Responding to the call of local churches for training and guidance in developing young adult ministry, Young Adult LIFE Tour aims to equip and empower local churches across the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists [NAD].
“In young adult ministry, it is super important that we continue to innovate forward and not just continue doing what we have been doing. We must keep pushing outward beyond our natural limits to connect with young adults in ways that will speak their language and connect in their world.”
Pastor Tracy Wood, DMin, NAD Youth & Young Adult Ministries Director
The Southern Union Young Adult LIFE Tour will be held at the Spring Meadows Seventh-day Adventist Church, 5783 N Ronald Reagan Blvd, Sanford, FL 32773, October 20-21, 2023, with the Friday registration check in beginning at 7:00PM [Eastern]. Free registration at tinyurl.com/YALIFEtour
Schedule:
Friday, October 20
7:00p — Registration Check In – Lobby
7:00p — Young Adult Ministry Resource Fair Open – Lobby
7:30p — Vespers – Sanctuary
9:30p — AfterGlow – Fellowship Hall
Saturday, October 21
9:00a — Munch & Mingle – Fellowship Hall
9:30a — Young Adult LIFE Best Practices – Sanctuary
10:45a — Spring Meadows Worship – Sanctuary
12:50p — Group Photo – Sanctuary
1:00p — Lunch – Fellowship Hall
2:30p — Young Adult Ministry NOW Training – Sanctuary
6:00p — Light Supper – Fellowship Hall
7:00p — Game Night – Fellowship Hall
7:00p — Union Youth/Young Adult Directors Q&A – Multi-purpose Room
Live stream will be available for Friday Vespers, Best Practices, and Sabbath Worship.
Sunday, October 22
9:00a — Union Youth/Young Adult Directors Advisory – Florida Conference Office
Featured Training: Young Adult Ministry NOW
If you feel stuck trying to support young adults in a church that cares but often misunderstands them…
Young Adult Ministry NOW is for you
If you long to connect the passions of young adults with the resources of your church…
If you need new, reliable steps to take as you accompany young adults on their spiritual journeys…
Building on over a dozen years of research working intensively with over 40 congregations, 80 ministry leaders, and 80 young adults, Young Adult Ministry Now unites fresh wisdom on ministry innovation with Fuller Youth Institute’s landmark Growing Young insights to give you a ministry guide you can count on.
Many church leaders, parents, and adult members are eager to discover ways to engage and empower young adults in ministry and create meaningful bonds with local church life. But so often, they are at a loss as to where to start or how to begin building relationships. The Young Adult LIFE Tour intends to bring insights and relevant, doable steps toward building young adult ministry now.
Featured Presenter/Trainer: Pastor Steven Argue, PhD
Steven Argue, PhD (Michigan State University), is Associate Professor of Youth, Family, and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary and the Applied Research Strategist at the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI). He has worked in multiple ministry contexts as a youth pastor, parachurch leader, pastoral team leader at Mars Hill Bible Church (Grand Rapids, MI), and has served on the board for the Association of Youth Ministry Educators. He researches, speaks, consults, and writes regularly on topics surrounding adolescence, emerging adulthood, faith, and spiritual struggle.
He has authored Young Adult Ministry Now (2022, Fuller Youth Institute) and co-authored three other books: Sticky Faith Innovation: How Your Compassion, Creativity, and Courage Can Support Teenagers’ Lasting Faith (2021, Fuller Youth Institute); Growing With: Every Parent’s Guide to Helping Teenagers and Young Adults Thrive in Their Faith, Family, and Future (2019, Baker); and 18 Plus: Parenting Your Emerging Adults (2018, Orange, The reThink Group, Inc.). He is a contributor to The Rowman & Littlefield Handbook of Contemporary Christianity in the United States (Rowman & Littlefield, 2022), Joy: A Guide for Youth Ministry (Wesley’s Foundery Books, 2020), and Adoptive Youth Ministry: Integrating Emerging Generations into the Family of Faith (Baker Academic, 2016).
Steve lives in Southern California, eats vegetarian, and runs marathons. He’s @stevenargue on social media platforms.
Greg and Kim Taylor
Greg & Kim Taylor have a passion for sharing Jesus with young people and inspiring youth and young adults for mission and service.
Pastor Greg and Kim have two amazing children named Matthew and Joshua. Kim and Greg have been a ministry team from the very beginning of their relationship. While in college, they worked at Camp Cedar Falls and then Camp Au Sable. It was at AU Sable, that Greg felt the call to ministry and continued to study Theology and secondary education at Andrews University as Kim finished her education degree for both elementary and secondary schools. Both Kim and Greg taught at Grand Rapids Adventist Academy in Michigan and later accepted the call to Spencerville Adventist Academy in Maryland.
After seven years in the classroom, the couple accepted the call for Greg to be the youth Pastor at the Glendale Seventh-day Adventist Church in Indianapolis.
Greg and Kim soon received a call to Wisconsin to serve as the youth director team. After six amazing years, another call came to serve as youth director for the Kentucky-Tennessee Conference of SDA. Greg currently is serving as the Southern Union Youth and Young Adult Director along with his wife Kim who serves as the Southern Union Youth and Young Adult Coordinator. Along with the adventures of being a youth director, Greg enjoys running, playing basketball, playing guitar and spending time with his beautiful family! Kim can often be found exercising, reading, playing piano or just catching up with friends. Together they are still passionate about sharing Jesus and making disciples for Him.
Lindsay Syeh
Pastor Lindsay M. Syeh (pronounced: Sigh) was born and raised in Miami, Florida.
She’s a graduate of Oakwood University, Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary with a Master in Divinity, and has a Master of Science in Counseling with an emphasis in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Presently, she is pursuing a PhD in Counseling with an emphasis in Marriage, Family and Couples Therapy.
Pastor Syeh has been in the ministry for many years and has traveled the world preaching the everlasting gospel fulfilling the Great Commission.
During her ministry at Southeastern Conference Pastor Syeh has had the privilege of trailblazing in her role as pastor, chaplain, and departmental leader. She has served as an Associate, Senior and Assistant Pastor, as well as an Academy and University Chaplain. She humbly serves as the Director of Young Adults, and Adventist Christian Fellowship at Southeastern Conference.
This summer her call to ministry was affirmed through Ordination/Commissioning as she continues to lean in to grow the kingdom of God through her God-led innovative ministry.
Pastor Syeh is passionate about advocating for marginalized communities and helping her community to embrace the intersections between faith, spirituality, and mental wellness.
Her favorite text is Psalm 51:10 – “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew in me a right spirit.” Her ultimate desire is to be broken daily, so the Holy Spirit can fill her up.
Chandler Tarbox
Pastor Chandler Tarbox is the Young Adult Pastor at the Spring Meadows Seventh-day Adventist Church in Central Florida. He has served in this capacity for the past three years.
Married to Sabrina, they met at Camp Yorktown Bay in Arkansas, where they worked together for five years. He’s from New Mexico, born in Walla Walla, Washington, went to school at Southern Adventist University, started at Southwestern Adventist University; Did a semester of ACA in Spain. Pastor Chandler enjoys water sports, having done a decent amount of wake boarding, but mostly enjoys surfing behind the boat nowadays.
Host: Juan Rodriguez
Pastor Juan Rodriguez is a 4th generation Seventh-day Adventist and was born in the island of Puerto Rico. His great-grandfather was the first Puerto Rican born Seventh-day Adventist pastor in the island. Juan came to Florida when he was 3 years old and graduated from Forest Lake Academy where he met his wife, Odalys, and has been married to her for 29 years. They have 3 sons, a 26-year-old who works for Georgia-Cumberland Conference, a 22-year-old getting his certificate to work with autistic children, and a 13-year-old in 7th grade. Juan has served as an Associate pastor for 3 years, a Senior Pastor for 11 years, an Associate Conference Youth Director for 10 years, and currently serves as the Florida Conference Youth Director. He has a passion to live well, laugh much, and love often. Juan lives each day as if it was his last and is also a diehard Miami Dolphins football fan.
Wanting to be more than an instructional event, the Young Adult LIFE Tour intends to be experiential and interactive, seeking to hold tour stops in local Adventist churches across the division where vibrant young adult ministry is thriving and bringing vitality to the whole congregation. Southern Union will be the final tour stop of 2023, with plans in the new year to be in the Mid-American Union, January 26-27, 2024. Plans are being laid for tour stops in North Pacific Union, Canadian Union, and Lake Union as well.
Growing Together 