Main Sessions

Moby Arena Clown Act

Worship     Every day at NYC includes two worship services, which gives everyone an opportunity to hear motivational and interesting speakers, as well as worship with a congregation like no other. The worship services are designed to encompass all different aspects of traditional and non-traditional worship in the Church of the Brethren. Youth take part in every worship service, as well as helping to plan and organize them. Anoint The National Youth Cabinet chose speakers they thought could bring an important message to youth of the church, as well as speak on topics that are pertinent to our society today. These speakers will strive to bring the message of God's word in a way that will open your eyes to the challenges and glories of faith.

These are our speakers...

Debbie Eisenbise Biographical
Debbie Eisenbise     Debbie Eisenbise co-pastors Skyridge Church of the Brethren (Kalamazoo, Michigan) with her husband, Lee Krahenbuhl. She has performed monologues, spoken, and led workshops at Young Adult Conference and various regional youth conferences. In 1994, Debbie served as an NYC worship coordinator. She has also helped lead a number of workcamps in Appalachia, on Native American reservations in California, and in Washington, D.C. She has traveled extensively in India and the British Isles. Debbie has two cats, and enjoys relaxing with friends, baking bread, roller skating, doing yoga, and driving large school buses.


Milton Garcia Biographical
Milton Garcia     Milton Garcia was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico and is currently living in Florida working on starting a new Hispanic Church of the Brethren. He and his wife, Telma, have a wonderful daughter, Marla. Milton attended the University of Puerto Rico and McPherson (Kansas) College, as well as receiving a M.Div. from Bethany Theological Seminary in 1993. He was called to the Castaner Church of the Brethren for several years and has just recently moved to Florida. He enjoys working with youth in summer camps, work camps and youth groups at church.


Paul Grout Biographical
Paul Grout     Paul Grout is the pastor of the Genesis Church of the Brethren in Putney, VT. The church was established as a New Church Development Project in the 1980's. He, his wife Dorothy, and two daughters live in Putney in a large house purchased by the three families who moved to Vermont to start the church. Paul has been called upon by churches throughout the country to provide leadership in renewing commitment to Jesus Christ and discovering new life in the Spirit. His interests include drawing, painting, and sculpture, playing basketball, the study of birds of prey, archery and swimming.


Paul Mundey Biographical
Paul Mundey     Paul Mundey currently serves as Senior Pastor of the Frederick Church of the Brethren in Frederick, MD. Prior to starting-up' at Frederick in September of 1996, Paul served on the national staff of the Church of the Brethren for 13 years. Paul is married to Robin Risser; Paul and Robin have two children: Peter, age 16 and attending NYC 98 and Sarah, age 13. Paul's outside interests include traveling to historic sites, hiking, photography, and sailing.


David Radcliff Biographical
David Radcliff     Employed by the General Board since 1989, David Radcliff was named to the newly created director of Brethren Witness position in July of 1997. In this role, he coordinates denominational peace and justice ministries, environmental awareness, and the Brethren witness in Washington. David's work has taken him to North Korea, Sudan, Central America, and the Middle East. He also is a frequent speaker in congregations and at local, district and regional youth events. His interests include photography, athletics, camping, and environmental advocacy.


Judy Mills Reimer Biographical
Judy Mills Reimer     Judy Mills Reimer accepted the call of God through the search committee in January, 1996, to become the founding pastor of the Smith Mountain Lake Church of the Brethren Fellowship, a new church start, in Virlina District. Judy is the Volunteer Coordinator of Ministry Summer Service, a General Board program for young adults to explore God's call in their lives during ten weeks of summer ministry by interning in congregations across the denomination. Judy was the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference 1995 Moderator and has served various denomination, district, and local boards and committees. Judy is a 1994 graduate of Bethany Theological Seminary, returning to graduate studies at the age of fifty-one. Judy is the spouse of George and mother of Todd and Troy. Judy is a disciple of Jesus Christ and a cheerleader of our beloved denomination!


    Youth Speech Contest Winners - Youth are invited to submit speeches (a written copy as well as an audio tape are both required) on the topic of "...With Eyes of Faith" by January 1, 1998. The National Youth Cabinet will select two winners to give their speeches during a morning worship service at NYC.

    Coordinator's Worship: The Three Coordinators of NYC will jointly plan and lead one morning worship, focusing on the theme "...With Eyes of Faith."

Ted and Lee Biographical
Ted & Lee    Ted & Lee, a Mennonite Comedy duo: You've been to their theme park, you've eaten their breakfast cereal, now see them perform LIVE! Yessir, the humbly magnificent comedy duo TED & LEE will be leading workshops and performing two shows at conference. Ted Swartz and Lee Eshleman are funny. They're also creatively gifted, approachable, and authentic. And they're very serious about comedy. And they're brilliant. And they write their own bio information.

    TED & LEE are perhaps best known for their show "FISH-EYES" which follows brothers Peter and Andrew as they follow Jesus and try to make sense of his words and miracles. "Insightful, surprising, funny, serious: a sermon of sights and sounds," said Tim Cosby, Dean of Campus Ministries at Cornerstone College. Of course he was talking about something else. But he COULD have been talking about FISH-EYES. You'll also get to see scenes from "The Armadillo Tour" and have an opportunity to learn about humor, drama, and the church in workshops.

    Ted & Lee have been friends and humor colleagues since 1987 when Ted needed a partner for some retreat sketches in the Poconos. Now a full-time company, TED & LEE work out of Virginia's Shenandoah Valley and have been seen coast-to-coast and in Canada both onstage and in videos and workshops. Their emphasis is equally on creating good art and being people with heart.

Behind the scenes

    As well as the main speakers, there are four individuals who plan and shape all the worship services at NYC. They provide the creative and logistical gifts that make this essential part of NYC possible. They are:

Deanna Brown Biographical
Deanna Brown     Deanna Brown is the Campus Pastor at Manchester College. A significant aspect of her campus ministry is worship planning and preaching for weekly chapel services. Deanna enjoys using the performing arts to help bring God's Word to life in worship, Bible studies and small groups. She actively encourages students to develop gifts of music, story, drama and movement. Prior to her work at Manchester College, Deanna was pastor of the Skyridge Church of the Brethren in Michigan. She has been an evening worship speaker for Annual Conference and National Youth Conference. Deanna is married to Brian Harley. They both enjoy cooking, backpacking, playing racquetball, and spending time with friends.


Jim Chinworth Biographical







  
    Jim Chinworth is the Associate Pastor for the Mountville Church of the Brethren in Mountville, PA. In addition, he is also the denominational representative for Parenting for Peace and Justice, as well as being a third-time NYC worship coordinator. Jim and his wife, Debbie, have two sons, Michael (11) and Andrew (7). Some of Jim's free time is spent golfing, traveling, reading, roses (yes, ROSES!!), listening to music, and visiting with friends.


Bonnie Kline-Smeltzer Biographical
Bonnie Smeltzer     Bonnie currently serves as pastor of the Modesto Church of the Brethren (CA) with her husband Ken. She spends hours trying to keep up with her two wonderful, lively children - Jesse, age 12 and Elizabeth, age 5. She loves to sing, dance, garden, and play in the mountains or at the ocean.


Dave Witkovsky Biographical
Dave Witkovsky     Dave currently serves as Pastor of Nuture at Roaring Spring Church of the Brethren in the Middle PA district. He has been at Roaring Spring for nearly nine years working with the youth and the Christian Education program. He has served as District youth advisor over the years, worked as a resource leader for youth camp at Camp Blue Diamond. He has also served as a member of the denominational Youth Ministry Training Team which brings youth ministry training to district groups as well as the denomination's Junior High Task Force which develops national theme materials and training opportunities for local churches in Junior High Ministry. He has had the opportunity to lead workshops at NYC in the past and looks forward with great excitement and anticipation to participate in the planning of worship for NYC 1998.

    In addition to planning the worship services and speaking, there's always plenty of music at NYC! To organize all of the musical aspects of NYC we have two wonderful and talented musicians who, along with an NYC band, will help make NYC main sessions a time worthwile.

Shawn Kirchner Biographical
Shawn Kirchner     Shawn Kirchner is a professional musician/songwriter who plays the piano, guitar, and banjo. While attending Manchester College (Indiana), Shawn majored in Peace Studies and helped to found and direct the Manchester College Peace Choir. During a year in Brethren Volunteer Service, he toured with the Journey of Young Adults (JOYA) team on behalf of On Earth Peace Assembly, giving concerts at Churches of the Brethren throughout the country. Shawn recently completed graduate work in Choral Conducting at the University of Iowa and has also joined with several other Church of the Brethren musicians to form the folk group "Kindling." Shawn has performed and led singing at many Church of the Brethren camps and conferences over the last ten years.

Joseph Helfrich Biographical
Joseph Helfrich     Joseph Helfrich has been singing since he was a toddler. He picked up a guitar at age ten. After graduating from Bluffton College in Bluffton, Ohio, the banjo, mandolin, and other sundries were added for fun. He was re-introduced to the Church of the Brethren when he worked as a Naturalist at Camp Woodland Altars in Southern Ohio. Since then he has performed at many Brethren camps and churches, and he entered music full-time in 1992. See you in the Rockies!


For more information contact:
National Youth Conference
Youth and Young Adult Ministries Office
1451 Dundee Avenue
Elgin, Illinois 60120
(847) 742-5100
Youth/Young Adult Ministries Office


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