The X2J Crew

Brian Ford; Founder & Feature Writer - I’ve been in youth ministry for over 12 years as a youth pastor, writer and speaker. I’m also a Deep & Wide Youth Ministry Advocate and a member of theLife in Student Ministry Mentor Team. I’m also actively involved in THE Cause. I am currently serving with Agape Christian Church in Terre Haute, IN as the Student Ministries Pastor.

My passion is to communicate the Word of God in a relevant way so as to equip teenagers to live their life fully committed to Jesus. I believe teens want and need to be exposed to biblical theology so as to deepen their faith as well as equip them to share their faith.

“Everyone is a theologian of sorts. Theology simply means thinking about God and expressing those thoughts in some way. But sloppy theology is a problem. As Christians, our thoughts about God need to coincide with what He’s said about Himself in the Bible.” – Charles Ryrie

After living a life of rebellion, running from the truth, and roaming the streets of Newark, NJ. I put my faith in Christ as a result of one man taking the time to share the “clear” message of the Gospel. Since that moment my hearts desire has been to grow closer each day in my relationship with Jesus Christ and serve God in youth ministry. Sharing the Gospel with teenagers across America and equipping them to know, live, share and own their faith.

Contact Me: info@xposed2jesus.com // Twitter: YPBrianFord; Facebook // YouTube // Check out some of the Articles Written by Brian Ford

John Curiale; X2J Partner & Feature Writer - I absolutely love leading teenagers to Jesus and training them to do the same with their friends!  I am currently a youth pastor in New Smyrna Beach, Florida since March 2009.  I am originally from the Chicago area, where deep dish pizza, hot dogs, sub zero temps, and the Cubs are king!  I am married to my beautiful wife Nicole and have 2 amazing sons, Caleb and Eli.  And we are expecting our first daughter in June.

Teenagers don’t have to waste their life like I did before I was saved my freshman year in college at 18.  I lived a life of rebellion and did everything under the sun until God dramatically changed my life through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I am amazed that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us!  I love how God gives us everything we need to live out what He commands.  And my desire and passion now is to equip and mobilize teenagers to share their faith with their friends on their campus.

Contact Me: info@xposed2jesus.com // Facebook // Mission28 // My personal blog

Janel Weyant; X2J Partner/ Feature Writer/ Photographer - Hey guys, I’m Janel Weyant and I love three things: Jesus, photography, and writing!I’m always busy with something. God’s creation inspires me to capture His wonders in new and unique ways and share them with others. I do this mainly through my photography. God gives me a vision for a photograph and I try to capture it with my camera. My desire is for students to be exposed to Jesus, live out their faith, and share it with others. I love kids, no matter what age. Sometime I want to go on a mission trip to Ethiopia, I feel like that is where God is calling me. And thanks to Brian I’m now hooked on fried Oreo’s.

Favorite Quote: “When life knocks you down to your knees just remember that you are in the perfect position to pray.”

Contact Me: janel@xposed2jesus.com // Youtube // X2J Photo Gallery

Jaret Alvis; X2J Partner/ Writer - If you are reading this, than you are probably on here reading some great articles and getting some good info.  Now you are wondering who is this weird bald guy and what is he doing with all these cool hip people.  Well I am Jaret aka the bald eagle or many other names I have been called.  I have a love and a passion for teens!  Teens, I think are the key and some of the most loving and understanding people on this earth.  After many failures as a teen and growing up with a dysfunctional family where my grandmother raised me, I had an interesting view of life and the people in my life.  I was angry, self-absorbed, and user of people.  That all changed when I had an encounter with my personal savior Jesus!  He literally saved me from myself, he gave me a purpose in life and I want so badly to help teens have that encounter with the living God.  In my life I have messed up pretty bad, but you know every time I have, Jesus has shown me His grace.  I find that in teens many of them have this gift of Grace and when Christ reveals that, it opens a whole new world.

I have been in youth ministry for 6 years both as a volunteer and as a full time youth pastor.  I am married to my best friend Jody and combined we have 4 amazing kids.  Ranging from 11, 10, 9, and 7 so let’s just say we have a full house and then some.  I am currently doing classes through the Moody Bible Institute and overall just loving life.  I am big on relational ministry which is just a fancy was of saying I hang out with teens and we do crazy fun things together.  My wife and I have an open house policy and wherever we are, we are doing ministry.

Scripture to live by 1Tim4:12 “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

Jody Alvis; X2J Partner/ Writer - Wow, so I need to introduce myself.  My name is Jody and I really don’t like to talk about myself, I am more of a behind the scenes kinda person.  I have worked alongside my husband for the past 4 years in youth ministry.   God has given me a huge love and passion for teens. He has also given me a calling to mentor teen girls. I had the pleasure of leading between 15–20 teen girls in a wonderful bible study called “Designed To Shine” by Christina DiMari.  I have also read her book titled, “Ocean Star”, I highly recommend it so all women, of all ages.

“Don’t focus on the darkness of the disappearing sun.  Look up at the color I can paint with you life.”  Christina DiMari – Ocean Star

I grew up in a Christian home, when I was 15 my parents divorced, I began to run from God and whatever he had for my future.  It wasn’t until about 6 years ago I began feeling God calling me back to him.  If you would have told me back then I would be working in youth ministry I would have laughed. I never saw myself doing this, however, God was calling me and I finally listened!  I love where I am at now!

I am married to my best friend, Jaret, who is also a fulltime youth pastor. Together we have 4 wonderful children and 2 rambunctious dogs.   Our house is very active and at times rather loud but I love every minute of it.  I worked in a school district for 12 years but now I help my husband out in ministry.  I enjoy playing paintball, riding our motorcycle, reading, writing, but most of all I enjoy hanging out with teens (going to their games, competitions, recitals).  In our life we have an open door policy so we have teens in and out of our house all the time (our own children aren’t teens yet).

One of my favorite scriptures: 1 Timothy 4: 11-14 - Command and teach these things. Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.

Talain Rayne; Worship Band – Talain’s music emanates the creativity and passion of someone who’s been writing and playing for much longer than a mere four years. His dynamic personality is reflected in the melodramatic, electronic-infused, pop-rock that is bound together by his characteristic voice. He draws inspiration from varying influences like Sleeping at Last, Coldplay, Sigur Ros, The Rocket Summer, and Shiny Toy … As for the songs themselves, they are influenced by nostalgia and his closest relationships, in a form more reminiscent of a child’s dream than a cookie-cutter song. “A lot of the songs have scenes that don’t quite seem to connect, kind of like a child’s dream,” says Talain. “They’re summed up in memories; each scene and every word is a part of the story, part of this child’s dream—” A dream that tugs on listeners’ hearts, despite being incredibly specific to the writer alone. In songs like “Family Wall” he doesn’t hold back personal family struggles: “So tempted to say/ that all the photographs/ all the times we laughed/ WERE THEY REAL?/ Mommy left ten years ago/ with that burger-face pic on the patio.” Nor does he hold back the hope and love that is so integral to his character. In “Owls” he sings for his friends, “Please get inside cause something’s coming/ no emotion, no lies, and no religion/ it’s real enough/ just something I call love.”

Contact Me: talk2talain@hotmail.com // Twitter , Facebook , MySpace

We Partner/ Endorse:

DJ Promote; After accepting Christ, Dj Promote turned his passion into a vehicle of soul expression. He started mixing notable Christian hip-hop artists of the time by raiding the Family Christian Bookstore music rack. He created websites, did break dancing events and eventually became a fixture in the scene. Traveling across the globe, he has djed for many artists, including scratching on a remix for Shirley Caesar. However, his biggest accomplishment was mixing for a youth culture video produced by the Billy Graham Association called Bridge to Life. “I did both graffiti and djing,” he says. “Here I am, and the only reason I’m here is that this one man went and put in all this work for all these years. I knew that I was part of something that was beyond me. It’s amazing and it relays the gospel. Anything like that is cool.”