The Rev. Deacon Shojil Abraham is the Assistant Deacon to Metropolitan Zachariah Mar Nicholovos and General Secretary of Youth Ministry in the Northeast American Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. Deacon Abraham was born and raised in Long Island, New York. He completed his undergraduate studies in Accounting at SUNY College in Old Westbury, New York, and his MBA in Finance at Stony Brook University, New York. Afterward, he enrolled in the Master of Divinity program at St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, South Canaan, PA, an Orthodox Christian Seminary under the Orthodox Church in America and graduated in May 2021. Deacon Abraham was ordained a deacon on March 20th, 2021, by Metropolitan Zachariah Mar Nicholovos. Post seminary, he underwent training in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at NYU Langone Health, NY and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, NY, where he completed a yearlong Chaplaincy Residency in January 2023. While at the V.A., he provided counseling along with spiritual and emotional support to patients undergoing substance abuse rehab who were struggling with alcohol, drug addictions, and various mental health illnesses. Deacon Abraham also works as the Supply Chain & Admin Coordinator for NYU Langone Health in Manhattan.
O Faithless Generation? Understanding the Religiosity of Gen Z and the Polars
Hosted by Dr. Daniel N. Gullotta (Ph.D., Religious Studies, Stanford University)
Parents of Generation Z and Gen Alpha (also known as the Polars) are increasingly less likely to encourage regular participation in formal worship services or model traditional religious behaviors, a significant shift from previous generations. As these conventional practices decline, many young people are seeking out new forms of spiritual expression and engaging with quasi-religious movements. This presentation explores the origins and development of these emerging trends, investigating how they fulfill contemporary spiritual needs and what their growth means for established religious communities. Through a careful analysis of current data and trends, we aim to provide a nuanced understanding of these transformations and offer valuable insights on how to effectively engage with the younger generation in this evolving cultural context. This session presents a unique opportunity to gain an informed academic perspective on the future of religious identity and practice.
Preparing Youth for Confirmation
Hosted by The Rev. Alex Banfield Hicks, MA (Oxon), M.Std., P.G.C.E., M.Div.
What is the meaning of confirmation today? How can we involve the parish in youth preparation? What are the essential topics to consider? How might we use the catechism and prayer book?
The Rev. Alex Banfield Hicks brings nearly a decade of directing an Anglican youth confirmation program, with news insights and reflections from Trinity Anglican Seminary’s faculty.
Parish Ministry to University Students
Hosted by Fr. Jason Leonard, Tracie Ryall, and Josh Hudsom
Explore strategies for ministering to college students in your parish, ministry to parents of college students, and building fruitful partnerships with campus ministries. This discussion will be led by Fr. Jason Leonard (21y as a campus minister), Tracie Ryall (10y), & Josh Hudson (8y).
How to Establish a Prayer Station
Hosted by Fr. William De Arteaga
The prayer station is a ministry of intercession and healing prayer where trained prayer intercessors set aside place at a pedestrian busy location and invite the public to receive prayer. Most prayer stations have a large sign with the words, “Prayer Station – free prayer” painted on it.
The original prayer station was developed by my wife Carolyn, myself, and the OSL intercessors at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Dunwoody in the late 1980. We usually had a team of four to six members. One team of two or three would stand near the sign and one intercessor would invite the passers by to receive prayer, as in, ”Sir, Would you like prayer today for healing or any other intention?” The other team would be at a bench as reserve, and praying for people to respond to the invitation. A surprising number of persons said yes and received effective prayer for healing and other intentions, sometimes leading to an acceptance of Jesus as Lord and savior.
Many Anglican parishes already have trained intercessors, who often minister prayer to the parishioners at the end of Holy Communion, or other times. The prayer station utilizes their training and experience in a public place where it becomes an evangelistic outreach.
This ministry reaches Christians from Churches that have weak or non-existent healing ministries, and perhaps even more important the “Nones” who never go to church. The Nones generally still have a belief in God and prayer, and will often respond to the prayer invitation. It opens the door to evangelization and to invite the supplicant to attend church.
This ministry has been adopted by YWAM, a church group in the UK, and multiple independent churches. I first published an article on the prayer station in Acts 29 back in 1987. This was expanded into a small book on the topic which described the original OSL prayer station and various varieties of it that have developed. The book is entitled The Public Prayer Station (Emeth Press, 2018)
You can download the Kindle edition of The Public Prayer Station inexpensively from Amazon
Making Church a Place of Flourishing for Special Needs Kids and their Families
Hosted by Deacon Amy Atchison
Delete Yr Account: Technological Counter-Discipleship for Youth (and Adults) in the 21st Century
Hosted by Fr Jarrod Hill of the Anglican Church of the Redeemer in Chattanooga and Fr. Zack Clemmons of Christ the King Anglican Church
The technologies which shape our daily lives are not neutral. By their very form, they form us, even at the level of our hearts. Our technological habits and practices matter deeply for the cultivation or destruction of Christian virtue and Christian community. The gospel of Jesus Christ challenges and sometimes rebukes the cultural forms it confronts. We’re convinced it has something vital to say against our default technological habits.
This workshop will offer principles for evaluating any artifact of technology as it relates to the Lordship of Christ, as well as approachable language for speaking with youth about technology, some first practical steps toward teaching a Youth Group about technology & Christian discipleship, and some words of advice and encouragement for Christian households as they set, model, and enforce family practices of technology.
Practical Youth Ministry
Hosted by Canon Jessica Greiner, Canon for Youth and Family Ministries
Join us for a conversation on practical youth ministry focused on equipping leaders with effective strategies and tools for engaging and reaching young people. We will explore topics such as building authentic relationships, adding distinctively Anglican ministry components and creative ways to structure programming. We will also frame our conversation around asking good questions. This information will be useful for all church youth group sizes, small to large and anywhere in between!
On Friday, November 8th from 1:30pm to 2:45pm, we invite you to our Lay Ministry Roundtable hosted by Sheryl Shaw with New Wineskins Missionary Network.
Role Call: Coming Together to Send the Next Generation to the Least Reached.
Each generation brings gifts to the table that uniquely equip them for carrying out the Great Commission. Come and learn more about Gen Z’s gifts and how we can work together, providing both an incubator and a launching pad, as they create new paths to those without access to the Gospel.
The Rev. Deacon Shojil Abraham is the Assistant Deacon to Metropolitan Zachariah Mar Nicholovos and General Secretary of Youth Ministry in the Northeast American Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. Deacon Abraham was born and raised in Long Island, New York. He completed his undergraduate studies in Accounting at SUNY College in Old Westbury, New York, and his MBA in Finance at Stony Brook University, New York. Afterward, he enrolled in the Master of Divinity program at St. Tikhon’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, South Canaan, PA, an Orthodox Christian Seminary under the Orthodox Church in America and graduated in May 2021. Deacon Abraham was ordained a deacon on March 20th, 2021, by Metropolitan Zachariah Mar Nicholovos. Post seminary, he underwent training in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) at NYU Langone Health, NY and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, NY, where he completed a yearlong Chaplaincy Residency in January 2023. While at the V.A., he provided counseling along with spiritual and emotional support to patients undergoing substance abuse rehab who were struggling with alcohol, drug addictions, and various mental health illnesses. Deacon Abraham also works as the Supply Chain & Admin Coordinator for NYU Langone Health in Manhattan.
O Faithless Generation? Understanding the Religiosity of Gen Z and the Polars
Hosted by Dr. Daniel N. Gullotta (Ph.D., Religious Studies, Stanford University)
Parents of Generation Z and Gen Alpha (also known as the Polars) are increasingly less likely to encourage regular participation in formal worship services or model traditional religious behaviors, a significant shift from previous generations. As these conventional practices decline, many young people are seeking out new forms of spiritual expression and engaging with quasi-religious movements. This presentation explores the origins and development of these emerging trends, investigating how they fulfill contemporary spiritual needs and what their growth means for established religious communities. Through a careful analysis of current data and trends, we aim to provide a nuanced understanding of these transformations and offer valuable insights on how to effectively engage with the younger generation in this evolving cultural context. This session presents a unique opportunity to gain an informed academic perspective on the future of religious identity and practice.
Preparing Youth for Confirmation
Hosted by The Rev. Alex Banfield Hicks, MA (Oxon), M.Std., P.G.C.E., M.Div.
What is the meaning of confirmation today? How can we involve the parish in youth preparation? What are the essential topics to consider? How might we use the catechism and prayer book?
The Rev. Alex Banfield Hicks brings nearly a decade of directing an Anglican youth confirmation program, with news insights and reflections from Trinity Anglican Seminary’s faculty.
Parish Ministry to University Students
Hosted by Fr. Jason Leonard, Tracie Ryall, and Josh Hudson
Explore strategies for ministering to college students in your parish, ministry to parents of college students, and building fruitful partnerships with campus ministries. This discussion will be led by Fr. Jason Leonard (21y as a campus minister), Tracie Ryall (10y), & Josh Hudson (8y).
How to Establish a Prayer Station
Hosted by Fr. William De Arteaga
The prayer station is a ministry of intercession and healing prayer where trained prayer intercessors set aside place at a pedestrian busy location and invite the public to receive prayer. Most prayer stations have a large sign with the words, “Prayer Station – free prayer” painted on it.
The original prayer station was developed by my wife Carolyn, myself, and the OSL intercessors at St. Patrick’s Episcopal Church in Dunwoody in the late 1980. We usually had a team of four to six members. One team of two or three would stand near the sign and one intercessor would invite the passers by to receive prayer, as in, ”Sir, Would you like prayer today for healing or any other intention?” The other team would be at a bench as reserve, and praying for people to respond to the invitation. A surprising number of persons said yes and received effective prayer for healing and other intentions, sometimes leading to an acceptance of Jesus as Lord and savior.
Many Anglican parishes already have trained intercessors, who often minister prayer to the parishioners at the end of Holy Communion, or other times. The prayer station utilizes their training and experience in a public place where it becomes an evangelistic outreach.
This ministry reaches Christians from Churches that have weak or non-existent healing ministries, and perhaps even more important the “Nones” who never go to church. The Nones generally still have a belief in God and prayer, and will often respond to the prayer invitation. It opens the door to evangelization and to invite the supplicant to attend church.
This ministry has been adopted by YWAM, a church group in the UK, and multiple independent churches. I first published an article on the prayer station in Acts 29 back in 1987. This was expanded into a small book on the topic which described the original OSL prayer station and various varieties of it that have developed. The book is entitled The Public Prayer Station (Emeth Press, 2018)
You can download the Kindle edition of The Public Prayer Station inexpensively from Amazon
Making Church a Place of Flourishing for Special Needs Kids and their Families
Hosted by Deacon Amy Atchison
Delete Yr Account: Technological Counter-Discipleship for Youth (and Adults) in the 21st Century
Hosted by Fr Jarrod Hill of the Anglican Church of the Redeemer in Chattanooga and Fr. Zack Clemmons of Christ the King Anglican Church
The technologies which shape our daily lives are not neutral. By their very form, they form us, even at the level of our hearts. Our technological habits and practices matter deeply for the cultivation or destruction of Christian virtue and Christian community. The gospel of Jesus Christ challenges and sometimes rebukes the cultural forms it confronts. We’re convinced it has something vital to say against our default technological habits.
This workshop will offer principles for evaluating any artifact of technology as it relates to the Lordship of Christ, as well as approachable language for speaking with youth about technology, some first practical steps toward teaching a Youth Group about technology & Christian discipleship, and some words of advice and encouragement for Christian households as they set, model, and enforce family practices of technology.
Practical Youth Ministry
Hosted by Canon Jessica Greiner, Canon for Youth and Family Ministries
Join us for a conversation on practical youth ministry focused on equipping leaders with effective strategies and tools for engaging and reaching young people. We will explore topics such as building authentic relationships, adding distinctively Anglican ministry components and creative ways to structure programming. We will also frame our conversation around asking good questions. This information will be useful for all church youth group sizes, small to large and anywhere in between!
On Friday, November 8th from 1:30pm to 2:45pm, we invite you to our Lay Ministry Roundtable hosted by Sheryl Shaw with New Wineskins Missionary Network.
Role Call: Coming Together to Send the Next Generation to the Least Reached.
Each generation brings gifts to the table that uniquely equip them for carrying out the Great Commission. Come and learn more about Gen Z’s gifts and how we can work together, providing both an incubator and a launching pad, as they create new paths to those without access to the Gospel.