From Roy’s Heart
I want to share something personal with you.
Long before I ever became the Executive Director of The Crucible Project, I was simply a man who needed healing. I want to share a part of that journey with you—a story of brokenness, hope, and the transformation that followed.
I grew up in the oil fields of West Texas and went on to build a life serving others—first as a mental health professional, then leading ministries that cared for abused and neglected children, and eventually launching an organization that helped thousands of people annually. From the outside, my life looked successful.
But inside, there were wounds and lies I had been carrying since childhood.
When I was five years old, my mother had a psychotic break and was taken away in an ambulance. In the chaos of that week, trying to protect my little brother and make sense of what was happening, two lies quietly settled into my heart: you are not worthy to be protected and loved, and you are only lovable when you achieve.
Those lies fueled a lifetime of achievement. They also brought exhaustion, pressure, and seasons of depression.
Years later, a family member invited me to experience a Crucible retreat. I was skeptical. But what happened that weekend changed my life.
For the first time, I realized I had been carrying an invisible backpack filled with wounds, secrets, and false beliefs. During that weekend, God met me in a powerful way as I opened that backpack with other men and brought those things into the light. Healing began in places I didn’t even realize were still hurting.
I had always believed I was going to heaven. But after that experience, I felt God’s grace in every part of me—my head, my heart, and even my body.
The change was real. In the weeks afterward, Devra, my wife of 37 years, told me she felt like she got the husband she married back. People who worked with me said something was different, even if they couldn’t explain it. I was freer, more grounded, and more alive.
That is why Devra, also a Redwood, and I have faithfully given financially to The Crucible Project for so long. We are fueling the change for others by paying it forward.
We give because we have experienced firsthand what happens when a soul encounters God in a way that heals the past and restores the heart. We give because we have seen marriages restored, people freed from shame, leaders transformed, and families changed for generations.
And we give because we want more men and women to experience that same freedom.
As someone who is a part of the Crucible community, you already know something about the power of this work. If you already give, thank you. I’m not asking you for anything.
If you have never given a financial gift to Crucible before, I’d like to personally invite you to consider joining those of us who do.
Your first gift—whatever amount feels right to you—helps make it possible for someone else to encounter the same life-changing experience that changed my life. Donate securely online, or send a check to The Crucible Project, PO Box 690894 San Antonio, TX 78269.
And now your donation can have an even greater impact. The Redwoods who serve on The Crucible Project Board have issued a challenge to all first time donors, or donors who haven’t given in while. They will personally match every financial gift you make, dollar-for-dollar through June 15, up to $21,000. But this match is only fully realized if we act together. Will you help unlock the full $21,000 by making your gift today?
I thank God for you! You are a part of my Crucible family. I look forward to hearing how Crucible impacted your life and hopefully… how, like Devra and me, you have joined with other Redwoods in paying it forward by fueling change.
With big love,
Roy Wooten
Majestic Blackfish
Preventing Burnout: When Life Weighs You Down
Burnout is no longer just a leadership issue—it’s a human one. Across the United States, burnout has become a common experience. According to recent workforce studies, nearly three out of four Americans report experiencing burnout at some point, and more than half say they feel burned out right now. Many describe feeling emotionally exhausted, overwhelmed, disconnected, or simply running on empty.
Most people don’t wake up one day and suddenly burn out. It happens slowly. Stress builds. Pressure accumulates. The pace of life continues to accelerate. And eventually the body, mind, and spirit begin waving warning flags.
Burnout is commonly defined as emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion caused by prolonged or repeated stress.
When burnout begins to set in, the symptoms can show up in many ways:
When I’m beginning to feel some overwhelm, I call it getting a little “crispy.” It is a tell-tale sign that I need to do something or I will become burned out. Life still continues, responsibilities remain, but internally something feels depleted.
The good news is that burnout isn’t inevitable. There are practical ways to build resilience and protect our well-being. In a recent Crucible Podcast, we discussed three key shifts that help people prevent burnout and live from a healthier place.
Shift #1: From Productivity to Presence
Our culture constantly tells us that our value comes from what we produce. More output. More achievement. More success.
But from a biblical perspective, our identity is not rooted in productivity. Our value comes from who we are and whose we are.
Jesus modeled presence. He withdrew to pray. He slowed down for people. He paid attention to the moment in front of Him.
Burnout often happens when life becomes nothing but output. Presence, with ourselves, God, and others, restores balance.
One practical way to reclaim presence is by completing the stress response cycle. Even when we solve the problem that caused stress, the stress itself often remains trapped in the body. Completing the cycle can include things like:
These practices help our bodies release stress rather than store it.
Shift #2: From Ownership to Stewardship
Another contributor to burnout is the belief that everything depends on us. We begin to feel responsible for outcomes we can’t control—other people’s choices, results, or reactions. The pressure becomes overwhelming.
Scripture offers a healthier perspective: we are stewards, not owners. Everything we have is loaned to us from God. It is our job to steward, not control it.
Stewardship means we are responsible to others, but not for them. This shift requires growing in emotional awareness—paying attention to what is happening inside us. When we ignore our internal world, stress compounds and eventually spills over.
Practices that build emotional awareness include:
When we understand what’s happening inside us, we lead ourselves and others more wisely.
Shift #3: From Solitude to Community
One of the most dangerous myths in our culture is the myth of solo success. Many people try to carry life alone. They withdraw when things get difficult. They isolate when stress rises.
But we were not created to do life alone.
Healthy relationships are one of the most powerful buffers against burnout. Supportive community helps us process stress, regain perspective, and experience belonging.
That means intentionally moving toward God and others instead of away from or against them.
Practically, this might look like:
Connection restores what isolation drains.
The Invitation
Burnout prevention isn’t just about managing stress. It’s about living differently. It’s choosing presence over endless productivity, stewardship over crushing responsibility and community instead of isolation.
In the Crucible community, we believe transformation happens best in community. If you’re feeling worn down or stretched thin, don’t try to figure it out alone. Step toward connection. Join a group. Staff an upcoming retreat. Consider attending a second-level retreat. Work with a Crucible Coach. Invite others into the journey with you.
Healing, growth, and resilience rarely happen in isolation. They happen as we journey together.
Volunteer Outside of Retreats
Most Redwoods serve on a team, lead a group, come back to staff, become a donor, or show up for a Second Level. And for many, that rhythm becomes the primary way they engage.
But the mission of Crucible has never been confined to retreat property. There is an entire layer of work happening behind the scenes—work that strengthens the ministry, expands our reach, and equips the next generation. And much of it requires skills that many Redwoods already carry in their everyday lives.
Peter shared, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10).
Not just the visible gifts. Not just the public ones. Whatever gift you have received.
Some Redwoods are gifted writers and editors. Others understand MailChimp management, CRM systems, or curriculum development. Some are graphic designers, video editors, podcast hosts, or event coordinators. Some are natural networkers who thrive in media engagement or outreach coordination. Others love logistics—formatting publications, organizing annual gatherings, coordinating breakout sessions, managing booths at the Global Leadership Summit.
These roles may not be visible during a retreat weekend—but they are vital to the health and expansion of the mission.
Volunteering outside of retreats offers unique benefits:
Not every Redwood is called to lead on carpet. But every Redwood carries something the mission needs.
We are currently seeking help in areas such as:
This is not about filling slots. It is about stewarding grace.
Some of you have skills that have been sitting on the shelf. Some of you are in a season where retreat weekends are not possible—but contribution still is. Some of you have wondered how to stay engaged without overextending.
There is a simple form you can complete to express interest and let us know where your strengths lie. From there, conversations can begin.
The mission continues to expand. And expansion requires more than retreats. It requires Redwoods who are willing to steward the gifts God has already entrusted to them.
Your gifts still matter.
And the Redwood Grove grows stronger when every Redwood contributes.
Transformation: A Process, Not an Event
Most of us can point to a moment that mattered.A conversation that changed how we saw ourselves. A season of crisis that clarified what was important. A retreat weekend that opened something we didn’t know how to open on our own.
For many of us, the Crucible initial retreat was one of those moments. It was real. It was powerful. It was transformational.
When Growth Slows, It Doesn’t Mean It Has Stopped
And yet, if you’ve been on this journey for a while, you may have noticed something else: after the intensity of that experience, growth can feel slower. Less dramatic. Sometimes it even feels like nothing is happening at all.
That doesn’t mean transformation has stopped. It usually means it has shifted.
What the Research Tells Us About Lasting Change
Researchers who study personal growth and adult development consistently say the same thing: transformational events matter—but lasting transformation happens through an ongoing process.
In other words, the event opens the door. The process is how we walk through it. A retreat, a breakthrough, or a catalytic experience often creates clarity. It disrupts old patterns and helps us see ourselves, God, and others differently. But the deeper work—the kind that reshapes identity, habits, relationships, and how we make meaning—unfolds over time. And it is rarely linear.
Scripture Reminds Us That Growth Takes Time
Scripture speaks honestly about this kind of growth: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.” (Philippians 1:6). Notice what that verse doesn’t say. It doesn’t say the work is instant. Or tidy. Or always obvious. It says God begins a work—and then continues it.
The Difference Between Breakthrough and Integration
That continuation is where many of us get discouraged. We expect transformation to keep moving at the same pace it did in the beginning. But real growth often slows, plateaus, loops back on itself, or deepens quietly beneath the surface. What once felt like dramatic change becomes more subtle: noticing triggers sooner, choosing a different response, staying present a little longer, telling the truth a little faster.
That is still transformation.
Experts describe this as the difference between initiation and integration. Initiation is the “aha” moment. Integration is learning how to live differently in real life—with real people, real stress, and real responsibility. Integration takes time, repetition, and support.
Why Community Is Not Optional
This is why personal growth is never a one-time thing. And it’s why we are so intentional about community at Crucible. Transformation does not sustain itself in isolation.
That’s also why we continue to challenge Redwoods to take next steps—joining a group, staying connected, attending a second-level retreat, working with a coach, or intentionally remaining in community. Not because you didn’t “get enough” from your initial retreat, but because what began there is meant to continue.
“As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17) Growth happens in relationship. In conversation. In accountability. In being seen and known over time.
Leaning Into the Process Is the Work
If you’ve ever felt like your growth has stalled, consider this: perhaps you are not stuck—you are being invited to lean into the process rather than chase another moment. Perhaps the work now is not about intensity, but about faithfulness.
Transformation isn’t measured by how dramatic it feels, but by how deeply it reshapes who we are becoming. So if the journey feels slower right now, don’t step away. Stay engaged. Stay connected. Stay curious. The work that began in you is still unfolding.
The Crucible retreat may have been the powerful, transformational event that God used to start you on your growth journey. The Crucible community is the container that provides safety for your continued growth. And the process—messy, meaningful, and ongoing—is where transformation takes root over time.
Lean into it.
If you want some help along the way, consider joining a group or grab a Crucible Coach.
The Christmas Story Through a Crucible Lens
December 2025
Every Christmas we return to the familiar scene—shepherds under a silent sky, a frightened teenage couple far from home, a feeding trough serving as a cradle, and the long-awaited Messiah arriving in a way no one expected. But when we slow down and really look, we see that the birth of Jesus is not just a story of comfort and warmth. It is a radical, disruptive, deeply Crucible story—one that invites us as Redwoods to examine our own hearts.
When the angel appeared to the shepherds, he said, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10–11). That announcement strikes at the heart of the work we invite others into: moving from fear to courage, from hiding to honesty, from self-reliance to surrender.
Radical Vulnerability
God entered the world as an infant—utterly dependent, fragile, and exposed. There is no greater picture of vulnerability. This is the very posture we call every person toward: not weakness, but the courage to be fully known; not bravado, but truth-telling; not self-protection, but openness to transformation. The Incarnation models a God who refuses to stay distant. He comes close. He becomes touchable. He risks being wounded. That same risk is required for genuine masculine healing.
Shadow and Light
Herod’s fear-filled response reveals the human shadow at full strength—control, violence, ego, and the desperate need to protect a false self. In contrast, Mary responds with surrender: “Let it be to me according to your word.” Joseph responds with obedience. The shepherds respond with wonder. Each character faces a crossroads between fear and faith, shadow and light. Christmas invites us to the same crossroads: Where is Christ inviting you to step out of your shadow and into the light this season?
Unexpected Initiation
No one in the story gets the script they expected. Mary loses the safety of predictability. Joseph loses his reputation. The shepherds are drawn from the margins into revelation. Christmas is an initiation disguised as a nativity scene. It is an invitation to release the life we planned so we can receive the life God is offering. For many of us, that is the hardest—and holiest—part of discipleship.
Presence Over Performance
Jesus comes quietly. Simply. Without fanfare. Christmas reminds us that God does His deepest work in hidden places. For Redwoods, the call is clear: this season is not about performing a perfect holiday; it is about being present to Jesus, present to your own heart, and present to those we love most.
A Challenge for Christmas
Choose one of the postures from the Christmas story and live it out intentionally:
Vulnerability: Tell the vulnerable truth to someone you trust.
Surrender: Release one area where you’ve been white-knuckling control.
Obedience: Take a courageous step God has been nudging you toward.
Presence: Slow down long enough to let Jesus meet you where you really are.
Christmas is not sentimental—it is transformational. Let the birth of Christ call you deeper into becoming all God created you to be.
Expanding Crucible to a Fourth Continent
November 2025
For more than twenty years, Crucible has been equipping Redwoods to live with courage, authenticity, and spiritual integrity. What began as a single retreat experience has grown into a movement that now includes 16 retreat-hosting communities across the United States and vibrant international ministries in Australia, Mexico, Kenya, and Rwanda. Everywhere The Crucible Project takes root, people are being set free, marriages are being restored, and churches are being strengthened.
Now, God is opening doors for the next chapter of our mission: expanding Crucible into a fourth continent.
In 2026, we anticipate launching retreats in the Philippines, followed by India and Germany in 2027, and Cuba in the years following. These are not merely new locations on a map — they are communities hungry for transformation, local leaders eager to be equipped, and ministries ready to impact future generations of men and women.
Launching a new international community is both exciting and demanding. Each new region requires approximately $100,000 to establish a sustainable, locally led Crucible presence. These funds provide essential retreat equipment, in-country leadership development, healthy community development, translation and contextualization of materials, and ongoing coaching to ensure long-term health and alignment with our mission.
We do this because transformation is worth it. Freedom is worth it. Men and Women stepping into their true identity in Christ is worth it.
Scripture calls us to this shared generosity and mission. As Hebrews 13:16 reminds us:
“And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
Join the Global Crucible Movement
As we take these bold steps into new nations, we are praying for a growing army of men and women who will link arms with us in two essential ways:
Volunteer to Staff an International Retreat
Whether you are a seasoned leader or a new Redwood, your presence matters. Every international retreat requires experienced, grounded staff who can model authenticity, safety, and grace. If you love this work, consider taking it global. You will not only serve people in a new culture—you will grow, too. Let our men's ministry or women's ministry team know which country you are interested in staffing in. If you would like to be a part of a future staff team.
Partner Financially to Fuel International Expansion
Your generosity directly equips in country leaders, launches new retreat communities, and ensures that men and women worldwide can experience deep healing and transformation. A gift of any size makes an impact, but if God prompts you to help underwrite a full international launch, know that your investment will echo for generations. Learn ways to give.
With God’s guidance and the partnership of faithful friends like you, we believe the next twenty years will bring even greater transformation than the first. Men and Women across the world are waiting. Communities are ready. We hear the call. Do you?
Tipping Point Outcomes
October 2025
You can never be absolutely certain what the impact of your outreach efforts will be. In the fall last year, we visioned an effort to let more Christ-following Business owners, Counselors, Coaches and Pastors. God put it on the hearts of generous Redwoods to fund the vision which set in motion activities to introduce referrers to the transformational offerings of Crucible.
Redwoods from all over the United States raised their hands to volunteer to join in. This year we put Crucible’s brand and story in front of:
- 86,000 leaders through Global Leadership Summit;
- 7,300 counselors and coaches through American Association of Christian Counselors;
- 745 business owners through Convene;
- 500+ through Pastors’ conferences;
- Unknown reach through guest interviews on podcasts, radio and television.
Results thus far include:
- 45% of initial retreat participants registering from sources other than a personal invitation.
- 40% increase in Men’s initial registrations year over year.
- 32% increase in Women’s initial registrations year over year.
If you know of a conference or gathering of Christian business leaders, Counselors, Coaches, or Pastors that you believe would be helpful in this effort, please let us know. If you want to volunteer in the tipping point effort, please let us know.