Saturday, October 17th
10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
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Our goal is to refocus the community on Christ and the wisdom He provides to help raise our youth. We encourage all interested to attend as the information discussed will be of value for parent/child, mentor/mentee, and believer/unbeliever alike. We will discuss how to train our youth in faith, wisdom, love, and with encouragement. Food and entertainment will be provided.
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Our Speakers: |
Gene BryantI grew up in the Arlington area of Jacksonville…attended Terry Parker High School, FCCJ, University of Maryland, Kennesaw State University and FSCJ. After retiring from CSX Transportation, started “The Carpenter’s Insurance Agency”, as an Independent Agent. I’m licensed by the State of Florida to sell personal & commercial lines of insurance. This profession requires “Continuing Education” credits, so I’m a lifetime student.
My two children, Michelle and Sean, are both Christians. They have provided me with 8 wonderful grandchildren. There are at least a dozen more grandkids from couples at this congregation, who know and love me as “Poppy”. After serving several years as a Deacon, then an Elder at Arlington, I identified with Dean Road to help with teaching and leadership. Here, I also served several years as an elder, until my wife’s death in 2012. Now I’m happily engaged to Belinda Kitchings, planning on exchanging vows very, very soon. Last year, Belinda and I were team teachers for Grades 2 and 3. This year, we were both promoted to 4th, 5th and 6th Grade team teachers. It’s encouraging to me to see how quickly the youth absorb the scriptures with ability to grasp what God wants them to do. They really get it! Bottom line is, I want to encourage our youth to reach maximum potential in serving God, knowing His Son and His Word and doing His Will. Hindrik (Dutch) DekkerBorn in the city of Assen, in the providence Drenthe in The Netherlands. Immigrated to the United States with his Parents Henry and Grace Dekker along with one sister and three brothers. Grew up in Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan. Graduated from Wyoming Park High School in Grand Rapids Mi. and one year later married a girl he met in the seventh grade, Georgana Lee Fry. She and her Bible teacher were both deeply instrumental in him realizing that his search for the truth was the church that she belonged to. He obeyed the Lord’s command within six months after they were wed. They have four sons, seven grandchildren and one great grandchild. Hindrik Joined the Navy during the Vietnam conflict and became an American Citizen three years later. During his 26+ years of active service, he took on the role of church of Christ Lay Leader. He later was “officially recognized” as a minister by a local church of Christ congregation so he could hold regularly scheduled full communion church service sanctioned by the ship he was attached to. He preached the Word as well as held open Bible Studies on the mess decks and in the ship’s chapel, in port and out to sea. He was appointed deacon in charge of Widows & Orphans and Benevolence at Dean Road. He held that position until the eldership was dissolved through the unfortunate deaths of one Elder and the wife of another. His passion for children has been there from the beginning of his walk with Christ. He worked with the youth group and steadily taught older children, until he had the comfort to teach adults. He found his greatest drive was for the teens and taught teens at four congregations; which garnered him a certificate, certifying him as the honorary dad to all the children of the congregation.
Undre Griggs, Jr.Born in West Palm Beach, FL, Undre Griggs was the middle of three children to Maxine and Undre Griggs, Sr. He moved to Tallahassee for college where he attained a Bachelor of Science in Economics. He furthered his education at Georgia Southern University, where he secured a Master of Science in Applied Economics. Marrying in 2010, he moved to Jacksonville with his wife, Inyam O. Griggs. They have three beautiful girls that he devotes his life to. They are the age of nine/Autumn J. Griggs, two/Alek C. Griggs, and eight months/Arie O. Griggs. Since joining the Dean Road congregation in early 2010, Undre has been the deacon of visitation until the passing of one elder and the sudden death of another elder’s wife dissolved the eldership. He has taught the teen class for several years and fills in every so often to teach the young adults class or deliver a message from the pulpit. He also writes the weekly devotions and tries to help organize evangelism events held at the church building. Undre works at One Call Care Management, where he is the Supervisor of Pricing Analysis. He manages a small team of analysts in their downtown Jacksonville office. His passion for the youth stems from knowing that knowledge is powerful in the hands of our children. He believes in order to make a wise decision; you have to be fully informed. You have to know enough to be able to recognize fact or fiction. Undre teaches children not what to think, but how to think. His hope and belief is that once informed, children like most people, will make the rational decision that will benefit them for the rest of their life.
Jimmy SullivanJimmy served as Elder for thirteen years and deacon for six years at the Timberlane church of Christ in Tallahassee, FL. Served as deacon for three years at the Burlington – Santa Fe church of Christ in Branford. Currently a bible class teacher, song leader and occasional preacher for the Dean Road congregation. His children are all native Floridians having been born in Tampa and Gainesville. All of their lives were spent in Florida having lived six years in Lake City, two years in Chipley and eighteen years in Tallahassee where they completed high school. One daughter, Rachael Shifferd; married to Scott Shifferd for eleven years who serves as minister at Dean Road church of Christ; mother of four children . Two sons, Aaron Sullivan; married to his wife Meredith for seven years and living in Tallahassee; both are worshiping and teaching elementary age bible classes at Timberlane church of Christ; and Paul Sullivan, married to his wife Jessie for six years and living in Montgomery, Alabama; both worshipping at Dalraida church of Christ; Paul serves as part of the Missions Committee; he and his wife also teach elementary age bible classes. Rachael and Paul are graduates of Faulkner University in Montgomery, Alabama and Aaron is a graduate of Harding University in Searcy, Arkansas. Jimmy has a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from University of South Florida. He is a Registered Professional Engineer serving as Senior Vice President for Genesis Group, an Engineering, Planning and Landscape Architecture consulting firm. Jimmy’s passion for children comes from the emphasis Christ placed on the nature of children. He taught us that a Christian can learn to love, forgive, trust and obey by observing children. Those of us who have been blessed with children have had the opportunity for a better understanding of how much our heavenly Father loves us. As parents we learn to guide, nurture and discipline our children by following the example of our Father in heaven. We recognize what a great responsibility God has placed upon parents. We constantly pray that our children will come to a deep abiding faith in the Lord and we understand that we must do all that is within our power to ensure it.
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