Impact 2014 seminar speakers and topics
1. Collin Savidge, Milton, Pa.
Seminar: CATFISH: Do you really “know” who you are in a relationship with?
Based off the MTV series “Catfish” which documents online dating; specifically guys or girls who think they are in
love but find out the person they were in love with never actually existed.
1.)We will find out if we really know who Jesus is, or if we have been tricked into thinking he is someone else
2.)We will discover if we actually have a relationship with Jesus, and if not what we can do to fix it.
3.)We will dig into what Jesus actually says, and through that understand what we are called to do
4.)Finally, we will ask the Question “What is Jesus worth to you?”
Collin was born in Central PA but moved around a lot (Michigan and NY). He became a believer in Christ when he
was 8 years old but never really understood what a committed life was until his junior year in high school. Collin
attended Geneva College originally for business but ended up receiving a call to student ministry. Graduated in
2012. Currently employed at Saint Andrew’s United Church in Milton PA
2. Jeremy C. Kerstetter - Topic, "Is the Bible Reliable?"
It would be absolutely foolish to put your trust into something that is unreliable! Asking this question, "Is the Bible
reliable?" is a fair question and one that every believer will probably ask at some point. If you had a friend tell you
the speed limit was 65 when it was really 35, the source of that information is obviously unreliable and can be a very
costly consequence. The Bible makes some very large claims about eternity and before believing everything in it,
one should make sure the source is reliable. That's exactly what we will discuss in this session, "Is the Bible
Reliable?"
Jeremy grew up in Juniata County, attending the East Juniata clubs and the original IMPACT retreat as well as many
other CPYM events. After graduating with a Biblical Studies degree from Liberty University, getting married, and
returning to Liberty University for a seminary degree in Christian Leadership, he took a role as the Sr. Pastor at
Central Baptist Church in Millerstown, PA. Jeremy and his wife, Wendy have 2 small children, Kara (6) and Adley
(3). “My goal in life is to follow Jesus in such a manner that others are inspired to follow Jesus so well that in
return, more people follow Jesus.”
3. Matt Christ - "Surviving Your Parents" - This seminar will take a look at the relationship between parents and
teens. Whether we admit it or not, there is a deep part of us that wants to get along with our parents. We have come
to know the drama that exists in our homes and have even come to just live with it. But what if you could actually
have cool connections to your rents? Check out this survival kit for teens and parents and leave wanting to add your
parents as a friend and follower.
Matt is the associate pastor with youth and young adults at Buffalo Valley Church of the Brethren in Mifflinburg
since 2008. His passion is to see teens passionate, intimate, and transformed in their walk with Jesus Christ. He is
married to Denise for 14 years and has three children, Abby (13), Bubba (11) and LJ (5). Matt likes to take his bow
and gun for a walk in the woods and enjoys nature tremendously. Matt came to know Christ after his grandfather
passed away at the delicate age of 15 and realized there is hope in life after suffering deep depression and finding a
new life in Jesus. Having struggled with his own relationship particularly to his father, he is now living a life in
which he and his father take mountain road trips together.
4. Jonathan Witmer - “Life in 4G World” - We live in a 4G world. Smart phone users need 4G to experience
"life" like it was meant to be lived. I believe God wants us to live 4G lives too, but it has nothing to do with our
phones. His word give us 4G's that will transform our lives into lives that honor Him.
Jonathan has been a youth pastor for over 15 years. He is currently serving as Teaching Pastor at Mount Calvary
Church in Elizabethtown, PA where he is in charge of student ministries. Jonathan is married to his high school
sweetheart, Dana, and has two children, Haley and Zachary.
5. Hope Coombs -“Not enough room on my hard drive” - Do you ever feel that your life is already too full? That
you have too much on your plate? Consumed by social media and messaging? Not enough breathing room? In
John 10:10, Jesus tells us that "the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy" but continues saying, "I have come
that they may have life, and have it to the full" (NIV). What if the full life means something more than a full
schedule, full inbox, etc? Come and join us for an honest conversation and challenge to defeat distractions and
embrace the FULL life that only God offers!
Hope grew up locally and attended college at Eastern University in St. David’s, PA where she studied Youth
Ministry, as well as Communications. She is married to Kenny Coombs, and they have a son, Caleb. Hope is
currently in transition from working full time in children’s ministry at Camp Hill UMC to spend more time
supporting her family. The Coombs family enjoys spending time adventuring the outdoors – camping, hiking and
kayaking and also have a heart for adoption!
6. Keith Ikeler -"No Apologies" (Gaining confidence to share your faith by being prepared to answer the
questions.) Have you ever tried to share your Christian beliefs and had your confidence shaken by a single statement
or a question you could not respond to? Although we will never have all the answers (after all we are not God), we
find that many of the common questions of non-believers fall into a few basic categories. If we take the time and do
some looking we can have the answers we need, answers that are grounded in truth and supported by evidence. We
will explore how the world around us has twisted the definitions of hypocrisy and tolerance causing followers of
Christ to feel like they are wrong for even trying to share their beliefs.
Keith has served as youth pastor at Bloomsburg Christian Church for the past 7 years. His background includes
construction, engineering and elementary education. In his free time he enjoys exploring the outdoors with his wife
Kristen,catching up with his 2 kids (both in college) and spending time with friends and family.
7. Greg Jones - “Things that go bump in the night”
So, what's the deal with all the talk today about ghosts? Are they real? Do they actually exist? And what's the truth
about demons and other evil creatures we hear about? Are all these things actually real, or is it all just made up?
Well, in this session we hope to uncover some of the
myths, and reveal truth about supernatural things! There is a lot of interest in today's culture about supernatural
things, but how much of it should we believe? Television and movies are bombarding us with their belief system as
far as what, and what isn't real, and most of us are buying what they are selling! Join us as we look into what is really
truth when it comes to the
supernatural!
Greg Jones is a former Radio Broadcaster turned pastor. He loves to help Christians find biblical answers to the
really difficult issues they face in today’s society (such as the reality of Ghost and Demons). Currently he serves the
Bunkertown Church near McAlisterville.
8. Phil Persing - “Setting Our Sights on Satan” - Christians know very well that Satan is the great enemy in the
Bible, but do we really understand how the enemy's "battle plan" has worked throughout history? Do we understand
what he's up to in the world right now? How do we know if we're properly wearing the "armor of God" that
Ephesians 6 talks about? Join us for an in-depth study of history's greatest villain and God's plan for victory in each
of our lives.
Phil is a husband, father, pastor, guitar player, lover of cheesesteaks and Rocky movies. He graduated from Liberty
Baptist Theological Seminary and serves as Associate Pastor at First Baptist Church in Mifflintown.
9. Aaron Benner - “Pain. Suffering or Saving”. Why is there pain? This is a question that many have asked. In this
session we will discuss why there is pain in the world and what role pain plays in our everyday life. You will be
challenged to view pain in a new way. Your view will go from suffering to saving.
Aaron is the Senior Pastor at Richfield Mennonite Church. He and his wife Nicole have twin daughters and a son.
He enjoys reading, RC racing, snow sports and anything that involves his family. He has a passion for the Word of
God and loves to see how relevant it is to our daily living.
10. Matt Werner - "Fear VS. Faith". How we live our lives on a daily basis is determined by what motivates us,
what occupies our attention is what we focus on. Like the old saying, "either the glass is half full or half empty",
we will either see things in life as something to fear or have the faith that God is in control. Which one is dominat
in your life? Both can and will control our lives. Which one have you chosen to run your life?
Matt, who lives in Juniata County, is just a guy looking to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the world. A guy
who is a husband, father, brother and son. A guy who has made good choices, bad choices...but now looks to make
Godly choices.