Kathy Dykstra has a passion to see that everyone is seen and heard! She is no stranger to gifts based ministry, after spending years helping others realize the gifts that God has given them AND helping them to find their place in God's family. Come to be blessed and to go be a blessing

Eric Groezinger has been involved in local church student ministry for the past 25 years, helping students and adult leaders be equipped and mobilized with the Gospel, most recently as Pastor of Student Ministries at a local church in Cedar Rapids, IA. He has seen how the Gospel and the Gospel Advancing values have transformed his students and the ministries he has led and desires to equip and support other youth leaders and ministries similarly. Eric has also led his local youth worker network, transforming it to become a network of Gospel Advancing youth leaders that focus on collaborating in his city to advance the Cause of “every teen, everywhere hearing the Gospel from a friend.” He is passionate about the local church, mentoring and training youth leaders, and seeing teenagers be part of the greatest Cause ever – making disciples that make disciples. He and his wife, Jill, have 4 kids (3 of them are teenagers!) and live in Cedar Rapids, IA.

For the past 25 years Seung and Amy have served minority language communities in Asia. Amy was born and raised in Rock Rapids and felt called to overseas missions while in college. Seung was born in South Korea and grew up in Chicago. He felt God telling him not to waste his “iron stomach” and immigrant experience and so followed His call to missions. 

Pastor Deb Rensink, a native of Sioux County, has a rich background in healthcare, having worked as a registered nurse for over 25 years before being called to vocational ministry. She pursued her theological education at Western Theological Seminary, earning a Master of Divinity degree and being ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in 2014. Pastor Deb resides on the family farm near Sioux Center with her husband, Mark. Together, they have three married children and eight grandchildren.
In 2017, Pastor Deb founded Whispers of Love, Hope, & Joy, a faith based non-profit organization that empowers women and children escaping domestic abuse. The organization provides compassionate support, and offers tailored resources to meet their individual needs. In 2023, the Talitha Koum Healing Campus was established, creating a restorative community that includes apartment and communal spaces, support groups, and skill-building sessions designed for women and children as they create a flourishing life free from violence.

Karen Schumacher has been a Christian since she was a child. She has volunteered years working and supporting ministries for Middle and High School students, VBS, Sunday School, Women’s Ministries, and more. She is the mother of 3 adult children, been married for 28 years, and loves pizza. Karen’s career is providing executive coaching, leadership development, and soft-skills training to individuals, teams, and organizations. In 2022 she became a #1 Best Selling Author for her book, More Than Your Mindset. 

Jeremy Van Genderen is the founder of Full Send Ministry and the Preaching and Teaching Pastor at Maurice Reformed Church.  He and his wife Jeanette have been married for 23 years and have 3 kids, Bree (Brandon) Englin (22), Kara (20) and Ben (18). Over the last 23 years of full time ministry his desire has always been to help people of all ages experience the transforming power of Jesus Christ. Make sure you stop and introduce yourself at the conference because Jeremy loves to meet people and equip, empower and encourage them any way he can by the power of the Holy Spirit.