Speakers

Ron Sylvia is the founding and lead pastor of Church at The Springs in Ocala, Florida, and the Director of NEXT Churches.  The Springs started in an office building in 1994 with only 21 people and now averages 3,000 in weekly attendance.  While leading a fast-growing church, Ron learned first-hand the value of mentoring and coaching.  As a result, Ron started NEXT Churches, an organization that provides coaching networks, conferences and resources to lead pastors nationwide.  Ron and the NEXT team have coached hundreds of church planters and pastors to start and lead healthy churches.  Ron is one of the few certified in the well-known Tom Paterson Strategic Planning Process, using the process to help pastors think and act strategically in the local church.  Ron is the author of Launching a Purpose Driven Church conference curriculum and authored his story and methods in the book, Starting New Churches on Purpose. 

Jim Cowart is the founding pastor of Harvest United Methodist Church in Warner Robins, Georgia. A United Methodist congregation, Harvest launched in 2001 following the purpose-driven church model and was recipient of the 2005 PD Church Health Award. For the last two years, Harvest has been recognized by Outreach Magazine as one of the "Top 100 Fastest Growing Churches" in the nation.  A creative strategist, Jim serves as a trainer and coach with Next, a group of networks that help pastors start healthy churches that launch large.

Matt Keller began his ministry in 1994 as a Youth Pastor at a small church in Auburn, IN.  Two years later, he married his wife Sarah, the pastor’s daughter.  After several years as National Youth Director for a fellowship of churches, Matt & his wife moved to southwest Florida in January 2002 with the dream of building a life-giving church focused on life-change through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Next Level Church was launched in May 2002.  In 2008, Matt published his first book, “The Up the Middle Church,” used to help pastors grow their churches.  Matt also trains and coaches pastors through the church planter network, ARC, The Association of Related Churches.  Matt is committed to keeping the focus always on people connecting with God, Their destiny and others who are on the same pursuit.
 
Mark Lee is the Lead Pastor of VantagePoint Church in Eastvale, California started in 2008 with a dream of being the hands and feet of Jesus to their local community. VantagePoint has passed out over 30,000 bottles of water for free, done oil changes for single moms, cleaned up local schools and neighborhoods and more. Since that time the church has grown from a launch team of 25 people to over 700 in weekly attendance. Mark is an avid runner, a wannabe worship leader, a hack theologian and loves every moment spent at home. 

Hal Mayer is the Founding and Lead Pastor of Church at The Bay in Tampa, FL. Church at the Bay launched in September 2005 and Hal shares the highs and lows of the journey as he has followed God's calling.  Hal has a passion for evangelism and leadership.  He has been a coach and trainer for Next Churches for the past 5 years and has helped train hundreds of planters.  Church at the Bay values the reproducing church and has assisted in the planting of several churches.  Hal is married to Sandy and they have 2 married children. Follow Hal at www.twitter.com/halmayer or www.halmayer.com.

Dave Page has started two churches which grew to over 1000 in weekend attendance. He trains and coaches church planters both nationally and internationally. He specializes in coaching church planters that launch large thriving churches that reproduce. He taught church planting at Saddleback Church for 10 years. Dave is currently the Director of Church Planting for the Evangelical Free Church of America - West District. He is also a Strategic Leadership Coach with NEXT Coaching Networks. Dave has a MBA in Leadership from the Ken Blanchard School of Business at Grand Canyon University and a M.Div. from Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary.

Steve Stroope is Lead Pastor of Lake Pointe Church in Rockwall, Texas.  He was called to pastor Lake Pointe shortly after its founding.  Church attendance under his leadership has grown from 53 at its inception to over 11,000 today.   Steve provides coaching to partnership churches and pioneer missionaries in Africa, Australia, New Zealand, China, Cuba, Russia, Mexico, France, South Africa, and North America.  He is a sought-after speaker, both nationally and internationally.   Steve graduated from Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, with a B.A. in Psychology and received the Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. He has co-authored two books, Money Matters in the Church and It Starts at Home.   His newest book, Tribal Church, will be released in January 2012.  He and Marsha have two grown daughters, three grandsons and one granddaughter.

Phil & Sharra Wilson planted The Bridge Fellowship in 2005. After moving to Lebanon, TN, an eastern suburb of Nashville, on Memorial Day weekend, they held their first preview service 17 days later. A launch team of 8 families and friends assisted during two more preview services in July & August. The Bridge launched full-time on September 17, 2005. In 6 years, The Bridge has baptized ­­­301 and has grown to over 800 in attendance. They have 523 members and 80% of the members are involved in small groups and 75% are involved in doing ministry. The Bridge has been meeting in a local middle school but will move into their new building at the end of August. The Bridge focuses on excellence in worship, connecting people to ministry and one another, and taking the message of Christ into a lost world.