Church Relations

Greetings!

As we head into the holidays, I hope you are doing well. If this is your first time receiving my monthly Adventist Young Professionals update, it is a pleasure to connect!

The past few months have been packed and I want to thank you for your ongoing prayers and support. As I share each month, below are three AYP updates for you.

Community Calendar

The AYP Community Calendar continues to serve as a hub for young professionals to discover service projects, social events, Sabbath schools, vespers, and mission trips in their area! Many of your churches actively use this space to engage young adults in their area. Google has even awarded us a grant to help drive web traffic to this resource.

We want this to be a FREE resource that you can use to engage our 7,500 AYPers and to inform them about your conference/union/division events and gatherings that are of interest to them. Please feel free to submit any relevant program at AYP.me/Events/Submit and we’ll happily help to spread the word.

Chapter Feature – AYP Orlando

AYP operates chapters in urban centers across North America. I invite you to hear directly from one of our chapter leaders regarding the blessing he has experienced through AYP!

If we don’t already have a chapter in your conference’s urban center(s), we’d love to collaborate. Please feel free to visit AYP.me/LaunchAChapter or email Gabriel Saldana, Assistant to the President for Programming, for more information.

AYP Blog – Invitation

AYP offers an array of resources for our thousands of subscribers. Our blog serves as a hub of inspiration and information. I am pleased to share that in 2024, we would like to expand our resources by partnering with you!

We are excited to extend an invitation to our conference/union/division leaders to share perspectives and inspiration with our members. Whether this is through a single devotional or a monthly column on topics such as stewardship or evangelism, our goal is to provide young professionals with relevant content that inspires and equips them for mission!

Many of you have told me that you struggle to get young professionals to engage with your current communication channels (ex. union magazine, e-newsletter, etc.). We are here to help! Please feel free to email Xander Roper, Church Relations Manager, for more information about this opportunity!

I hope you find these three updates informative and of interest to your work and ministry. As usual, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. Hope you have a great rest of your week.

Greetings!

I hope this email finds you well. The past few months have been packed and I want to thank you for your ongoing prayers and support. As I share each month, below are three AYP updates for you.

Event Highlight – Minneapolis Fall Retreat

AYP Minneapolis recently hosted their first weekend retreat near Lake Superior in northern Minnesota! The weekend focused on the importance of cultivating rest, and provided AYPers with an intentional opportunity to rest and reconnect with Christ and each other.

Our Minneapolis chapter is currently hosting a weekly book club and will be organizing a personal finance seminar for members of the community next month! This is an example of just one of our many communities across the NAD. Please keep our chapters and groups in your prayers!

Save the Date for Our Spring 2024 Mission Trip

Save the date! AYP will be hosting its next mission trip on May 22 – 27, 2024 in Miami, Florida. This trip will once again be operated by Build and Restore International. Details will be shared in the next couple of months. In the meantime, I invite you to view the recap video from our mission trip to Los Angeles.

Pray For Us As We Prepare for 2024

AYP is impacting the lives of young professionals each and every day. This year, we were blessed to expand our emphasis on mission and engage Adventists and non-Adventists alike!

As we head into the holiday season, we need to raise $25,000 towards the ministry’s operations in 2024 and we are asking our members to consider giving just $10 per month. As a self-supporting ministry, we don’t accept tithe and rely on the generosity of individuals of all ages who believe in our mission. I invite you to please keep us in your prayers – especially in regards to our upcoming fundraising season.

As usual, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. Hope you have a great rest of your week.

Greetings!

I hope this email finds you well. The past few months have been packed and I want to thank you for your ongoing prayers and support. As I share each month, below are three AYP updates for you.

Mission Trip Report
Our first AYP mission trip was an incredible blessing! Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. To see how God worked through the experience, please read a report on the trip and view photographs from our time in the Southern California Conference.

If you are interested in having AYP’s next mission trip in your conference, please send an email to Claudia.Suarez@AYP.me and Xiomara.Perdomo@AYP.me.

2024 Convention Speaker
We are excited to share that David Asscherick will be the keynote speaker for the 2024 AYP Cultivate Convention. Please join us in praying for God to lead all aspects of the upcoming leadership convention.

Our team is currently working to select breakout speakers and a worship team for the event. If you have any recommendations, please email Alberto.Mares@AYP.me. We’d love to hear from you as we finalize invitations over the next few weeks.

Leadership Transition
Cinthya Molina, who serves as an assistant to the president overseeing strategy, will be departing from the AYP team at the end of this month. While we are sad to see her leave, we are thankful for her ministry service over the past year.

We’re also excited to welcome Gerald Bedney as Director of Strategy! Based in Chicago, IL, Gerald works in business development for AdventHealth and currently supports Cinthya and the strategy team. He’ll be taking leadership over our strategic plan and will work with AYP’s 70+ team members toward effective ministry focused on Christ’s mission.

As usual, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions. Hope you have a great rest of your week.

Good Morning Youth Directors,

Over the weekend, Adventist Young Professionals hosted its 3rd annual AYP Convention – welcoming hundreds of young professionals from across North America, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

This global gathering was an impactful blessing, and I want to say thank you to each of you for your prayers, partnership, and trust over these past few years. I wanted to send you a press release about the event hope you will take a moment to read and share how God worked powerfully through this weekend.

For those of you who have not heard, registration for the 2024 AYP Convention is now open at AYP.me/Convention. I hope each of you will be able to join us in Texas, USA for our 2024 AYP Cultivate Convention.

Blessings,

Dear Youth Directors,

I hope your summer is going well. As I do each month, here are a few ministry highlights from the past month. Please feel free to reach out with any questions, feedback, or ideas.

Convention – Final Reminder
The AYP Convention is just two weeks away and I am excited to share that we have as many people signed up this year as the last two years combined. We are so appreciative to each of you for helping to spread the word and for your ongoing prayers and mentorship. Please keep our team in prayers as we make the final preparations, please pray for the presenters and contributors who will be sharing their talents, and please pray for each and every person who will attend. If you know anyone who would like to attend but still has yet to register, I invite you to encourage them to sign up as soon as possible. 

Mission Trip
It’s hard to believe that our first mission trip – Cultivate LA – is now just 7 weeks away! We have just a dozen spots remaining for this impactful weekend in the Southern California Conference. Please watch/share our promo video for more information and encourage your young adults to sign up before the trip fills!

Introducing Gabriel Saldaña
As we embark on our 2023-2025 ministry strategy, I am pleased to introduce you to Gabriel Saldaña who has joined our team as Assistant to the President for Programming. In this new role, he will lead our chapters and groups directors and support me in AYP’s relationships with each of you. I look forward to each of you having the opportunity to meet Gabriel in the coming weeks and months.

Cultivate: Rhythms of Christ
Finally, on August 1, we officially kick off our 2023-2025 theme – Cultivate: Rhythms of Christ. I previously shared an overview of our theme, but wanted to take this opportunity to provide you with an advanced copy of my collections of Presidential Perspectives for the 2023-2024 season which will be released each month on our newsletter and blog and which will guide the other content pieces deployed during the month.

Blessings,

Dear Youth Directors,

As we approach the summer camp season, we want to extend our thoughts and prayers to all of you. We hope that your recruitment efforts have been successful, and that logistics and camp sign-ups are going well. Our team is also praying for divine appointments this summer. Please convey our well wishes and prayers to the rest of your teams.

In this email, I would like to share some important highlights from the past month. I encourage you to reach out with any questions, ideas, or feedback you may have.

We want to express our gratitude to those of you who joined us for our first AYP Youth/YA Directors Round Table. For those who were unable to attend, we have recorded the session for your convenience. If you are interested, you can view the recording by clicking here.

Our aim with this round table is to create meaningful and practical spaces for our leaders to hear your ideas and perspectives, and for you to help shape the direction of AYP’s ministry. As we plan for our next round table, we value your input on how we can make this experience more relevant and meaningful for you. Additionally, please let us know if there is a particular day of the week and time of day that is most convenient for you.

It’s hard to believe that we are just over a month away from the 2023 AYP Convention. We sincerely appreciate each and every one of you for spreading the word about this event with your pastors and young adults. These next six weeks are crucial as we finalize details and encourage young professionals to sign up!

We kindly ask for your prayers for our team and for everyone attending the Thrive Convention. Please ask God to lead those who need to be there to sign up. Furthermore, please inform your pastors and young adults about our efforts to make the convention affordable and accessible to all young professionals.

Consider sharing our convention media kit with your stakeholders so they can gain a better understanding of the impact this convention will have on the lives of their young professionals:

1. Powerpoint Slide
2. Promo Video (45 Seconds)
3. Flier/Bulletin Insert with Event and Speaker Information
4. Information on Discounts, Promo Codes, and Group Rates

Additionally, we invite you to visit our blog and Instagram page to witness firsthand how God is using this ministry and the AYP Convention to impact lives for the Kingdom. If your schedule permits, we encourage you to sign up at AYP.me/Convention and join us in Texas!

We are thrilled to announce that the AYP team is growing. We have introduced a new leadership role – the Assistant to the President for Programming – to strategically coordinate our groups and chapters. We are delighted that Gabriel Saldana will be joining us in this capacity. Furthermore, under the leadership of Stephanie Carlson, we have launched our presence in Denver, Colorado. Stay tuned as this chapter grows, and as we continue to establish additional chapters and groups across the AYP network.

Our team is actively working on solidifying the theme for the 2023-2024 year – Cultivate: Rhythms of Christ. This theme will guide our resource content, programming, and convention. It will consist of 12 sub-themes that will be reflected in blog content, conversation columns, podcast episodes, and convention breakout sessions. We value your input and invite you to view the attached document and share any feedback or ideas you may have.

We hope these updates are relevant and of interest to you. Thank you for your continued support and prayers. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or ideas you may have.

Blessings,

Dear Youth Directors,

Hope you are doing well. As I do each month, below are a few AYP highlights for you:

AYP Advisory:
This is a friendly reminder that our first youth director advisory call is this Monday, May 15 @ 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT. As previously shared, this advisory will provide an opportunity for our youth and young adult stakeholders to share ideas, feedback, and questions that will help shape the future of AYP. Please sign up for the Zoom link.

New Chapters:
I am happy to share that in the next couple weeks, we will announce the launch of AYP chapters in Atlanta, Georgia, Denver, Colorado, and Boston, Massachusetts! If you are interested in launching an AYP chapter in a major city center within your conference, please visit AYP.me/LaunchAChapter and reach out to me so we can begin the process together.

Strategic Plan:
At our Spring 2023 board meetings, AYP’s Board of Directors approved our strategic plan for the next two years (2023-2025). In this next season of ministry, we will focus on continued growth of communities. Additionally, we will expand our emphasis on missions and outreach and will launch new resources to equip young professionals to actively share Christ and to actively integrate into loving Adventist churches. I invite you to read more about our strategic plan’s pillars, goals, and objectives.

Mission Trip Update:
Registration for the AYP 2023 Cultivate Mission Trip in Los Angeles, California, is now over half full. If you have any young adults who might like to participate in this project, please encourage them to register as soon as possible. As a reminder, AYP Convention attendees will receive $50 off their registration costs. If you have any questions, please feel free to email the assistant to the president for mission at Xiomara.Perdomo@AYP.me.

Convention Discount Opportunities:
With just 6 weeks until standard pricing for the 2023 AYP Thrive Convention wraps, I wanted to let you know that we will be running a 48 hour flash sale next week on Monday and Tuesday where anyone who uses the code AYP20 will be able to get $20 off standard priced tickets.

Please feel free to share this with your young adults and pastors so they may be blessed by this powerful discipleship conference. If you have any questions about the convention, please feel free to email our convention director at Jazzmine.Bankston@AYP.me.

As I wrap my monthly update, I invite you to read a recent article from the Southwest Union Record about how God is working through AYP. I also invite you to visit AYP.me/Blog for a collection of testimonies, devotionals, and resources that I hope will be a blessing for you!

As usual, please reach out with any questions or ideas. I hope to see you this Monday, May 15 for our AYP Conference Youth Director Advisory.

Blessings,

Dear Youth Directors,

Hope you are doing well. As I do each month on the 15th, below are three AYP highlights for you:

AYP Advisory:
I’m happy to share that your registration for our first youth director advisory call is now open. Happening on Monday, May 15, 2023 @ 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT, this advisory will provide an opportunity for our youth and young adult stakeholders to share ideas, feedback, and questions that will help shape the future of AYP.

This advisory will initially meet bi-annually and will consist of a brief ministry update followed by a virtual roundtable where AYP leaders will listen to you! Please sign up for the Zoom link.

Mission Trip Registration Now Open:
I’m pleased to share that registration is now open for AYP’s first mission trip at AYP.me/MissionTrip. This 5 day trip will be in California and will focus on restoring a local Adventist Church and providing outreach to the community.

The trip costs just $200 (including meals and lodging) and we are happy to provide a 25% discount to young professionals attending the AYP Convention. We appreciate your support in spreading the word about this upcoming opportunity.

Convention Discount Opportunities:
We are now just over three months away from the 2023 AYP Thrive Convention! Thanks to each of you who have been helping to spread the word. We recognize that budgets are tight – both for conferences and young adults – and are pleased to share several ways we are working to make the convention more accessible.

CONFERENCES: We are happy to share that we will provide a discount code to conferences seeking to promote this event to their stakeholders. This will cost nothing to you as we truly want to provide you with opportunities to offer your young adults. An example of something similar is our partnership with Southern Adventist University which will make the convention more accessible to their alumni – we would be happy to work with you to make the event accessible to your stakeholders. Let me know if you’d like to discuss this opportunity further.

CHURCHES: As previously shared, we are making group rate tickets available (12 tickets for the price of 10). Please let me know if any of your pastors would like this for their churches.

INDIVIDUALS: Finally, for any young adult who still cannot afford their ticket, we have a limited number of scholarships that are being made available on a needs-basis. It’s our goal that money is not a hindrance for anyone.

As I wrap my monthly update, I’m excited to share that our chapters and groups continue to thrive and grow. Currently, we are in the process of preparing the launch of chapters in Boston, Atlanta, and Denver. We look forward to continuing to work with you to launch and grow communities that support your ministry toward young adults and empower them to grow together in Mission.

Blessings,

Dear Youth Directors,

As we approach the start of spring, I hope you are doing well. I know a lot of you are crisscrossing the country recruiting summer camp staff and praying for traveling mercies as well as success in your recruitment. It was a pleasure to see many of you a couple weeks ago at NAD advisories and I look forward to keeping in touch.

As I do each month on the 15th, below are three AYP highlights for you:

AYP Advisory

During my presentation at the NAD, I shared our plans to launch an AYP advisory to provide a space for our youth and young adult stakeholders to share ideas, feedback, and questions that will help shape the future of AYP. This advisory will initially meet bi-annually and will consist of a brief ministry update followed by a virtual roundtable where AYP leaders will listen to you!

Our first advisory will be Monday, May 15, 2023 @ 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT. If you are interested in joining this, please RSVP. While this invitation is only being distributed to youth/YA conference/mission/union/division/GC level leaders, you are welcomed to invite pastors, lay people, or other department leaders from your conference. We simply ask that each person RSVPs so we are able to plan accordingly.

WhatsApp Chat for Young Adult Leaders

In addition to this advisory, I am pleased to share that AYP is launching a WhatsApp chat for Adventist pastors and youth/YA directors to be able to share ideas with each other and with AYP leaders on an ongoing basis. You are invited to join Young Adult SDA Pastors and at your dispersion, share this chat within your conference/mission/union/division.

Strategic Planning Season

Each spring, our President’s Cabinet journeys through a season of planning for the future. Included in this process, is the development of our theme/focus, a series of cross-departmental strategic goals/objectives/benchmarks, and actionable methods to successfully implement the strategic objectives within the context of the theme and organization’s mission overall.

As I shared at NAD advisories, our 2023-2024 theme will be Cultivate and will focus on helping AYPers integrate their work and life journey in Rhythms of Christ. Under the leadership of our Assistant to the President for Mission, Xiomara Perdomo, an AYP Taskforce is developing a series of 12 focus areas within this theme which will guide our resources and events in the year ahead. Simultaneously, our Assistant to the President for Strategy, Cinthya Molina, is leading cross-departmental discussions to develop a plan that puts these mission-focused goals into action.

I hope these updates are helpful to you and look forward to hearing from you with any questions or feedback.

Blessings,

Happy February Youth Directors,

Hope you are doing well. January has been a blessing for AYP and has been met with an array of productive meetings, a number of new team members, and several new partnerships. Our team is also hard at work developing our theme and strategic initiatives for the 2023-2024 year as well as in beginning the planning process for our 2024 convention happening July 19-21, 2024. Below are a few highlights I wanted to bring to your attention. Please reach out with any questions!

New Chapters

This past month, we launched two new chapters in Austin, Texas and Houston, Texas! Both are located in areas with large clusters of young professionals and our leaders are looking forward to making a positive impact in these communities. Visit
AYP.me/chapters
for a full roster of AYP chapters and email

Mechee.Cherine@AYP.me with any chapters-related questions.

Convention Speakers Update

I’m happy to share that we have finalized our roster of breakout speakers for the upcoming AYP convention. The individuals below will join us. Ben Lundquist – sharing perspective and expertise that will equip attendees to thrive for Christ.

• Ann Roda, VP for Mission Integration & Spiritual Care at Adventist HealthCare
• Michael Gibson, Senior Pastor, Keene SDA Church
• Shawn Johnson, Author, Speaker, and Generational Consultant
• April Snyder, Pastor for Discipleship, Keene SDA Church
• Stephen & Felicia Lee, Past Co-Presidents, ASI Young Professionals

Please stay tuned as more information about their breakout session tracks become available, and visit AYP.me/convention for more information. If you have any questions about the convention, please e-mail Mark.Antonio@AYP.me.

AYP Chaplain

AYP has welcomed a number of new team members over the past month and has filled a brand-new chaplaincy position that will focus on providing spiritual care to our team members and leading a team that develops programs and resources for the global AYP community. I’m pleased to share that Pastor Kayla Goodman – an alumna of Southwestern Adventist University who is currently at Andrews University for seminary – has accepted the invitation to serve in this role. Stay tuned as she acclimates into her new role and feel free to reach out to her at Kayla.Goodman@AYP.me.

Please continue to keep AYP in your prayers and please continue to reach out with any ideas or questions. We are here to support and collaborate with you as we work together for Christ!

Blessings,

Hello Youth Directors,

I pray you are doing well during these first few weeks of 2023. In my first monthly update to you, I want you to know that our team continues to keep you in our prayers and looks forward to collaborating in ministry during the year ahead. Below are a few quick updates:

Our Partners
As we embark on a new year, we are thankful to the organizations that make this ministry possible. Included in our family of supporters for 2023 are the Texas Conference of SDA Young Adult Department, ADRA, Kettering Health Network, and Hope Channel International. Many more denominational and supporting organizations equip the ministry of AYP as vendors, sponsors, and advertisers. If your department or conference is interested in partnering financially with AYP, please let me know.

AYP Blog
Each month, on the same day I email you my monthly update, I share a devotional thought with AYPers from across the globe. This, and many additional stories, are included in the AYP Blog. Our blog features inspirational insight and stories for and by Adventist young adults, and I invite you to explore and share these stories!

Mission Trip
AYP is planning its first domestic mission trip in partnership with Build & Restore International. The project will be August 31-September 4 in the Los Angeles, California area and will be filled with a variety of opportunities to positively impact SoCal for Christ. More details will be available soon!

Engaging Our Youth Directors
We continue to be blessed by the conversations our team is able to have with leaders from across the Adventist Church. This month, we are meeting with the youth directors for the Trans-European Division, Chinese Union Mission, and a number of local conferences. Please keep AYP in prayers as we continue to explore opportunities to support the work of the Adventist Church in collaboration with our conferences, missions, unions, and divisions.

Thank you,

Hello Youth Directors,

Wishing you many blessings this holiday season. I wanted to take a moment to provide you my monthly AYP update. Additionally, I want to let you know that we have developed a new resource for Adventist Church youth directors and will be building in additional content over the months ahead. Please check out the page, view the updates below, and let me know if you have any questions or ideas.

Chapter/Group Update/Invitation:
We recently launched a new chapter in Cincinnati, Ohio, as well as two new exciting groups to engage and empower young adults. I invite you to learn more about these and many more groups at AYP.me/groups; please encourage your young adults to consider starting their own AYP group by visiting AYP.me/StartAGroup. Below are overviews of our newest groups!

Adventist Entrepreneurs, led by Vitaly Lim, founder of AdventTech – creator of the Seventh-day Adventist World Church Sabbath School app, is a brand new space for entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs to network, share ideas and more through Christ-centered friendships.

The AYP Prayer Room creates a space for you to join AYPers from across the globe every day in prayer, praise, and community as you surrender each day to Christ and thank Him for His multitudes of blessings in your life.

Conversation Columns & Convention Update:
In January, we will be launching a new monthly resource – Conversation Columns – focused on engaging young adults through meaningful and insightful conversations about topics that are relevant and important to them. Under the editorial leadership of Pastor Jazzmine Bankston, these columns will be centered on our convention theme – Thrive: the Next Level and will help young adults prepare their hearts for our time together in July.

As we approach the end of 2022, I wanted to remind you one final time that there are just 2 weeks remaining for your young adults to reserve their tickets for the early bird rate of $84.99. Furthermore, please continue sharing with your pastors about our 12 for the price of 10 church group rates.

Fundraising Update:
As I conclude, I just want to thank each of you who have donated to Adventist Young Professionals this holiday season. I know you have so many causes to support and I appreciate your support to AYP. Together, we have raised nearly $10,000 for AYP and in the last few weeks are prayerfully aiming to reach our goal of $24,000. To read testimonies about the impact AYP is having on young adults and to learn more about the projects that donations will support in 2023, visit AYP.me/give. Thank you for your continued prayers, advocacy, and support.

Hello Youth Directors,

I hope you are doing well. Is there anything I can be praying for you about? I have been blessed over the past couple months to connect with around 30 of our youth directors across the division and have loved hearing your strategies and plans as we explore how AYP can best support our conferences and churches. Yesterday, I visited Lincoln, Nebraska and was blessed to connect with our Mid America Union leaders!

For those of you whom I have not yet had the opportunity to connect with, please do reach out at your convenience. I’d be happy to find a time to connect and explore how AYP can best support your initiatives! As I share each month, below are three things I wanted to keep you in the loop about!

End of Year Giving Season
Between now and the end of the year, our team is hard at work raising funds to sustain and grow the ministry next year. Thank you to those of you who donate to AYP, your personal contributions are such a huge blessing. As I’ve been asked by some, I want to let you all know that AYP does NOT accept tithe, we strongly encourage all to give to their local church before supporting the ministry of AYP. With this said, if you know anyone who might like to make a gift to AYP, please encourage them to visit AYP.me/give to make a donation of any amount. We truly appreciate all who believe in this cause. Please check out a video that shares how God has blessed us this past year!

Convention Update
I am excited to share that Pastor Ben Lundquist, Oregon Conference Young Adults Director, will be the keynote speaker for the 2023 AYP Thrive Convention. Details are being finalized, so stay tuned as more information becomes available! As a reminder, tickets are discounted to just $84.99 till December 31. Furthermore, our group discount enables your churches to reserve 12 tickets for the price of 10! Please encourage those you think would be interested to click here to reserve their discounted tickets! For international attendees seeking a visa letter, please have them email Jazzmine.Bankston@AYP.me.

AYP Talking Points
Finally, a number of you have requested talking points to help you accurately share AYP with your administrators, pastors, and young adults. I’m happy to share a PDF (attached) that provides an overview of the ministry as well as fun facts/ways to get involved. This is meant as an internal document to help our friends/team members share the ministry and I hope it is helpful to you. I’d ask you to direct members of the public to AYP.me/about for our public overview.

As usual, please feel free to reach out with any questions or suggestions. Also, please continue to utilize our community calendar to share your conference’s and churches’ young adult gatherings with AYPers,

Hello Youth Directors,

Hello Youth Directors,