Challenge is excited to share fantastic speakers who love students and God's Word. You may recognize a few returning speakers and see a few new faces. Get to know them a little better.

Get to know Eric

Eric Rivera is the Lead Pastor at The Brook (EFCA), a multiethnic church in Chicago, that he and his team planted with in 2013. Eric is passionate for mobilizing the church to be on mission in an urban context. He earned his PhD from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School where he also serves as an Associate Professor of Pastoral Theology. He is the author of Christ is Yours (Lexham Press 2019) and Unexpected Jesus: How the resurrected Christ finds us, meets us and heals us (Lexham Press 2022). Eric has been married to his best friend Erikah for 20 years and together they speak for FamilyLife’s Weekend to Remember marriage getaways. They are grateful parents to their three amazing children Keziah, Lukas and Levi.    

Get to know Joey

Joey joined the staff of Faith Church (EFCA), way back in July 2010 to serve as the Pastor of Faith Student Ministry. He now serves as one of the co-lead pastors at Faith. Joey enjoys puns, dad jokes and starting new hobbies. He is both book-smart and accident-prone, which, according to his wife, Jenna, is a winning combination. He likes reading theology and philosophy books written by dead people and is often found thinking about how the church can flourish in a secular age. He loves eating legit Tex-Mex food and going on adventures with Jenna and their daughter Analie. He has four cats, fourteen chickens, every hobby he can convince his wife to allow him to spend money on and a pathetically large number of unread books on his shelves. 

Get to know Elizabeth

Elizabeth Woodson is a Bible teacher, theologian, author and the Founder of The Woodson Institute, an organization that equips believers to understand and grow in their Christian faith. She loves helping people internalize their faith and connect it practically to everyday life. With over a decade of experience in church ministry, Elizabeth is passionate about creating pathways for discipleship and theological education in the local church. Elizabeth is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary with a Masters in Christian Education. She is a contributing author for World on Fire and the author of the book Embrace Your Life: How To Find Joy When The Life You Have Is Not The Life You Hoped For and From Beginning To Forever: A Study of the Grand Narrative of Scripture. 

Get to know Kempton

Kempton Turner was born spiritually dead in his trespasses and sins. He lived a wild and sinful life as a child of God’s wrath. But God, after pursuing him on Bourbon Street at Mardi Gras, made him alive through the powerful gospel of Jesus Christ and won his love forever! Kempton was raised in East St. Louis, Illinois, but spent much of his life in Houston, Texas. He gladly serves as Lead Pastor of City of Joy Fellowship, a church plant in his hometown of East St. Louis. Kempton and his childhood sweetheart Caryn are happily married and the Lord has blessed them with five children: Christian, Carysse, Kalia, Caleb and Kellan. 

Get to know Will

Will Hutcherson is an author, speaker, and pastor. Will has been a Next Gen and Student Pastor for over 15 years. Over the past several years he has become increasingly passionate about finding practical ways to bring hope to kids and teens who are facing increasing amounts of anxiety, depression and despair. This led to him starting Curate Hope, a non-profit that focuses on suicide prevention, mental health awareness, and partnering with schools, churches and parents to help heal despair in teens. Will seeks to build a bridge between the local church and the schools and families that are navigating this mental health crisis. Through Curate Hope, Will speaks in public schools across the country, letting students know that there is always hope. Will is a co-author of two books: SEEN: Healing Despair and Anxiety in Kids and Teens Through the Power of Connection and Beyond the Spiral: Why You Shouldn’t Believe Everything Anxiety Tells You. He lives in the sunshine state with his wife Arianne and three kids. 

Get to know Stephen

Stephen Love is the Lead Planting Pastor of Redemption City Church in South Bend, IN (planted in September 2020), the husband of his beautiful wife Mandy (married 13 years), and the father of their 4 kids (ages 5 through 10). Stephen received his bachelor's degree from Moody Bible Institute, his masters from Reformed Theological Seminary and a certificate in history from University of Oxford, England. He has a heart to see disciples of Christ made in the city of South Bend. He is the self-proclaimed biggest Notre Dame and Denzel Washington fan!