The Great Outdoors

This breakout will help leaders plan, prepare, and execute great outdoor events for their local Adventurer clubs. You will leave with a better knowledge of camping, hiking, health days, outreach programs, and more.

The Living Word

The focus of this breakout is to introduce clubs to the NAD Pathfinder Bible Experience program. In this session you will learn how to start, plan, execute, and participate in the various levels of PBE.

Essentials for Supporting Non-Traditional Family Systems in Church

In this breakout you will gain helpful insights into the uniquenesses of non-traditional family systems. You will be equipped to communicate with, minister to, and support these families in your role as a children’s ministry leader.

Outreach & Service for High Schoolers

This breakout will help you gain ideas that will empower your high school youth to get engaged and serve in your community and beyond.

Cradle Crew: Nurturing Families of Kids Ages 0-2

Unlock the secrets to tailoring your church environment to support young families in Sabbath School and beyond. Join us as we unveil Growing Together’s new Beginner’s class for 2025!

II

Bible Fun for Adventurers

The NAD has launched a new and fun Bible game for Adventurer clubs. This breakout will introduce this exciting program that every club and county can participate in.

NAD New Pilot Program

In a culture that is always developing, we have to be able to create relevant spaces for our Pathfinders to grow in their faith. This session will introduce a new NAD Pathfinder curriculum that will be piloted across our division. Come and see if this is something your club wants to participate in!

Discipleship Through Nonprofits: A Children's Ministry Perspective

Learn how creating an outreach program that is both for and run by kids can help foster children’s discipleship in a fun way. We’ll focus on empowering them, nurturing their young minds, and helping them grow into dedicated disciples and strong leaders rooted in their Christian beliefs.

Caring for your Youth Group with Intentionality

Our young people are the heartbeats of our churches and we must be intentional as we lead them. In this breakout, we will discuss making your youth group into a welcoming space, inspiring creativity among the youth, teaching them to take ownership of their church, and more.

Growing Together: 2025 Relaunch

Get ready for an enhanced SECC Sabbath School curriculum relaunch, packed with more resources, activities, and opportunities for families to grow in Jesus than ever before. Join us for an exclusive preview of the changes on the horizon and discover how churches and families can partner for spiritual growth in 2025.

III

Connection over Curriculum

This breakout will focus on how to better connect with your staff, parents, and most of all your Adventurers. Learn practical ways on building stronger relationships with your club.

Know the Master

This breakout will cover the SECC Master Guide Training Program and update leaders on new resources provided by the division. It will also give details on how to start a Master Guide Training in your local church, who to contact for county area training, and SECC protocols for Master Guide investitures.

Cultivating a Lifelong Mission Perspective in our Children and Families

Fostering a missional lifestyle in young families with children involves authentically integrating spiritual practices into everyday life. Through leading by example, families can align their actions with the mission of Jesus and cultivate a sense of purpose to something greater. Yes, you are a missionary! Let’s go!

Love Through Listening: Hearing our Young Adults

Many young adults are leaving the church. Rather than simply asking why, let’s ask another question: How can we listen better? Come hear the voices and stories of SDA young adults, as we talk about how your church can better care for young adults too.

Beyond the Pew: Reaching Young Adults

Discover how to address the unique challenges and opportunities of young adult ministry today, and learn how to cultivate an environment that fosters young adults’ spiritual growth.

IV

Adventurers 101

If you are new to club ministries or you just need a refresher course, this breakout session will give you the tools you need. Learn the basics of starting, managing, and leading an Adventurer Club. From registration, curriculum, finances, induction, investiture, and more.

The Heart Behind the Drill and March

In this session leaders will not only learn how to give commands but will also get a better understanding about the heart and purpose of drill and marching.

Hope is NOT a Plan

Every ministry wants to provide a safe ministry space for kids and families–but hoping nothing bad ever happens isn’t quite enough! Join us to discover how to proactively evaluate your ministry programs and spaces so that you and your team can be prepared to prevent and respond to true emergencies.

Faith in Action 101

For this breakout, we’ll explore ways to make any church member feel engaged and excited, ultimately leading them into volunteering in a way that feels like a natural expression of love for God and others.

Everyone Welcome: Special Needs Adaptations for Sabbath School

Every child deserves to receive support in their spiritual journey. Explore communication techniques, sensory-friendly activities, and personalized approaches to accommodate diverse learning styles and foster an inclusive Sabbath School experience for all children.

V

The New School

This breakout will share new, interactive, and engaging ways to connect with your Pathfinders and Adventurers. You will be informed about different teaching methods that complement the various ways our young people learn.

Master Class: Cricut Maker

Learn how to master Cricut Design Space and incorporate what you make into your ministry! Lots of tips and tricks will be shared as well as all my favorite materials and tools so you can leave ready to create your next favorite project.

The Power of Presence

In this breakout, we’ll focus on building safe, trusting, and authentic relationships with our youth through unapologetic accessibility.

Forward Together: Leading Through Change

Introducing any kind of change in church is a daunting task for any leader. Learn how to communicate change effectively, address resistance, and empower your team to embrace innovation and growth.

Presenters

Professionals in their fields, this year’s line up of convention speakers will provide insightful instruction on how to lead in youth ministry.

Sara Amezcua

Pathfinder Coordinator, South San Diego

Pastor Manny Vitug

Senior Pastor, Loma Linda Filipino Church

Pastor Benjamin Amoah

Youth Pastor, La Sierra University Church

Pastor Linda Biswas

Children's Pastor, Azure Hills Church

Pastor Laffit Cortes

Senior Pastor, Escondido SDA Church

Andre Dos Santos

Business Manager, Growing Together

Don Gamundoy

Master Guide Program Secretary, SECC

Pastor Keren Graves

Children & Family Pastor and Pastoral Curriculum Content Developer, Growing Together

Pastor Lindsey Haffner

Youth Pastor, Redlands Church

Patty & Mario Hernandez

Pathfinder Coordinators, San Bernardino County

Pastor Isaac Kim

Associate Youth Director, SECC

Dr. Curt Knight

Adventurer Director, Redlands Church

Pastor Somer Knight

Children's Pastor, Redlands Church

Grace Lee-Ko

Children's Ministry Leader, Loma Linda Korean Church

Bonifacio Lesiasel

Adventurer Coordinator, Riverside County

Kelly Lin Dickinson

Intern Pastor, Loma Linda University Church

Caiti Lopez

Speech-Language Pathologist, SBD School District

Inmer & Erita Marroquin

Adventurer Coordinators, Orange County

Mercy Martinez

Adventurer Coordinator, Riverside County

Alvin Mawuntu

Ministry Coordinator, Loma Linda University Church

Pastor Samantha Peralta

Directing Pastor, Growing Together

Frances Racobs

Master Guide Coordinator, SECC

Henry Rajagukguk

Adventurer Coordinator, San Bernardino

Pastor Aren Rennacker

Youth Director, SECC

Pastor Mark Ricalde

Youth Pastor, Crosswalk Church

Pastor Steven Sigamani

Youth Pastor, Paradise Valley SDA Church

Pastor Meshach Soli

Associate Youth Director, SECC

Victor & Ada Solis

Pathfinder Coordinators, Desert Area

Ghesi Stojanov

Children's Ministry Director, Yorba Linda Church

Kelsey Thomas

Adventurer Coordinator, San Diego County

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Isaac Kim

Associate Youth Director

Pastor Isaac Kim grew up in Atlanta, Georgia but has lived in SoCal and worked in SECC at Calimesa SDA for 20 years. He attended Atlanta Adventist Academy where his chaplain/bible teacher made a huge impact in his life where he discovered he wanted to do the same. While at the Calimesa church, Isaac served in various capacities including Children and Family Ministries for 12 years. He likes to work collaboratively with ministry teams, cheerleading ministry leaders, and creating space for people to share life together. Isaac and his two boys enjoy sports, both playing and watching. They are Falcons, Warriors, and Braves fans. Isaac strives to be the best dad that he can be by modeling the love of Jesus and believes that the message of the Gospel shows up in different ways along our journey. The most recent time the gospel was real to him was during his wife’s health journey.

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Judi Jeffreys

Office Manager

Judi Jeffreys has been a part of the SECC Youth Ministries for 20+ years serving as the office manager and working alongside the team to keep youth ministries thriving in SECC. Judi uses her positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage others and is inspired daily by those with whom she serves.The gospel message became real to her as a young adult when she accepted the Adventist message and truly grasped the love of God. Judi’s motto is, "Change brings growth, growth brings growing pains, and growing pains brings change." Originally born in Colorado, Judi was raised a Southern California girl and loves all types of foods, but her taste buds fancy Asian foods, especially Thai and Indonesian. Judi married her high school sweetheart, Greg, and is proud of their adult children, Leigh, Mark, and Megan. When not working, Judi can be found riding a motorcycle, scuba diving, relaxing with yoga, taking long walks, or just spending time with her family.

Aren Rennacker

Youth Director

Aren Rennacker was born and raised in Sacramento, CA. He became an Adventist as a teenager thanks to the incredible influence of his church and academy. After graduating from Pacific Union College with a degree in Journalism, he served as a youth and young adult pastor at two wonderful SECC churches, Calimesa and Oceanside, while completing his Masters of Theological Studies from La Sierra University. In 2019, Aren became Director of Youth Ministries for the SECC, a position he cherishes. Aren loves connecting with pastors, speaking to young people, and serving the youth ministries leaders of our conference. His greatest passion is to empower youth and young adults to live the Gospel in new and relevant ways. Aside from ministry, Aren also enjoys basketball, stories, and a fresh bowl of oatmeal. He and his lovely wife Paige were married in 2020.