Speakers List from across the Canadian context. Desiring to see the Christian community in Canada embrace her faith and move towards influencing community and national perspectives on issues as broad as economics, environment, justice, mercy, leadership and governance, Paradigm Ministries makes available experts in their field. These individuals are prepared to share their knowledge with you. Their profiles and contact information will be listed under general headings. They will be available to you to contact directly as of January 1, 2008. All logistics are discussed directly with them.
Chaplaincy
Rick brings with him almost 20 years of ministry experience in both patoral and non pastoral settings. He currently serves as the chaplain to the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series as well leads the occaisional song serve for his local church. Rick has a passion for people and loves to see them not only survive, but flourish. His personal moto is "I can dream bigger when my pool of knowledge is deeper and I can expect greater things when my faith is not limited by my imagination."
Rick is an ordained minister with the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (www.paoc.org) and is also a Birkman certified consultant.
Contemplative Prayer
Brad Jersak is a teacher at Fresh Wind Christian Fellowship in Abbotsford, BC. Through his books and seminers, Brad teaches that anyone canlearn to hear God's voicethrough the simple practice of "listening prayer."
Environment
A Rocha is an international nature conservation organization working to show God’s love for all creation. A Rocha seeks transformation and change within the church, the environmental world, local communities and the ecosystems that support and surround them.
Simon is the founder of Promise Consulting, an innovative environmental and wasteconsultancy that seeks to not only offer world class commercial services, but also aims to support environmental relief work within poor communities around the globe.
Faith and Politics
The Manning Centre for Building Democracy (MCBD) promotes the improvement ofCanada’s democratic political infrastructure by offering knowledge, training and experience to prepare people for principled political participation.
Justice
Beth Wood is part of the Metro Halifax Vineyard Christian Fellowship.After working in inner city contexts in Canada for a number of years Beth spent 7 years in Brazil mentoring and training in local-church based community development ministries.
Media and the Arts
Andre and his family have recently joined L’Abri as the Artist in Residence at their Canadian branch on Bowen Island, B.C. Andre challenges the church to become more aware of its consumer nature in relation to the Arts. The stories we engage have a profound effect on how we understand God, the world and ourselves.
Lorna Dueck is the President of Media Voice Generation and the Executive Producer of Listen TV, a weekly thirty minute news magazine that examines the spiritual side of news and current events, aired on 9 networks. Lorna is a popular television host and public speaker, as well as a regular commentary writer on faith and public life in Canada’s national newspaper, The Globe and Mail.
Jeff Groenewald is a proven, results-oriented, organizational leader with 20 years full time experience in the non profit world. While serving in various leadership capacities, he has demonstrated the ability to bring creative new initiatives to various markets in order to accomplish organizational goals.
Poverty
Melinda currently is the Associate/Guesting Producer and Reporter for Canada’s premiere Christian journalism TV weekly program,Listen Up TV.Melinda is also a regular panelist on the Friday edition of100 Huntley Street’s, women’s show “Full Circle.” She is a motivational and inspirational speaker who is asked frequently to speak at Women’s Events and Teen Conferences and is actively involved in leadership as an Overseer of her church, The Meeting House, in Oakville, Ontario.
Worldview and Spiritual Wellness
David is a coach, mentor and consultant, as well as a plenary speaker for conferences, churches and camps across Canada.David approaches the Christian community with a challenge to examine our most foundational assumptions to see how they align with biblical teaching.