Garden State Together

Thank you for joining us at GSR Together! You will find follow up materials below.

Follow Up Resources:

GSR Together

Main Session Leaders

Click on the email icons to find any speaker or breakout leaders contact!

 
 
 
 
 
Wayne francis

Wayne and Claudene are the lead pastors of The Life Church – New York, based in Westchester County, NY — a suburb of NYC. Wayne was the founder and lead pastor of the former Authentic Church, which merged with The Life Church in early 2020. Wayne is the co-author of God and Race with Pastor Jon Seibling, who he also hosts a popular podcast called “Leadership in Black and White” with. We are grateful to have him serve on the Young Life Garden State Regional Board.

Wayne is a dynamic communicator who is passionate about building the local church and seeing people find real life in Jesus. Wayne and Claudene, who he calls “Classy” have been married for 20 years and have two beautiful teenage daughters, Haleigh and Ryleigh. Wayne loves to cycle and takes great pleasure in turning any floor into a dance floor.

Wayne will also be leading the Caring for Your Soul: Growing in your relationship with Christ​ breakout session.

 
 
 
Julie Clapp

Julie Clapp has spent most of her life helping middle school kids understand that they matter because they are loved by God. She has worked for Young Life since 2001 and currently serves as the Vice President of WyldLife, providing vision and training for middle school ministry. When Julie isn’t talking to adults about this unique age group, she loves speaking at WyldLife camp and telling middle school kids about Jesus.

Julie lives in Dallas, Texas where she has served as a volunteer WyldLife leader in the same area since 1990. She has spent thousands of hours at middle school volleyball, basketball and football games, and hundreds more in the middle school cafeteria.

Before joining Young Life staff, Julie spent ten years working for the Volunteer Center of North Texas where she managed communications and special events. She is a graduate of the University of Southern California with a degree in broadcast journalism and English.

Julie will also be leading the the Wyldlife: Strategy for success​ breakout session.

 
 
 
 
 
Tim Vickers

Tim Vickers serves as the Regional Director of Young Life in the Garden State Region and has served with with Young Life for more than 22 years in two stints. His first 19 years were spent launching and leading sites in Ohio, New York and Connecticut. Tim is the co-founder of Generosity New York and the national Generous.Life movement, fostering communities of generous leaders experiencing the joy of giving and growing together. He has also served as a VP of the National Christian Foundation NYC office and was the founding director of Mission Increase Greater NY.

Tim loves to make catalytic Kingdom connections and is passionate about innovating sustainable and successful ministry models in the northeast and helping leaders and organizations thrive. He and his wife Lori have been married 24 years and have two lacrosse-crazy teenage boys, Caden (17) and Conor (14). The family loves to ski together and Tim still plays competitive volleyball when time and his knees allow.

Breakout Leaders

Click on the email icons to find any speaker or breakout leaders contact!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christine Florczynski

Capernaum: Serving our Friends with Disabilities in Any Ministry Setting

Christine is the Eastern Division Capernaum Coordinator and has been involved in Young Life since she was in high school and staff for 15 years. She previously worked in the international philanthropic research sector before coming on Young Life staff, which is where her heart to serve marginalized communities began. ​ Christine has had a variety of roles within the mission, but her favorite is still serving as a leader in her local Capernaum club in Gloucester County, NJ.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deacon Nathan Gunn

Contact Work: Impacting the school community​ & Church Collaboration: Best practices for meaningful partnership

Deacon Nathan Gunn has served on YL Staff for nearly 30 years. ​ Nathan lives in Syracuse NY with his wife Tammy and their 2 soon-to-be-graduated from college sons. ​ Nathan serves as the Eastern's Division's Initiatives Coordinator and also within the YL Global Cities team with a special focus on collaborating with the Catholic Church. ​ Dc Nathan holds Theological Masters degrees from both Fuller Seminary and St John Paul the Great Catholic Seminary and serves actively as a Permanent Deacon in the Diocese of Syracuse.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rick Beckwith

Committee 101: Becoming a great team​ & Discipleship: Life on life relationships

Rick has served on the staff of Young Life for nearly forty years in a variety of roles including, Discipleship Coordinator for the Eastern Us (currently), Sr. Regional Director for Metropolitan Washington, and International VP of Strategic Initiatives.

 

 

 

 

 

Lucy Mills

YoungLives: A community of support

Lucy, a licensed social worker, studied Youth Ministry at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Ill. and holds two master’s degrees in human services. ​ While an undergraduate student, she directed a Big Brother/Big Sister program serving children and teens in Chicago’s urban projects & felt led to pursue a future dedicated to reaching students from multiethnic and under-resourced communities. She has worked with several organizations serving marginalized kids. After joining Young Life, & investing her time in WyldLife, she eventually found her herself immersed in working with and serving teen moms through YoungLives. ​ Serving young moms has been her passion and she aspires to reach and minister to teen parents in creative, inspired, and life-changing ways with YoungLives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brian Hall & Gerald Juan

Praying for Your Community: Practical strategy for praying together

Brian Hall and Gerald Juan are teachers and part time YL staff in Bergen County, NJ. Brian founded Asian Young Life 20 years ago, and Gerald has co-led it with him for 17 years. They are proud Rutgers alums and AYL is the largest Asian American ministry in Young Life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jason Lollar

Starting New Ministry: Steps and strategies for launching new clubs

Jason is the Area Director for Young Life in Bucks County. Bucks County YL launched within the past 5 years and much of Jason's job is starting new ministries throughout the county.