Starting in the Holy Land
Kristina Romero
Creator & Author
On a pilgrimage to Israel, I discovered the importance of an experiential faith. That is to say, a faith where what you read in scripture becomes as real at the softness of your bed, as engaging as the smell of your favorite dinner, and as alive as an embrace from someone you love.
With a Masters in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California, Certificate of Theology in Church History from the University of Notre Dame, and years as a professional web and graphics designer, I desired to build a new type of small group study. The Hagios Study mobile app and printed studies create an experience for small group study that showcases the beauty of scripture and the way it was lived out by our Christian brethren in their time and culture.
The Hagios Study Team
We are excited to embark on this adventure with a team of faithful who desire to bring scripture to life in a beautiful and experiential way. Our current team includes:
Core Team
Kristina Romero
Creator & Author
Kristina comes from the creative world having spent a decade in Hollywood and over 12 years in the web design industry running her own business and coaching professionals. She holds a Masters in Professional Writing from the University of Southern California and a Certificate of Theology in Church History from the University of Notre Dame. Kristina, her husband and four children currently live outside Phoenix, Arizona.
Content Advisors
Kristen Fisher
Ablaze Family Ministries
Kristen is a wife, mom, and disciple of Jesus. After graduating from Franciscan University of Steubenville, she spent 16 years in full time parish ministry before transitioning to become the Director of Ablaze Family Ministries.
Lisa Scata
Lisa is a wife, mom, and lover of all things that unify the body of Christ. Holding a B.S. in Elementary Education (Grove City College) and an M.S. in Inclusive Education (Nazareth College), she spent 5 years as an Elementary teacher, followed by 10 years in Children’s Ministry on parish staff. She resides with her family in Columbia, MD.
Music & Video Production Team
Greg Boudreaux, Andrea Thomas, Ben Batalla, Shawn Williams
The Vigil Project
Dan Johnson and Grace Galligan
4PM Media
The talented team at The Vigil Project has composed and recorded music that invites you into a deeper experience of prayer. The 4Pm Media team then took these custom meditations and created visual experiences for the mobile app.
Design Team
John and Julie Falke, Judan Jaymelensonn
Johnny Flash Productions
Johnny Flash Productions is a graphic design agency in Fairfax & Northern Virginia founded in 2000 by John Falke.
What faith tradition is the Hagios Study Bible studies?
Each Hagios Study is written to be ecumenical. So although initially for Catholic small group study, these studies can easily be embraced by all Christian denominations that 1) believe scripture is the inspired word of God 2) Jesus is the Son of God and 3) Jesus' words in the Gospels are applicable to our lives today. Each study focuses on a passage of the Gospels and incorporates one Christian historical figure that has been recognized by multiple Christian denominations as "set apart by God."
Why not just a Scripture study?
When the words of the Gospels come alive, they change us. Then, when we see we are part of a family of believers across time, we look at history in a whole new way. When we humble ourselves to admire the boldness and faithfulness in others, we see that we too can find our place in the body of Christ - a family blooming throughout centuries.
We see numerous studies around the holy men and women chronicled in the Bible, and rightly so. But it's also important we look to study the lives of holy men and women who lived long after the 1st century for insight on how we take the Word of God to live just as boldly in our own time and culture.
How do you choose a historical Christian figure?
Each subject must have lived a Biblical life rooted in scripture. This means that they pursued living a life according to the Holy Scriptures, within the finite understanding of their time (reminding us that we must resist imposing our cultural perceptions of our day to their time).
Each subject must be a historical figure that has proven to inspire others toward God and toward scripture.
Each subject must have been ecumenical in nature. This means they did not encourage division among Christian denominations and faith traditions of their time.
Each subject must have sought to live out a life of Christ experientially. This means they went out into the world, interacted with the world, and still sought to have their life “set apart” from the world.
