Another Artist and Speaker Announcement
Tuesday, May 10, 2022
??"Adding Micah Tyler and Dr. Micah Parker to the lineup is awesome! We’ve wanted to have Micah Tyler at the festival for the last couple of years. So, having him in Saturday’s lineup just made RiseFest 2022 even better! Friday is going to be packed with the addition of a powerful speaker like Dr. Micah Parker. You don’t want to miss any of it!" -Founder and President Rob Roozeboom
Micah Tyler
It’s hard to imagine how many times Micah Tyler spent his days wondering ‘what’s next,’ while driving a sausage delivery truck across southeast Texas. Surely he was questioning his own discernment to quit his youth pastor gig, sell half of what he owned to move his family into a single-wide trailer, and start traveling the region performing songs he’d written.
Not an easy move for a guy in his late 20s living in somewhat-reclusive Buna, Texas with a wife, three kids, and no strong connection to the music industry at the time. “I just knew I had to be obedient and step out into music full time,” Micah recalls. “I told the Lord, ‘I don’t know how to be a professional musician, but you’ve taught me to be faithful.’ It was a daily decision to wake up every morning and stop worrying about tomorrow.”
Fast-forward down that long road and the same guy behind the delivery truck wheel now has a record deal on the same label as MercyMe, Newsboys, & Skillet as well as multiple Dove Award & KLOVE Award nominations, two BMI Top 25 Christian Songs, an appearance in a major motion picture movie, and five #1 songs.
A big part of Micah’s journey has included traveling 200 days per year, ranging from performances at youth and college aged camps to conferences to touring with other artists. His impact and understanding of his younger audiences was immortalized on a viral parody video titled “Millennials,” which has over 65 million cumulative views on YouTube and Facebook. He has toured with big name artists such as MercyMe, David Crowder, Jeremy Camp, Phil Wickham, and Big Daddy Weave.
Hundreds of nights on the road have certainly honed Micah’s purpose for ministry through a growing list of self-penned tunes borne from a place that’s as real as the person he’s trying to be. “These songs are battle-tested,” says Micah. “I want to live the music I’m writing. There are some songs I can’t write because I haven’t lived there yet. When someone comes up to me after a concert and tells me how my songs affected them, I want to make sure they know I can relate.”
Different seems appropriate for Micah since life looks a lot different than it did ten years ago. But the passion and drive of that original step he took to serve the Lord remains very much the same and we hope that never changes.
Dr. Micah Parker
Dr. Micah Parker grew up in Papua New Guinea where his parents were missionaries. His faith in Christ grew as he watched his father build Christian schools and witness to people who had never heard the Gospel. Even at an early age, Micah felt a calling to tell others about Jesus. Upon returning to the US, Micah graduated from Concordia University in Nebraska with a degree in Secondary Education. He earned a Masters in Sport Pedagogy and a Ph.D. in Educational leadership from the University of Nebraska Lincoln. Micah has spent 32 years in higher education with stints as a successful NCAA Division One basketball coach and Athletic Director. He currently serves as the Vice President for Athletics at Northwestern College in Orange City Iowa. He is husband to Amy and father to Emma, Jonah, and Gracie Joy.
In 1998, he founded TrustGuy Ministries. He has become a sought after speaker, leading over 450 events to crowds as large as 30,000 in 30 states and Canada. For the past 24 years, he has led large youth gatherings, teacher and administrator conferences, church services, and school assemblies. His main testimony is centered on the theme of TRUST. An unexpected tragedy in his mid-twenties led him to question his faith in God’s plan for his life. The presentations were born out of the challenge of trusting God regardless of life’s circumstances. Dr. Parker is an example of how God can use an ordinary man to get through extraordinary circumstances. He uses humor and Biblical truth to motivate his audiences towards a relationship of TRUST with their Savior and a greater understanding of walking THROUGH life’s valleys. It’s not uncommon for people to laugh and cry during his presentations. You will not look at the word TRUST the same again.