Worship for Youth Conference - 2009 Artists and Speakers

	Unhindered, Friday Night Concert The Friday night concert is open to the public. Tickets to the concert are included in the conference registration fees, or tickets for just the concert are available by clicking on the link below. Click here to Buy Tickets for the Friday Night Concert Whether packing out an arena of 20,000 screaming fans or encouraging students at a small church camp, the end result is the same--the audience is transformed into a congregation and the stage into an altar of worship. And that’s just the way Georgia based worship band Unhindered likes it. “This whole thing happened out of a desire for ministry,” explains guitarist/frontman Pat Barrett. “Before there was a band there were a bunch of guys in high school who wanted to see God do something extravagant in their community.” Of course that doesn’t mean Unhindered is content for anyone to sit down during its set. “We want our music to bring people into an encounter with God,” declares keyboardist and co-frontman Ben Smith. “One of the biggest obstacles to worship isbelievers who are self-conscious. We want to kick down that wall, so we get the whole crowd on their feet, jumping around. It is amazing to watch people when they really feel free to worship.” Unhindered began as a friendship between Ben and Pat in high school. They honed their skills in a youth group praise band before finding themselves in demand at events around the region from Fellowship of Christian Athletes gatherings to church camps and evangelistic revival meetings. “We started a Saturday night worship service once a month and kids from all of the neighboring high schools would gather together,” Pat recalls. “It was raw, unhindered, intense - people just going after God. It started growing like crazy, and we began receiving invitations to perform at other events as well.” After much prayer and deliberation, the band began a partnership with the newly formed EE-Taow Records. Since signing with the label, Unhindered has played nearly 150 dates a year including Acquire the Fire events, Battle Cry gatherings, Xtreme conferences, Student Life camps, and local church concerts and camps, building relationships while building up the body of Christ. In the midst of its unrelenting schedule, Unhindered managed to record a stunning live DVD/CD, shot in front of 16,000 worshippers at the Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, VA, and shortly after hit the studio with producer-extraordinaire Scotty Wilbanks (NewSong, Third Day, DecembeRadio) to record, Be, its debut project for EE-Taow Records. The album’s debut radio single, “You Are Creator,” is a powerful corporate worship tune, while “No Other Name” sets the tone for a more intimate worship experience. “Who Is Like The Lord” opens with a spoken word monologue, while album-closer “Farewell Lullabye” features a soft, acoustic sound. But, while the songs range far and wide, one thing remains constant; both musically and lyrically, Unhindered exists to encourage honest, unhindered worship to a holy God.
	A Ransom Plea A Ransom Plea (ARP) is all about one thing – bringing glory to Jesus Christ through music. “Our music is our plea for ransom. Jesus Christ paid our ransom and we strive to make our music reflect His great love for us.” With a cutting edge worship style, ARP contends on the life changing power of Christ through music. “It’s not just about loud music or cool lights, it’s about bringing our worship and devotion to Christ through song. In the end, we are after Him and His fame, not ours.”
	Joel Balin Joel Balin is author of the book, The Spirit Soul and Body of Worship, and Senior Pastor of Crossbridge Church in Marietta, GA. He has served as the Southeastern US Vineyard Worship Director and as a Worship and Arts Pastor for over a decade. Joel has written for WORD Music and Inside Worship Magazine and served on the pastoral board of the group, Third Day. Joel taught recording guitar at Full Sail School for the Recording Arts in Orlando, Fl and has recorded, produced and performed with numerous CCM and worship artists along with artists and companies ranging from Michael Jackson to Sea World. He has conducted worship conferences and seminars in the United States, Brazil and Russia. Joel also toured the US and Europe as music director and guitarist with his with his wife, Trace, who has had 8 top ten hits as a Contemporary Christian Recording Artist.
	Tim Beard As the Worship and Arts Pastor at Fellowship Bible Church, Tim Beard oversees planning and production of all Sunday morning worship services. Tim is an accomplished pianist with a musical composition degree from the University of North Texas, a wicked sense of humor, and plays the accordion as a second instrument. He has a passion for creating an environment where people can connect with God.
	Alyssa Brosy Alyssa is an ongoing freelance photographer and graphic design artist. Currently, her main focus is advertisement for Dairy Queen which she designs the coupons and product posters. She attends Kennesaw State University, majoring in Graphic Design with a minor in Technical Theatre. For the past five years she has been on the technical team at her church, Hope United Methodist, where she does media production for the youth and children’s worship. She also acts as lighting operator on Sunday mornings.
	Cindi Costoulas Passionate about using drama and video to tell stories that impact people’s lives, Cindi participates in worship planning, produces videos and helps with set design at Fellowship Bible Church. She enjoys working with creative, passionate and godly men and women, loving the creative process almost as much as the final product. After raising five children, she recently graduated from UGA with a degree in Television Production.
	Jimmy Dominy Jimmy picked up a guitar at age 12 and has hardly gone a day since without playing. A self taught musician, he attended Georgia State University where he studied in the Commercial Music and Recording program, and has played over 25 years in nightclubs in the Atlanta area and throughout the Southeast. After surrendering his life to Jesus in 2001, Jimmy followed the call to walk away from the club scene and committed his musical gifts to praising his Savior. He has been active as a guitarist, bassist, and occasional vocalist with the worship team at Fellowship Bible Church for the past seven years as well as serving in several music ministries in Europe, the Caribbean , and here at home in prison ministries with Rivers of Praise Ministries and Champions For Life. Filled to the brim with the joy of knowing Jesus, Jimmy loves to laugh, worship, and praise our awesome God with his instrument!
	Mark Drummond Mark served for 8 years as director of media production for public relations at Berry College. For the past several years, he has worked with TCWM Music, and is one of the worship leaders at The Cross Worship Ministry in Powder Springs. Mark encourages students to apply their work and talents as expressions of worship in church and in the community.
	Joe Eggers Joe Eggers studied jazz guitar and music education at the University of North Texas, and also plays a number of brass and woodwind instruments. Joe is a worship leader at Fellowship Bible Church. While covering acoustic and electric guitars, bass, and vocal parts at Fellowship, Joe also serves as a music director, leading rehearsals and making band arrangement decisions to serve the worship setting. He has experience in recording engineering and theatrical sound and lighting. Outside of Fellowship Bible Church, Joe is active in prison ministry and teaches workshops on the craft of music in worship. Away from music, Joe is the Chief Technology Officer for Fiserv Item Processing in Norcross, GA."
	Clarence Golden Dependable, honest, level-headed, straightforward, polite; just a few of the words used to describe Clarence Golden. Within minutes of first meeting Clarence, you know he is an objective and trustworthy individual that will nurture your project to full fruition. Just ask First Baptist Church of Woodstock (GA), North Point Community Church (GA), Rock Springs Baptist (SC), and First Assembly of God in Griffin (GA). They’ll tell you of Clarence’s great loyalty, courtesy, and care to ensure that all of their needs are met. With a background in commercial video, Clarence joined TPS in 1993 in Rentals and Production Coordination. He has been in sales since 2000. He is an invaluable asset to TPS, as well as to all the clients he befriends.
	Josh Hamrick With over 10 years experience in the lighting design field, and over 150 theatrical productions under his belt, Josh has the artistic savvy and technical know-how to bring the most demanding projects to life. Having designed theatrical lighting for everything from modern dance to classical opera, Josh draws from a broad range of design expertise to ensure that your lighting complements your project. Josh’s work on Oklahoma! at the Clarence Brown Theatre in Knoxville, TN recently won him a KATC award for Best Lighting Design, and his designs for the World Regional Theatre Premier of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and the Southeast Regional Premier of Cats have both won him rave reviews. Before joining TPS in 2004, Josh was the Master Electrician of the three performance spaces that comprised the University of Tennessee’s Department of Theatre. He has worked with PlayMakers Repertory Company, Knoxville Opera Company, Cumberland County Playhouse, the Bijou Theatre, Circle Modern Dance Company, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, and the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival.
	Creig Harber With some 40 years of professional experience, Creig serves as Director of the Drum Program at Atlanta Institute of Music (AIM). He is the author of the “Drum Techniques” curriculum taught in AIM’s classrooms. Creig’s professional music background includes stints with such artists as The Drifters, The Platters, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, B.J. Thomas, Bo Diddley, The Brothers Brooks, and many others. Creig began his music career in high school and majored in music at Alabama’s Jacksonville State University where he played snare in the drum corps and was Percussion Section Leader in the symphony. He went on to teach several high school drum lines and was a clinician at the 1992 DCI Summer Games. Currently a session drummer and Orchestra Director at Mt. Paran Church in Marietta, Creig recently traveled to Russia and the Pacific Northwest with Mt. Paran, and has recorded several CDs with the organization. In addition to his work at AIM and Mt. Paran, Creig frequently records at various studios in Atlanta and tours the Southeast with different musical groups.
	Steven Hetzner No one knows the intricacies of broadcast television better than Mr. Steven Hetzer. Steven’s lighting and facility design experience spans 33 active years of constant accomplishments in the video production industry. Steven has served as lighting director for numerous corporations like Opryland Productions, The Nashville Network, Disney/MGM Studios, Turner Broadcasting Inc. and CNN, and has been lighting director for innumerable television shows during that time. After joining TPS full-time in 1998, Steven has worked in countless churches and facilities in over ten states. Steven currently oversees the broadcast lighting for Dr. Charles Stanley’s “In Touch” ministries, and is working on a new designs for The Weather Channel and Turner Studios. Some of his past projects have included 600+ lighting instrument installations at First Baptist Church-Woodstock, GA, and at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA. Steven has established himself to be an invaluable and irreplaceable asset to TPS.
	Bil Largin Bill is a graduate of Florida State in Film and Television Production. During his time at FSU, he was hired as a production assistant for the feature film “Something Wild”, fostering his love for film sound. Some of his credits for video sound are ATP Tour, PGA Tour and FLETC; for television, “Savannah” and numerous television movies; for film, “Wild America”, “Fled” and “Blackdog”. Working with great directors such as Kevin Hooks, Vic Armstrong (2nd Director for most of the James Bond movies), Jonathan Demme, and William Dear improved his craft. In 1997, ready to start a family, Bill and his wife, Tammy made Atlanta their home. Bill currently owns an IT business and enjoys volunteering his expertise to Fellowship Bible Church.
	Verna Law Most at peace singing to her Lord Jesus, Verna is constantly amazed at how God uses her past experience of performing in nightclubs to bring glory to His name in the here and now. Verna graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in Vocal Music Education, and has used her gifts and talents in music to help draw others into a deeper relationship with the Savior. Verna’s passion is for training up a new generation in worship leading and personal devotion to Christ. Founder of Rivers of Praise Ministries and Worship For Youth, Verna dreams of one day sending Worship For Youth to countries throughout Europe, spreading the message of Jesus through worship and arts and inspiring the next generation to tell others of His love. Verna and her husband Dennis live in Marietta, GA with their daughters, Camille and Meredith, and their dog, Lolli. They are members of Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, GA.
	Antonia Lawrence Antonia is a worship leader, recording artist, songwriter and instructor. She has over 25 years of experience in the worship ministry. Her desire is to lead the body of Christ in genuine, authentic and expressive worship. She also has a desire is to mentor and instruct those who have been called to be a part of their local church worship ministry. She is a regular instructor and worship leader for the International Worship Institute in Dallas, TX; worked with Victory World Church in Norcross, GA a church of 4,000 members, for 10 years as vocal and choir director, and recently with Victory World Prayer Center in Auburn, AL as Director of the Worship. She continues to lead worship throughout the southeast.
	Candace Long An award-winning songwriter and broadcast producer, she is also the writer of two books and six screenplays. In 2001 she produced the world premiere of her musical, A Time To Dance. Unfortunately, opening night was scheduled for the ill-fated September 11, 2001, plunging her into personal and financial devastation. The result of her three-year "wilderness" led her to write the groundbreaking book, Wired For Creativity, and establish Creativity Training Institute to empower others.
	Bill Massey Bill grew up loving both music and photography. He learned to play guitar at age five and played in various bands throughout his youth and college years. After five years as a Medical Photographer, Bill joined Eastman Kodak, moving his family around the country, finally settling in Atlanta. In 1998 he opened a photography studio with his wife Bridget, and began leading worship in various local churches and ministries, as well as teaching and mentoring. Bill has a passion for blending the visual and musical arts to help usher people into the throne room of their heavenly Father. He and Bridget answered the call to serve full time as the Worship Associate at Midway Community Church in Alpharetta, GA in 2002, where he currently heads up the Music and Technical Arts Ministries.
	Kent Morris Kent Morris delivers a bridge-building perspective to the technical arena. He is a live sound engineer for Tommy Walker, Paul Baloche, Don Moen, and Israel Houghton and served as a senior pastor for a decade. Currently, he is an audio/video system designer with Cornerstone Media, whose clients include Mt. Paran Church of God and In Touch Ministries. Kent is an editor and writer for several magazines including Worship Leader, Your Church, Church Sound and Technologies for Worship. He has been a member of the Audio Engineering Society for twenty years and teaches for NAMM, NSCA, NAB, LDI and NRB on church technology issues. As an engineer and instructor for Integrity Media and Maranatha! Music since 1996, he has taught thousands of worship techs how to provide "Audio Worthy of Worship." Kent resides in Atlanta with his wife Melani and their two sons.
	Brenda Morrone Brenda Morrone has a passion for singing praise to her Lord and Savior! She has a B.A. in Voice Performance from Anderson University. She traveled for many years doing concerts in various churches throughout the U. S. and has remained current by studying voice with a professional voice coach in the Philadelphia area. Brenda has been a choir director and worship leader for 19 years. Formerly the vocal director at Branch Creek Community church in Harleysville, Pennsylvania, she now oversees the worship teams at her local church. Brenda has had the privilege of teaching voice lessons for 27 years. She has a heart for teenagers and says: “they are full of hope and promise!” She has three children of her own and loves every minute of time she spends with them!
	Mark Nichols Mark A Nichols has served in church audio, video, and lighting for over twenty years. He holds a BS in audio engineering, and has worked for multiple production companies. He has designed and installed church media systems and served many ministries in their technical departments as operator and trainer. Hundreds have benefited from Hands Up! Hands On! Sound Operator Workshops, a six-hour program with a hands-on approach to mixing. Mark now works as a ministry based media teacher, helping develop talent for service in local churches. Mark and his wife live near Loganville, Georgia.
	Adam Nitti Adam Nitti has been establishing himself as both a bass-wielding frontman and recording artist for well over a decade. Having also performed and recorded with a diverse collection of artists, including Steven Curtis Chapman, Casting Crowns, Avalon, Heather Headley, Chris Tomlin, Phil Keaggy, The Dave Weckl Band, Mike Stern, and Susan Tedeschi, he has likewise earned his reputation as a distinguished studio bassist and sideman based out of Nashville, TN. A passion to inspire excellence in musicianship led Adam into co-founding www.MusicDojo.com, the first-ever interactive online music school. Adam is a tireless educator and touring clinician and is also a regular columnist for both Bass Player Magazine and Bass Musician Magazine. He has been featured in hundreds of music publications around the world and continues to bring unique voice and perspective to the bass playing community. He currently celebrates the recent release of his fourth album, entitled, "Liminal." Learn more at www.adamnitti.com and www.myspace.com/adamnittimusic.
	Cindy Shepler Growing up in a military family gave Cindy the chance to worship in many different cultures, styles and languages. She has led worship with Sounds of Liberty at Liberty University and TRUTH, and has sung with the Southwest Florida Symphony Orchestra as well as recorded many worship songs and cantatas. Singing and writing worship songs since age seven, Cindy has been part of writing many children’s musicals with an emphasis on true worship. She is a worship leader at Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell, GA as well as the director of HIS KIDS, the children’s worship choir at Fellowship.
	Matt Tommey Matt has been leading worship for over 15 years at conferences, retreats and local churches in the US and internationally. His passion has always been to lead people into the Presence of God and introduce them to the One who created and loves them passionately. He has a heart for revival, for the Glory of God invading the earth through the lives of believers. “I believe it's Worship that ushers in His Presence and prepares the spiritual atmosphere for revival.” Matt and his wife Tanya have one son, Cameron. They live in Northwest Metro Atlanta and attend Riverstone Church in Marietta, GA.
	Lori Womack Lori has a heart for worship and a passion for youth. ÊOver ten years ago she put together and continues to lead the Praise Team, adults and youth who lead worship for first through fifth graders at Fellowship Bible Church. She wants the children at Fellowship to experience authentic corporate worship, and wants to give youth with a gift and passion for leading worship a place to serve and grow in their gifting. ÊThe Praise Team currently consists of about 40 people who lead worship every Sunday through song and creative choreography.