REFRESH
Speakers
K.D. Stewart
Christian teacher, author, and speaker K.D. Stewart shares her very real, raw, and sometimes ridiculous journey from pain in the world to praise in the Lord. Challenged with P.T.S.D. and depression (which she writes about in her humorous but heart-stirring book, Would I Really Marry My Cat?!) K.D. has discovered that life as a Christ-follower isn’t always a “charmed” life. It is a strategically-designed, intentionally-lived testimony of God’s faithfulness and love no matter the circumstances. K.D.’s message about God’s sovereignty and purpose in pain will encourage your heart and tickle your funny bone.
Learn more about K.D. and her current ministry work here.
Debra Moerke
Debra Moerke, is a Christian speaker and the author of the book Murder, Motherhood, and Miraculous Grace. Debra has a heart for the little ones of the Kingdom; for the lost and the lonely. She has served in numerous ministries and organizations such as Prison Fellowship, Youth for Christ, Child Evangelism Fellowship, and Make-a-Wish Foundation. She has taught sign language and formed. a performing group of children called The Silent Singers. Debra has been a jail officer, a rescue mission chaplain, and a lay jail chaplain. She has led mission teams to Honduras led Bible study for 12 years and is the founder of The McKenzie Home, a transitional home for single moms and their children. Debra holds a certificate in Christian ministries from Gateway Seminary. She is an agent for Stratton Real Estate and was honored as Business Person of the Year in 2022 by the Casper Board of Realtors. Her favorite thing to do with her daughters is to attend musical theater together. Her favorite thing to do with her sons is to go skydiving! Debra is a mother of six, an adoptive parent, a foster parent to over 140 children, and a grandmother of nine. She and her husband, Al, live in Wyoming, where she continues to write and travel for speaking engagements.
Learn more about Debra and her journey here.
Melanie Connell
Melanie has been married to her husband Wes since 1990. She is a mother of 4 adult sons and grandmother of one. She has been in private practice counseling in Colorado, a stay-at-home mom for 11 years, and an Adolescent Acute Therapist at a psychiatric hospital working with suicidal, homicidal, and psychotic patients. After that unexpected adventure she developed a counseling center for a local church operating her private practice there for 5 years. She then moved her private practice out into the community in 2017 and is still doing this today. She received training in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) in 2015 and became a Certified EMDR therapist in April of 2022. A year later she became certified in DBT. It has been her joy and privilege to work with a variety of people and she loves facilitating their healing, breakthrough, and freedom. She has helped her husband pastor in 4 different churches in the past 30 years and has an undying passion for the Unified Body of Christ. Melanie has done some blogging and is currently writing a book on the myths of what it means to be selfish and how exploring who you were created to be is vital in fulfilling your destiny.
You can see and read her blogs here.