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English Darby/Founder and Visionary

English Darby is a devoted Christian woman, guided by faith and driven by a passion for serving others. With a heart dedicated to living out the teachings of Jesus Christ, she seeks to be a light of love, compassion, and grace in her community and beyond.

 

As a woman of faith, English finds her strength and purpose in her relationship with God. She cherishes her time of prayer and devotion, seeking spiritual growth and seeking God's guidance in every aspect of her life.

 

Grounded in the Scriptures, English actively engages in her local church, participating in various ministries. Her love for worship and fellowship brings her joy as she connects with other believers in a spirit of unity and support.

 

Throughout her journey, English has faced challenges, relying on God's grace to overcome obstacles and find hope in difficult times. She believes that her trials have shaped her into the woman she is today, empowering her to extend empathy and understanding to others facing their own struggles.

 

As a mother, English embraces the joy of family life and prioritizes nurturing strong bonds with her loved ones. She endeavors to raise her children with a foundation of faith, instilling in them the values of love, kindness, and integrity.

 

English enjoys engaging with others through Christian fellowship, where she seeks to encourage and inspire fellow women in their faith journeys. She looks forward to connecting with fellow Christian women and walking alongside them as they grow in their faith and embrace the love of Christ in their lives.

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Melissa Maimone/Keynote Speaker

Melissa Maimone teaches women that an authentic life in Christ can be messy and magnificent at the exact same time. With her unique blend of theology, humor, and insight, Melissa provides down-to-earth lessons, practical applications, and life-changing perspectives to real women who are living real lives in the midst of real problems.

 

Her latest book, The Radiant Midnight: Depression, Grace, and the Gifts of a Dark Place offers wisdom, insight, unexpected humor, and stories from her own journey with depression to those in the hard places of the faith journey.  Her first book, Gathering Dandelions: Meditations and Musings on Faith, Fracture, and Beauty Mistaken for a Weed won “Devotional of the Year” by Interviews and Reviews.

 

She and her husband Danny have been married for 32 years and have two children. They are recent transplants to North Carolina (and loving it!) She loves Jesus, her family, and her friends. Her hobbies include reading, walking, watching weird documentaries, and eating tacos.

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Kristie Disbrow/Breakout Speaker

Kristie Disbrow's story unfolds from the heart of West Virginia, where she was born as the eldest of three siblings. Her journey led her to Raleigh in 1986, where she completed her high school education. In 1994, she graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in secondary education, embarking on a four-year teaching career in Raleigh. In 1998, she married Jason, and together they embarked on a new chapter in Southport. Their family expanded with the births of their sons, Hogan in 2000 and Ford in 2004. Amidst her roles as a devoted wife and mother, Kristie discovered her true calling in volunteering and supporting various community initiatives.

 

In 2010, Kristie's life underwent a profound transformation when she founded Matthew's Ministry. What began as a modest effort, serving a single child at one school, has blossomed into a life-altering endeavor. Today, Matthew's Ministry touches the lives of 550 children every weekend across 17 Brunswick County schools, ensuring that no child goes to bed hungry.

 

Matthew's Ministry, a 501(c)3 public charity established in 2010, stands as a testament to Kristie's unwavering commitment to Christ and community. This non-profit organization is wholeheartedly dedicated to ending childhood hunger and currently provides essential food resources to hundreds of children in Brunswick County living in food-insecure households. Backpack programs operate in 17 different schools throughout the county, ensuring that the weekly backpacks of nonperishable food items reach the homes of children, ensuring they have enough to eat during evenings and weekends. Furthermore, Matthew's Ministry collaborates closely with social workers in Brunswick County to address sustenance needs identified during home visits with children.

 

"Her life beautifully reflects the teachings of Christ through her unwavering commitment to ending hunger and nurturing her community. Kristie Disbrow is not merely deserving of respect; she is an abundant source of inspiration, a dedicated disciple of Christ, and an exceptional community leader."

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Leigh Ann Cook/Breakout Speaker

Leigh Ann would like everyone to know that she loves Jesus with all her heart and desires to
bring Him glory. She likes to engage with people and thinks her most important role is being a child of God. She loves communicating with His children. She has held positions from assistant to jailer to manager. She inspires spiritual growth and loves to be an encourager. She's been married for more than half her life to her supportive husband, John Jay, and is a mother to two amazing children, Corbin and Kelsey and a future son-in-law William. She loves to travel and meet people. It's always a new adventure since we are created to live a purposeful life filled with a lot of grace and mercy. Her passion and focus is sharing life experiences and God's faithfulness. Leigh has a BS from the University of Mount Olive in Business Management. She continues to mentor and nurture faith in family and community. We Win!

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Polly Clawson/Breakout Speaker

Polly was born in Yokosuka, Japan in 1963 and was adopted at 10 days old by a young American Naval couple. God’s Truth and promise of Psalm 139 has been woven through Polly’s life - His holy Word, a catalyst for spiritual formation.

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Being a Navy brat growing up with loving Christian parents who modeled sacrifice and resilience shaped much of Polly’s character and values. She considers it an honor to have loved and been loved so well by her mom and dad. When the horrors of cognitive disease brought heartache and much hardship before their deaths in 2021 and 2022, Polly knew her Heavenly Father’s love and care upheld her and always will.

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Polly graduated with a Business Administration degree from La Tech University, which is where she met and married her true-gentleman, David. They were married in 1987 and have grown together in Christ ever since. Their hearts’ desire is to live with an expectancy of what God is doing in and through them. They have two children, Christopher (1992, Pittsburgh, PA) and Kerah (1995, Wilmington, NC) with soon-to-be son-in-law, Andrew Resendez (1992) and 4 dogs: Kasey, Christopher’s Mia, and Kerah’s Kevin & Henry.

David and Polly served together in couples & student ministries before Polly joined the staff of Port City Community Church in 2015 as Women’s Coordinator. Polly’s passion is worship and discipleship. Her calling is to encourage, equip and empower others in their relationship of oneness with God through His encouragement, equipping and empowerment of His Holy Spirit.

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Sandy Kleinfelter/Breakout Speaker

Hi, I'm Sandy Kleinfelter, proudly a daughter of the Most High King! For the past 27 years, I've been blessed to be married to Greg and am a mom to our incredible kids: Geoffrey, Samantha, Matthew, and Jonathan. Our journey took an unexpected turn early on when, just a year into our marriage, my husband faced a challenging battle with crack addiction in 1998. His path to recovery led us to a transformative 10-month program in Florida, where we stayed on to train and serve for many years. While raising our children as a stay-at-home mom, God opened doors for me to minister beyond our home. I've led women's small groups, conducted private inner healing sessions, served in kids' ministry, provided marriage counseling, and spoken at women's conferences. Alongside my husband, we've been involved in two different Regeneration ministries across different states until God called us to Wilmington, North Carolina in late 2018. Here, we answered God's call to start Hope Life Regeneration, driven by my passion to see men and their families liberated from the grip of addiction, witnessing firsthand the profound changes God brings into their lives. Romans 8:28 beautifully encapsulates my journey—where God turned our trials into something incredibly beautiful. That's the heart of our Jesus! I'm thrilled to share more of our story with you at the breakout session of Flourish Christian's retreat. Come join us and be inspired by God's transformative power and His faithfulness in every season of life.

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Kim Tschirret/Breakout Speaker

Hope Reins, founded in 2010, was born out of Kim’s love for kids and horses as well as her first-hand knowledge of living as a child of abuse and trauma. Her own story of hope and healing started in her childhood, when she struggled to find love and acceptance in a household marred by alcoholism. A bright spot in her life was her faithful horse, with whom she found unconditional love, comfort, and safety.

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Kim’s story has come to fruition at Hope Reins, where her team has helped more than 2,000 kids find their own hope and healing. Kim has been featured in various national publications including Focus on the Family and has been a guest on podcasts such as Nothing is Wasted, Real Faith Stories and Leaders of Transformation.

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She lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, with her husband, Mike, and two kids, Chance and Isabel.

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Traci Shnider/Breakout Speaker

Traci is a published author and motivational speaker, sharing heartfelt encouragement from her journey of faith and resilience in the face of adversity. Her passion is helping others discover true freedom by faithfully rooting themselves in Jesus, growing in His grace, and blossoming into their unique purpose.

Traci is a wife to Eric, a mom to their one adult son, Jacob, and to their quirky little Terrier named Gunner. In her free time, you’ll find her collecting seashells or relaxing with a great book on the breathtaking North Carolina coast she’s blessed to call home. You can find more of Traci’s writing on her Website, Facebook, or Instagram.

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Michele Reynolds/Breakout Speaker

Discover Michele Reynolds, a breakout speaker dedicated to sharing her profound journey of redemption. Her life, once shadowed by self-destruction and self-hate, was transformed through obedience and self-love deeply rooted in her unwavering faith in Jesus Christ.

 

As a mother of seven children and a cherished grandmother ("Gemma") to two, Michele’s story stands as a testament to the enduring power of faith and perseverance. Her profound love for Jesus is the cornerstone of her transformation, and she attributes all honor and praise to Him.

Psalm 147:3, her favorite Bible verse, beautifully encapsulates her message: "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Michele is excited to share her story and to connect with those who have battled self-hate, offering them hope and inspiration through her own experiences.

 

Join Michele at the breakout session to hear her compelling story of redemption and faith. Her journey will undoubtedly uplift and encourage all who attend.

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Lesley Jones/Worship Leader

Lesley Jones Weber is a wife, mother, and a Christian musician. She is a singer and songwriter from North Carolina. She released her first debut album "My Only Truth" on February 10th, 2023. "No One Will Love You Like Jesus" is her latest single. Lesley loves to share the gospel through the song gifts that the Lord blesses her with. She co-leads in a faith based 12-step program called Celebrate Recovery alongside her husband. Lesley mentors people who struggle with addiction and any other life controlling struggles. She is all about the gospel and she wants to help people rise out of addiction and help them experience God's freedom through His word. She loves to share the gospel of Jesus Christ through testimony and song. Her hope is to help reach the lost and minister to the broken in spirit.

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