IVY BECKWITH

Ivy is Faith Formation Team Leader for the United Church of Christ. She is a speaker, consultant, and author of Children’s Ministry in the Way of Jesus (with David Csinos), Postmodern Children’s Ministry, The Ultimate Survival Guide for Children’s Ministry Workers, and Formational Children’s Ministry. Ivy grew up in Guilford, Connecticut, about 90 miles outside of Manhattan. She holds a BA in English, a Masters of Religious Education, and a PhD in Religious Education and has held educational positions in churches in both the Midwest and on the East Coast.

DAVE CSINOS

In addition to serving as founder of Faith Forward, Dave Csinos is an Associate Professor of Practical Theology at the Atlantic School of Theology in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Dave writes widely about faith formation, children’s and youth ministry, homiletics, and culture. He is the author and editor of many books, including A Gospel for All Ages, Little Theologians, and the Faith Forward series. davecsinos.com

JEANNE DAVIES

Jeanne Davies has a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Illinois in Chicago and an M.Div. from Bethany Theological Seminary with honors in Biblical Studies and Ministry Studies. She has a Certificate in Homiletic Peer Coaching from Vanderbilt Divinity School and is currently studying at Western Theological Seminary to receive a Graduate Certificate in Disability and Ministry. She feels blessed to have a daughter on the autism spectrum.

In addition to serving as pastor for Parables Community, Pastor Jeanne is the Executive Director of the Anabaptist Disabilities Network.

Pastor Jeanne strongly believes that all people have needs and are gifted and that God has created us to share our gifts in a loving community. She believes the church must include everyone in order to be complete. Parables Community is her passion and joy.

Pastor Jeanne is married to Joel Davies, mom to Nora Davies, and guardian of a wheaten terrier named Finn. She enjoys exploring scripture, God, and the universe with others. She also loves singing, dancing, gardening, and spending time with her family.

MELANIE C. GORDON

Melanie serves as Director of Ministry with Children at Discipleship Ministries of The United Methodist Church. She is responsible to The United Methodist Church for providing nationwide training and resourcing, while providing research and networking opportunities for leaders and teachers engaged in ministry with children. She wrote What Every Child Should Experience: A Guide for Teachers and Leaders in United Methodist Congregations, and blogs regularly at ministrywithchildren.com on issues that impact how children  grow in faith. Melanie loves that her ministry allows her to connect congregations and conferences with the resources that will support them as they share with children our Christian faith through developmentally-appropriate and enriching experiences!

DANIEL WHITE HODGE

With 25 years of multi-ethnic & intercultural youth work experience, Daniel White Hodge, Ph.D., is a recognized urban youth culture expert & cultural literacy scholar. Dr. Hodge is a Professor of Intercultural Communications in Chicago, where he chairs the Department of Communication Arts & is the research lead for the Catalyst Program. His research interests are the intersections of faith, Hip Hop culture, race/ethnicity, & young adult ethnic-minority emerging generations.

Dr. Hodge has worked in the Hip Hop context for over 20 years and continues to focus on justice & disparity issues as it concerns ethnic-minority populations. He has worked for and with organizations such as Young Life and World Vision and has done work with undocumented youth in Los Angeles.

His book, titled Baptized In Dirty Water: A Gospel According to Tupac Amaru Shakur (Wipf & Stock Publishing,  December 2019), was just released. Dr. Hodge and his wife, Emily, reside in Chicago with their dancing/ acting daughter, Mahalia. Learn more about Dr. White Hodge at www.whitehodge.com.

MICHAEL NOVELLI

Michael Novelli is an educator, content designer and community advocate. He has a M.Ed. in Integrated Learning from Endicott College, specializing in curriculum and teaching methods. Michael coaches authors, and has created and edited numerous resources for Zondervan, Tyndale, Group, Sparkhouse, Abingdon and other publishers. Michael, his wife Michele, and children, Angelo and Abrielle, live in Elgin, Illinois.

CHris Schaffner

Chris is a certified counselor and is the founder of Conversations on the Fringe. CotF an organization seeking creative and innovative ways to bridge the gap between the mental health community and those entities (particularly schools and churches) that serve youth in contemporary society. He’s been working with hurting children, teens, and adults for over 20 years.

Chris is a sought-after conference speaker and writer. He blogs at conversationsonthefringe.com and a contributor to other youth-oriented blogs/websites.

Chris is afraid of snakes and the flying monkeys from the Wizard of Oz but feels right at home in the dark spaces the hurting dwell in. Through CotF, he hopes to equip others so they can also navigate those dark spaces to rescue the vulnerable among us.

TRACI SMITH

Traci Smith is an ordained minister, mother of three, and author of the bestselling Faithful Families series of books. Traci’s passion is helping families find times for connection and spiritual nourishment amid the hustle and bustle of daily life. What began as a quest to help her own family has provided valuable insight for thousands of others. Traci believes faith practices should be fun, easy to fit into daily life, and accessible to all.  tracismith.com