Schedule  & Speakers

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Check in is on Friday, October 4th from

3:00 p.m.– 5:30 p.m

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We will have dinner and camp fire that evening,

breakfast and lunch Saturday

before dismissal around 1:00 p.m.

Keynote Speaker:

Ken Helser

Ken Helser will be speaking on "Staying Close to God through Your Workday Starting with God Time and Journaling"

A native Carolinian, Ken is a musician-song writer, artist, writer, and storyteller.  Ken simply refers to himself as a communicator.  Once a successful recording star and performer with several hit records, the “do your own thing” lifestyle of party, sex, alcohol and drugs of the 60’s caused him to ask, “Is this all there is?”  The turning point came when smoking dope, practicing yoga, he picked up a Bible and read, “Why do you work for that which never satisfies… hear, and your soul shall live.” 

Isaiah 55:2 & 3  

Ken did hear God’s voice, when the Lord said, “You cannot have two masters.  Your God is music.”  Ken said enough and gave Christ Jesus the reigns to his heart and the rest of his life.  Now, almost 46 years later, he and his family reside at a small retreat ministry in Sophia, NC, called A Place in the Heart.  They travel all over the world proclaiming that life begins by hearing God’s voice, and that God wants to speak even more than man wants to hear.  The most powerful thing about Ken’s life is his willingness to be honest and transparent, which is real Christianity, not religion.  Ken is open about his past and says that though once his wife was healed of cancer, the greatest miracle of all is healing the pain of rejection in the human heart.  

In his own word, Ken states, “I’m an artist because my Father let me see His beauty; I’m a songwriter because He let me hear His song; I’m a teacher because He let me hear the secrets of His heart.  You see, it’s not really me, but Christ in me–– the Hope of Glory!”

David L. Winters

David L. Winters will be speaking on “Taking God to Work - The Keys to Ultimate Success” based on the book of that name which he has co-authored with Steve Reynolds.  

David L. Winters is an author, speaker and humorist from Kensington, Maryland.  He worked for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Navy for more than thirty years, serving in management functions for the last twenty years.  He specializes in helping others integrate faith with all aspects of life.  His first book, Sabbatical of the Mind: The Journey from Anxiety to Peace, won several awards.

Bert Jones

Bert Jones will be speaking on "Faith in Government - Reflections on 8 Years as NC State Legislator and Now State Chaplain for the NC Capitol Commission"

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Bert Jones is a native of Rockingham County, North Carolina.  He has been married to his wife Susan for 27 years and they have two children now in college, David and Caroline.

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Jones is a dentist by profession, served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from 2011-2018, and in January, 2019 began his new role as the  State Chaplain in North Carolina for the Capitol Commission Ministry.

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He is an active leader in the church and in the community.  His background in community service includes the Board of Directors of the Free Clinic of Rockingham County, the Rockingham County Board of Health, the Board of Directors of Pittsboro Christian Village, the Rockingham Council of Bible Education, Kiwanis Lt. Governor and three-time President, the Gideons, the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council, a volunteer youth coach, and he is an Eagle Scout and has served as a Scout leader.

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Jason Whichard

Jason Whichard  will be speaking on "Should I Stay or Should I Go - How to Discern God's Will When You're in a Job You Don't Like"

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Jason is a Board Certified Safety Professional who has held factory, corporate and management level roles for Fortune 500 companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Philip Morris USA, Unilever, Georgia Pacific, Nestlé USA and currently holds the position of Environmental Health & Safety Manager with Keurig Dr Pepper.

Keeping people safe at work is his profession and helping people WIN with their personal finances is his passion. Jason has led the implementation of personal finance ministries across two states and three churches as part of his job transitions. He has facilitated numerous Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University Courses and is a Dave Ramsey “certified” Financial Coach.

Jason grew up in Eastern, NC recently relocated to the Hampton Roads area of Virginia where he is a member of Community Church. Jason enjoys cheering on his beloved East Carolina Pirates (preferably when they are winning), shooting sports and cruising the Hampton Roads area streets in his supercharged Dodge Challenger aka his

“mid-life crisis” car

Pastor Adam Cook

Pastor Adam Cook will be speaking on "Finding God's will for your work"

Adam is the founding and senior pastor of Union Church – a modern, diverse, multi-site church in South Side, Virginia.  In this role, he is responsible for providing leadership and direction to the church through speaking, teaching, and sharing Union's vision to Love God, Love People, and Prove It! A dynamic speaker, Adam is passionate about reaching people who are far from God by preaching bible-based messages in an understandable way that make God’s Word accessible and applicable to everyone.

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Adam holds degrees in Science and Pastoral Studies from Averett University and Southwestern College, respectively. He also holds a graduate certificate in Youth and Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary and studied non-profit management at Virginia Commonwealth University. Adam has been serving in full time ministry for 18 years.

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Adam and his wife, Valorie, founded Union in 2012 with 7 other families. The Cook family lives in Danville, VA with their three children.