Rooted in Christ Workshop: An Orthodox Seminar for Young Men | Spring

Equip young men with an Orthodox understanding of moral life. Teach practical application of virtues in everyday challenges. Develop spiritual discipline through prayer, scripture, and reflection.Foster brotherhood and accountability among participants.

A 12-week seminar designed to equip young men with a deep understanding of Orthodox Christian morality and virtue. Through Scripture, the lives of the saints, engaging discussions, and practical exercises, participants will explore what it means to be a man of God in today’s world.

This course challenges young men to embrace their identity as living icons of Christ, cultivating virtues such as courage, purity, humility, integrity, and perseverance. Each session provides a framework for moral decision-making, drawing from the wisdom of the Church Fathers, the power of the Sacraments, and fasting and prayer.

Participants will engage with thought-provoking readings, guided reflections, group discussions, and multimedia resources—including film clips and interactive activities. The seminar culminates in a final project where each student will reflect on their personal growth and develop a plan for lifelong spiritual formation.

By the end of the course, young men will be strengthened in their faith, equipped to face life’s moral challenges with wisdom and courage, and committed to living a Christ-centered life in an ever-changing world.

• Computer: You will need a stable, reliable computer, running with a processor with a speed of 1 GHz or better on one of the following operating systems: Mac OS X with Mac OS 10.7 or later; Windows 8, 7, Vista (with SP1 or later), or XP (with SP3 or later). We do not recommend using an iPad or other tablet for joining classes. An inexpensive laptop or netbook would be much better solutions, as they enable you to plug an Ethernet cable directly into your computer. Please note that Chromebooks are allowed but not preferred, as they do not support certain features of the Zoom video conference software such as breakout sessions and annotation, which may be used by our teachers for class activities.
• High-Speed Internet Connection: You will also need access to high-speed Internet, preferably accessible via Ethernet cable right into your computer. Using Wi-Fi may work, but will not guarantee you the optimal use of your bandwidth. The faster your Internet, the better. We recommend using a connection with a download/upload speed of 5/1 Mbps or better. You can test your Internet connection here.
• Webcam: You may use an external webcam or one that is built in to the computer. Webcam Recommendations: Good (PC only) | Best (Mac and PC)
• Headset: We recommend using a headset rather than a built-in microphone and speakers. Using a headset reduces the level of background noise heard by the entire class. Headset Recommendations: USB | 3.5mm
• Zoom: We use a web conferencing software called Zoom for our classes, which enables students and teachers to gather from around the globe face to face in real time. Zoom is free to download and easy to use. To download Zoom:
  1. Visit zoom.us/download.
  2. Click to download the first option listed, Zoom Client for Meetings.
  3. Open and run the installer on your computer.
  4. In August, students will be provided with instructions and a link for joining their particular class.
• Scanner: In this class, students frequently submit homework assignments by scanning pages from their workbooks. Students and/or their parents should have easy access to a scanner and the ability to use it.