Therefore Go Conference: Good News to the Poor

The theme of Therefore Go 2026 is Good News to the Poor: Why and how is the Gospel good news to those bound by poverty?

We explore these questions through a variety of sessions, ranging from the theological basis of poverty relief to practical examples from those in the field. However, we seek not only to engage the mind, but also the heart through an audience-involved poverty simulation as well as moments of guided individual and group reflection.

Schedule:
9:00 - 9:15 - Welcome Address: David Glick (Co-Director of Student Life)

9:15 - 9:30 - Theme Overview: Zack Johnson (President Emeritus) 

9:30 - 10:30 - Keynote Address (Christ and the Poor): Dr. George Kalantzis 
10:30 - 10:45 - Break

10:45 - 12:00 - Savings Group Simulation: Hannah Schundler (Hope International)

12:00 - 1:00 - Lunch

1:00 - 2:00 - Practical Ministry Sessions: These are presentations by practitioners addressing poverty and global needs in their respective fields and locations. Click each speaker to learn more about them. Conference guests are invited to attend a session of their choosing.

• Br. Paul Fesefeldt: Boston, MA: Capuchin Mobile Ministries
• Elizabeth Vendley: Reading, PA: Hope Rescue Mission
• Jake Esh: Central Asia: Benevia Software
  

2:00 - 2:15 - Break

2:15 - 2:45 - Vocational Reflection & Prayer: These sessions are arranged thematically around Sattler’s five majors. Conference guests are invited to attend a session of their choosing.
2:45 - 3:00 - Break

3:00 - 4:00 - Discussion Panel: A group panel discussion with the conference speakers and presenters. Bring all your remaining questions from the day!

4:00 - 4:15 - Break

4:15 - 5:00 - Sermon on Theme Passage (Luke 4:17-20): Dr. Jesse Scheumann

5:00 - Closing Reflection: Uriah O’Terry (Student Body President)

Learn more by clicking here!

Theme Passage:

Luke 4:17–20
And [Jesus] came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Speaker Bios:

• Dr. George Kalantzis is a professor of theology at Wheaton College, specializing in patristics. He is an elected Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and of the Association Internationale d’Études Patristiques. He is also a Senior Fellow with the International Association for Refugees (IAFR) and has published several books on the ethics of war, human rights, and the plights of refugees.
• Dr. Jesse Scheumann is professor and coordinator of Biblical and Religious Studies as well as Dean of Students at Sattler College. He specializes in linguistics, Greek and Hebrew exegesis, and Biblical theology and has recently published a Hebrew Picture reader with his wife Merissa. He also serves as an elder at Tremont Temple Baptist Church where he preaches regularly.
• Elizabeth Vendley is a Case Advocate at LightHouse Women & Children’sCenter in Reading, PA. She has decades of experience in the field of disabilities and group home management, but in recent years has served women and children experiencing homelessness. She pursued education later in life, completing a Masters in Social Work at the age of 62.
• Br. Paul Fesefeldt is a Capuchin Franciscan friar. He founded and directs Capuchin Mobile Ministries—a van outreach ministry that focuses on providing spiritual care along with food and hot drinks to those without homes in the Boston area. Before joining the Capuchin Franciscans in 2013, he spent a decade as a Catholic Worker resident volunteer in NYC.
• Hannah Schundler is the New England Regional Representative at HOPE International, which is an organization that provides biblically based training, saving service, and loans to those in the world’s underserved communities. She has a significant amount of experience serving in student discipleship and formation in Christian universities and colleges, both locally and internationally.
• Jake Esh is CFO of Benevia Software, which has worked extensively in empowering businesses and organizations in the developing world. He is experienced in software development, financial advising, organizational growth, and leadership formation and has applied these skills within a go-giver model of Christian professional service in his work in IT and development in Central Asia.