Judson University’s 2025 Community Prayer Breakfast and Volunteer Awards 

(ELGIN,IL – April 17, 2025)—Judson University will hold its annual Community Prayer Breakfast on Friday, May 16 from 7:30-9:00 a.m. on Judson University’s Elgin campus (1151 N State St, Elgin). The event is held in partnership with the Love Family Christian Foundation, which is also based in Elgin. Distinguished Nurse, Professor, and Author, Dr. Elizabeth Johnston Taylor will be this year’s keynote speaker. 

Elizabeth Johnston Taylor, PhD, RN, FAAN, Professor, Loma Linda University School of Nursing, Loma Linda, California, USA, has pursued a program of research exploring the intersection of spirituality, religiosity, health, and nursing for over 30 years. Her clinical experiences as an oncology nurse created for her a deep interest in these topics and led her to pursue a PhD (University of Pennsylvania, 1992), a post-doctoral fellowship (UCLA, 1993-95), Clinical Pastoral Education, and training in spiritual direction. Her life experiences include a stint as a Research Director at Mary Potter Hospice, in Wellington, New Zealand. 

The desire to help nurses understand and support patient spiritual health during health-related transitions has motivated Beth to write extensively and lecture globally. Her over 160 publications include 5 books, 80 peer-reviewed reports of research, and 55 book chapters. For the past 5 years, she has authored the “Spiritual Care FAQs” column in the Journal of Christian Nursing. The books Beth is most pleased to have penned are: Spiritual Care: Nursing Theory, Research, and Practice (Prentice Hall, 2002), What Do I Say? Talking with Patients about Spirituality (Templeton Press, 2007), and Religion: A Clinical Guide for Nurses (Springer, 2012). Beth is also grateful for research funding received from various federal government and private foundation sources. 

She has been happily married to her high school sweetheart, Lyndon, for 35 years. They have two daughters and a grandson who is now a gorgeous toddler. To gain balance in life, Beth enjoys baking and gardening—tending 15 fruit trees, various fruiting vines and bushes, and veggie beds. 

During the Prayer Breakfast, Judson University is pleased to recognize one service leader from the community and one high-school student for their contributions to greater Elgin philanthropic organizations, church communities, and municipalities. The youth award recipient will also receive an annual $3,000 scholarship to attend Judson University for their volunteer service. 

The 2025 D. Ray Wilson Volunteer Service Award recipient is Trustee Emeritus and alumnus of Judson University, AUDREY REED. Audrey has spent close to half a century, positively impacting the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual needs of others through her service in Elgin and the greater Fox Valley community. Throughout her professional journey, Audrey worked in several roles to bring hope and support for countless individuals, particularly the Hispanic community. Her impactful roles include assisting the Director of Children’s Ministry at First Baptist Church of Elgin, serving as a District U-46 Family Welcome Center Coordinator, and working as a Children’s Home & Aid Society Case Manager with the Department of Children and Family Services. In each of these capacities, Audrey tirelessly advocated for families, ensuring they received the support they needed to thrive.  Audrey also dedicated herself to her work with Administer Justice, where she served as the Director of Tax Programs. In her time as the Executive Director of Centro de Informacion, she opened doors for the community by inviting the Mexican Consulate to Elgin, providing immigration services to hundreds of people and empowering them to secure jobs and navigate the path to residency. Audrey’s passion for service continued to manifest itself through her volunteer work where she faithfully served on the Board of Directors for multiple organizations including, Judson University, Sherman Hospital, Boy Scouts of America, The Life Center, Two Pennies Ministries, and Sherman West Court. Audrey also shared her voice through newspaper columns in the Courier News, El Conquistador, Reflejos, and the Daily Herald, Hispanic Helping Hispanics. Her commitment to spiritual well-being shined through her involvement with the Chaplaincy Program at Sherman Hospital, offering comfort to those in need. Through her dedication to the Kane County State’s Attorney’s Second Chance Program, Audrey met with program volunteers and leaders and helped shape positive outcomes for those who have faced legal challenges. Her heart for service is further exemplified in her work with the Women’s Ministry and Two Pennies Ministry at First Baptist Church of Elgin, where she passionately sponsors a child and helps the Two Pennies Orphanage in Ghana. Her family’s efforts have helped launch transformative projects there, including a school, medical clinic, library, and Cassava Mill.  In the spirit of D. Ray Wilson, a man of deep faith who lived the gospel of God’s love, Audrey Reed has lived and continues to live a life of loving service.

The 2025 Bea Wilson Youth Volunteer Award Recipient is DYLLAN KOLINEN of Bartlett, IL. Dyllan is a senior at Westminster Christian School in Elgin. For the past four years, Dyllan has volunteered faithfully. He has served as a photographer for numerous school events and led the photography club during his junior year. He has devoted countless hours to the theatre department both backstage and designing playbills. His steadfast service has been a blessing to Westminster and the community at large as families have been blessed by his talented photography and design. Through his church, Village Church of Bartlett, he went on a mission trip to an Indian Reservation in Crandon, Wisconsin, where he helped run a vacation bible school (VBS), as well as build cabins and maintain them. He regularly serves on the production team and leads a small group during his church’s annual summer VBS program. Dyllan is a member of National Honor Society, and he was recognized as the National Grand Champion at the SPOA National Student Photography Competition in 2023. Table sponsorships and tickets are now available. General admission tickets are $30. Table sponsorships are $500 for businesses and non-profits and $300 for Church Table sponsorships with each receiving a table of eight guests. This community event offers networking opportunities for community leaders and supporters of Christian higher education. Tickets and table sponsorships can be purchased online at https://www.judsonu.edu/prayerbreakfast. 

Judson University is a fully accredited, private Christian institution representing the Church at work in higher education. Nestled along the beautiful Fox River in Elgin, Ill., just 40 miles northwest of Chicago, Judson is home to more than 1,200 students from 37 states and 20 countries. Judson offers degrees in more than 65 different majors and minors for traditional, graduate and adult students and ranks consistently among the Best Regional Universities in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report. Judson has also been recognized as a “Christian College of Distinction.” With an academically challenging environment and encouraging spiritual community, Judson shapes lives that shape the world.