily P. Freeman is the author of the blog, “Chatting at the Sky,” where she combines photos and stories to create space for souls to breathe. She has blogged faithfully for eight years, leading to exciting opportunities like the publishing of three books: Grace for the Good Girl: Letting Go of the Try-Hard Life (2011), Graceful {For Young Women} (2012), and A Million Little Ways (2013).

Emily’s writing is spurred by a deep curiosity about faith, the gracefulness of the everyday, and the sacredness of our inner lives. An introvert at heart and an extrovert by necessity, she follows this curiosity wherever it leads, stopping along the way to write, speak, and connect with others.

Emily lives in North Carolina with her husband and three children.

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ESTHER HAVENS
@estherhavens

Esther Havens is a humanitarian photographer capturing stories that transcend a person’s circumstances and reveal their true strength. For many years she has worked on social-awareness campaigns with organizations such as charity: water, TOMS Shoes, Warby Parker and Malaria No More.

Her images compel thought and challenge action. She has traveled to over 50 nations in the last 10 years — and she’ll keep going until she sees that every person on the planet has access to education, clean drinking water and a job to provide for their families. At heart, she is a connector, fostering relationships across continents, cultures, industries and perspectives. While not traveling, Esther is currently home-based in Dallas, TX at WELD.

Website /// Twitter /// Facebook /// Instagram

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TAMI HEIM
@TamiHeim

Tami is President/CEO of Christian Leadership Alliance, she leads an organization that equips and unites leaders to transform the world for Christ. She has served as a partner in The A Group – Brand Development, EVP and CPO for Thomas Nelson Publishers, and as the president of Borders, Inc.

Married to the love of her life, Dale, they delight in their family and are compelled by God’s extraordinary love to go and serve the orphans in Haiti as often as they possibly can. And now, by an extraordinary miracle, they are in the process of adopting one of them.

Twitter /// Facebook /// Pinterest /// Instagram

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KRISTEN & MARK HOWERTON
@kristenhowerton

Mark and Kristen Howerton are both licensed marriage and family therapists and the proud parents of four spirited kids. Kristen is the author of the blog Rage Against the Minivan, where she explores issues of identity, race, adoption, parenting, and the sometimes embarrassing indignities of motherhood. In addition to her own blog, she is also a regular contributor to Disney’s parenting site Babble, as well as to Huffington Post and Lifetime Moms. Mark works in private practice and is a hot yoga enthusiast.

In the spring of 2010, the Howertons lost their long and passionate battle against the minivan. It now sits in their driveway covered in crushed cheerios and remnants of their self-esteem.

Website /// Twitter /// Facebook

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DENISE HUGHES
@denisejhughes

Denise believes in the power of a well-told story. A blogger since 2009, she appreciates the conversational quality of online writing and considers blogging an excellent medium for exploring and improving the craft. She holds an MA in English and teaches writing at Azusa Pacific University. Denise is the author of On Becoming a Writer: What Every Blogger Needs to Know and Passport to Prose: A Simple Editing Guide for Bloggers. She’s a Community Group Leader at (in)courage and a contributing writer at Allume, HelloMornings, Raising Generations Today, and Missional Women. You can find Denise at her website — denisejhughes.com — and on Facebook and Twitter.

Website /// Twitter /// Facebook /// Pinterest

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JAMIN & ASHLEY MILLS
@handmade_home

You can find Jamin and Ashley Mills most days over at www.thehandmadehome.net as the voices and inspiration behind the Handmade Home, where they share their life, DIY spirit, inspiration and humor. The two met as college sweethearts at Auburn University where they began their love affair in tinkering with projects that turned them into full fledged “Do it yourselvers”. Along they way they managed to picked up some degrees (Ashley studied Graphic Design, before pursuing a master’s degree in Art Education and Jamin studied Psychology before pursing a Master’s in Religion) and their favorite little projects (Aiden, Emerson and Malone) as well as their lovable mutt who found her way into their logo. The two not only co-create a space on the web for beauty, laughter and love, but have also co-authored 4 books in the Handmade Home Book series. They currently reside in the tropics of Alabama where they have perfected the art of sipping sweet tea while operating power tools.

Website /// Twitter /// Facebook

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AUSTIN & ERIKA MORRISON
@RAMorrison
@erikalifeartist

Austin and Erika have been married for 14 abundant years. And when they say “abundant” what they really mean is: their story is full of failure, setback, stress, fight, disappointment, loss, pain, sweat, and tears; laughter, transformation, joy, memory, friendship, worship, hand holding, love making, prayer saying, children nurturing, mission building, vow speaking and more. Together they made three boys in three years and are raising them in the Yale University town alongside their good people – a dynamic community of movers, shakers, misfits and Christ-followers. As a committed group of contributors, they seek to care for each other and the city whose streets and people they’ve adopted as our own. Through a variety of actions, they beat HARD the drum of social justice by giving value and voice to their city’s most distressed people groups. Equally important: THEY GIVE GREAT HUGS!

Austin on Twitter /// Austin on Instagram /// Erika on Twitter /// Erika on Facebook  /// Erika on Instagram

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AMENA BROWN OWEN
@amenabee

As a poet, speaker, author, and event host Amena Brown Owen’s was named one of Rejuvenate Magazine’sTop 40 under 40 Changemakers. She is the author of two spoken word CDs and non-fiction book Breaking Old Rhythms.

Amena and her husband, Matt “DJ Opdiggy” Owen, perform a presentation of poetry, monologue and deejaying and host an open mic in Atlanta every fifth Thursday at Urban Grind Coffee.

She also facilitates workshops on creativity, writing, artistic community and becoming an artist-entrepreneur. Amena lends her voice to finding inspiration, truth, and purpose while encouraging others to do the same.

Website /// Twitter /// Facebook /// YouTube

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SAUL ROBLES
@sirobles

Saul grew up as a missionary kid in Mexico City before he moved to Northwest Arkansas over 20 years ago. He’s been working at the DaySpring home office and cheering for the Hogs ever since! He’s passionate about connecting the business and ministry challenge of DaySpring’s mission—“sharing God’s heart in fresh, new ways”—through relationships and innovative ideas and products. Saul has worked with bloggers for more than 6 years, establishing DaySpring’s social media presence, growing the online business and, most recently, leading the amazing team behind the scenes of (in)courage.

Though his business title has words like Director, Marketing and Commerce, he’s finally embracing his true social media identity as Santa Saul.

Twitter /// Facebook

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KRISTIN SCHELL
@theschellcafe

Deep in the heart of Texas, there’s a big kitchen table where life not only happens, it overflows. Known for her outrageous hospitality, Kristin Schell cooks, teaches, and loves those who gather ‘round her table. Kristin’s kitchen table ministry extends beyond real life and onto the pages of her online home, www.kristinschell.com.

Wife to Tony and mama to their four Littles, Kristin juggles the every day blessings of life, mostly with a contagious smile. She is a writer, speaker, and avid fly-fisher. When she’s not cooking, writing, or fishing, she is most likely carpooling.

Website /// Twitter

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MYQUILLYN SMITH
@thenester

Perfection is overrated. Myquillyn Smith, The Nester has moved 14 times in 19 years of marriage and has written about her imperfect home for 7 of those years. She’s wife to Chad, mom to three hockey playing teenage boys and she loves to be home. Her last home (a rental) was featured in Better Homes & Gardens, Cottages & Bungalows and Ladies’ Home Journal. Her book The Nesting Place: It doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful encourages women to stop waiting for their next house and to embrace their current home because every home has a silver lining.

Website /// Twitter /// Facebook

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JESSICA TURNER
@jessicanturner

Jessica is wife, mom, marketing professional, and founder of the lifestyle blog The Mom Creative. There she documents her pursuit of cultivating a life well-crafted, through posts mostly on parenting, memory keeping and frugal living.

Additionally, Jessica is an (in)courage writer, co-host of the Bloom Book Club, a blogger for World Vision and a Big Picture Classes teacher. She speaks at conferences nationwide about generating blog revenue through affiliate links, content development and cultivating online community. Her first book will release in January 2015 (Revell).

She and her husband Matthew live in Nashville, Tenn. with their two young children, Elias and Adeline.

Website /// Twitter /// Facebook /// Instagram /// Pinterest

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ERIN ULRICH
@erinulrich

Erin’s heart for helping others achieve their goals is the foundation of her successful business, Design by Insight. Using her ability to ask the right questions, Erin captures the message of a project and translates that into a great design. Listed by StudioPress as a Genesis Recommended Developer, Erin and her husband Phil have established a reputation for quality WordPress site design, professional client relationships, and personal commitment to each project.

Erin lives in South Carolina with her husband Phil and their two daughters, and their home is usually a whirlwind of creative activity. Erin and Phil are also the authors of a children’s chapter book series, The Growly Books.

Website /// Twitter /// Pinterest

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DARLENE WEIR
@fieldstonehill

Darlene Weir is the owner and principal designer for Fieldstone Hill Design, an interiors firm specializing in eDesign consultations. Darlene shares her love for all things beautiful at the interiors and style blog FieldstoneHillDesign.com, where she helps her readers define their personal style and add beauty to all aspects of their lives. Her interiors have been featured in Better Homes and Gardens, The Design Cookbook and more.  Darlene’s design-meets-faith philosophy has been shared around the web via The Master Designer Manifesto/blogroll.  Oh, and, she may or may not be addicted to Pinterest. Darlene loves her handsome boys and darling baby girl, silk-velvet, Italy, breathing in freshly cut grass, having Hope {and knowing from Whom it comes}, and laughing out loud.

Website /// Twitter /// Facebook /// Pinterest /// Instagram

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EMILY WIERENGA
@emily_wierenga

Emily T. Wierenga is the author of five books including the travel memoir, Atlas Girl: Finding Home in the Last Place I thought to Look, releasing July 2014 with Baker Books. She is a blogger with World Help, and traveled to Uganda and Rwanda in January of 2014. She speaks regularly about her journey through anorexia, and lives in Alberta, Canada with her husband, two sons, and two foster boys. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest, or visit with her on her blog where she writes about brokenness and redemption: www.emilywierenga.com.

Website /// Twitter /// Facebook /// Pinterest

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PRESTON YANCEY
@prestonyancey

Preston Yancey is a lifelong Texan who earned his undergraduate degree in books from Baylor University, concentrating in medieval monasticism, literature, and theology. He completed a Master of Letters in Theology, Imagination, and the Arts at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. His first book, Tables in the Wilderness: A Memoir of God Found, Lost, and Found Again, is due out with Zondervan September 2014. His second, an exploration of spiritual practices, baking, and the sacramental nature of everyday life, is being written now. He and his fiancée, Hilary, will be married in June 2014.

Website /// Twitter /// Facebook

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Sponsored Workshops

DIXIE McDANIEL de ANDRADE
@CoachDixie

Dixie is an international speaker and certified life/success coach. She has learned that God has called her to write and her wonderful Mother is cautioning her to use the right “there and their” and put her commas in the right places! Dixie can’t guarantee any of that, but she tries! She can guarantee genuine authenticity! Her passion for helping women achieve their goals and live their unique life balance is the groundwork for her successful business, Envision Possibilities.

She coaches women to live their God given purpose, runs a private membership facebook group for faithful moms looking for elusive life balance and facilitates workshops on time management, becoming a mompreneur and mother/daughter vision boards. She’s married to a wonderful man from Ecuador, speaks Spanish with a southern twang and they delight in their very loud identical twin boys!

Website /// Facebook /// Twitter

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ROB EAGAR

Rob Eagar is the founder of Wildfire Marketing, a consulting practice that helps authors, publishers, and non-profits spread their message like wildfire. He has trained over 400 authors and worked with numerous New York Times bestsellers, including Dr. Gary Chapman, Lysa TerKeurst, and Wanda Brunstetter. In addition, Rob is the author of Sell Your Book Like Wildfire, which is considered the bible of book marketing. For more information about Rob, visit www.startawildfire.com.

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RACHAEL JACKSON

Though now the founder of Shattered Magazine, Rachael is also a West Point graduate and former Army Captain and Apache helicopter pilot. Because of a life story that she has lived full of the devil’s attacks and the Lord’s victories, she is seriously passionate about sharing the love of Christ and the power found in a relationship with Him. She is also passionate about her kids, her husband Shane, and powering through each day with as much coffee as possible. She believes that our stories have incredible power for the glory of God and her hope is to see the believers rise up in Christ’s power and live lives full of Gospel-centered purpose in everything we do.

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MATT KNISELY

Matt Knisely is an Emmy Award–winning photojournalist, storyteller, creative director, and artist who loves telling stories of the extraordinary in the ordinary. He serves as the creative director for Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas. Matt is cofounder of Good World Creative, a creative cooperative focused on meaningful visual storytelling to help nonprofits tell their story and enhance their brand. Additionally, he consults with some of today’s leading churches, helping them reenvision the power of story and the creative process. He is also the author of Framing Faith: From Camera to Pen, An Award-Winning Photojournalist Captures God in a Hurried World. His work has been featured on ABC World News, BBC News, CNN, PBS, NBC, and Fox News. 

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NAOMI CRAMER OVERTON

“It’s not an either-or,” says Naomi Cramer Overton, USA Child Advocacy Director for Compassion International. “In each season, we can love both the kids in our homes and kids beyond.”

Naomi is passionate about inspiring, and living, deep connection with Christ, family, and children in need. Prior to joining Compassion, Naomi served as President and CEO of MOPS International, consulted for Fortune 500 organizations and reported for NBC, ABC and CBS. She loves her husband Frank, three courageous kids, and one truly nutty dog.

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Musical Guests

MATT OWEN (DJ Opdiggy)

As a multi-genre deejay, Matt “DJ Opdiggy” Owen uses a microphone and turntables to warm up a crowd and put on a show. With over 10 years of experience, he has deejayed at venues such as Baylor University, Catalyst Conference, Forward Conference, Eddie’s Attic, the Voices Project HBCU Tour, and Hard Rock Cafe Atlanta. Whether in an intimate music venue or an arena, DJ Opdiggy provides the right music and momentum for tours, conferences, youth and college events, spoken word events, and concerts.

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REEVE COOBS
@reevecoobs

Reeve is a singer-songwriter from the Charlotte, NC area. She began crafting songs over 15 years ago. Her voice is “stop you in your tracks” good and her songs will linger in your head and your heart. She is one artist not to be missed! She toured with the all-gal band, The Near Misses for 4 years and is currently the vocal director for The Tosco Music Party in Charlotte. In late 2013 Reeve released her first solo record, What Love is All About. She spends her days writing, performing, or teaching music along with taking care of her puppy, Mr. Gus Gus.

Website /// Facebook /// Twitter /// Instagram

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Chad Markley

Chad Markley is a musician at heart but works with computers to play the bills. He loves his daughters, Hope and Naomi and is no stranger to the blogging world as he’s been married to Sarah for 18 years. Chad is currently working on his second album and leads worship at Newsong Church in Southern California for children, adults and anyone who wants to be a part of the beautiful mess.

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Austin Morrison

Born in the City of Angels, raised in the Lone Star State and now living in the Yale University town of New Haven, Austin Morrison is a husband to one lovely lady, a father to three handsome hooligans, a son to God and a Friend to many. Throughout his life Austin has intersected myriad spheres of society – from being a drummer in the Christian music industry to travelling extensively with a worldwide missions organization to owning a contracting business.  Austin carries a unique ability to connect in honest relationship with people, the earth, God and everything in between. Other than being a deep relationship builder, Austin is an exceptional pancake maker, young boy wrangler and coffee connoisseur.

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Judah & The Lion

Judah & the Lion is an americana-folk band with their roots planted in Nashville, TN. Their music comes from many influences that cumulates in a blend of folk instruments, played with fresh musicianship and powerful vocal harmonies. They got their start in December of 2011 and exist to create honest and relatable music. The lead singer, Judah Akers, Banjo player, Nate Zuercher, and Mandolinist, Brian Macdonald, lead the group and are honored to play with a band of talented musicians. They love music, love life, and love people.

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Alisha Gordon

Alisha L. Gordon is a prolific writer and teacher whose practical approach to faith and culture has served as a platform for both social and religious engagement. Currently matriculating as a 3rd of Divinity student at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University, Alisha’s diverse body of work serves as the foundation for both her unique teaching style and commitment to reframing our understanding of the Church and community. When not using her pen to change the landscape of the world around her, Alisha sings praise and worship at Impact Church in Atlanta. Follow her on twitter at @AlishaLGordon and her blog www.findthepieces.com.

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Karyn Williams Sponsored by Food 4 the Hungry

In 2007 Karyn Williams moved to Nashville to pursue Gods calling on her life and recorded her 2011 debut album Only You with Inpop Records. Her first radio single Rest In The Hope rode the charts for more than 30 weeks, and she is working on her sophomore album with her latest single Who Says now playing at Christian radio. She’s the eldest daughter of Orlando Magic co-founder Pat Williams, and her family of 19 includes 14 adopted siblings from all over the world. She’s an author (The Takeaway), a #1 songwriter, an actress, and an artist partner with Food for the Hungry.

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Christa Wells

Singer-songwriter Christa Wells is known for writing poignant piano-driven songs about real-life relationships, grief and hope. In 2006, she was named GMA Songwriter of the Year for her song “Held,” recorded by Natalie Grant. The Christian Manifesto called her 2011 EP How Emptiness Sings “nothing short of phenomenal,” and Highwire Daze described her 2013 release, Feed Your Soul, “one of the most engaging albums of the year.” Christa considers her crowning achievement to be the five kids she and husband Toby have managed to keep alive for several years now. The Wells family lives in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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Special Guests

SARA HAGERTY

Sara Hagerty is a wife, mother, and writer. She blogs regularly at www.everybitterthingissweet.com, where she focuses on finding joy in the midst of waiting, and is the author of Every Bitter Thing is Sweet (Zondervan, October 2014). Sara and her husband, Nate, have five children and live in Missouri.

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LEEANA TANKERSLEY

Leeana Tankersley is the author of Breathing Room: Letting Go So You Can Fully Live (October 2014). She and her Navy SEAL husband, Steve, are currently stationed in San Diego, California, with their three children: Luke, Lane, and Elle. Leeana writes about living from the spacious place on her blog, www.leeanatankersley.com.

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