Peter Ong

Peter is an Associate Director of PaLM and is developing a Laity project to equip and serve Asian American leadership through fellowship, training and mentoring. One of the primary goals of the ministry is to develop strategies for networking and development of Asian American lay leaders through an annual conference and ongoing academy. Peter served for six years as the Director of Chinese Christian Herald Crusades' Herald Youth Center. He attended New York University and worked in the Asian American non-profit sector for five years before being called to full-time youth ministry. While attending Redeemer Presbyterian, Peter served on the Board of Directors for Hope for New York, a mercy and justice ministry. He has also served as an advisor to the Teen Eastern Chinese Bible Conference; Jesus Generation, whose mission is to see a generation sold out for Jesus; volunteer staff at NYU Intervarsity Asian American Christian Fellowship; youth pastoral committee for The Call NYC and also one of the first forming committees for the Coalition of Urban Youth Workers. In 2005 he served as a liaison to the Billy Graham Crusades of Greater New York, working with community churches to reach local youth. Peter currently lives in Syracuse, New York with his wife Jamie and adopted turtle (insert name here). He regularly preaches at churches, youth conferences and to himself in front of a mirror.

In addition to working in ministry, Peter has published reviews on graphic novels, and comics. His loves: Jesus, Youth (especially chubby ones), being married, Hymns, Dim Sum, mac's, ice cream, sushi, music, books and of course Halo 2. His dislikes: vegetarian hot dogs, cheese, soy milk (he gets bloated), romantic comedies (that seems redundant to me), and sweaty noses. He writes on his blog at www.peterong.blogspot.com and his xanga at peterdarock (his screename for aim and yahoo).

Jeff White
Jeff White is the organizing pastor of New Song Community Church, a multi-ethnic church based community development effort in Harlem which was begun in 1998. A graduate of Westminster Theological Seminary, Jeff was ordained at Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia where he worked primarily with college students. He served as an associate pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan from 1990 - 1998, where his primary responsibility was the oversight of the community formation of the church through fellowship groups. Jeff and his wife, Rebecca, have been married for 21 years and have three children, Kirsten(16), Corina (14) and Andrew (11). Prior to entering the ministry Jeff worked as a physical therapist.

Laurence Tom
Raised in the Brooklyn side of town, LT ventured out to Rutgers University in the land of New Jersey where he studied graphic design, urban planning/public policy. He got involved there with the InterVarsity Chinese Christian Fellowship in a heyday where God moved powerfully in students’ lives. After working a couple of years in a nice cushy corporate job, he broke the news to his parents that he wanted to leave it all to serve as a youth minister intern at the Rutgers Community Christian Church and marry a tall white girl.

Like a young Jedi Padawan, he then began his theological training at Biblical Theological Seminary pursuing a Master of Divinity degree and soon, even, got married to that tall white girl who happens to be an All-American volleyball player. For over a decade strong, LT has gotten his hands dirty in youth ministry, short-term missions here and overseas, and sharing the privilege to help establish a premier evangelical college in Jersey. He will always seek to reach new generations with the story of God and strengthen the church.

Life continues to be an adventure. She cooks. He cleans. She likes the national geographic channel. He reads like an addict anything from comic books to deep theological treatises. The two together continue to disciple, teach and speak to young people from place to place. Laurence and Lauren are proud parents to their son, Jayden Nathaniel.

Redd Sevilla
Redd and Aya Sevilla head the youth program at Hope Chapel in Astoria, Queens and serve on the church's leadership council. They love discipling youth toward Godly service. They desire to see teenagers on fire and sold out for God and His purposes. If they had one message to teens today it would be "Go get 'em!" Who "'em" is, who knows. Just get 'em.

Ben Koo
Ben was born and raised in the quiet suburbs of Northern Virginia. After college he spent seven years working as an engineer for the government. During his time with the government he moonlighted in various contexts as a youth pastor, church planter, worship leader, pastoral intern, served in the inner city, college ministry, and also finished up his Master of Divinity from Biblical Seminary. He then spent a year with Youth with a Mission (YWAM) in Kona , Hawaii. In the past 3 years he's been on 9 short-term missions trips and has been involved in worship ministry for the past 14 years. He is single and currently serves as the associate pastor of worship and missions at Grace Life Church, a multi-ethnic church located in Baltimore, MD.

Erin Manahan
Erin Manahan is a recent graduate of the Alliance Graduate School of Counseling at Nyack College where she received her Master of Arts in Counseling. During her education she interned at a hospital in New Jersey where she counseled people dealing with physical-related illnesses. Later, Erin interned at Nyack College in the Counseling Center. Erin dealt with issues such as self-mutilation, addictions, perfectionism, self-hatred and anger. She also was part of a panel discussion on Pornography Addiction. Erin sees counseling as her calling because she desires to create a loving atmosphere where people can be themselves and be reassured that God loves them even in their brokenness and confusion.

Erin attends Christ Church in Montclair, New Jersey, a multi-ethnic church where she has worked with the youth comprised of 500 teenagers. During her time with the teens she led bi-weekly small groups. Erin has also taught lessons on "Defending your Faith" and presented for the Rites of Passage program, which is a program geared for teenagers to be learn and be encouraged as they mature physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Currently, Erin is looking for work in the counseling field and placing her life in the Lord's hands. Erin would like to pursue her doctorate in order to continue counseling, teach and write.

Noelle Dong
A native New Yorker, Noelle is a member of Long Island Abundant Life Church in Hicksville, NY where she served as coordinator of the youth ministry for six years. Graduating from Cornell University with a BS in Communications, she accepted Christ into her life during college and soon became active with Cornell Chinese Bible Study as an inreach ministry coordinator. Currently, Noelle is the Director of Communications for the "I Have a Dream"® Foundation, a national nonprofit organization that helps youth from low-income communities stay in school and go on to higher education. Noelle has a heart for youth and education and is privileged and humbled to see the fruit that God alone has produced through changed lives of the youth she has worked with. Noelle is also public relations coordinator for Running Roots, a New York City-based nonprofit that seeks to cultivate Christian community and support evangelistic outreach ministries. She enjoys writing, reading, gabbing with friends, experiencing new things, spending time with her family, and the Yankees.

Dr. Marcia Lucas
Dr. Marcia Lucas is a psychologist who specializes in urban youth issues for the 21st Century church. She also counsels parents, families, couples and singles from a psycho-spiritual perspective. Dr. Lucas has a vast amount of expertise in working within multicultural and diverse population. She is currently an Assistant Professor at Nyack College for the Alliance Graduate School of Counseling. Dr. Lucas is also the staff psychologist at the Greater Allen Cathedral of NY. She has participated in numerous youth conferences during her career as well as being a highly sought after speaker for singles, women's issues and the urban family. Dr. Lucas has a heart for missions and is currently collaborating with World Vision - NY. Dr. Lucas' one desire is to help the entire body of Christ to be restored in every broken place that requires Jehovah Rapha to bring about healing.

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