By the grace of the prayers and care of His Grace Bishop Daniel, the bishop and head of the Monastery of Saint Shenouda the Archimandrite, located west of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, the monks of the monastery organized a spiritual day for the teenagers from the churches of the Sydney Diocese on Saturday, April 26. The event was themed “The Hope That Is in You.”

His Grace Bishop Daniel presided over the Divine Liturgy, which was attended by the monastery’s monks and several priests accompanying over 350 teenagers from Sunday Schools in the high school stage, along with their responsible servants. The bishop welcomed the attendees and encouraged the young members of the church, at this crucial stage in their lives, to benefit from the day’s activities and reflect on the living hope they carry as Christians, as well as how this hope manifests in their daily lives. He also expressed gratitude to the priests and servants accompanying the youth.

The day was filled with joy, happiness, and connection among the church’s youth through interactive workshops organized by the monastery’s monks. These workshops emphasized the importance of evangelism to help teenagers understand that sharing Christ is not merely a duty, but a natural response to their experience with Jesus Christ. They discussed the reasons they are true Christians, drawing from their personal experiences with God and their confidence in speaking about Christ through evangelism and faith. Additionally, the teenagers had the opportunity to meet and interact with the priests and monks during the Agape meals prepared by the monastery’s servants.