The Suprasl Training Institute
and Project Incubator Empowers, Trains and Supports Young Orthodox Leaders to Create Projects that impact the Church and Communities
Realising Dreams
Building Community
- Do you have a project that you have been dreaming to implement but just don't know where to start?
- Do you see a need in your local community and have an idea to address it but lack the resources to do so?
- Do you want to meet with other Orthodox Youth in an atmosphere of creativity and service?
Then Suprasl is for you.
We will give you the tools you need to take your ideas from vision to action.
Our Goals
The Goals of the Suprasl Leadership Institute are:
- Foster cooperation, creativity, unity, and volunteerism among Orthodox young people around the world.
- To provide the mentorship and training youth need to develop the necessary skills to create projects that will make a difference in their local communities and globally.
- To bring together Orthodox youth of different ethnic, national, linguistic and social backgrounds to encounter each other, exchange experiences and ideas.
- To empower participants in their own communities by equipping them with the tools needed to serve.
Our Model
Challenge the Process
Model the Way
Set a good example for others by practicing what you preach and leading by example. This involves being kind and respectful to others, and acting in
accordance with Christian values and beliefs.
"In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility" Titus 2:7
Create positive change by challenging the status quo and looking for new and innovative ways to achieve your goals. Take risks and try new things, even if they may be uncomfortable or difficult. Stay true to your values and mission as a Christian community, and communicate the reasons behind your decisions to others.
"So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down
out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus."
Matthew 14:29:
Inspire a Shared Vision
Share a vision that is meaningful and inspiring, and encourage others to contribute their own ideas and perspectives. This means setting goals and objectives that align with your values and mission as a Christian community, and communicating this vision to others in a positive and motivating way.
"Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent" Acts 18:9
Enable Others to Act
Empower others by creating a culture
of collaboration and teamwork. Go from plan to action by encouraging your team to implement ideas while keeping a friendly environment where everyone feels respected.
"For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ." 1 Corinthians 12:12
By practicing these habits consistently, young Christian leaders can improve their leadership skills and create a positive impact on their community. The leadership challenge emphasizes the importance of ongoing learning and growth as a leader.
Encourage the Heart
Show appreciation for the hard work and dedication of your peers, and acknowledge their accomplishments and successes. This creates a sense of community and belonging that inspires others to be their best selves.
"First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world." Romans 1:8
Course Content
We've designed the Suprasl Training Institute and Project Incubator to teach young leaders how to identify need, and take creative projects from vision to action. Our team will guide paticipants step-by-step through the process of creating projects that make a difference and give practical guidance to implement them.
We welcome you to bring your vision and ideas to Suprasl, but we also invite young leaders
who are looking for a place to develop ideas.
In Suprasl you will learn:
●How to use Design Thinking to identify solutions
● Presentation skills
● How to create an action plan
● How to assess & deploy resources: human, material, financial
● Teamwork /Team building, building consensus, team management, delegating work & conflict resolution
● Project promotion and reporting for maximum multiplier effect (social media, web design, email marketing, video)
● Finances: fund raising, fund management, accountability
● Evaluation techniques
● Project management
The Facility
The Suprasl Youth Leadership Institute is a collaborative effort with the Akademia Supraska (Suprasl Academy) at the Monastery of the Annunciation in Suprasl, Poland. The Academy is a professional conference center with five conference rooms, an auditorium, a restaurant and accommodation for 85 people . The center is equipped with simultaneous translation equipment, WiFi and modern audio/visual equipment. It is within walking distance to sports fields and the Suprasl river which provides opportunities of swimming and kayaking.
Our Team
Gabriela Pipirig
Gabriela is a professional trainer and project manager. She works with EU Institutions in Brussels, Belgium. She is originally from Romania and served for many years in ASCOR, the Romanian Orthodox Student Organisation in Romania
Father Konstantin Dojic
Protodeacon Konstantin is a member of the Serbian Orthodox Church. He is responsible for the management of development projects for the Serbian Orthodox Church in Montenegro and has over 15 years experience working with the United Nations, the European Union and other governmental and non-governmental organisation.
Izabela Senderacka
Izabela is a professor at the Bialystok University of Technology. She holds a PhD in Economics and Philosophy and has done postdoctoral work at Stanford University's Science - Management - Commercialization Programme. Izabela specializes in Design Thinking in the corporate
and non-profit world.
Piotr Mihalczuk
Piotr is the Chief Growth Officer at Lingaro, an IT Services and Consulting Company. Piotr has done postgraduate work at Stanford University and is a graduate of the Berlin School of Economics. Piotr has more than 20 years experience in training leaders in the corporate and NGO world. The son of n priest, Piotr participated and helped lead international pan-Orthodox youth events with the Fellowship of Orthodox Youth in Poland and Syndesmos.
History of the Leadership Institute
The Suprasl Leadership institute has its beginnings in the youth ministry work of Archpriest John Matusiak and the institute itself is a realization of his desire for the establishment of a permanent international training center for Orthodox youth and youth leaders.
In 1991, Fr John organised an Orthodox Summer School in the suburbs of Moscow. Having led pilgrimages to Russia since the late 1970's, Father John became well known to the bishops, clergy and lay leaders in the Orthodox Church in Russia during the Soviet Period. When the Church in Russia began to open in the early 1990's the need for youth ministry and youth education became critical. Father John began working with a group of high school and college students in Moscow who, for years, had been learning about their Orthodox faith in secret meetings in an apartment. In 1990 Father John traveled to Moscow and began working with these students to mold them into the first generation of youth leaders.
That initial meeting led to what became an annual Summer School and a series of training courses that took place throughout Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and Poland between 1991 - 2002. In 1994 Father John established the Suprasl Summer Institute, a ten day program in the summer that brought young people from around the world together to learn more about their faith, encounter one another, and receive training to be leaders in their local context. The program took place at the Monastery of the Annunciation in Suprasl, Poland. Father John's long term goal was to establish a permanent training center for Orthodox youth. With the establishment of Suprasl Training Institute and Project Incubator this goal is now coming to fruition.
Father John saw a need to train young people to be the now of the Church, not just the future. In a an essay on youth ministry published by Syndesmos, the World Fellowship of Orthodox Youth, Father John wrote, "Youth must not only be ministered to but they must be encouraged, trained and allowed to minister to others as living expressions of their faith and belief in Jesus Christ."
This encouragement and training is what the Suprasl Institute aims to do.
I consider Fr John one of my teachers who changed my faith and my relationship to the Church. He came to Lviv in 1998 to lead a training course. During that course he told us incredible things and testified about his faith. I was a young student of the theological seminary. He was the first priest in my life who showed the image of an active priest who is not afraid of challenges and is truly free.
Fr Andriy Pinchuk, Ukraine
Father Eric Tosi, New York, USA
Father Hildo Bos, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Contact us
Suprasl: A World Fellowship of Orthodox Youth
Director: Archdeacon Joseph Matusiak
Tel. +48.575.017.895
Email. jmatusiak@suprasl2022.org
www.suprasl.org
The Suprasl Leadership Institute and Project Incubator is made possible in large part by a grant from the Orthodox Vision Foundation and is a collaborative effort with the Akademia Supraska