Building Our Communities Together

Women’s Ministry Update • September 2026

 

This weekend, September 11–13, women gathered in Chouteau, Oklahoma, for an Initial Weekend. To the women returning home: welcome to the Crucible community! We’re grateful for you, and for the staff and community members who helped make this weekend possible. As you return to everyday life, I hope you’ll stay connected and make room to continue your soul work alongside other women.

Over the past few months, we’ve been talking about what makes a community healthy. Again and again, we come back to relationships: being known, telling the truth, making room for one another, and staying connected to God. A weekend gives us a place to begin. Community gives us people to keep walking with.

Now, as we look at the plans for 2027, I want to invite each of us to consider where we can take part. Behind every date on the calendar are women preparing to welcome other women. There are invitations to extend, staff teams to build, groups to support, and relationships to tend long after a retreat ends.

I would love for women to rally around their local communities as those plans take shape. Reach out to your community leaders. Ask what’s ahead and where help is needed. Maybe you’re ready to apply to staff a weekend or explore group leadership. Maybe you can help organize a gathering, welcome a woman who has just returned from her weekend, or invite a friend into a conversation about Crucible.

Consider your gifts and your actual capacity as you decide. A commitment you can follow through on matters. So does sharing the responsibility with other women. We build trust when we’re honest about what we can offer and then show up for one another.

As you look over the calendar, ask yourself: Where do I want to keep growing? What does my community need? What is one specific way I can get involved? Then have that conversation with someone in your community. Let’s begin making these plans together now, so the women who join us next year will find a community ready to welcome them.

 

Women’s Initial Weekend • September 11–13, 2026 • Chouteau, Oklahoma

From Our Crucible Community

“I feel a sense of purpose after completing the Crucible Project retreat. I’ve always wanted to make the world a better place until Jesus calls us home, and now I have so many more tools available to help me do that.”

— Alex, initial weekend participant

 

Upcoming Groups

A group offers a place to stay connected and continue your soul work. Three groups are scheduled to begin later this month:

September 28 — Growth Group with Colleen Hewitt

September 29 — Growth Group 2.0 with Colleen Hewitt

September 30 — Growth Group with Al Wells

An Exploration Group led by Nancy Riley and Jess Fillback began September 2 on Zoom, and Journey Groups and check-in groups also meet across our communities. Looking toward 2027, another Growth Group with Dawn Aldrich is being planned for January.

For meeting times, availability, registration, or help finding a group, contact womensministry@thecrucibleproject.org. You can also reach out if you’re interested in helping lead a group.

Retreat Calendar

Look ahead to opportunities to attend, serve, and invite another woman. The calendar also includes the August and September weekends that have already taken place.

Explore weekends at thecrucibleproject.org. To apply to staff, visit thecrucibleproject.org/redwoods.

 

Women’s Ministry Updates –Look What’s Growing!

This month, while many of us are soaking up the last days of summer, women in two Crucible communities were going deeper. Chicagoland and New England hosted simultaneous second-level weekends: the Mission & Purpose Retreat in Illinois and the Dark Side of Leadership Retreat in Connecticut. Both were well attended by women seeking deeper learning, healing, and growth in their leadership.

And there’s plenty more happening across the women’s community. This month we’re introducing a new Community Spotlight, beginning with Houston, and farther down you’ll get a first look at our audacious 2027 retreat calendar!

Community Spotlight: Houston, Texas

There’s something growing in Houston, and the women there are tending it!

One of the Houston community’s biggest steps forward has been forming a local women’s leadership team. Terra Heraly, Megan Shipley, Vera Villalvazo, and Dana Bahn meet monthly to pray, plan, and continue building a healthy, thriving community. Their focus isn’t simply on creating more events, but on creating meaningful opportunities for women to stay connected, continue their soul work, and build relationships with one another.

That connection happens in several different ways. Twice a month, women gather on Zoom for soul-work check-ins and encouragement. There’s also a monthly in-person check-in that is open to all women, whether or not they’ve attended a Crucible weekend. And once a quarter, they make room for something equally important: simply having fun together. From learning to line dance - some more successfully than others! - to karaoke, these gatherings have created space for laughter, friendship, and deeper connection.

I had the joy of experiencing some of that Houston energy firsthand when they hosted our Annual Gathering in June. There is a real sense of momentum and enthusiasm among these women - not only for their own growth, but for creating a community where other women can belong, be known, and continue growing alongside one another.

And that momentum is already carrying them into what’s next. The Houston community is hosting a Women’s Initial Weekend February 5–7, 2027, in North Zulch, Texas. We’re excited to see the fruit of the relationships, leadership, and soul work already taking root there, and grateful for Terra, Megan, Vera, Dana, and all the Houston women who are investing their time, prayer, and hearts into creating a place where more women can experience radical honesty, grace, connection, and transformation.

Pictured (left to right): Houston Women’s Leadership Team members Megan Shipley, Terra Heraly, Dana Bahn, and Vera Villalvazo.

From a Recent Participant:

“My Crucible experience made me more aware of myself, why I do what I do, the impact I have on others, and helped me to recognize and own that I can and do affect others - I matter, so I have influence and that's my responsibility to steward.”

Have a Crucible experience to share? We want to hear from you! 📋 Fill out our weekend survey

Coming Up

2026 Retreats

September 11-13: Initial Weekend – Tulsa, Oklahoma

October 16-18: Initial Weekend – Saint Charles, Illinois

October 23-25: Initial Weekend – Empire, Colorado

November 6-8: Initial Weekend – Chidlow, Western Australia

November 13-15: Unshackled Weekend – Chidlow, Western Australia

November 13-15: Initial Weekend – Andover, Connecticut

2027 Retreat Calendar -- Save the Dates!

Some of these retreats are already open for participant registration; others will added in the coming weeks and months as details are finalized.

February 5-7: Initial Weekend – North Zulch, TX

February 19-21: Initial Weekend – Juja, Kenya

February 26-28: Unshackled Weekend – Juja, Kenya

February 26-28: Initial Weekend – Bergton, Virginia

March 5-7: NEW SECOND LEVEL OFFERING! Leadership: Leading from Joy – Saint Charles, Illinois

March 19-21: Initial Weekend – Valle de Bravo, Mexico

April 2-4: Second-Level Weekend (Theme TBD) – Tulsa, Oklahoma

April 16-18: Initial Weekend – Saint Charles, Illinois

April 23-25: Initial Weekend – Centennial, Wyoming

May 14-16: The Mission Weekend – Andover, Connecticut

August 12-15: Unshackled Weekend – Bergton, Virginia

September 10-12: Initial Weekend – Tulsa, Oklahoma

October 1-3: Initial Weekend – Andover, Connecticut

October 15-17: Initial Weekend – Saint Charles, Illinois

October 22-24: Initial Weekend – Empire, Colorado

November 5-7: Initial Weekend – Chidlow, Western Australia

November 12-14: Second-Level Weekend (TBD) – Chidlow, Western Australia

November 19-21: Initial Weekend – Bergton, Virginia

December 3-5: Initial Weekend – Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico

Explore the opportunities ahead to deepen your journey, serve others, and invite new participants into the Crucible experience.

Ready for what’s next?


Trainings

If you have a desire to participate in facilitation trainings in 2026 or 2027, but don’t see a date or time that fits your needs below, please fill out this Google Form so we can plan how to best meet the training needs of Redwoods:

Introduction to Facilitation Training — Online

Rescheduled from spring to fall

Start Date: September 10, 2026
Schedule: Thursdays & Fridays, 9:00–11:00 a.m. Central Time
Eight Class Meetings: 9/10, 9/11, 9/24, 9/25, 10/1, 10/2, 10/8, 10/9
Cost: $350 | Repeat the course: $50

For more information, contact womensministry@thecrucibleproject.org.

Register here: https://thecrucibleproject.org/training-schedule/

How You Can Stay Connected

Women’s Ministry Updates – Growing Healthy Communities, One Relationship at a Time

At our Annual Gathering in Houston at the end of June, community leader Dana Bahn and I had the privilege of hosting a breakout session on Growing Healthy Women’s Crucible Communities.

Fifteen women from across the country gathered to dream together about what makes a women's Crucible community healthy, and how we can continue growing this work in our own cities.

We started with one simple question:

"What makes our women's community healthy?"

The responses were: Inclusion. Authenticity. Being yourself. Friendship. Vulnerability. Connection. Safety. Non-judgment. Confidentiality. Bringing us back to God.

One woman chose the word energy. She wasn't referring to busyness or extroversion. She was talking about the momentum that develops when a healthy community catches a shared vision. There's excitement. Hope. A sense that God is doing something worth investing in together.

Something struck me about these answers – no one mentioned the size of their community, the number of retreats they'd hosted, or how many women attended their get-togethers; they described how it feels to belong.

I shared the story of the remarkable growth we've seen in Kenya over the past year (which many of you read about in last month's newsletter), and women from several other communities shared how their own local groups have developed over time. Together, we explored the idea that healthy communities tend to move through recognizable stages: from a few women staying connected after a weekend, to developing leaders, hosting retreats, and eventually helping other communities grow.

One of the biggest ideas from our session was this:

Healthy communities focus on health before growth. Growth is often the byproduct of healthy relationships, healthy leaders, and women who continue doing their own soul work.

As you think about your own local community, I'd encourage you to reflect on three questions:

  • Where is our community healthy?
  • Where could we grow stronger?
  • What is one faithful next step we can take together?

Healthy communities aren't built overnight. They're built through authentic conversations, invitations, including one another, and eventually, transformation and changed lives.

Thank you to every woman who shared her thoughts in Houston. Your voices reminded us that what we're building together is a place where women can truly belong – and when women know they belong, that’s when real life change happens!

Testimonial from recent attendee:

“I am now able to walk in joy, knowing that there’s a community that can help me continue drawing closer to God regardless of the things I’ve done or experienced in the past.” – Alexia

We want to hear from you! 📋Fill out our weekend survey

 

Coming Up

2026 Retreats

August 14-16: Leadership: Dark Side in Andover, Connecticut

August 14-16: The Mission Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois

September 11-13: Initial Weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma

October 16-18: Initial Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois

October 23-25: Initial Weekend in Empire, Colorado

November 6-8: Initial Weekend in Chidlow, Western Australia

November 13-15: Unshackled Weekend in Chidlow, Western Australia

November 13-15: Initial Weekend in Andover, Connecticut

2027 Retreat Calendar!!! *Save the Dates*!

Some of these retreats are open for participant registration and others will be rolled out in the coming weeks and months, as details are finalized.

February 19-21: Initial Weekend in Juja, Kenya

February 26-28: 2nd Level Weekend (TBD) in Juja, Kenya

March 5-7: NEW 2nd Level OFFERING! Leadership: Leading from Joy in Saint Charles, Illinois

March 19-21: Initial Weekend in Valle de Bravo, Mexico

April 16-18: Initial Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois

May 14-16: The Mission Weekend in Andover, Connecticut

September 10-12: Initial Weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma

October 1-3: Initial Weekend in Andover, Connecticut

October 15-17: Initial Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois

October 22-24: Initial Weekend in Empire, Colorado

November 5-7: Initial Weekend in Chidlow, Western Australia

November 12-14: 2nd Level Weekend (TBD) in Chidlow, Western Australia

December 3-5: Initial Weekend in Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico

Explore the opportunities ahead to deepen your journey, serve others, and invite new participants into the Crucible experience.

Trainings

If you have a desire to participate in facilitation trainings in 2026 or 2027, but don’t see a date or time that fits your needs below, please fill out this Google Form so we can plan how to best meet the training needs of Redwoods.

Register for Upcoming Trainings:

Introduction to Facilitation Training – Online (Rescheduled from the Spring to the Fall) Start Date: 9/10/26Thursdays & Fridays 9:00 AM-11:00 AM Central Time for 8 class meetingsClass Dates: 9/10, 9/11, 9/24, 9/25, 10/1, 10/2, 10/8, 10/9

Cost of each training is $350. Cost to repeat the course is $50

Contact us for more info.

Advanced Process Training – Tombstone

Friday, July 17 1:00 PM-9:00 PM, Saturday July 18 9:00-5:00 PM In-Person in Denver, CO, led by John Casey. Location: Save Our Youth, 3443 W. 23rd Ave, Denver, CO 80211

Register Here: https://thecrucibleproject.org/training-schedule/

How You Can Stay Connected

- Join a Group or Lead One (scroll to the bottom of the groups page for info on leading groups)

- Check-in Wednesdays from 12-1pm on Zoom. For updates about specific meeting dates, join the Wednesday Lunch Bunch group in the Crucible Women WhatsApp Community.

🎧 Let these songs take you back to moments of the weekend - check out our Spotify playlist.

Women’s Ministry Updates – New Growth

Kenya Women’s Weekends & Community Growth
Over the first two weekends of June, The Crucible Women’s community in Nairobi, Kenya, welcomed twenty-two women to both their third Initial Retreat and the Mission & Purpose Retreat. This marked their third Initial Retreat and their first second-level retreat. The Kenyan women’s community began when several motivated women traveled to the U.S. to attend their own initial weekends and later returned to help staff a weekend. Several other women from Kenya then traveled to the U.S. to complete weekends as well, until a group of more than ten women had committed to planning, staffing, and hosting leaders from other communities who would travel in to help with their first weekends. They reached that goal in February 2025, when they held two back-to-back Initial Retreats with support from a team of women from the U.S., Mexico, and Australia. Since then, the community leadership team has been helping the community grow deeper by leading ongoing groups, while team members have continued their own development in leadership and personal work by joining the Crucible retreat and carpet tracks, attending growth group leader and facilitation trainings, and participating in Growth Group 2 and facilitation practice groups. This dedication and investment of time have paid off. One clear sign of that growth is that 21 of the 23 staff members for the initial weekend are women from the Nairobi community, and they only needed to bring in Kim Rush and me to help lead the retreat and facilitation! The Kenya community is on a mission—a mission to reach every country in Africa and ignite Christ-like change in men and women through radical experiences of honesty and grace!

Community Growth Checklist

Do you want to know how to help your community experience this rapid growth? There are several key things that we consistently see present in communities that are growing and seeing fruit. Each of the following things need a core group of women who are committed to taking steps in these areas:

  1. Be willing to travel to attend and staff second-level retreats in other communities.
  2. Stay involved in groups led by a certified leader from outside your community until there are certified leaders within your own community. Specifically, this means a Crucible Growth Group that follows the set curriculum and gives women opportunities to practice accountability and clearings.
  3. Actively build healthy relationships with one another, share life in community, and find ways to enjoy each other’s company. Get to know one another’s kids and spouses, and spend time together.
  4. Pursue leadership tracks - a community will not thrive if it does not grow its own leadership teams who can eventually lead local weekends and groups.
  5. Share with others about what Crucible and soul work are, how the work has made a difference in your life, and why others should get involved. Growing communities host events where people can get a taste of soul work. If there is hesitation, or if you are unsure how to talk about Crucible or the impact soul work has had on your life, it will be hard to share. Practice talking about this with one another, and explore any blocks that make it difficult to share how soul work has affected you and could help others.
  6. Seek out others who are passionate about growing their community, and share ideas and encouragement with one another.
  7. Schedule a call with the Crucible Women’s Ministry to discuss your specific community, needs, and challenges. We’re here to support you.

 

Welcome Al Wells!

As our ministry continues to grow, I’m excited to welcome Al Wells as our new Women’s Ministry Assistant.

Many of you may already know Al through her involvement in the women’s community over the years. She has served on retreat leadership teams, led groups, staffed weekends, and participated actively in the life of the ministry. Al lives in Arlington Heights, Illinois, with her husband, Travis, and their three children. She enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with her family.

Al will be working alongside me to support the growing needs of the women’s ministry, including communication, scheduling, leadership and volunteer support, and helping us stay organized across the many moving pieces of ministry life. I’m grateful she has said yes to serving in this role and excited for all she will bring to the team.

On Mission,

Lisa Modrzejewski

Women’s Ministry Director

 

20th Anniversary – When Women’s Ministry Launched

If you haven’t been reading this year’s 20th anniversary articles throughout the year, there is a great amount of history to catch up on.  This month is about the launch of Women’s soul work in 2019 and the history.  Check it Out.

Testimonial from recent attendee:

I feel free! My heart is free and open. I feel like a wall that was around my heart is just gone! And I can let people in and experience deep relationships and feelings and JOY! -Tina

We want to hear from you! 📋 Fill out our weekend survey

Coming Up

Explore the opportunities ahead to deepen your journey, serve others, and invite new participants into the Crucible experience.

2026 Retreats

August 14-16: Leadership: Dark Side in Andover, CT

August 14-16: The Mission Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois

October 16-18: Initial Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois

October 23-25: Initial Weekend in Empire, Colorado

November 13-15: Initial Weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Trainings

If you have a desire to participate in facilitation trainings in 2026 or 2027, but don’t see a date or time that fits your needs below, please fill out this Google Form so we can plan how to best meet the training needs of Redwoods.

Register for Upcoming Trainings:

Introduction to Facilitation Training – Online
(Rescheduled from the Spring to the Fall) Start Date: 9/10/26
Thursdays & Fridays 9:00 AM-11:00 AM Central Time for 8 class meetings
Class Dates: 9/10, 9/11, 9/24, 9/25, 10/1, 10/2, 10/8, 10/9

Cost of each training is $350. Cost to repeat the course is $50

Contact womensministry@thecrucibleproject.org for more info.

Advanced Process Training – Tombstone

Friday, July 17 1:00 PM-9:00 PM, Saturday July 18 9:00-5:00 PM
In-Person in Denver, CO, led by John Casey. Location: Save Our Youth, 3443 W. 23rd Ave, Denver, CO 80211

Register Here

How You Can Stay Connected

- Join the Crucible Women WhatsApp Community and Private Facebook Group

- Join a Group or Lead One (scroll to the bottom of the groups page for info on leading groups)

- Check-in Wednesdays from 12-1pm on Zoom. For updates about specific meeting dates, join the Wednesday Lunch Bunch group in the Crucible Women WhatsApp Community.

🎧 Let these songs take you back to moments of the weekend - check out our Spotify playlist.

The Quiet Belief That It’s All Up to You

I’ve always been suspicious of limits. Of people who say no, people who say “I can’t. I won’t. I don’t want to. That’s not for me.” I know theoretically that humans are finite, so, we are limited. But I think I’ve always thought the goal is to always transcend limitations. Never give up. As if admitting limitations is giving up.

You’re right, I have boundary issues. But if I’m being honest, my suspicion is that acknowledging limits is a slippery path to laziness. To complacency. To giving up. To worthlessness.

That probably sounds harsher than I mean for it to. But still, somewhere deep inside of me, exhaustion and goodness are tangled up together.

I know women who sign up to help, who remember things, who always respond quickly and keep carrying what needs to be carried. My inner scanner says “these are the good women.”

I know that many women are overwhelmed. I lead and listen to women. I am one! I understand the invisible labor, the emotional management, and the constant mental tabs left open in the background. But what I’m less certain about—and wanting to challenge—is the belief that those women are the good women.

I do believe those women are good women. But not because they are overwhelmed and keep on going. Not because they are always at the ready and ever-expanding.

What I’m trying to determine is where responsibility ends and how it affects goodness, if at all. I don’t think it does. But it does inform their effectiveness and trustworthiness.

Recently, I got my personal inbox from over 500 emails down to about 30. Every single one was real. People and projects that I care about. Each requiring follow-through. Family decisions. Logistics to track. Bills to budget for and pay. Conversation threads that I had dropped.

While sorting through them, I kept bargaining with myself.

I can answer this one with a half answer now, or give a thoughtful response… tomorrow…
You dropped the ball there.
You’re becoming unreliable.
You need a better system.
You need to try harder. You need to wake up earlier. Stay up later.

Underneath all of it was this quiet belief that if I could just become disciplined enough, focused enough, self-forgetting enough, eventually nothing important would be neglected.

I don’t think I believe that anymore.

My kids eat chips pretty regularly. Not exclusively, but often enough that I still hear an internal voice saying a good mother would do better. I don’t volunteer for PTO boards. I miss meetings. My house carries this low-grade level of clutter that never fully disappears no matter how many times I decide I’m finally going to get ahead of it.

At church, I sometimes avoid eye contact because one more relational thread feels impossible to maintain.

That sentence is uncomfortable for me to admit publicly.

There are also people waiting on me. Emails unanswered for months. Messages I reread, mentally respond to, and still never send. I think about those people more than they probably realize.

That’s where this gets murky for me, because limitation affects actual people.

I don’t want to become someone who uses “soul work” language to justify irresponsibility. I’ve seen women’s cultures drift into that before. Endless processing. Endless wounds. Endless explanations for why nobody can follow through on anything.

That scares me.

At the same time, I no longer believe constant hyperextending is holiness either.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the drama triangle because I can watch myself rotate through all three roles internally.

The Hero:
I’ll do it.
I can absorb this too.
I’ll figure out where it fits later.

The Victim:
I cannot carry one more thing.
Nobody understands how much this requires.
Everything feels impossible.

The Villain:
You’re failing people.
Other women manage this better.
You’re becoming self-indulgent.
You should be able to handle more than this.

I used to think maturity meant avoiding victimhood at all costs.

Now I wonder if I mostly stayed in Hero because I was terrified of being ordinary.

Ordinary people disappoint others sometimes, and ordinary mothers forget things. Uncommitted leaders miss emails. Subpar humans cannot sustain unlimited emotional availability while also remaining grounded, joyful, attentive, spiritually connected, physically healthy, and relationally present.

Somewhere along the way, I think I quietly accepted the idea that love meant absorbing as much as possible.

But the truth is, overfunctioning does not always produce love.

Sometimes it produces resentment.

When exhaustion starts feeling morally important, almost like proof that I care enough, I’m no longer in a place of full responsibility for myself.

I don’t fully trust myself yet around this conversation because I still can’t always tell the difference between healthy limitation and rationalized selfishness.

Yesterday I said no to something objectively good because I knew I did not have the capacity for it. Then I spent hours wondering whether I had protected my humanity or betrayed my calling.

No clarity arrived.

There were still dishes in the sink, unanswered texts in my phone, and people I love probably experiencing me as inconsistent.

I wish I could end this by explaining exactly what faithful limitation looks like. I can’t.

What I know is smaller than that. The old way was making me harsher, less patient, and less emotionally honest.

So now I’m trying to learn something I should probably have learned earlier:

how to remain responsible without acting omnipotent. Affecting God.

I don’t know entirely what that looks like yet. I only know I can no longer survive pretending I have no limits at all.

Testimonial from recent attendee:

“The Crucible became my desert place, the space where I met the God of the universe and faced the anxiety that had been flooding my life. I came desperate for clarity and relief. There are still deeper roots to uncover and tend, but in His infinite faithfulness, God has given me not only a new name, but a new way of being. I am beginning to experience peace like a river. The journey continues…”

We want to hear from you! 📋

Fill out our weekend survey!


Coming Up

Explore the opportunities ahead to deepen your journey, serve others, and invite new participants into the Crucible experience.

2026 Retreats

April 24-26: Initial Weekend in Centennial, Wyoming

June 5-7: Initial Weekend in Limuru, Kenya

June 12-14: The Mission Weekend in Limuru, Kenya

August 14-16: Leadership: Dark Side in Andover, CT

August 14-16: The Mission Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois

October 16-18: Initial Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois

October 23-25: Initial Weekend in Empire, Colorado

November 13-15: Initial Weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Trainings

If you have a desire to participate in facilitation trainings in 2026 or 2027, but don’t see a date or time that fits your needs below, please fill out this Google Form so we can plan how to best meet the training needs of Redwoods:


https://forms.gle/KxYXFaeogSX4nxgh8

Register Now for Upcoming Trainings:

Introduction to Facilitation Training
(Rescheduled from the Spring to the Fall)
Start Date: 9/10/26

Thursdays & Fridays 9:00 AM-11:00 AM Central Time for 8 class meetings

Class Dates: 9/10, 9/11, 9/24, 9/25, 10/1, 10/2, 10/8, 10/9

Cost of each training is $350. Cost to repeat the course is $50

Contact

womensministry@thecrucibleproject.org

for more info.

Register Here:

https://thecrucibleproject.org/training-schedule/

How You Can Stay Connected

When Healing Hurts: What My Spine Surgery Taught Me About the Soul

I’ve been in a season where my body stopped making sense to me. I had numbness, shooting pain, weakness in my foot, leg and glute, and I didn’t know why. That disorientation felt familiar. I’ve had moments in my life where my reactions, patterns, or relationships didn’t make sense either. There’s a particular kind of frustration (and often shame) that comes from not understanding your own experience.

In both cases, what I needed first wasn’t a quick fix, it was clarity. When my injury was finally diagnosed - sciatica from a large, herniated disc with downward extrusion displacing nerve roots - it didn’t immediately remove the pain, but it changed everything. We weren’t guessing anymore. Healing requires truth, but we don’t always arrive at that truth alone.

Surgery was a turning point, but it wasn’t the end. It was the beginning of a process. What surprised me most was that healing didn’t come through rest alone. Too much stillness actually made things worse. What my body needed was movement, but not forceful, aggressive movement. Gentle, supported, intentional movement. Walking. Nerve glides. Not pushing until I collapsed but engaging in a way that allowed healing to continue. I’ve realized the same is true internally. Healing doesn’t happen through avoidance, but it also doesn’t happen through forcing ourselves forward. It happens through small, supported steps: telling the truth, staying present, and engaging in safe community.

I also learned that when something is inflamed, it can’t be forced into healing. Nerves don’t respond well to being stretched or prodded when they’re already irritated. They need space, soothing, and time. The same is true emotionally. When I’m triggered, I don’t have access to clarity or perspective. I need safety before I can make sense of anything. An overwhelmed system – physical or emotional – can’t heal while it still feels under threat.

At the same time, this journey has made me more aware of how complex healing really is. I’ve heard stories from others whose pain hasn’t resolved, whose options are limited, or for whom “movement” is far more complicated. What helps one person isn’t always available to another. Healing isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s deeply personal. Even the question of whether to push forward or accept limitations isn’t simple. I’m learning that not every limit is something to overcome – some are signals, some are boundaries, and some are places that require grief and adaptation.

What I’m walking away with isn’t a formula, but a better question: not “Should I push or should I stop?” but “What kind of movement will help me heal today?” I’m still learning the answer, but I’m learning to listen more closely, respond more wisely, and extend more compassion, both to myself and to others on the journey.

Testimonial from recent attendee:

“The Crucible became my desert place, the space where I met the God of the universe and faced the anxiety that had been flooding my life. I came desperate for clarity and relief. There are still deeper roots to uncover and tend, but in His infinite faithfulness, God has given me not only a new name, but a new way of being. I am beginning to experience peace like a river. The journey continues…”

We want to hear from you! 📋 Fill out our weekend survey

Coming Up

Explore the opportunities ahead to deepen your journey, serve others, and invite new participants into the Crucible experience.

2026 Retreats

April 24-26: Initial Weekend in Centennial, Wyoming

June 5-7: Initial Weekend in Limuru, Kenya

June 12-14: The Mission Weekend in Limuru, Kenya

August 14-16: Leadership: Dark Side in Andover, CT

August 14-16: The Mission Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois

September 11-13: Initial Weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma

October 16-18: Initial Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois

October 23-25: Initial Weekend in Empire, Colorado

October 30-November 1: Initial Weekend in Chidlow, Western Australia

November 6-8: Second Level Retreat (Topic TBD) in Chidlow, Western Australia

November 13-15: Initial Weekend in Connecticut

Trainings

If you have a desire to participate in facilitation trainings in 2026 or 2027, but don’t see a date or time that fits your needs below, please fill out this Google Form so we can plan how to best meet the training needs of Redwoods:

Register Now for Upcoming Trainings:

Introduction to Facilitation Training
(Rescheduled from the Spring to the Fall) Start Date: 9/10/26
Thursdays & Fridays 9:00 AM-11:00 AM  Central Time for 8 class meetings
Class Dates: 9/10, 9/11, 9/24, 9/25, 10/1, 10/2, 10/8, 10/9

Cost of each training is $350. Cost to repeat the course is $50

Contact us for more info.

Register Here: https://thecrucibleproject.org/training-schedule/

How You Can Stay Connected

- Join me and many Crucible Women at the Annual Gathering, June 26-27, Down in H-Town

- Join the Crucible Women WhatsApp Community and Private Facebook Group

- Join a Group or Lead One (scroll to the bottom of the groups page for info on leading groups)

- Check-in Wednesdays from 12-1pm on Zoom. For updates about specific meeting dates, join the Wednesday Lunch Bunch group in the Crucible Women WhatsApp Community.

🎧 Let these songs take you back to moments of the weekend  - check out our Spotify playlist.

 

 

 

A Thousand Women

I love watching people step into something new.

There is a particular moment when someone moves from standing near the edge of leadership to actually walking into it. Sometimes it’s quiet. Sometimes it’s hesitant. But there’s always a shift. A willingness. A moment where someone says, Yes, I think God might be asking me to do this.

And lately, I feel like we are seeing that moment everywhere in our women’s ministry.

Over the past season, more and more women have stepped forward to lead. Some have taken on brand-new roles. Others have said yes to responsibilities they weren’t sure they were ready for. Some are leading for the very first time. Some are discovering gifts they didn’t know they had.

Watching it unfold has been deeply encouraging.

Leadership development is one of the quiet miracles of ministry. It rarely arrives with a spotlight. Instead, it grows through small acts of courage. A woman volunteers to facilitate a group. Another says yes to helping host an event. Someone else begins mentoring or supporting the women around her. One faithful step leads to another.

And over time, a community begins to grow stronger because more people are carrying the mission together.

That’s exactly what we’re seeing.

This growth was especially evident at the Houston retreat, March 6–8, where we crossed an incredible milestone: 1,000 Redwood women.

Just writing that number makes me pause.

A thousand women showing up to invest in their spiritual lives. A thousand women seeking deeper connection with God. A thousand women willing to step away from their routines for a few days to listen, learn, and grow.

Moments like that remind us that God is doing something bigger than any one of us can see from our individual vantage point.

But the number itself isn’t the most exciting part.

What excites me most is what that number represents.

It represents conversations that sparked new friendships.
It represents prayers spoken over women who needed encouragement.
It represents leaders who stepped forward to guide, host, facilitate, and care for others.
It represents a community that continues to expand because women are willing to say yes to what God is asking of them.

Ministry grows when people show up.
But it multiplies when people lead.

And right now, we are watching that multiplication happen.

I’m grateful for every woman who attended the Houston retreat. I’m grateful for every woman who has stepped into leadership in this season. And I’m grateful for the many who are still discovering where God may be inviting them to serve next.

If you feel called to serve in a more hands-on way, we currently have an opening for a part-time Women’s Ministry Assistant, a role that helps support and empower women as they step into leadership. We’d love to hear from anyone interested in joining the team.

Growth like this doesn’t happen accidentally.

It happens when people listen to God’s prompting and take the next faithful step.

And I can’t wait to see where those steps lead us next.

-Brittany Duke-

Testimonial from recent attendee:

“The Crucible became my desert place, the space where I met the God of the universe and faced the anxiety that had been flooding my life. I came desperate for clarity and relief. There are still deeper roots to uncover and tend, but in His infinite faithfulness, God has given me not only a new name, but a new way of being. I am beginning to experience peace like a river. The journey continues…”

We want to hear from you! 📋 Fill out our weekend survey

Coming Up

Explore the opportunities ahead to deepen your journey, serve others, and invite new participants into the Crucible experience.

To register as a participant, visit www.thecrucibleproject.org and click on “Attend a Weekend.”
To apply to staff, log into the Redwoods-only section at www.thecrucibleproject.org/redwoods and select “Staff a Weekend.”
To register for a training, log into the Redwoods-only section at  thecrucibleproject.org/redwoods, scroll to the "I Want To" section and select “Training."

2026 Retreats

March 27-29: Initial Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois

April 11-13: Initial Weekend in Bergton, Virginia

April 24-26: Initial Weekend in Centennial, Wyoming

June 5-7: Initial Weekend in Limuru, Kenya

June 12-14: The Mission Weekend in Limuru, Kenya

August 14-16: Leadership: Dark Side in Andover, CT

August 14-16: The Mission Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois

October 16-18: Initial Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois

October 23-25: Initial Weekend in Empire, Colorado

November 13-15: Initial Weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Trainings

If you have a desire to participate in facilitation trainings in 2026 or 2027, but don’t see a date or time that fits your needs below, please fill out this Google Form so we can plan how to best meet the training needs of Redwoods: https://forms.gle/KxYXFaeogSX4nxgh8

Register Now for Upcoming Trainings:

Advanced Process Training: Sage & Predator, & Shadow Reversal
Note Adjusted Start Date: 4/30/26
Thursdays & Fridays 9:00 AM -11:00 AM Central Time for 8 class meetings
Class Dates: 4/30, 5/1, 5/14, 5/16, 5/21, 5/22, 5/28, 5/29

Introduction to Facilitation Training
(Rescheduled from the Spring to the Fall) Start Date: 9/10/26
Thursdays & Fridays 9:00 AM-11:00 AM Central Time for 8 class meetings
Class Dates: 9/10, 9/11, 9/24, 9/25, 10/1, 10/2, 10/8, 10/9

Cost of each training is $350. Cost to repeat the course is $50

Contact womensministry@thecrucibleproject.org for more info.

Register Here: https://thecrucibleproject.org/training-schedule/

How You Can Stay Connected

- Join the Crucible Women WhatsApp Community and Private Facebook Group

- Join a Group or Lead One (scroll to the bottom of the groups page for info on leading groups)

- Check-in Wednesdays from 12-1pm on Zoom. For updates about specific meeting dates, join the Wednesday Lunch Bunch group in the Crucible Women WhatsApp Community.

🎧 Let these songs take you back to moments of the weekend  - check out our Spotify playlist.

Stewarding Time

I am a wildly curious person.

I always have been. I want to know how things work. Why they work. What’s behind the thing behind the thing. I can start reading one article and somehow end up three topics away, fully invested in something I didn’t even know existed an hour earlier. I’ve been known to crack open broken phones and computers just to see what I can learn from the inside. I’ll disassemble an article of clothing to understand how the pieces fit together. Growing up, I read the encyclopedia and the dictionary for fun.

You can say it. I’m a nerd.

My youngest son is wired the same way. The two of us can chase a question for an entire afternoon and feel like five minutes passed. I genuinely love that about us. I think having a healthy sense of wonder and curiosity, and following it, can be an act of worship.

But lately I’ve been thinking about time differently.

The Crucible staff recently had a session with “The Time Boss,” Andrew Hartman, who challenged us to think of time as currency and our schedule as a personal budget. That idea has been sitting with me.

Because if time is currency, then I overspend. I run a deficit with yesterday, last week, last year.

I don’t overspend on bad things. I spend on interesting things. On fascinating things. I borrow from tomorrow. I stay up later than I should. I push into dinner prep time. I edge something important aside because I got pulled into something compelling.

And while curiosity is a gift, it still needs guardrails.

One way I’ve been processing Andrew’s seminar is this: the woman I believe God is calling me to be should drive my time budget.

Psalm 90:12 says, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” I don’t hear pressure in that. I hear invitation.

Number your days. Pay attention. Decide how to spend your time on purpose.

I don’t want my hours to just disappear into whatever grabs my attention first. I want my calendar to reflect what I actually value: the people I love, the work I’m called to, the rest my body needs.

Wonder is welcome. Curiosity is still a gift from God. But wisdom asks me to steward even good things well.

We’ve been given 168 hours this week.

How will we spend them?

Testimonial from recent attendee:

“The Crucible became my desert place, the space where I met the God of the universe and faced the anxiety that had been flooding my life. I came desperate for clarity and relief. There are still deeper roots to uncover and tend, but in His infinite faithfulness, God has given me not only a new name, but a new way of being. I am beginning to experience peace like a river. The journey continues…”

We want to hear from you! 📋 Fill out our weekend survey

Coming Up

Explore the opportunities ahead to deepen your journey, serve others, and invite new participants into the Crucible experience.

To register as a participant, visit www.thecrucibleproject.org and click on “Attend a Weekend.”
To apply to staff, log into the Redwoods-only section at www.thecrucibleproject.org/redwoods and select “Staff a Weekend.”
To register for a training, log into the Redwoods-only section at  thecrucibleproject.org/redwoods, scroll to the "I Want To" section and select “Training."

2026 Retreats

February 20-22: Initial Weekend in Valle de Bravo, Mexico

March 6-8: Initial Weekend in Houston, Texas

March 27-29: Initial Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois

April 11-13: Initial Weekend in Bergton, Virginia

April 24-26: Initial Weekend in Centennial, Wyoming

June 5-7: Initial Weekend in Limuru, Kenya

June 12-14: The Mission Weekend in Limuru, Kenya

August 14-16: Leadership: Dark Side in Andover, CT

August 14-16: The Mission Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois

October 16-18: Initial Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois

October 23-25: Initial Weekend in Empire, Colorado

November 13-15: Initial Weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Trainings

If you have a desire to participate in facilitation trainings in 2026 or 2027, but don’t see a date or time that fits your needs below, please fill out this Google Form so we can plan how to best meet the training needs of Redwoods: https://forms.gle/KxYXFaeogSX4nxgh8

Register Now for Upcoming Trainings:

Advanced Process Training: Sovereign & God-Split, Risk Manager & What’s at Risk
Note Adjusted Start Date: 3/12/26
Thursdays & Fridays 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM Central Time for 8 class meetings
Class Dates: 3/12, 3/13, 3/19, 3/20, 4/2, 4/3, 4/16, 4/17

Advanced Process Training: Sage & Predator, & Shadow Reversal
Note Adjusted Start Date: 4/30/26
Thursdays & Fridays 9:00 AM -11:00 AM Central Time for 8 class meetings
Class Dates: 4/30, 5/1, 5/14, 5/16, 5/21, 5/22, 5/28, 5/29

Introduction to Facilitation Training
(Rescheduled from the Spring to the Fall) Start Date: 9/10/26
Thursdays & Fridays 9:00 AM-11:00 AM Central Time for 8 class meetings
Class Dates: 9/10, 9/11, 9/24, 9/25, 10/1, 10/2, 10/8, 10/9

Cost of each training is $350. Cost to repeat the course is $50

Contact us for more info.

Register Here

How You Can Stay Connected

- Join the Crucible Women WhatsApp Community and Private Facebook Group

- Join a Group or Lead One (scroll to the bottom of the groups page for info on leading groups)

- Check-in Wednesdays from 12-1pm on Zoom. For updates about specific meeting dates, join the Wednesday Lunch Bunch group in the Crucible Women WhatsApp Community.

📋 Fill out our weekend survey

🎧 Let these songs take you back to moments of the weekend  - check out our Spotify playlist.


 

A Moment Worth Celebrating: Welcoming Two New Certified Retreat Leaders

As we begin 2026, I’m excited to share an important milestone in the life of our women’s community: It is my honor to share that Jolynne Turner and Lina Reed have been certified as Crucible Retreat Leaders.

With their certification, our community now has five Certified Women’s Retreat Leaders, up from three. This growth is not just numerical – it reflects years of faithful investment, determination and discernment within our leadership development pipeline. Moments like this invite us not only to celebrate who has been affirmed, but also to reflect on how leadership is grown among at the Crucible Project.

Leadership that is fostered, not rushed

Becoming a Certified Retreat Leader within Crucible is a years-in-the-making journey. It cannot be rushed, fast-tracked, or achieved through skill alone. Certification reflects demonstrated proficiency across every dimension of retreat leadership – planning and execution, shepherding lead teams and staff teams, holding participants, and stewarding the spiritual and emotional arc of an entire weekend.

Equally important is the unseen work: ongoing personal formation, participation in second-level retreats, long-term soul group engagement, and a willingness to be known deeply over time. Leadership here is not conferred lightly. It is discerned communally, tested faithfully, and entrusted with great care.

I have had the privilege of walking alongside both Jolynne and Lina through this process, witnessing not only their competence, but their character—their humility, courage, and teachability; their capacity to receive challenge as a gift; and their commitment to lead from a grounded and integrated place. Their certification represents the confidence of their local communities, the Retreat Leader Team, and elder women within our movement that they are ready to carry this responsibility.

Celebrating Jolynne Turner

Jolynne Turner lives in Perth, Western Australia, with her husband Dale (also a Redwood), and has been pioneering soul work for many years. Empowerment has long been a guiding value in her life, shaped in part by her work with adults with special needs, where connection, encouragement, and faithful presence were central.

Jolynne has been instrumental in growing the Crucible women’s community in Perth and in helping bring Crucible to women across Australia. During COVID, she helped lead an online Crucible women’s weekend for the women of Perth, creating a pathway for enough women to complete the work so that—once restrictions lifted—the community could host their first in-person women’s weekend. It was a milestone many years in the making, requiring creativity, perseverance, and deep trust in the process.

She has traveled to the United States multiple times to deepen her leadership formation, serving on weekends and participating as both participant and staff in the Leadership Dark Side pilot weekends. In my experience, Jolynne is a woman deeply committed to integrity in all areas of her life and continually seeking to grow in safe leadership, loving others well, and stepping into greater confidence.

This certification recognizes not only completed requirements, but Jolynne’s steady courage, relational strength, and long-standing commitment to empowering others through soul work.

Celebrating Lina Reed

Lina Reed lives in Tenancingo, Mexico, where she and her husband Matthew serve as full-time ministry workers. Matthew is deeply involved in Crucible’s men’s work in Mexico, and together they have faithfully poured themselves into the growth of this community.

In addition to her on-the-ground ministry, Lina serves on Crucible’s Board of Directors, offering leadership and discernment at the organizational level. She has played a vital role in translating Crucible materials from English into Spanish and in bringing the women’s weekend to Mexico—helping ensure that our work is accessible to Spanish-speaking women and culturally rooted in the communities we serve.

Lina brings a powerful, grounded presence to leadership. Her certification recognizes not only completed requirements, but her ability to bridge cultures, hold complexity, and faithfully steward Crucible’s transformational work across languages and borders.

Notice what stirs within you

As we celebrate Jolynne and Lina, I’m aware that moments like this often stir something in the wider community: both admiration and a heart’s whisper: Could this be the path for me too?

If so, I want you to know – leadership within Crucible is about first leading yourself, within the community God has placed you in, and faithfulness over time. This path remains is open to women who are willing to do the work, stay in relationship, and grow under loving challenge.

Today, though, we pause to honor what God has already brought to fruition.

Please join me in celebrating Jolynne Turner and Lina Reed—and in giving thanks for the way they have said yes, again and again, to the long obedience of leadership.

Blessings,

Lisa Modrzejewski

Testimonial from recent attendee:

“I was born into a life of trauma and abuse. I have been stuck in a fight or flight cycle for 41years. I don’t even know what peace felt like, but I prayed it was possible. My initial weekend was incredibly hard, and I had to open wounds that have been buried for years- but it was worth it! I received healing and peace I don’t even know was possible. My family constantly says how much they can see a difference- like a huge weight has been lifted. I am forever grateful for Crucible - it changed, and saved, my life.” – Colorado Women’s Retreat Attendee

We want to hear from you! 📋 Fill out our weekend survey

Coming Up

Explore the opportunities ahead to deepen your journey, serve others, and invite new participants into the Crucible experience.

To register as a participant, visit www.thecrucibleproject.org and click on “Attend a Weekend.”
To apply to staff, log into the Redwoods-only section at www.thecrucibleproject.org/redwoods and select “Staff a Weekend.”
To register for a training, log into the Redwoods-only section at  thecrucibleproject.org/redwoods, scroll to the "I Want To" section and select “Training."

2026 Retreats

February 13-15: Initial Weekend in Valle de Bravo, Mexico

February 20-22: Initial Weekend in Valle de Bravo, Mexico

March 6-8: Initial Weekend in Houston, Texas

March 27-29: Initial Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois

April 11-13: Initial Weekend in Bergton, Virginia

April 24-26: Initial Weekend in Centennial, Wyoming

June 5-7: Initial Weekend in Limuru, Kenya

June 12-14: The Mission Weekend in Limuru, Kenya

August 14-16: Leadership: Dark Side in Andover, CT

August 14-16: The Mission Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois

October 16-18: Initial Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois

October 23-25: Initial Weekend in Empire, Colorado

November 13-15: Initial Weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Trainings

If you have a desire to participate in facilitation trainings in 2026 or 2027, but don’t see a date or time that fits your needs below, please fill out this Google Form so we can plan how to best meet the training needs of Redwoods: https://forms.gle/KxYXFaeogSX4nxgh8

Register Now for Upcoming Trainings:

March-April, Thursdays & Fridays 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Advanced Process Training: Sovereign & God-Split, Risk Manager & What’s at Risk

May-June, Thursdays & Fridays 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Advanced Process Training: Sage & Predator, & Shadow Reversal

Register Here

How You Can Stay Connected

- Join the Crucible Women WhatsApp Community and Private Facebook Group

- Join a Group or Lead One (scroll to the bottom of the groups page for info on leading groups)

- Check-in Wednesdays from 12-1pm on Zoom. For updates about specific meeting dates, join the Wednesday Lunch Bunch group in the Crucible Women WhatsApp Community.

📋 Fill out our weekend survey

🎧 Let these songs take you back to moments of the weekend  - check out our Spotify playlist.


 

The Gift That Still Warms Me

December 2025

Dear Women of The Crucible Project,

Recently, the group of Crucible women that I meet with weekly decided to do a group project that uses old sweaters. In preparation, I went through my stash of fabric and old clothes and found within a walk down memory lane: A cashmere and silk sweater set.

I was a young teenager when I received it — I was the oldest of five kids, spending most of my days working on a dairy farm. My feet were often wet, my clothes selected for durability and practicality, my life full of responsibility. And at the same time, I was an aspiring pianist and student with an eye for beauty, music, and the finer details of life. Somehow, my Grandma Bev noticed.

That Christmas, she gave me a deep magenta sweater set: a sleeveless mock turtleneck and a cardigan with deep pockets and a deep V, made of a cashmere-and-silk blend. It was soft, substantial, and clearly chosen with care. I remember unfolding it and feeling not just surprise, but recognition — as if someone had seen something in me and named it without words.

The gift wasn’t about leaving farm life behind. There are deep dignity and goodness in that work. But Grandma Bev seemed to understand that I had my eye set on something else, too — that my heart was drawn toward music, learning, and new possibilities. That sweater helped me trust that I could move through the world with confidence and competence. It helped me feel like my voice and contributions mattered.

A few years later, at sixteen, I got a job as a bank teller — and I loved it. I loved the responsibility, the trust, the sense of being capable. At eighteen, I received an academic and music scholarship for undergrad that opened even more doors. I can trace a quiet line back to that Christmas gift: the affirmation that I was allowed to pursue my interests, to go for it, to become who God had made me to be. I continued to wear that sweater set for years, beyond college and into womanhood and motherhood. (Christmas 2013 with my husband and three littles pictured)

At Christmas, we celebrate the ultimate act of affirmation: God entering the world in the vulnerability of a child. Jesus didn’t arrive with status or credentials. He came close. He saw people clearly. He spoke identity into fishermen, women at wells, tax collectors, and children — calling them beloved, capable, chosen.

Many of us have received gifts like that along the way. Maybe not a sweater, but a word, a gesture, a presence that helped us see ourselves more clearly. This season, I invite you to reflect: Who has spoken life into you? Who planted seeds that shaped who you are today?

And then, just as importantly, consider this: Who might God be inviting you to bless?

You don’t have to be perfect or have it all figured out. You simply have to notice. A thoughtful word. A small act of generosity. A moment of attention. These are not small things in the Kingdom of God.

This Christmas, may we remember with gratitude — and may we give with intention. You never know which simple gift will become someone else’s turning point.

Lisa Modrzejewski

Women’s Ministry Director

Coming Up

Explore the opportunities ahead to deepen your journey, serve others, and invite new participants into the Crucible experience.

2026 Retreats

Click here to see open staffing applications and apply to staff a retreat! Don't see a retreat listed that you would like to staff? Staff applications are opened when the Retreat Leader is ready to begin receiving applications. Keep an eye on our initial women's Facebook page for staff application announcements!

* Denotes that staff application is open 

*January 16-18: Unshackled Second-Level Retreat in Tulsa, Oklahoma

February 13-15: Initial Weekend in Valle de Bravo, Mexico

February 20-22: Initial Weekend in Valle de Bravo, Mexico

*March 6-8: Initial Weekend in Houston, Texas (Now accepting staff applications!)

March 27-29: Initial Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois (Now accepting staff applications!)

*April 10-12: Initial Weekend in Bergton, Virginia (Now accepting staff applications!)

April 24-26: Initial Weekend in Centennial, Wyoming (Now accepting staff applications!)

June 5-7: Initial Weekend in Limuru, Kenya

June 12-14: The Mission Weekend in Limuru, Kenya

August 14-16: Leadership: Dark Side in Andover, CT

August 14-16: The Mission Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois

October 16-18: Initial Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois

October 23-25Initial Weekend in Empire, Colorado

November 13-15Initial Weekend in Andover, CT

Trainings

We’re compiling a list of people (men & women) who wish to participate in facilitation trainings this year. Please fill out this Google Form so we can plan how to best meet the training needs of Redwoods.

Register now for these upcoming trainings:

  • January-February, Thursdays and Fridays, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Advanced Process Training: Lover, Tombstone & Switch
  • March-April, Thursdays and Fridays, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Advanced Process Training: Sovereign & God-Split, Risk Manager & What’s at Risk
  • May-June, Thursdays and Fridays, 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Advanced Process Training: Sage & Predator, & Shadow Reversal

Click here to register online for these trainings.

Testimonial from Recent Attendee

“I walked away with clarity, confidence, and a deeper understanding of myself. This retreat helped me face things I’ve carried for years and finally process them in a healthy, honest way. I left feeling lighter, stronger, and more grounded in who I am — as a woman, a wife, and a mother. It gave me tools to move forward with purpose instead of staying stuck in old patterns.” - Kiara

How You Can Stay Connected

- Join the Crucible Women WhatsApp Community and Private Facebook Group

- Join a Group or Lead One (scroll to the bottom of the groups page for info on leading groups)

- Check-in Wednesdays from 12-1pm on Zoom. For updates about specific meeting dates, join the Wednesday Lunch Bunch group in the Crucible Women WhatsApp Community.

📋 Fill out our weekend survey

🎧 Let these songs take you back to moments of the weekend  - check out our Spotify playlist.


 

Countless Remarkable Moments

November 2025

Dear Women of The Crucible Project,

This past month, we witnessed something beautiful. Something that feels like a glimpse of the Kingdom of God unfolding in real time.

In just four weeks, three women’s Initial Weekends took place across the country.

  • October 17–19 in St. Charles, IL – our oldest and most established women’s community.
  • October 24–26 in Empire, CO – the first-ever Initial Weekend for the Colorado women’s community.
  • November 7–9 in Tulsa, OK – a new and growing community taking bold steps forward.

Across these three weekends, 58 women stepped into the sacred journey of meeting themselves, in the presence of God and other women, with courage, grace, and truth.

And the ripple effect is still spreading.

What moved me most wasn’t just the number of weekends or the number of participants—it was the women who staffed multiple weekends back-to-back, pouring out their hearts, energy, and gifts so that others could receive the same radical acceptance and challenge they have tasted. This is the essence of our community: women who keep showing up for one another, again and again, because they believe deeply in how much our broken and hurting world needs this work.

Repeatedly, I hear women say things like:

“I want my sister to know this kind of freedom.”
“I want my daughter to grow up with this kind of self-compassion.”
“I wish my mom could feel this kind of grace.”

It’s the dream many of us quietly hold, that the people we love most might discover what it feels like to be fully seen and still fully accepted. To experience healing in places long guarded. To wake up to their own strength and know their value. To know they are not alone.

This past weekend’s retreat – our final women’s retreat of 2025 – also marked a significant milestone. Since launching in 2019, we have now held 62 women’s retreats. Sixty-two times women have gathered in sacred spaces, braved their stories, encountered God in new ways, and left transformed. That number represents thousands of moments of courage, compassion, truth-telling, forgiveness, and breakthrough. It represents you.

These weekends remind me that our movement is growing not because of marketing, strategy, or programs—but because women are changed, and changed women naturally invite others into transformation.

As we head toward the end of the year, I’m celebrating the women who said “yes” to themselves, the women who served sacrificially, and the women who are praying, hoping, and preparing to invite others to a Crucible retreat in the months to come.

Sisters, thank you for the ways you are widening the circle. Our communities are expanding because of you.

With gratitude and fierce hope,

Lisa

Coming Up

Explore the opportunities ahead to deepen your journey, serve others, and invite new participants into the Crucible experience.

2026 Retreats

Click here to see open staffing applications and apply to staff a retreat! Don't see a retreat listed that you would like to staff? Staff applications are opened when the Retreat Leader is ready to begin receiving applications. Keep an eye on our initial women's Facebook page for staff application announcements!

* Denotes that staff application is open 

*January 16-18: Unshackled Second-Level Retreat in Tulsa, Oklahoma

February 13-15: Initial Weekend in Valle de Bravo, Mexico

February 20-22: Initial Weekend in Valle de Bravo, Mexico

*March 6-8: Initial Weekend in Houston, Texas

March 27-29: Initial Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois

*April 10-12: Initial Weekend in Bergton, Virginia

April 24-26: Initial Weekend in Centennial, Wyoming

*NEW* June 5-7: Initial Weekend in Limuru, Kenya

*NEW* June 12-14: The Mission Weekend in Limuru, Kenya

August 14-16: Leadership: Dark Side in Andover, CT

August 14-16: The Mission Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois

October 16-18: Initial Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois

October 23-25Initial Weekend in Empire, Colorado

November 13-15Initial Weekend in Andover, CT

Trainings

We’re compiling a list of people (men & women) who wish to participate in facilitation trainings this year. Please fill out this Google Form so we can plan how to best meet the training needs of Redwoods.

Register now for these upcoming trainings:

  • January-February, Thursdays 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Advanced Process Training: Lover, Tombstone & Switch
  • March-April, Thursdays 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Advanced Process Training: Sovereign & God-Split, Risk Manager & What’s at Risk
  • May-June, Thursdays 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Advanced Process Training: Sage & Predator, & Shadow Reversal

If you are interested in attending these advanced process trainings, (first-time $350, repeat for $50), contact Lisa Modrzejewski.

Testimonial from Recent Attendee

“The Crucible weekend was life changing. I have so much to say and few words…it’s a feeling of peace inside me that I have never experienced before.” -Kristen

How You Can Stay Connected

- Join the Crucible Women WhatsApp Community and Private Facebook Group

- Join a Group or Lead One (scroll to the bottom of the groups page for info on leading groups)

- Check-in Wednesdays from 12-1pm on Zoom. For updates about specific meeting dates, join the Wednesday Lunch Bunch group in the Crucible Women WhatsApp Community.

📋 Fill out our weekend survey

🎧 Let these songs take you back to moments of the weekend  - check out our Spotify playlist.


 

The Mirror of Other Women: How Community Reflects Your Identity 

October 2025

We grow most not in isolation, but in relationship. The women around us often see things we can’t see about ourselves: both our beauty and our blind spots. Sometimes that reflection is gentle; sometimes it stings. Yet every time, it’s an invitation to grow. 

A woman once reflected to me that she judged I was afraid of my own voice and leadership. that I tend to step back when my wisdom and challenge are most needed. She said, “You think you’re giving others the chance to step up, but sometimes you’re leaving them out to dry.” Her words landed like a mirror I didn’t want to look into. I thought I was being generous and empowering, but what she saw was fear hiding behind humility. My real transformation didn’t happen through solitude alone, but through the friction and sharpening of relationship. 

Others act as mirrors. They show us what we look like to them—what we sound like, how we occur in their experience. Sometimes the reflection matches how we see ourselves; other times it doesn’t. But even the uncomfortable reflections are valuable feedback. I can’t control how others see me, but I can choose how I respond. Will I defend myself or get curious about what’s true? 

Crucible groups and weekends are sacred places for this kind of reflection. They invite us to look honestly at how we show up and to offer that same clarity to others with compassion. It’s a rare gift to be seen honestly and still loved. 

Shame tells us we should stay hidden until we’ve cleaned ourselves up. It whispers, “If they really knew me, they wouldn’t want to be around me.” So, we deflect, perform, or wear a mask - the competent, kind, or strong version that hides the scared self underneath. But transformation begins when we let others see both our glory and our mess without apology. 

When someone offers us reflection, our first instinct might be to say, “That’s not true.” But growth asks for a pause. Breathe before responding. Listen for the kernel of truth. Ask, “What might God be inviting me to see here?” We don’t have to agree with everything said to let truth do its refining work. 

Being a faithful mirror for someone else is just as sacred. It’s about offering honest reflection without fixing, holding space for another’s pain, and trusting God to do the transforming. We don’t hand people mirrors to wound them; we offer them to set them free. 

The refining fire of community isn’t meant to burn us down, but to burn away what hides our truest selves. In the company of women who tell the truth with compassion, we become both seers and seen. As iron sharpens iron, so one woman sharpens another. May you have the courage to look into the mirror another offers you, and the grace to hold up a mirror of love for someone else. 

Pause and Ponder: 

Where might you be avoiding a mirror right now? 

Who in your life reflects you with both truth and compassion? 

What would it look like to offer someone else that same gift this week? 

Coming Up

Explore the opportunities ahead to deepen your journey, serve others, and invite new participants into the Crucible experience.

Retreats

2025

2026 – Save The Date!

  • January 16-18: Unshackled Second-Level Retreat in Tulsa, Oklahoma
  • February 13-15: Initial Weekend in Valle de Bravo, Mexico
  • February 20-22: Initial Weekend in Valle de Bravo, Mexico
  • March 6-8: Initial Weekend in Houston, Texas
  • March 27-29: Initial Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois
  • April 11-13: Initial Weekend in Bergton, Virginia
  • April 24-26: Initial Weekend in Centennial, Wyoming
  • August 14-16: Leadership: Dark Side in Andover, CT
  • August 14-16: The Mission Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois
  • October 16-18: Initial Weekend in Saint Charles, Illinois
  • October 23-25: Initial Weekend in Empire, Colorado
  • November 13-15: Initial Weekend in Tulsa, Oklahoma

Trainings

  • January-February, Thursdays 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Advanced Process Training: Lover, Tombstone & Switch
  • March-April, Thursdays 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Advanced Process Training: Sovereign & God-Split, Risk Manager & What’s at Risk
  • May-June, Thursdays 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM: Advanced Process Training: Sage & Predator, & Shadow Reversal

If you are interested in attending these advanced process trainings, (first-time $350, repeat for $50), contact Lisa Modrzejewski.

Testimonial from recent attendee:

"I went into the Crucible weekend feeling like I had been lugging around a thousand pounds for a very long time. I felt like a failure as a mom and as a wife and I couldn't figure out why life just felt so hard. It was literally miraculous how that burden was lifted during a 48-hr period, how much my eyes could see myself more clearly and my world. I cannot wait to keep growing in this direction."  - Mackenzie

How You Can Stay Connected

Fill out our weekend survey

Let these songs take you back to moments of the weekend  - check out our Spotify playlist.


 

Looking for more articles? Check out our "Women's Ministry" Archive!