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:
- Be willing to travel to attend and staff second-level retreats in other communities.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Seek out others who are passionate about growing their community, and share ideas and encouragement with one another.
- 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.
- 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
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
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.
- 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
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
- 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
.
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.
- 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 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
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.
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.
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.
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.
- 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
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 23-25: Initial Weekend in Empire, Colorado
November 13-15: Initial 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.