MOPS International Covention 2012
Artists and Speakers

Worship by Christy Nockels
As a worship leader and recording artist, Christy's heart is to help people communicate intimately with the living God and to leave a legacy of proclaiming Jesus' fame to this generation. Together with her husband, fellow musician Nathan, Christy's most treasured legacy is her three young children, Noah, Elliana, & Annie Rose. 

Christy has served as a worship leader, recorded a total of six collaborative albums with her husband and released her first solo album in June, 2009. The couple has been nominated for numerous Dove Awards, including Christy’s nomination for Female Vocalist of the Year. Christy and Nathan have performed annually at Passion Conference since the event’s inception in 1997. In 2008, the family moved to Atlanta, GA to be a founding family of Passion City Church. 

Kay Warren
Kay is using her far-reaching influence as a voice for the weak and vulnerable. In 2002, Warren became, in her words, “seriously disturbed” by the suffering of the millions infected with or affected by HIV & AIDS. She is now challenging the worldwide Church to take on not just AIDS, but the global giants of spiritual darkness, lack of servant leaders, poverty, disease and ignorance. As a two-time cancer survivor, she knows firsthand how a life-threatening diagnosis alters one’s daily life.

In 1980, Kay and her husband began Saddleback Church in the living room of their condominium. Now one of the largest churches in America, Saddleback Church has given her a platform for influencing Christians and other leaders worldwide. Kay is mother to Amy, Josh, and Matthew and a grandmother of 5. She and her husband reside in Southern California. 

Sherry Surratt, MOPS President and CEO
Sherry is the CEO and President of MOPS International. She has deep experience in church ministry and learning from women leaders. Her most recent position prior to MOPS International was the Director of Leadership Network’s Radical Future Innovation Labs. Her church ministry experience includes Children’s Ministry Pastor and Central Support Pastor at Seacoast church based in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. There she developed multisite ministries at their 13 campuses. Sherry has a degree from Sam Houston State University, and worked as a teacher and administrator in the Houston (TX) Public School system. Sherry and her husband Geoff have two adult children and a grandchild. Follow Sherry on Twitter @SherrySurratt.

Lisa Harper
Rarely are the terms “hilarious storyteller” and “theological scholar” used in the same sentence, much less used to describe the same person. But then again, Lisa Harper is anything but stereotypical! Lauded as a gifted communicator, her writing and speaking overflow with colorful pop culture references that connect the dots between the Bible era and modern life. Her style combines sound scriptural exposition with easy-to-relate to anecdotes and comedic wit.

Her vocational resume includes six years as the director of Focus on the Family's national women's ministry, and six years as the women's ministry director at a large church in Nashville. A sought-after Bible teacher and speaker, Lisa is currently featured on the Women of Faith tour and speaks at many other large multi-denominational events.

Matthew West
After going through career-threatening vocal surgery in May 2007, this inspiring singer/songwriter re-emerged in early 2008 with the appropriately titled album Something to Say, serving up such memorable hits as “You Are Everything” and “The Motions.” In addition to writing songs that have made him a Dove Award nominated artist in the Christian market, West’s songwriting prowess has also earned him the respect of artists in other musical genres. His songs have been recorded by multi-platinum country trio Rascal Flatts and other country artists. West’s songs have also been released by other Christian artists, including Michael W. Smith, Mark Schultz, Mandisa, Sara Groves, Natalie Grant and Point of Grace. Matthew and his wife are the parents of two young daughters, Lulu and Delaney.

Robert and Barbara Gelinas
Robert Gelinas currently serves as the Lead Pastor of Colorado Community Church in Denver, Colorado. It is his privilege to serve this transformative, city-reaching, multicultural, multi-campus church. In addition to spending time teaching fundamentals of urban ministry, he is the founder of Project 127, a ministry dedicated to seeing the day when there are no children waiting for homes in Colorado's foster care system.

Robert is an international itinerant speaker with Kingdom Building Ministries. He is married to Barbara, the love of his life since 1994. They have six energetic children (three boys, three girls: one biological, five adopted, two from Ethiopia). You can read his blog at www.jazztheologian.com.

Plumb 
"I make records that are honest, about the high and low points in my life and experiences that I think are worth noting in a song. But I also want to tackle the difficult subjects in life, because I want people to know that the hard times, just like a piece of coal, can be turned into a diamond." So confesses singer/songwriter Plumb, an artist whose provocative, intoxicating music blends feminine poignancy with sophisticated, modern rock 'n' roll to create something timeless yet cutting-edge. Plumb is an artist who innovates rather than imitates. With a catalog of her songs already covered by platinum-selling artists, featured in popular television programs and nearly a dozen major motion pictures, Plumb’s fourth album, Chaotic Resolve (Curb Records), is a refreshing blend of haunting melodies, edgy lyrics, piercing imagery, sublime textures and serious pop hooks.

Shauna Niequist
Shauna is the author of Cold Tangerines and Bittersweet, and her third book, Bread & Wine, will be released in the spring of 2013. She writes about the beautiful and broken moments of everyday life - friendship, family, faith, food, marriage, love, babies, books, celebration, heartache, and all the other things that shape us, delight us, and reveal to us the heart of God.

Shauna is married to Aaron, a pianist, songwriter and worship leader at Willow Creek. Aaron & Shauna live outside Chicago with their sons, Henry and Mac. Shauna blogs about good reads, great music, cooking and family at www.ShaunaNiequist.com.

Tracey Bianchi
Tracey is an over-caffeinated thirty-something living in a suburb near Chicago. She’s a sought after communicator and has contributed to a variety of publications and organizations from MOPS International to The Washington Post. Her latest book, Mom Connection, releases May 1, 2012.

Tracey is an activist with a passion for environmental justice and advocacy for women and girls in the developing world. She also serves on pastoral staff at Christ Church of Oak Brook (a congregation of 2000+) where she helps coordinate a contemporary worship community as well as teaching and preaching regularly. She has three children, a rockstar husband, and had a goldfish named Stinky Pete that recently met his fate by jumping ship and landing on the kitchen floor. traceybianchi.com