Faith Forum

Digital Health & Wellness

The Digital Wellness Lab is on a mission to understand and promote positive and healthy digital media experiences for young people, from birth through young adulthood. Dr. Rich has a unique combination of experience and expertise in medicine and media. As “the Mediatrician,” Dr. Rich recently released The Mediatrician’s Guide: A Joyful Approach to Raising Healthy, Smart, Kind Kids in a Screen-Saturated World, a science-backed approach to give parents the confidence they need to raise a child well (and to raise a well child) in the digital age.Read more about Dr. Rich here: https://digitalwellnesslab.org/team/michael-rich/

Hurricane Helene Relief Update

The Reverend John Roberts, Rector of Church of the Transfiguration in Bat Cave, North Carolina, will give an update regarding the ongoing disaster relief, recovery, and rebuilding following Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina. Learn what is still needed and how we can help.

The Power of Generosity

At its heart, generosity is not just about giving—it’s about living in grateful response to all that God has given us. Members of the Christ Church Vestry lead a conversation about generosity as a spiritual practice: a way of aligning our lives with God’s abundance and sustaining the life of the Church we love. Especially in challenging times, generosity becomes an act of perseverance—a way of holding fast to hope, community, and God’s call to love.

Listening for the Heartbeat of God

A leading voice in the revival of Celtic spirituality, Newell invites us to listen for the sacred rhythm that pulses at the heart of all things. In a world marked by fragmentation and fatigue, his teaching calls us to a deeper harmony—one that sustains the soul and strengthens our capacity to persevere in love.

Perseverance & Parenting in the School-Aged Years

The Sacred Work of Growing Up

Michelle Icard is nationally recognized author, speaker, and educator. With over 20 years of experience working with middle schoolers, parents, and teachers, Michelle brings deep insight and practical wisdom on how to navigate the complex world of adolescence with grace, humor, and clarity. In this Faith Forum conversation, we explore themes from her books, including Middle School Makeover (2014), Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen (2021), and 8 Setbacks That Can Make a Child a Success (2023), with guidance on how faith, connection, and conversation can shape the spiritual and emotional wellbeing of our families.

Lent for Overachievers

What does Lent ask of us and how might it shape our hearts and lives? Lent is a season of reflection, repentance, and renewal—a time to prepare our hearts for the joy of Easter by drawing closer to God through prayer, fasting, and acts of love. The Reverend Dr. Russell Levenson is the recently retired Rector of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston—the largest Episcopal parish in the country. A gifted preacher and pastor, Russ is the author of Preparing Room: A Lenten Journey and will offer insights into how we can walk more deeply in the way of Jesus this season. Don’t miss this opportunity to reflect, prepare, and embrace the journey of Lent with one of the Church’s most thoughtful voices.

The Second Fifty

Americans are now living decades longer than previous generations. These added years offer exciting possibilities but also raise crucial questions. How long will I live? Will I be healthy? Will I lose my memory? How long will I work? Will I have enough money? Where will I live? How will I die? The Reverend Chip Edens talks with Debra Whitman, a globally recognized expert on aging, about her groundbreaking book, The Second Fifty: Answers to the 7 Big Questions of Midlife and Beyond.Whitman is an economist and expert on aging issues with an extensive background in policymaking and research. As Chief Public Policy Officer for AARP, Debra leads global policy and research to help communities, lawmakers, and the private sector improve our lives as we age. Previously, as staff director for the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, Debra worked across the aisle to increase retirement security, lower health care costs, protect vulnerable seniors, make the pharmaceutical industry more transparent, and improve our long-term care system. As she approached her 50th birthday, Whitman wanted to delve deeper into why so many Americans struggled to live well as they aged. And she began to wonder what was in store for her own second fifty. Suddenly, the questions she’d been studying for years became personal. In her groundbreaking book, Whitman provides a roadmap for navigating, and celebrating, the second half of life.

The Role of Religion and Spirituality in Wellbeing

Tyler J. VanderWeele, PhD, is a professor at Harvard University specializing in the study of wellbeing and its determinants. His research focuses on how factors like spirituality, social relationships, and a sense of purpose influence health and wellbeing. He often explores how faith and community engagement can be vital to an individual’s holistic health, providing a scientific perspective on spirituality.

Faith Forum: Finding Christ in the Storm – A Conversation on Faith, Loss & Hope

Life brings storms—some expected, others that shake us to our core. In this deeply moving conversation, we will hear the candid story of Jane and Mike Harrell. Jane, a physician dedicated to caring for patients, and her husband, Mike, a commercial real estate developer, will share their journey through faith, marriage, parenting, and profound loss. Their beloved daughter, Jane, died of brain cancer—a reality that reshaped their lives and deepened their reliance on Christ.This class is for anyone who has faced or is facing a storm—whether in grief, uncertainty, or struggle—seeking the peace only Christ can give. Join us as we listen, learn, and find hope in the midst of life’s hardest moments.