Renew Student Conference

Session 3 of 3 / March 21, 2026

Jon is the Student and Young Adult Pastor at Love of Christ Church in Bear, DE. Involved in youth ministry since his own teen years, he’s passionate about mentorship and helping young people follow Jesus. A worshiper and communicator, he brings energy and authenticity. He loves good conversation, music, and The Last Airbender tv series.

Session 2 of 3 / March 21, 2026

Mari has spent over 15 years in youth ministry as a volunteer, part-time, and full-time leader. She holds a BA from Hope International University and an MDiv from Fuller Seminary, has taught as an adjunct professor, and now equips youth workers worldwide through Download Youth Ministry. She’s married with two energetic kids who keep her laughing!

Session 1 of 3 / March 20, 2026

Jess is the Director of Student Ministry at Church of the Good Samaritan in Paoli, PA, and an area youth ministry network leader. She graduated from Eastern University with majors in Youth Ministry and Missions/ Anthropology. She served on the Standing Rock Reservation for a decade before returning home to mentor students where her calling began.

3 of 3, March 9, 2024

Rev. Garcia is the Founder and Executive Director of The Philadelphia Project and Pastor of Roxborough Church. His wife, Michelle, serves with him in his ministries. They have four children; Isaiah, Nathan, Thomas, and Cadence.

2 of 3, March 9, 2024

Vanessa is a teacher in the UrbanPromise Academy. Her 15 years with UrbanPromise began as a summer intern, during which she was thrilled with the opportunity to serve God and the children He loves so much. Her husband, James, is the Programming Director for the children and youth programs at UrbanPromise.

1 of 3, March 8, 2024

Danny Kwon, Ph.D., is an author, speaker, and the Senior Director of Youth Ministry Content and Cross Cultural Initiatives for Rooted Ministry. Before joining Rooted, he served as the Youth and Family Pastor at Yuong Sang Church, a bicultural, bilingual Korean-American congregation outside Philadelphia for 29 years. Danny and his wife Monica have three children.

3 of 3; Derrick Parks, founding and lead pastor of Epiphany Church of Wilmington, concludes our conference's theme of "This is Your Year" with his message, "Go Far, Not Fast."

2 of 3; Todd Pearage, a 26 year youth ministry veteran, now a Field Shepherd with Standing Stone Ministry, continues our conference's theme of "This is Your Year" with his message, "All In."

1 of 3; Sara Boninu, Willowdale Chapel's youth pastor, kicks off our conference's theme of "This is Your Year" with her message, "A Vision Worth Running For."

Katy Hayes, a nurse and youth leader, leads the breakout, Anxiety: The Struggle is Real. 

Can I be a Christian and still struggle with anxiety? It's time to start talking about it! This breakout will be an interactive session that discusses anxiety and faith. It will provide personal stories, data based off of studies, as well as biblical perspective and examples from God's Word.