At Central, we're partnering with families to help their students embrace their faith in Christ. Middle and high schoolers gather together as they grow in their understanding of God's love for them, connect with one another and the broader church, and serve our communities and the world with the Gospel.
Taylor is the Pastor of Student Ministries at Central. He and his family have been at the church since coming on staff in the fall of 2020. He has a deep passion for seeing Middle and High School students embrace their faith in Jesus Christ and grow into the church and world leaders of the near future. He is constantly amazed by the creativity, energy and passion the younger generation brings to the church. He has a deep belief that students have much to offer the church in the here and now and loves giving them the opportunity to exercise the gifts God has given them to help shape the Student Ministry.
Taylor and Emily have been married since June 2006 and have five kids (Molly, Leah, Ben, Megan, and Katie) and one Dog (Ollie). They have both called the St. Louis area their home for most of their lives. Taylor also loves running, reading and deep theological and philosophical conversations over a coffee or a beer. Taylor holds a BA in Philosophy from Oklahoma Baptist University and a MDiv from Covenant Theological Seminary. He has been in ministry in some form or fashion since 2003.
Matt Woodson is the Assistant Director of Student Ministries. He has been at the church since coming on staff in July 2017. He has a deep love and desire to see students’ lives transformed by the love and grace of Jesus Christ. He is consistently overjoyed to see students embrace their faith and grow in the community of the church. Sometimes that growth includes dodgeball tournaments, but other times it includes deep discussions about the most important questions about life. He seeks to shepherd students in all the good and hard times of life, and wants students to know that they are known and cared for by Jesus.
He and Sarah have been married since March 2024. They have two cats that bring both joy and chaos into their lives. Matt is a St. Louis native that has lived in just about every area of the metro area, and Sarah has loved being part of the St. Louis area since her middle school years. Matt loves anything and everything nerdy, from reading to computers. He also loves learning about all sort of different peoples and cultures and hopes to travel as much as the world as he can. Matt holds a B.A in International Relations from Webster University and an M.Div. from Covenant Theological Seminary. He has been doing ministry since 2012 and looks forward to more years of seeing people’s lives transformed by Christ.
Ariana is the Student Central Coordinator and has been here since August 2017. She works with 6-12th graders. She primarily focuses on relational building through weekly programming. She is also responsible for planning special events and summer trips. Her favorite part of this role is being with the students, whether that be on a Wednesday night or serving in Honduras. Witnessing students realize how the Lord is not only working in the world, but also in their own lives and heart brings her immense joy.
She grew up in California and is the oldest of 4 siblings. Although she is many things to many people, her favorite title is Aunt! She loves spending time with family and friends and finding fun things to do around STL. She graduated from The Master’s University in Santa Clarita, CA with her B.A. Since then, she has worked lots with children, both in education and ministry. After being in multiple settings, she has found youth ministry to be the best fit.