Speakers
There is a great lineup of speakers. We start off on Thursday Evening with our Keynote Speaker Art Duerksen. Friday we have two great Luncheon Speakers, Jane Burke & John Edelman. And last but not least, we wrap up the Convention with our Challenge Speaker Jim Hoekstra.
BIO - Art, born and raised in Hamilton, is married to Elaine (27 years) and has three children and one grandchild: Art Jr. – 26 years old, twins, Raquel and Max – 25 years old and Liam, 6 months.
Art has been in sales for most of his career. On June 1st, 2005, he sold his jewelry business and now holds the position Director, Eastern Canada Region Director for Men for Missions International (MFMI) and Art is an ordained minister with Gospel Crusade of Canada.
Art went on a short term mission trip in 1995 to Haiti which changed his direction and goals in life completely. Art has been to Haiti over 25 times and has been a number of times to Bangladesh, various countries in Africa and to Colombia.
For the past 12+ years, Art, a member of a team of volunteers, has been ministering to inmates at the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre. Because of his experience with inmates at the Detention Centre, Art was impacted greatly on a mission trip to Medellin, Colombia where he and his team visited Bellavista Jail.
Art’s main responsibilities are raising funds across Canada for projects in Haiti, Africa, Bangladesh, Colombia and soon other countries. Art arranges and often personally takes men, women and youth on short-term mission trips.
One of Art’s favourite verses:
James 1:27 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
BIO - Jane Burke, eldest of 8, was born in Labrador, but raised in Borneo, where her parents were medical missionaries. She speaks extensively around Ontario, using her trademark “show and tell” collections to bring scriptural principles to life. Jane lives in Burlington with her husband John, and has 2 grown daughters and 8 grandchildren. She attends Clearview CRC in Oakville, Ontario.
TOPIC - “Poured Out and Filled Up” – 25 teapots become a metaphor for life. What we have in the teapot is what we pour out to the world. We visit “teapot hospital” to see the remedy for the things that prevent the Holy Spirit from empowering us and flowing through us to others. Light hearted and fast moving.
BIO - In 1984 John and Arda Edelman purchased an old 2-bay gas station and started a small used car lot. Customer service was of the greatest importance, while providing competitive pricing on quality, late model, used vehicles. The company is based on Christian biblical principles that accentuate honesty and integrity. John and Arda’s faith is very apparent when you enter the reception area of Haldimand Motors and read a sign displayed on the wall that reads:
“Christ is the head of this company; the unseen partner in every transaction; the silent listener at every conversation; the final judge of all decisions. In His love this company is kept, and to His glory this company is dedicated.”
Almost every year, since the beginning, there has been some form of construction underway for expansion of the business. Presently Haldimand Motors boasts 130 shop bays plus a full parts and service department, 55 acres of property and 100 staff. There are over 500 late model used vehicles in stock at the Cayuga facility. The process of purchasing a vehicle is “no-haggle” with the price and vehicle details posted on the windshield of every vehicle.
John and Arda Edelman and their staff believe that always moving forward is an important part of business. Today, Haldimand Motors is Canada’s Largest Volume Used Car Dealer and is always endeavoring to better the experience that you, our customer, will have.
BIO - I grew up in the small town of DeMotte, Indiana and this is where I initially did my “Cadeting”. It was there that I eagerly became a Cadet counselor while still in high school. I then went on to receive my B.A. degree in education from Calvin College. I studied part-time at Calvin Seminary and directed the youth program at Shawnee Park CRC. I received a Masters degree in Counseling from Michigan State University and I taught middle school religion classes at Kelloggsville Christian School for 7 years. I then went on to teach religion classes at South Christian High School ( Grand Rapids.). In the Summers I enjoy teaching drive education classes at Byron Public High School.
Hobbies and activities that I enjoy are as follows: Sports (playing and watching): Service Work; being a Cadet counselor; being a youth leader; and collecting M&M candy collectibles. I really enjoy participation in the Cadet Camporees )( especially being a “Blueberry” in 2011) . My greatest passion is to encourage others to learn and to grow in their Christian faith.
The topic for The Challenge Speaker Talk is “ You Gotta Love’ em!
- Registration Closes on
- July 11, 2012