Justin Kendrick is the Lead Pastor of Vox Church, which he and his wife, Chrisy, founded in 2011 with a group of friends on the doorstep of Yale University. Since then, the church has grown to multiple locations across New England with the dream of seeing the least-churched region of the U.S. become the most spiritually vibrant place on earth. Justin was ordained for ministry in 2009 and holds a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s in theology. He’s the author of the USA Today bestseller How to Quiet a Hurricane (2024), as well as Bury Your Ordinary (2021) and The Sacred Us (2022). He is the host of Justin Kendrick: The Devoted Life Podcast and continues to create sermon material, small group studies, and video content weekly through Vox Church. Justin and Chrisy live with their four children in the New Haven area.

Rebecca McLaughlin holds a Ph.D. in Renaissance Literature from Cambridge University and a theology degree from Oak Hill College in London. She is the author of Confronting Christianity:12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion (2019), which was named book of the year by Christianity Today, and of 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity (2021), The Secular Creed: Engaging 5 Contemporary Claims (2021), Is Christmas Unbelievable? Four Questions Everyone Should Ask About the World's Most Famous Story (2021), Jesus Through the Eyes of Women: How the First Female Disciples Help Us Know and Love the Lord (2022), No Greater Love: A Biblical Vision for Friendship (2023), and Does the Bible Affirm Same-Sex Relationships (2024). She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts with her husband, Bryan, and their three children, and their wider church family.

Dr. Fares Abraham is a Palestinian-American evangelical leader, author, and founder of Levant Ministries, dedicated to reaching and raising the next generation across the Middle East and North Africa. Born and raised in Bethlehem, Fares brings a unique voice shaped by firsthand experience in the region, a deep love for the local church, and a passion to see the gospel transform lives in some of the world’s most complex and strategic places. He holds an MBA and a Doctor of Strategic Leadership. Through Levant Ministries, Fares leads multiple teams and ministry initiatives in Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, and Morocco, including NEXTGEN conferences, leadership development programs, humanitarian outreach, and media ministry. He is passionate about mobilizing followers of Christ to pursue the Great Commission with humility, courage, and a Christ-centered witness.

Worship will be led by Mike Hong and individuals from churches around New England!

This breakout session will focus on how to cultivate a life of prayer, both individually and corporately. This session is both encouragement and equipping – designed to show that there is power in a life marked by prayer.

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Yasmin serves on staff at Grace City Church and leads Pray.Boston–a movement of prayer to see the city of Boston awakened to life with Jesus. She moved to Boston in 2020 for her undergraduate studies at Boston University and was marked early on by a desire to seek God for renewal in the Church and across the city. Yasmin has a deep love for Boston and is passionate about seeing others grow in their love for Jesus through prayer.

Worship draws us in by encouraging our hearts, and giving us a way to worship God. But what about those next to us? What about those we are called to lead and encourage? In this session, we will explore the purpose, plan, and process involved in leading worship alongside God's people.

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A resident of the Boston area since 1999, Mike spent several years working with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Boston College before enrolling at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in 2008 to pursue an M.Div. He joined City on a Hill Brookline's staff in the summer of 2011. As pastor of worship and mission, Mike oversees the discipleship of the church through the Sunday worship gatherings and leading musicians in the worship ministry. He also facilitates partnerships with local organizations and ministries. Mike and his wife Tanya have two children, Alina and Mark. In his spare time, he can be found plugging away at pop tunes as a part of the musical act JustAnything.

Strengthen your faith by developing an informed and defensible love for Jesus, where you'll learn how to engage with questions and criticisms about our faith.

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Alden is from Rehoboth, Mass. He became a Christian at a gospel-preaching church as a junior in high school (2012), and soon after went off to college at UMass Amherst, eventually earning a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. However, at UMass he immediately discovered a love for ministry through Cru campus ministry and Mercy House Church. Alden came to Ruggles in December 2024 after serving as a Pastoral Intern at Mercy House Church for more than 3 years. He aspires to serve the church vocationally either in pastoral ministry or academics, or both. Alden earned his MATS in biblical languages this May and is currently working on a ThM in theology from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He is married to Meghan, and they live in Brighton.

Every vocation is an opportunity to reflect the reign of Christ. Discover a timeless biblical framework that reshapes how we lead, serve, speak, and pursue excellence in our daily work, offering a compelling vision for faithful presence in every sphere of life.

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Jonathan felt the call to Boston in 2012 and moved up from Georgia with a love for the city and a passion to see Jesus made much of. Along the way, he completed his MDiv at Gordon Conwell seminary and fell in love with his beautiful wife (Chelsea). They have four girls. He planted King’s Hill Church in 2018 and serves as the Pastor of Teaching & Vision, as well as the Director of Faith and Work for the BCNE, empowering young professionals and students to live out a theological vision in their vocation.

College students and young adults are facing big questions about life and the future and, more often than not, experience intense stress, anxiety, and pressure along the way. This session will offer biblical encouragement and practical wisdom that you can use to follow Jesus faithfully in the midst of anxiety.

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Matt is the co-founder and Executive Director of Harbor Christian Counseling. He received his training at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary where he earned a Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Counseling. Matt is passionate about the integration of faith and mental health and has spent the last 10 years leading the Harbor team in providing clinically skilled faith-based counseling for people from all walks of life, including countless numbers of college students and young adults. Matt and his family live just north of Boston and attend Seven Mile Road Church in Melrose.

Canela is a senior clinician at Harbor Christian Counseling. She first came to Boston for her clinical training at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and has been involved in a wide range of ministry and therapeutic work over the past 15 years. As a counselor, Canela provides empathetic, authentic, client-driven, and strengths-based care. Her particular areas of focus are family systems, attachment, and emotional development. Canela and her family live just south of Boston and serve in leadership at Antioch Community Church in Quincy.