Young Adult Faith & Flourishing Conference
October 16–17, 2026
Hosted by Princeton Seminary and Sponsored by Polaris Leadership Network
Date & Time
- Friday, Oct 16, 2026 - Saturday, Oct 17, 2026
- All Day
Young Adult Faith & Flourishing Conference
What does it mean for young adults to flourish as faithful Christians today? The inaugural Polaris Young Adult Faith and Flourishing Conference will explore the dynamic relationship between Christian faith and the flourishing of young adults — spiritually, emotionally, socially, and physically.
The two-day conference, sponsored by Princeton Theological Seminary’s Polaris Young Adult Leadership Network, will bring together leading experts and emerging scholars at the intersection of theology, health, and human flourishing to discuss faith’s vital role in promoting holistic well-being for young adults.
Keynote Speakers
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Sherry Turkle
Sherry Turkle is the Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society at MIT, and the founding director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self. She is a specialist in how technology changes us psychologically and socially. Her new book which be released in September 2026 is on our relationships with chatbots —Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines. It captures the seductive, beguiling nature of our new faux companions, tracing their effects throughout a human life—from childhood to parenthood, from work to love and more. She warns that these machines are quietly reshaping us – teaching us to avoid risk, sidestep difficult conversations, deny grief, and relinquish skills that make us human: empathy, resilience, the ability to navigate uncertainty.
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Laurie Santos
Laurie Santos
Laurie is the Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon Professor of Psychology at Yale University. In addition to her work on the evolutionary origins of human cognition, Laurie is an expert on the science of happiness and the ways in which our minds lie to us about what makes us happy. Her Yale course, Psychology and the Good Life, teaches students how the science of psychology can provide important hints about how to make wiser choices and live a life that’s happier and more fulfilling.
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Jonathan Lee Walton
Jonathan Lee Walton
Jonathan Lee Walton is the eighth president of Princeton Theological Seminary, where he also serves as professor of religion and society. A noted social ethicist, scholar of religion and culture, and public intellectual, Walton’s work explores the intersections of faith, media, politics, and public life. Before returning to Princeton Seminary in 2023, he served as Presidential Chair in Religion & Society and Dean of the School of Divinity at Wake Forest University. Previously, he was the Plummer Professor of Christian Morals and Pusey Minister in the Memorial Church at Harvard University and Professor of Religion & Society at Harvard Divinity School. Walton is the author of the critically acclaimed books Watch This!: The Ethics and Aesthetics of Black Televangelism (NYU Press) and A Lens of Love: Reading the Bible in Its World for Our World (Westminster John Knox Press). His scholarship and commentary have appeared in numerous academic journals, edited volumes, and public forums, including The New York Times, CNN, Time, and PBS
Emerging Scholars
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Fedora Castelino – Ministry
Fedora Castelino – Ministry
Fedora Castelino is a three-time published author, young adult minister, and speaker. She holds a BA in biological sciences with a concentration in neurobiology from North Carolina State University and is a master’s nursing student at Duke University. She is the author of Holy Grounds, a Catholic book that encourages young adults to live out their faith in everyday life and has reached more than 50,000 readers nationwide. Her work focuses on helping young adults navigate questions of faith, purpose, and belonging in an increasingly complex world.
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Alena M. Crawley – Ministry
Alena M. Crawley – Ministry
Alena M. Crawley, EdD, is a relationship educator, scholar, and speaker whose work explores the intersections of faith, culture, marriage, and family systems. She is the co-founder of Your Marriage Works, LLC alongside her husband, Desmond J. Crawley, where they provide relationship coaching and premarital education – helping couples maximize their relationships and learn to love well. Her work engages young adults ages 22 to 32 by helping them build healthy relational foundations, navigate faith and cultural expectations, and approach love, marriage, and purpose with greater clarity and intention.
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Ray’Chel Wilson – Finance
Ray’Chel Wilson – Finance
Ray’Chel Wilson is a Certified Financial Therapist and financial trauma researcher based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She co‑founded ForOurLastNames, a fintech platform that turns financial trauma into financial traction for first-generation wealth builders. As one of the first researchers to focus explicitly on financial trauma and spiritual financial caregiving, she has pursued this work across theological contexts, including studying at Duke Divinity School and Phillips Theological Seminary. Her current research explores how trauma‑aware digital “micro‑liturgies” can help young adults with money decisions and a renewed mindset towards stewardship.
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Caleb Hill – Non-profit
Caleb Hill – Non-profit
Caleb Hill is the director of Integrated Health at Burke, the Local Mental Health Authority for eastern Texas, and is a doctoral student in School and Health Services Psychology at Stephen F. Austin State University. His research examines the conditions that form human beings toward flourishing, with particular attention to structurally disadvantaged, rural, and young adult communities. He holds an MS in computational social science and an MPA in public administration. He writes at the intersection of theology, psychology, and place in Nacogdoches, Texas.
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Shivpriya Sridhar – Education
Shivpriya Sridhar – Education
Shivpriya Sridhar is a JD candidate at Rutgers Law School whose passions include public interest law, prison education, and public theology. She teaches undergraduate religion courses through Rutgers NJ–STEP and Raritan Valley College’s in-prison program. She has also served as an educator, researcher, chaplain intern, and legal advocate in carceral settings. Through teaching, ministry, and volunteer service over the past decade, she has explored how transformative pedagogy can foster vocational discernment, and flourishing during young adulthood.
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Jillian Langford – Ministry
Jillian Langford – Ministry
Jillian Langford serves as minister for children and families at The Riverside Church. She earned her Master of Theological Studies from Villanova University in 2020 and her PhD in theological pedagogy in 2025. Her doctoral work includes a 16-week curriculum designed to help young people imagine new ways of thinking about God, and to grow in healthy, holistic ways. At the heart of Jillian’s ministry is a passion for youth liberation, and creating spaces where children and young people are empowered as full participants in spiritual and communal life.
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Riley Jones IV – Civic Engagement
Riley Jones IV – Civic Engagement
Riley Jones IV, EdD, JD, is a Chicago native and board member of the National Convocation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). A 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 social entrepreneur, he has held fellowships at Union and Wesley Theological Seminaries and the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Foundation. As director of cultural partnerships at the University of Pennsylvania’s Netter Center for Community Partnerships, he leads The People’s 250, using community-rooted storytelling to help young people become active stewards of democracy. This fall, he will begin as assistant professor of interdisciplinary leadership at Governors State University.
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Madison (Madi) Lommen – Government
Madison (Madi) Lommen – Government
Madison (Madi) Lommen is a neighbor, entrepreneur, and global citizen. She holds a MS in foreign service from Georgetown University, and a BA in literature from Yale-NUS College. She is an alumna of The School for Ethics and Global Leadership, and is a former fellow with Wellbeing and Equity in the World. At age 15, Madi founded a social enterprise to support refugee youth, and the experience has since inspired her to build a career in public service. She currently works in the office of Amy Klobuchar in the United States Senate.
2026 Conference Schedule
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Friday October 16, 2026
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4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Registration | Wright Library, Lobby
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5:00 – 5:15 p.m.
Welcome, Opening Remarks, and Prayer | Wright Library, Theron Room
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5:15 – 6:15 P.M.
Keynote Speaker | Wright Library, Theron Room
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6:30 – 7:30 P.M.
Dinner | Mackay Main Lounge
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7:30 – 8:30 P.M.
Emerging Scholar Idea Talks | Wright Library, Theron Room
- Riley Jones: “Bedrock of Democracy: Working for Civic Revival”
- Jillian Langford: “Practicing Wonder and Holy Attention”
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Saturday October 17, 2026
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8:00 – 8:45 A.M.
Breakfast | Mackay Main Lounge
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9:00 – 9:15 A.M.
Opening Remarks and Prayer | Wright Library, Theron Room
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9:15 – 10:15 A.M.
Keynote Speaker: Laurie Santos, PhD | Wright Library, Theron Room
Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon Professor of Psychology and Head of Silliman College, Yale University -
10:15 – 10:30 A.M.
Break
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10:30 A.M. – 12:00 PM
Emerging Scholar Idea Talks | Wright Library, Theron Room
- Fedora Castelino:“Finding Freedom in Human Limits”
- Madison Lommen:“Faith Beyond Strategy: Discerning God’s Direction”
- Alena Crawley:“Strengthening Relationships Through Faith and Culture”
- Ray’Chel Wilson:“Healing Financial Trauma & Cultivating Financial Caregiving”
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12:15 – 1:15 P.M.
Lunch | Mackay Main Lounge
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1:30 – 2:30 P.M.
Emerging Scholar Idea Talks | Wright Library, Theron Room
- Shivpriya Sridhar:“Searching for Vocation Beyond Career Choice”
- Caleb Hill:“Growing Roots: Against the Geography of Elsewhere”
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2:30 – 3:30 P.M.
Keynote Speaker: Jonathan Lee Walton, PhD President, Princeton Theological Seminary | Wright Library, Theron Room
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3:30 – 4:00 P.M.
Closing Remarks and Prayer | Wright Library, Theron Room
Polaris Highlights
Who Should Attend
This conference is designed for:
- Interdisciplinary scholars
- Ministry practitioners
- Young adult leaders
- Community partners
- Educators
- Faith leaders
- Organizations working with young adults
Accommodation Recommendations
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Erdman Center
Erdman Center
Princeton Theological Seminary’s Erdman Center is an ideal space for conferences, retreats and meetings. Located on the campus of Princeton Theological Seminary and in easy walking distance to downtown Princeton, this facility offers meeting space, hospitality services, and overnight accommodations.
20 Library Place
Princeton, NJ 08540
Phone: 609-497-7990
Group ID Code: 138086
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Hyatt Place Princeton
Hyatt Place Princeton
With free Wi-Fi and a prime location near Princeton University, CURE Insurance Arena, Quaker Bridge Mall, Princeton Junction train station and both Newark Liberty and Philadelphia International airports, you can easily explore and relax as much as you want.
3565 Us Hwy 1
Princeton, NJ, 08540
Phone: 609-720-0200
Registration & Pricing
Virtual Registration: $69
Full Registration: $249
Friday Day Rate: $99
Saturday Day Rate: $189
Student Rate: $99
Join Us in Princeton
The Young Adult Faith & Flourishing Conference will bring scholars, practitioners, leaders, and community partners together for a national conversation about young adult faith, health, and flourishing.