CTom served as Director of Student Ministries for 28 years at one church where he developed the rural mission strategy. For 25 years Tom led rural mission trips creating the experience and developing a platform
for promoting this simple, transferable, and transforming mission ministry method. Since then he has been serving the Northwest by assisting churches in preparing students for a life of service. During these past 26 years, Tom has served both metropolitan and rural churches, seeing over 1,000 mission teams serve over 150 rural towns in the NW. Tom’s serves come at no cost to either the sending or to the hosting rural church.
Todd Kleppin
Todd is the co-founder and National Executive Director of Forge Youth Mentoring. He has been involved in the youth development field for 30 years and is passionate about inspiring, equipping, and mobilizing adults to connect with younger generations through mentoring.
While youth pastoring his last church, he was led into the development of youth mentoring programs, ultimately creating FORGE with a focus on serving the local church and helping them deeply connect with the kids, families, and schools in their community.
Teresa Lutz
Teresa Lutz is the Western Region Manager of Teach One to Lead One (T1L1). T1L1 is a youth mentoring program that teaches universal principles to lead kids into a life of purpose and potential. Teresa has been a leader to women, families, and youth within the church and community for the past 20 years. She is a graduate of Multnomah University and holds a bachelor’s degree in Bible and Educational Ministry. She is a wife, mother of 6 kids and grandmother to 4 grandchildren. When not working with youth, Teresa enjoys hiking, traveling and visits to the Oregon coast.
Elisa Anderson
Elisa is the founder and lead consultant with Crossroads Mentors (www.crossroadsmentors.com), a college and career guidance organization. Elisa has helped over 350 students and their families with her student-centered and purpose-driven approach. "You lose your way if you lose your why! I help emerging adults find their why!" Elisa utilizes Crown Ministries Career Direct tool to help students make wise decisions that align with their unique design, and she is one of the top Career Direct consultants in the country.
Prior to starting her business, Elisa worked in admissions for a Christian college, was a substitute teacher, and
was the strategic communications manager for a local non-profit.
Dr. Dan Jester
Dr. Dan Jester describes himself as a mercy-motivated, servant-oriented, relational personality that’s never met a stranger; obviously God-given traits that are well-suited for someone who is an out-loud, always-on, evangelism-first kind of guy! As equally known as his passion for evangelism by the students and adults around him, is his friendly & outgoing side…and yes, also his A.D.D. tendencies when there’s something shiny! There’s nothing that can distract this passionate man from His calling by the Lord to reach a lost generation and to show them how to reach others, though, and this calling is what inspired Dan to start Apprentice Ministries, Inc. Dan has served with Dare 2 Share Ministries, Palau Ministries, Rural Church Youth Ministries and several churches over the past 33 years.
Chris Gough
Chris Gough is a natural connector who has worked with churches in the greater Seattle area for over a decade with Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission. He has the heart to see healthy church gospel movements in every city in the Sound, and has a hand in several regional initiatives, including church/school partnerships, the Foster Support Faith Alliance; Faith Work and Economics; and Homelessness. His wife Rebekah is a jewelry designer and they have four amazing kids in Simon, Levi, Josie, and Zeb!
Cory Freese
I started to work with youth and teens at the age of 15 when I was involved with the Blue Ash Y.M.C.A.
Teen Leadership Training in Cincinnati. I graduated from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana in
1993 with a Bachelor's of Fine Arts.
I have always found joy and excitement working with youth and teens; so much so that in 1997
I resigned from my position as space planner at Office Environment Company to work on a
M.A. in Biblical Studies and Youth Ministry. I have professionally worked, taught & counseled teens
and youth since June 2000.
My favorite quote is by Theodore Roosevelt: "Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious
triumphs, even though checkered by failure… than to rank with those poor spirits who neither
enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat."
Zac Workun
Zac currently serves as the Student Ministry Specialist for Lifeway Students. Zac is also the co-founder and network lead for Youth Ministry Booster. Zac is a voracious reader, avid gamer, car-camper, folk musician, black coffee-drinker, beard aficionado. Enneagram 7 & ENFP. He loves to eat breakfast food at new places with his wife Karen and two wild boys Isaiah & Gideon.
For 15+ years, Zac has served on staff at local churches in Oklahoma and North Carolina to oversee the middle school, high school, and college-aged ministries. Zac received his undergraduate education from Oklahoma Baptist University and his Master’s of Divinity from Duke University.