You are hereStudentwave.com 2008 – Talent
Studentwave.com 2008 – Talent
Speakers
Will Snipes
Will Snipes has the kind of life many students dream about. He loves what he does for a living and he’s good at it. He gets to travel a lot and students everywhere love him. But Will knows that especially when times seem good, you still need to rely on Jesus for your security, purpose, and strength. That’s the message that he will help communicate to students on Monday night and Tuesday morning.
Even though he lives in South Carolina, Will Snipes is no stranger to California students. For the past 12 summers, Will has served God on staff with the Centrifuge/M-Fuge family of Christian camps. Besides working with students in several international camps, Will has been the camp pastor at Centrifuge in California. In the summer of 2008, he served as the Camp Director and Camp Pastor at the Centrifuge camp at Jenness Park outside Sonora, CA. He frequently travels to California to speak at youth retreats and conferences. As a 7th grade Language Arts teacher, coaches boy’s tennis and cross country. In 2005-2006, Will was named county Teacher of the Year. He enjoys running, and completed his third marathon in January of 2007. He also enjoys leading Bible Studies for groups of teenage guys and taking them on many hiking and backpacking adventures. Will writes for LifeWay publications such as Essential Connection magazine and Living with Teenagers.
Chris Simning
The speaker for Tuesday night and Wednesday morning is Chris Simning. When you read his bio, you will understand how Chris is uniquely positioned to help students understand that even in the toughest times, Jesus is more than enough for all their needs. Chris comes with a powerful recommendations having been one of the main speakers for students at Hume Lake Christian Conference Center.
Born with a nearly imperceptible case of cerebral palsy, Chris Simning was stricken with an extremely rare muscle and nerve disease in the eighth grade. Four years confined to a wheelchair, and unable to care for himself, Chris experienced a miraculous healing that allowed him to finish his undergraduate degree from college as well as earn a Master’s degree from Azusa Pacific University in Clinical Psychology. After many summers of service in Christian camping, Chris has accepted the call to speak full-time. His passion for telling his story ignites him further to speak on how God brings healing to the wounded of heart even in the worst circumstances. Chris’ first hand experience with the pain of life compels him to seek the provision of God. Chris lives in Gilbert, AZ and speaks to churches, youth groups, and camps nationally and internationally.
Worship Leader
Charlie Hall
Charlie has been traveling for almost 15 years, from Oklahoma to Kuala Lumpur, ministering to people with his goatee and his songs. With a musical journey that has crisscrossed all kinds of rock music, folk music, and electronic music, he carries a songwriting sense that aims to capture dense images of life with God, in compositions that can be carried with the listener.
He aims to tell the old story of the Gospel in an ever-shifting world, without resorting to easy truisms, or lazy language. His new collection of songs, The Bright Sadness, echoes a journey pressed to the chest of God, joyful and sorrowful at once, with God's heart clear and pulsing in each note and word.
Charlie Hall is a frequent staff at the Centrifuge camps, like Will Snipes. His main purpose at Tsunami will be to lead students to the throne of God through worship.
M.C.
Bob Smiley
Bob Smiley was everyone’s favorite from Tsunami 2007. Bob’s job is to keep the program moving, keep track of the spiritual temperature of the general sessions, and provide comic relief with appropriate. This year, Bob will also lead some Hot Topic breakout sessions. Bob wrote his own bio below.
I've been doing standup for more than 10 years all over the United States, Canada, England, Wales and even third world countries like El Salvador, Honduras and Arkansas! I use stand up comedy to bring laughter and the love of Christ into the hearts of my audiences. I’ve done a comedy show for 8 people and a comedy show for 60,000 people. Stop for a minute and imagine what 60,000 people laughing sounds like. Man, I bet it’s really cool. Anyway, I’ve opened for such groups as Newsboys, Mercy Me, Third Day, Switchfoot, Toby Mac and Audio Adrenaline even though my best friend Peter Furler, lead singer of the Newsboys, will tell you that I don't like to name drop. I currently have two DVDs and a CD out. Also, last year Focus on the Family released my first book called "Growing Up Super Average: The Adventure's of Average Boy", a comedy/devotional book for junior high and high schoolers. I currently live in Texas with my three tax deductions and the most incredibly beautiful wife ever who likes to read over my shoulder while I write out my bio.
Bands
Kutless | Addison Road |
Students will love the Tuesday night concert by Kutless. Are they a hard rock band or a worship band? Kutless can be either one and students will be able to see both. With their fourth full-length album, Hearts of the Innocent, Kutless show students how to give back some of what God has given them. Last year, Kutless performed a benefit concert for Hurricane Katrina victims and raised over $50,000 in one night and that was just the start, as the band anticipates teaming up with other charities in the near future. Lead vocalist, Jon Michael Sumrall says that Christian artists sometimes receive flack for being bold in their faith and sharing what they believe. But, he says, “For us, it’s always been important that we don’t change what we’re saying simply because of the pressure from people around us. We want to be real.” Hearts Of The Innocent’s title track is a message of awareness, of which Sumrall says is a wake-up call to the generation of adults to take closer look at the neglected youth across the world. “Our whole focus is to reach out to young people and traveling around, you see a lot of hurting people.” |
Six years, thousands of miles, hundreds of performances at festivals, conferences, camps (and everywhere in between) and three impressive independent recordings later, Addison Road has renewed its mission and found its call. In music and in community—online or on the road—Addison Road takes that call to action seriously, as enthusiastic supporters of several international missions and Christian social actions. “We’ve always believed that living beyond ourselves is essential.” Ryan Simmons says. In the meantime, this band of podcast-loving, worship-minded artists will continue creating music born in the reality of life infused with real hope—fulfilling the mission behind their music. |
