is a trusted leader at Download Youth Ministry. He is one of the leading voices in youth ministry with over 25 years experience in the trenches. He is currently the junior high pastor at Mariners Church in So CA. Prior to co-founding DYM, Josh was the High School Pastor at Saddleback Church and the leader of the PDYM global movement. He has created more than 100 youth ministry resources and authored several books. In addition to training thousands of youth workers yearly, he is in demand as an emcee and all-around-great-guy. He’s been married to his college sweetheart (Angela) for 25 years, has 4 children, and more dogs than most kennels.

serves as the Dean of the Boston Campus, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Boston. Dr. Ward’s local and national involvement in the training and development of youth leaders spans three decades. Dr. Ward comes with extensive experience as an urban pastor, ministry organizer, and youth ministry expert. Dr. Ward is co-author on the book It’s Personal: Five Questions You Should Answer To Give Every Kid Hope, and she conducts research on ethnic/multi-ethnic youth and family ministry. 

is the author of over 25 books including the brand new Parenting Generation Screen; and the best seller, The Guy's Guide to God, Girls and the Phone in Your Pocket. An expert on youth culture, Jonathan speaks to parents and leaders worldwide. You can read more from Jonathan on his website BecomingScreenWise.com.

is a renowned youth and family expert, an acclaimed author, and the founder of HomeWord, a radio program that reaches more than a million people across the country each day. In partnership with Azusa Pacific University, he established and now provides leadership for the HomeWord Center for Youth and Family, a research and training institute offering biblically based resources for parents and youth. Under Burns, the center has become the largest provider of Christian parenting and youth seminars in the United States. His passion is communicating to adults and young people practical truths to help them live out their Christian lives. Burns is a three-time Gold Medallion Award-winning author and has written books for parents, youth workers, and students. He also speaks in person to thousands of people each year around the world. Burns and his wife, Cathy, and their daughters, Christy, Rebecca, and Heidi, live in Southern California.

is the founder and President of the Center for Parent/Youth Understanding and has been working with young people and families for over 35 years. As a result of his work with CPYU, Walt has become an internationally-recognized speaker on contemporary youth culture. He is also the author of several books including Youth Culture 101 and Engaging the Soul of Youth Culture.

is the Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) and a faculty member at Fuller Theological Seminary. Named by Christianity Today as one of “50 Women to Watch”, Kara serves as a Youth and Family Strategist for Orange, and also speaks regularly at parenting and leadership conferences. Kara is the author or co-author of a number of books including Growing Young, Sticky Faith, & Faith Beyond Youth Group.

As a young man, Josh McDowell considered himself an agnostic. After being challenged to intellectually examine the claims of Christianity, he discovered compelling and overwhelming evidence for the reliability of the Christian faith. After his conversion, Josh committed his life to telling a doubting world about the truth of Jesus Christ. Working with Campus Crusade for Christ and founding the youth outreach, Josh McDowell Ministry, Josh has shared the gospel with more than 25 million people in 125 countries. He is the author or co-author of 147 books including More Than a Carpenter and Evidence That Demands a Verdict.