Join us for this conference to discuss how to think about and act upon some of the greatest problems we face today right here in the United States.
Schedule
Fee Structure
Registration Form
2011 Audio Recordings Order Form
A look at last year's conference...
Speakers:
- Steven Haas, Vice President/Chief Catalyst for World Vision
- Sean Litton, Vice President of Field Operations for Int'l Justice Mission
- Peter Greer, President of HOPE International
- John Stonestreet, Executive Director for Summit Ministries
- Alan McIlhenny, CEO and Cofounder of Open Schools Worldwide, ACSI International Director for Children at Risk
- Austin Gutwein, Hoops of Hope
- Annie Dollarhide, The A21 Campaign
- Wesly Hippolyte, Compassion International
- JR Kerr, Park Community Church, Chicago, IL
The Lyceum Challenge 2011
The ACSI World Concerns Conference is proud to partner with The Lyceum Challenge 2011. Their materials will provide a practical way to incorporate the information from the conference into the school setting. Their 30-lesson curriculum will include student research, engaging discussions, interaction with expert Christian worldview mentors, and the development of a strategy to address the complex issue of poverty. For more information, visit their website.
The 2011 World Concerns Conference was sponsored by:
Steve Haas, Vice President/Chief Catalyst for World Vision
While few of us may be called to relief work, Steve Haas believes that “all of us are under orders to live out loud.” It is this conviction that fuels his exhortations to action on the part of believers. “The Church has a mandate to care for the vulnerable, to provide a covering, to provide community, to follow the greatest commandment to love.”
Steve earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from the University of Kansas and Master’s of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary.
His career has included working in youth ministry in the Philippines and laboring along the Thailand border as a relief worker aiding Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees. He has served on the staff of Illinois’ Willow Creek Community Church—one of America’s best-known megachurches—where he developed small group ministry and then local and international ministries. He joined World Vision in 2001.
Steve speaks knowledgeably and engagingly on a variety of topics including AIDS, poverty and the role of the Church, holistic ministry, Scriptural interpretation, and biblical teaching on a wide range of subjects. His expertise and zeal have won him interviews with CNN, Christianity Today, The New York Times, and a host of national radio programs.
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Sean Litton, Vice President of Field Operations for International Justice Mission
Sean Litton serves as the Vice President of Field Operations for International Justice Mission (IJM). IJM is an international human rights agency that rescues victims of violence, sexual exploitation, slavery, and oppression. Based on referrals from relief and development agencies around the world, IJM conducts professional investigations of abuses and mobilizes intervention on behalf of the victims.
Mr. Litton received a B.S. in Business Administration from Miami University and a J.D. from the University of Notre Dame Law School. Before attending law school, Mr. Litton worked with Young Life and served as associate pastor for Youth at Christ Church in Roswell, New Mexico, for four years.
Mr. Litton joined International Justice Mission in September 2000 and moved to Manila, Philippines, where he built a team of Filipino lawyers, social workers, and investigators who took on cases involving the rape and prostitution of children. In 2003, Mr. Litton assumed leadership of International Justice Mission’s ongoing work in Thailand. He later became IJM’s Director of Operations for Southeast Asia. While working for IJM in Southeast Asia, Mr. Litton led and participated in investigations leading to the arrest and prosecution of over 50 suspected traffickers and rapists, and the rescue of over 200 women and children from sexual exploitation.
As Vice President of Field Operations, Mr. Litton currently directs IJM’s casework operations around the world in Latin America, Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
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Peter Greer, President of HOPE International
Peter Greer is the president of HOPE International, a global non-profit organization focused on alleviating both physical and spiritual poverty through microenterprise development in some of the most challenging places around the world, including Afghanistan, DR Congo, and Haiti. Under Peter’s leadership, HOPE has expanded its network from 3 to 14 countries and now serves 270,000 active clients. Peter is also the co-founder and executive director of HOPE Global Investment Fund, a microfinance investment fund targeting underserved regions of the world.
Peter was formerly employed by World Relief, serving as a microfinance advisor in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He later managed Rwanda’s URWEGO Community Banking, which was recognized as the “best microfinance institution in Rwanda” by the United Nations. Peter also worked with CARE Zimbabwe and implemented fraud protection measures in cooperation with Harvard University’s Carr Center of Human Rights.
Peter received his undergraduate education in International Business from Messiah College and completed a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School. Peter has co-authored with Phil Smith the first faith-based book on microfinance, The Poor Will Be Glad (Zondervan, 2009).
Peter resides in Lancaster, PA, with his wife, Laurel, and three children.
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John Stonestreet, Executive Director for Summit Ministries
John Stonestreet is the executive director of Summit Ministries in Manitou Springs, CO, and a Fellow of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. John speaks and writes about worldview and culture, with specific interest in what it means to be faithful to the Gospel in light of competing definitions of truth and humanness.
He speaks to thousands of students, parents, and educators annually; is a frequent guest commentator for radio and web programs; leads various worldview and educational collaborative initiatives; and is on the teaching faculty of Bryan College as well as several college prep programs.
John holds degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (IL) and Bryan College (TN) and is the co-author of Making Sense of Your World: A Biblical Worldview (Sheffield, 2007).
He and his wife Sarah have three daughters and live in Colorado Springs, CO.
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Alan McIlhenny, CEO and Cofounder of Open Schools Worldwide, ACSI International Director for Children at Risk
Dr. Alan McIlhenny started his career as a high school mathematics teacher in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This was followed by six years as Head of Mathematics in a college in the Seychelles (Indian Ocean) and then four years as a professor of mathematics education in Tribhuvan University, Nepal. This time in the Seychelles and Nepal brought awareness to Dr. McIlhenny that traditional schooling does not effectively meet the needs of all children in developing countries. With Nepali colleagues, he coauthored a book on the teaching of large classes and completed his PhD at the University of Surrey in UK researching alternative approaches to schooling with particular reference to the problems facing educators in developing countries.
After 11 years of service in Nepal, he returned to Northern Ireland and became the director of Tearfund for Ireland. Tearfund is the largest UK and Ireland evangelical relief and development agency. His time with Tearfund gave Dr. McIlhenny hands-on experience of work with street children and AIDS orphans in a number of countries around the world. This combination of development and educational experience has uniquely prepared him to lead Open Schools Worldwide (OSWW). Dr. McIlhenny has been consulted on education/development problems in Nepal, India, Seychelles, Pakistan, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Thailand, Philippines, Brazil, and Bolivia.
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Austin Gutwein, Hoops of Hope
At the age of nine, Austin Gutwein was moved when he learned there were over 15 million children orphaned by HIV/AIDS—12 million living in sub-Saharan Africa. Thinking everyone was doing something to help these children, Austin decided he had to do his part, too. He decided to make a difference for just one orphan—one free-throw at a time.
That first year, Austin went to his school gymnasium and shot 2,057 free-throws representing the 2,057 children who would lose their parents during one school day. Now in its sixth year, Austin’s basketball marathon—Hoops of Hope—has spread around the world. Austin’s passion has motivated tens of thousands of kids, teens, and adults to make a difference. Austin and Hoops of Hope have raised over $2.2 million for orphaned children in Africa.
In September of 2009, Thomas Nelson Publishers released Austin’s first book, Take Your Best Shot. Throughout the past six years, Austin has been a featured keynote speaker at various schools, universities, conferences, and churches in the United States and around the world.
Austin has been featured in magazines as well as in the national broadcast and electronic news, including CBS Sports' NCAA Pregame Coverage, NBC's Today Show, NBC Nightly News, CBS Evening News, Time for Kids, and Christianity Today.
Now 17 years old, Austin continues to speak and relay stories of children he has met in many of his oversees travels to raise awareness and encourage kids to use whatever talents and passions they possess to make a difference for others.
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Annie Dollarhide, The A21 Campaign
Annie Dollarhide manages global communications for The A21 Campaign and currently oversees all aspects of media, marketing, public relations, and design. She has been with The A21 Campaign from the beginning and has served in many different capacities over the years—from helping name the organization to assisting in the establishment of teams in each of the four countries where The A21 Campaign has offices. Annie loves the adventure of helping The A21 Campaign reach new levels in bringing hope and justice to a hurting world.
Annie was involved with social justice issues prior to her work with The A21 Campaign. She served as the Director of Public Relations for a ministry that offered an anti-violence program for public schools in the United States. It was started shortly after the Columbine High School shootings.
Annie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and Marketing from Bradley University and enjoys Australian chocolate, Greek yogurt, and American apple pie.
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Wesly Hippolyte, Compassion International
Wesly was raised by his father in rural southeastern Haiti. His mother was a businesswoman who lived and worked part of the time in Port-au-Prince in order to help support the family. He was registered in the Compassion project at the age of six, through which Wesly's leadership abilities were recognized and developed. He credits his Compassion experience in gaining solid training in a variety of areas.
After his university graduation with a degree in management, he obtained a job for World Health Organization and has achieved recognition as a leader in the community. After the earthquake in 2010, he was selected to manage all gifts received by the local church. Currently, Wesly is part of a yearlong internship at Compassion's headquarters for graduates of Compassion's Leadership Development Program. Wesly's goal is to return to Haiti, equipped with the skills needed to help rebuild his country.
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JR Kerr, Park Community Church, Chicago, IL
JR Kerr is a pastor, social innovator, writer, speaker, and advisor dedicated to creating meaningful change for the common good for the glory of God. JR speaks at churches, conference, and corporate leadership events around the country, focusing on influence, culture, and calling. He is co-founder of The Curation Creative Group and More Media Development and has worked with such entities as The Gates Foundation, The One Campaign, and Christianity Today. JR lives with his wife Rachel and their two daughters in Chicago, IL.
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