Technology has shaped our everyday lives — in some ways for good, in some ways for bad, and in some ways for ugly. We want to talk about it — and not just in a “Put down your phone!” kind of way, but in a “How can we embrace the good and have wisdom in the precarious?” kind of way.

Join us with our special guest Amy Crouch, author of My Tech-Wise Life, as we start the conversation of navigating this digital world together with wisdom.

Childcare will be available through 5th grade and children/youth in 6th grade and up are encouraged to attend.

Join us for a discussion about how to navigate our tech-filled world with wisdom featuring professionals in technology, education, & mental health, & a representative of Gen Z, too! See more below about our panelists.

Childcare will be available through 5th grade and children/youth in 6th grade and up are encouraged to attend. Please register using the button below. Registration is totally free! So is the childcare! We especially encourage registration for those utilizing childcare so we can have your child’s nametag prepared for them and we can ensure proper childcare volunteer coverage.

Bringing the perspective of a mental health professional 

Nicole is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Child Psychiatry NYU Langone School of Medicine. Dr Foubister began her medical training in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics before transitioning to Adult Psychiatry. She completed a Child Psychiatry Fellowship at Yale Child Study Center and a Forensic Psychiatry fellowship at NYU School of Medicine. Dr. Foubister previously served as the director of the Young Adult Unit at NYU Hospital and has worked with the NYC Juvenile Justice System. She currently has a private practice in Manhattan where she treats children and adults for a variety of disorders. Dr. Foubister is also an undergraduate professor at New York University where she teaches Children and the Media, a course which focuses on how the media affects children and child development. She is the author of multiple academic publications and most recently wrote a book entitled The Mindfulness Guide for ADHD. Most notably she is a mother of three amazing children.

Bringing the perspective of an educator & school administrator 

Todd has been an educator for 25 years. He was a high school social studies teacher in Brick and Howell and was named the 2018 Monmouth County Teacher of the Year. Todd served for 4 years as an assistant principal in Manalapan. This is his first year as a principal at Bayshore Middle School. He is also the father of three daughters, the oldest of whom is in middle school.  In his days before children, Todd Curtis was a very involved leader in the high school youth group at First Baptist Church of Red Bank, even taking over co-leading the ministry in a time when there was a youth director vacancy. Todd has served in a variety of roles at Park Church, including as a former Elder.

Bringing the perspective of a professional in technology

For the past nearly 20 years, Matt has worked at the intersection of software development and marketing, helping marketing teams achieve their goals through technology. His work has taken him between freelance, brand agencies, publishing, and tech startups. Currently, he leads a team of software engineers responsible for the acquisition and onboarding of nurses looking for travel nursing jobs at Nomad Health. Matt and his wife Shannon have also been a part of Park Church since the early years and met serving together in the high school youth ministry. They have two wonderful daughters. During his time at Park Church, Matt currently serves as Community Group Coordinator and has also formerly served as an Elder.

Bringing the perspective of a tech-wise parent & educator  

Sandi is the mother of two (now grown) children, Sammy and Tacy, ages 23 and 21, respectively. Sandi and her family took many intentional steps to guide her children as they were in the first generation of kids having smartphones. She and her husband, Pete, shared a bit of their experience in their Tech-Wise Wednesday Post How We Raised Our First-Generation Phone Kids. Sandi has been a middle school Spanish teacher for 22 years. She teaches at Thorne Middle School in Middletown. She’s been a part of Park Church since its early years when it was known as Outreach Red Bank (ORB) and has served in various roles, including as a member of our current Elder Team.

Bringing the perspective of Gen Z

Sammy Andrews is the son of Sandi and Pete Andrews. He was raised in the Park Church community, growing up as the young church itself grew up. Sammy is a 5th year student at Drexel University studying Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Aerospace.  Only a few years removed from his teen years, Sammy offers the insight of someone who is both a Gen Z “digital native” as well as someone who was raised in a tech-wise home. He’s navigated the challenge of being a college kid on his own (and through a pandemic, nonetheless) and applying his tech-wise principles to his independent adult life. When not away at college, Sammy serves as a leader in the youth group and in our musical worship team.

Brian served in campus ministry before becoming ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA) where he served as a pastor for 2 decades; in recent years he transitioned to a counseling profession and established Healing Branch Counseling which seeks to integrate clinical skills with a biblical worldview; he serves adult and adolescent populations, especially those challenged by depression and anxiety. Brian also serves as coordinator of ParkCares counseling, a free counseling service of Park Church.