Depression. Isolation. Chronic pain. Raising a child with a disability. A life changing accident. Death of a significant other. Living with a chronic and progressive medical condition.

Do you or someone you love have these challenging and maybe even darker experiences? Is a life of coping the best life to expect in these circumstances? Can the resources of faith help a person live fully? Can these experiences even provide unexpected gifts along the way?

This fall, Licensed Professional Counselor and Assistant Pastor of Stone Hill Church Andrew Zakhari, will conduct a series of virtual interviews with individuals who are living well through life’s darkest moments. We’ll hear from a eclectic and wise group of authors, teachers, and counselors who have lived through the worst and have insights to share. We’ll even hear from a monk from his monastery. There will be time for questions and answers at the end of each interview.

These 5 interviews will be held every other Monday night from September 13-November 8 from 7:30-8:30 p.m. on Zoom. Registration links for each session are included below.

Living Faith and Depression

Monday, September 13th | Guest: Gillian Marchenko

Gillian is the author of Still Life: Living Fully with Depression. Gillian is also a speaker and pastor’s spouse. She raises children, one of whom has a disability. She will discuss her journey with depression and the challenges of discussing depression in the Christian community.

Register here

Living Faith After a Major Life Accident

Monday, September 27th | Guest: Joseph B. Modica Ph.D

Joseph is the University Chaplain and Associate Professor of New Testament studies at Eastern University outside of Philadelphia. He is the co-editor with Scot McKnight on the books Jesus is Lord, Caesar is Not, Preaching Romans, and The Apostle Paul and the Christian Life. While working on his Ph.D. on the topic of the martyrdom of Stephen, Joe suffered a near fatal car accident that resulted in hospitalization for months. Since then Joe has reflected deeply on the formative role of suffering in the Christian’s life.

Register here

Living faith and Losing a Loved One

Monday, October 11 | Guest: Bryan Maier, Psy.D

Bryan has been in the mental health counseling field for 30 years and teaching counseling at the graduate level for 19 years. He is a licensed professional counselor in Pennsylvania and teaches graduate-level counseling courses at Cairn. Dr. Maier’s mental health counseling experience includes but is not limited to marital issues, addiction, trauma, and pastoral counseling.

Bryan will speak about the topic of grief/loss from his own experience of losing a spouse and from a Christian counseling perspective. He offers insights and resources along the way.

Register here

Living faith and Chronic Pain

Monday, October 25 | Guest: Kristen Wetherell

Kristen is the author of Fight Your Fears: Trusting God’s Character and Promises When You Are Afraid (Bethany House), co-author of the award-winning book Hope When It Hurts: Biblical Reflections to Help You Grasp God’s Purpose in Your Suffering (The Good Book Company), and editor of 12 Faithful Women: Portraits of Steadfast Endurance (The Gospel Coalition). She has contributed to several compilation books and writes regularly for digital publications such as The Gospel Coalition, Revive Our Hearts, and Unlocking the Bible.

Kristen will discuss living with chronic pain and its impact on discipleship.

Register here

Humility: The Key to Faithful Living through Dark Shadows

Monday, November 8 | Guest: Augustine Wetta

Augustine Wetta is a monk of Saint Louis Abbey in Saint Louis, Missouri. He has two degrees in Theology from Oxford University, a BA in Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations from Rice University, and an MA in English from Middlebury College. For twenty years, he has taught English, Classics, and Theology at the Priory School, in Saint Louis, Missouri, where he also coached rugby and served as Director of Chaplaincy. In 2019, he was named a Portsmouth Institute Senior Fellow. He sits on the board of Love One Another Ministries, and The Parent Network of Catholic High Schools. He is an avid surfer, raises carpenter ants, and juggles.

He is the author of Humility Rules: Saint Benedict’s Twelve-Step Guide to Genuine Self-Esteem, a fantasy prison break set in Dante’s Inferno, and Saving Grace, an illustrated children’s book about a three-legged turtle.

Fr. Augustine will share how humility transforms the experience of suffering and cultivates virtue in the Christian life.