Michel Boissonneault is Métis from Welland, Ontario, and has lived in Vancouver’s DTES for the past ten years. He has been a licensed journeyman electrician for 33 years, is a building manager of Strathcona Church, and has taken counseling studies. He has also been walking a journey of friendship and recovery alongside Aaron White for the past 13 years.
Rebecca is the Hospitality & Student Enrichment Manager at Upper House—a Christian Study Center on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. Her values for building purposeful gatherings and spiritual formation come together in her roles as an event curator, instructor for the Fellows Program, and director for the Intern Program. On any given day, you will find her mentoring college students, emceeing a conference, or leading a cohort on African-American history.
As a Chancellor’s Scholar, Rebecca earned her B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in French and International Studies—Global Security. In the years since, she has worked with multiple ministries in event coordination and teaching, and she was recently recognized as one of Wisconsin’s 51 Most Influential Black Leaders of 2023.
Rebecca delights in living in Madison, and she spends her time loving her friends as family, training in taekwondo, hunting for the best chai latté, and singing whatever Broadway tune comes to mind.
Andy and Jenny Czerkas, founders and directors of Extended Hands Pantry, have spent the last 25 years building relationships with low-income and underserved communities. They initiated a partnership with two low-income neighborhoods on the north side of Madison, serving monthly dinners, as well as organizing back to school and Christmas programs.
This on-going partnership encouraged them to launch The River Food Pantry in 2005. They led The River for 12 years during which time it grew into the largest food pantry in southern Wisconsin. The emphasis there was on building community and providing a welcoming space.
With the pandemic in 2020, they started a new food pantry with a focus on serving immigrants and refugees. Extended Hands Pantry, operating at Lighthouse Church and School, is quickly becoming one of busiest food pantries in Madison.
Aaron’s journey as a dedicated community advocate began during his time of incarceration, where he witnessed the struggles of others that mirrored his own experiences and found himself offering guidance to his fellow inmates. In his quest to support others, Aaron pursued extensive training and earned certifications through nationally accredited programs such as Walking the Line and Within My Reach.
He also completed a life coach training program through the Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership, obtained certifications as a Crisis Intervention Partner (CIP) through the National Alliance on Mental Health Illness (NAMI), Attic Correctional Services, and the UW-Madison Police Department, and completed Core Correctional Practices (CCP) training through the University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute.
He actively contributes to multiple organizations, including MOSES and EXPO, where he collaborates with a group of formerly incarcerated individuals working towards the cessation of mass incarceration in Wisconsin.
Christine Jeske is a professor of Cultural Anthropology at Wheaton College and author of several books on race, work, and the good life, including The Laziness Myth: Narratives of Work and the Good Life in South Africa. Her current research explores how Christians develop long-term commitments to racial justice.
She has worked in microfinance, refugee resettlement, community development, and teaching and living in Nicaragua, China, and South Africa. Her current home is an old Wisconsin farmhouse named the Sanctuary, where she and her husband have raised chickens, pigs, innumerable weeds, and two wonderful children.
Andy is an experienced speaker and ministry innovator, leveraging over 18 years of leadership in campus ministry to lead The Ministry Playbook, a digital platform that trains thousands for effective ministry on campus. As a national trainer for InterVarsity's Multiethnic Initiatives, he empowers individuals and teams in intercultural competency, reconciliation, and justice. Previously, he led intercultural development at Trinity International University and campus ministry at Northwestern University.
A certified Cultural Intelligence (CQ) trainer and worship leader, Andy equips teams and leads worship for multiethnic, multi-denominational, and multigenerational communities worldwide. He holds a Master of Divinity from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a BA from Northwestern University. He serves an elder and worship leader at his church in Urbana, IL where he lives with his wife and two sons. In his free time, he loves baking and sharing pies.
Kriss Marion is an urban journalist turned rural shepherdess and smallholder. After leaving Chicago with acute rheumatoid arthritis in 2005, Kriss found healing and hope in the sandy soil of a 20-acre Driftless Wisconsin valley homestead. Now she extends that health and hope invitation to visitors from across the world at her Circle M Farm Stay. Kriss and her husband Shannon, who is on staff with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, believe that caring for the earth and people are intertwined callings. After a decade of growing organic vegetables for Community Supported Agriculture customers, the Marions transitioned to agricultural hospitality to share the land and insights on conservation stewardship and sustainable farming. Kriss also works as a media specialist for several family farm advocacy non-profit organizations.
Amanda and Linell have been happily married for six years and moved to the Madison area last year with their puppy Milo! They love the Lord and grew up in their local churches, participating in music ministry. After marrying, they felt led to pastor in their thirties. They're from the southwest suburbs of Chicago but have pastored a church in the heart of Missouri for the last five years.
Linell is the Worship Pastor for Door Creek Church at the Sprecher Road campus in East Madison.
Pastor Isaiah Oby is a graduate of Columbia College Chicago, where he earned a Bachelors of Music with a concentration in contemporary composition. During his time in school, Oby began a full-time missionary apprenticeship at Chicago City Life Center, located in the south-side community of Englewood. Since graduation, Isaiah’s work in the music industry took him on multiple world tours and even landed him television appearances on Fox, Netflix, and the Tonight Show.
In 2019, Oby returned to Madison to become an Associate Pastor at Northside Christian Assembly (NCA), overseeing ministry operations, Sunday worship services, and regularly preaching. In addition to his work at NCA, Pastor Isaiah is a speaker, music producer, composer, and Worship-Arts and Technology consultant. He is married to Alina, and they have two young children, Zion and Shiloh.
From her earliest memories, Alina Puente has been enveloped in the world of creativity. Growing up, she explored various art forms, from dance and painting to collaborative home improvement projects with her mother. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in the United States, Alina’s heritage is a vital source of inspiration for her artistic practice. The bold hues and textures of her homeland, her faith, and her identity as an Afro-Latina immigrant inform the themes that permeate her work.
Today, Alina Puente embraces a multifaceted life as a full-time visual artist, mother, wife, creative director, pastor, and design studio owner. Residing in Madison, Wisconsin, she continues to pursue new ventures in her artistic practice.
Pastor Tia L. Sierra, M.Ed, is a follower of Christ and educator born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin. In 2001, God gave Pastor Tia a vision of herself leading an army of children assembled to expand God’s kingdom; then, in 2004, God called her to forsake her career as a personal financial planner and start Lighthouse Christian School— a ministry of Lighthouse Church. For 19 years, she has been the principal of Lighthouse Christian School, which disciples children from birth to 8th grade. She is a passionate advocate for children and families, encouraging all to do good, seek justice, and correct oppression (Micah 6:8). Her formula for success in those pursuits is simple: Love God, Love Others, Love Yourself.
David Smith Jr. resides in Madison, WI, serving as a Worship Leader at Northside Christian Assembly. He attended Columbia College Chicago and, in 2017, received a Bachelor's in Music with a concentration in Contemporary composition and songwriting. Outside of his church role, David is a working musician, vocal arranger, and songwriter in a wide range of genres and settings. He has shared the stage with artists such as Jonathan McReynolds, Noname, Stevie Wonder, Jakaylan Carr, and many more. Married to Danielle for seven years, they are proud parents of three boys - Anias, Alijah, and Armon.
Rebeca Stenson has been a missionary for over twenty-five years. Her missionary travels have taken her to twenty-six countries, where she has worked with young people and families in a variety of communities.
She is originally from Mexico and has a heart for hospitality, which she believes is a key to solving the loneliness crisis many are experiencing all around the world.
Rebeca and her family call Madison home and have lived in the city for the past fifteen years.
Pastor Samuel Twum was born in Ghana and started his ministry in the early 90s by forming an evangelism and church planting team, which planted about five churches in three years in remote villages. He then became a secretary for Rural Gospel Trust, a group of missionaries establishing churches.
Samuel moved to the United States in 2003 for Christian Missions. Since then, he has served as a chaplain at Buffalo Prisons and worked in youth ministry, music ministry, and bus ministry in New York State and Chicago. Samuel accepted his full-time call to ministry in Madison in 2014 and joined Living Springs Church. God has led Samuel, now Lead Pastor, to guide the church in becoming an international congregation representing about 16 countries.
Samuel’s education includes KNUST (Ghana), Northwestern (Chicago), and Assemblies of God Global University. He holds credentials with the Assemblies of God. He is married to Joana Twum, and they have four girls (Esther, Vera, Cindy, and Elliana) and one boy (Benaiah).
Jean-Rene Watchou is originally from Cameroon in Africa. He holds a Master’s degree in International Development from Lafollette School of Public Affairs (UW- Madison). He currently works as Director of International Outreach at Christ Presbyterian Church. Before coming to Christ Presbyterian Church, Jean-Rene has worked with a number of relief and development organizations in Washington DC including World Vision, the International Rescue Committee, and the Lutheran Social Services. As a strong advocate for the immigrant community in the US, Jean-Rene was the founder of the Community Immigration Law Center, a community-based immigration service which runs a free walk-ins-clinic twice a month, and provides pro bono services to the community.
Jean-Rene also oversees the decade-long partnership that Christ Presbyterian Church has developed with Mendota Community School.
Jean-Rene currently serves as Executive Director of the Madison International Partners, a non-profit organization which promotes in-depth, cross-cultural exchanges between Americans and internationals, fostering better understanding among people of different races, cultures, religions, and social backgrounds living in Madison.
Aaron White and his family have been seeking to love and be loved by their neighbours in Vancouver's downtown eastside for the past 20 years.
He has served with The Salvation Army; 24-7 Prayer; the International Association for Refugees, and Westminster Theological Centre.
He is the author of Recovering: From Brokenness and Addiction to Blessedness and Community.
Qwantese Dourese Winters, a Doula, Writer, and Agriculturist, adeptly intertwines her passions to preserve, discover, and explore culture while fostering community. Inspired by her connection to the Gullah Geechee nation, she embarked on a journey to build a profound relationship with the land, learning foraging, farming, and herbalism. Passionate about imparting knowledge to the Madison community, Qwantese co-hosts PBS Wisconsin’s “Let’s Grow Stuff” and has taken on educational roles, including serving as The Madison Public Libraries’ 2023 Naturalist in Residence.
Affectionately known as The Food Doula, Qwantese seamlessly incorporates foodways and agriculture into pregnancy, birth, and postpartum healing. As a doula, she not only grows food, but also cooks nutritious meals for families. Her art magnifies the voices and experiences of Black women, celebrating concepts that uplift working-class communities through techniques like hand painting or using found items. Through her service, art, and culinary expertise, Qwantese passionately strives to encourage, inspire, educate, and empower communities in uniquely enriching ways.
SO ALL MAY FLOURISH
