2013 Featured Speakers 

 

Rod Hairston

Rod Hairston has served as life coach and chaplain for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens for the past 12 seasons. He works with leaders in both the professional and sports world, helping them navigate the rapidly changing sports culture. He speaks at NCAA and NFL gatherings, men's and marriage conferences, and corporate leadership meetings. Rod is a life coach to business leaders and high-profile sports figures, helping them transform their lives in the areas of marriage and family, career transitions, men's issues, value-added leadership, and spiritual growth.

Rod is the founding pastor of Messiah Community Church and also serves on the Boards of Trustees for the Freeman Institute and As One foundations. He is from Norfolk, VA, and a graduate of Virginia Tech. He and his wife, Sheri, of 20 years live with their 4 children in the Baltimore area.

Joe Ehrmann

 Joe Ehrmann is an All-American football player and was a lettered lacrosse player at Syracuse University. He played professional football for 13 years and was Colts Man of the Year. He was featured on the cover of Parade Magazine which called Joe "The Most Important Coach in America" because of his work to transform the culture of sports. He is the subject of the New York Times Bestseller "Season of Life" by Jeffrey Marx. Ehrmann is recognized for his revolutionary concepts of Team-Building, Mentoring and Coaching. He is also the author of "Inside Out Coaching."

Tom Brawner

Tom Brawner has been the Associate Pastor over Pastoral Care and Counseling at Heartland Community Church since 1994. He is also involved with several Pastoral Leadership Team professional affiliations, which include: American Association of Christian Counselors, International Ministerial Federation, and the Gathering Network Board of Directors. Tom has also been involved with several ministries, including Heartland Community Church (1994-Present), Senior Pastor at Trininty Fellowship Church (1991-1994), and both Regional and Area Directors at Young Life (1978-1991).

Tom has been married to his wife, Sue, for 33 years. They have 2 grown daughters, Anna and Jenny, and a son-in-law, Brian. Tom's interests and passions include running/health and fitness, mentoring and encouraging leaders, and counseling/coaching in the areas of identity and image of self and God.

Roger Lipe

Roger Lipe is the Southern Illinois Representative for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He has served coaches and athletes in the 26 southernmost counties of Illinois for FCA since 1994. Through those years, he has served as a sport chaplain and sport mentor to various teams and individual competitors at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. Roger grew up in Carbondale and competed in football, baseball, track and field and in wrestling. He still competes in racquetball and golf. He has been married to his wife, Sharon, since 1975 and they have one son, Jason, a daugther-in-law, Jenn, and a granddaughter, Addison.

Lipe is the author of five devotional books for athletes and coaches, most notably Heart of a Champion-Devotions for the People of Sport, now in its third printing. He is also the author of Transforming Lives in Sport- A Guide for Sport Chaplains and Sport Mentors. Both of these have been translated into Spanish. Roger has for decades been involved in short-term missions work through No Greater Love Ministries of DuQuoin, IL, and through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He has facilitated such mission trips since 1991 and continues to do ministry through sport in Honduras, Central America.

He is a member of the Serving the People of Sport Council for the International Sport Coalition and has traveled extensively serving with the organization. The ISC assists people from all over the world in ministry through sport. Roger is a Carbondale resident and a long-time member of Lakeland Baptist Church.