Ministry Updates from Board Chair Linda Oury
20 years is so short AND long! This May I’ve reflected on them during Crucible’s 20th Anniversary year. Through them all, God was faithful!
In 2006 I was living in England consumed by work and with a marriage stuck in some unhealthy patterns. At the same time Crucible was just beginning through a small group of courageous men who were willing to be radically honest about themselves, give grace, and hold each other accountable.
A younger friend told my husband about Crucible. In 2009 he went on his initial retreat; it impacted him more than nine years of counseling. He changed; I watched and then I attended my first retreat with a sister organization as Crucible didn’t have Women’s work then.
From those “infancy” days Crucible has grown, changed, and matured- even through difficulties like “tight” funds, changes in leadership, COVID, and cultural norms. God grew Crucible, so we now serve in four countries, and more than 9000 people of diverse cultures have experienced radical honesty and grace through our retreats. Crucible is on mission to fuel Christ- like changes of transformation!
Radical changes like those my husband and I experienced through painful times during those twenty years and growing with Crucible. We now understand why we do what we do, how to own our emotions, find release from old patterns, and accept ourselves and each other. We are grateful to God for grace and what He does through Crucible.
May continued with meaningful work at our annual Crucible Board Retreat with four women and eight men board members and leaders Roy Wooten and Brittany Duke in attendance. Working from board values of Abundance, Accountability, Boldness, Clarity, and Innovation, we affirmed the direction of our strategic plan and budget. We shared our lives using Crucible “tools” and prayed.
We wrestled with important questions like how to continue to grow both Men’s and Women’s work, keeping consistency, but honoring the unique needs of each? We remain the only organization of our kind serving both. Though it is hard work at times, the fruit is amazing!
As we prioritize community development this year, we are thankful that Kenny Johnston and Al Wells have joined as Ministry Assistants, Chris Modrzejewski has moved into a Men’s Community Development role, and we are hiring a part time Community Development Resource and Training Coordinator. We desire all Crucible communities to live out the commitments we made to each other as we sang “Lean on Me”.
The board also created a $21,000 match for new or returning donors. Through the end of this month there is still time for you to participate. Check out our Women’s Ministry Director’s powerful Letter from the Heart. Come join in thanks for all Crucible means to you!
Another milestone in May was our first “co-gender” Elders’ Retreat which I attended. I am grateful to Chris Cleghorn, Bill Snyder, Scott Larson, Rudy Gezik who created and led it. We focused on “being versus doing”, embracing this stage of life, and learning how our later years can deeply shape our families and future generations. Athol Prior, Nathanial and Julie Harrison joined us from Australia and will launch the first co-gender Elder Retreat there next year!
If you love the mission like my husband and I do and want as many people as possible to experience this life-changing work, consider representing us at the Global Leadership Summit this year. You will enjoy top-notch leadership training at the event surrounded by other Christ-following believers. Let us know you are willing and we’ll get a branded shirt and some business cards to you.
Psalm 26:7 says, “Singing aloud a song of Thanksgiving and telling of all His wondrous deeds”. Thanks be to God for what He has done in our individual lives and thousands of others through Crucible! Let’s celebrate Crucible’s 20 years at the Houston Gathering June 26th and 27th. So thankful for a partnership promoting season six of The Chosen and that representatives will be at this year’s event.
To the next 20 years!
Linda Oury
Board Chair
May Ministry Updates
I’m checking in this month with a full and grateful heart. As I read through this newsletter, one phrase keeps making me smile: “Are you coming to the Birthday Party?”
This June, we celebrate 20 years of The Crucible Project at the upcoming Annual Gathering! 20 Years of God using us to lead people into deeper freedom, healing, courage, and transformation in Christ. Twenty years of soul work stories of God meeting people in profound and life-changing ways.
And honestly, I feel a little like the Psalmist when he wrote: “The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.” — Psalm 126:3. Except maybe I would also add, He is doing great things through us, and He is delighted in our surrender to Him.
This month’s newsletter is filled with stories, invitations, gratitude, and reminders that God continues to move powerfully through this community.
You’ll read a heartfelt letter from Men’s Ministry Director Byron Myers sharing why he personally chooses to give financially to Crucible. I love the honesty and conviction in his words. Generosity always flows from gratitude, and many of us know firsthand how deeply this ministry has impacted our lives and families.
You’ll also find an invitation to our 20th Birthday Celebration and Annual Gathering in Houston this June. I truly hope you will come. These gatherings are more than events—they are reunions of brothers and sisters who share a common story of transformation. We laugh, worship, reconnect, celebrate, and remember together.
If you’ve been wondering whether to come, let me lovingly encourage you: say yes. Early-bird tickets have just been extended for the next 10 days!
This month we also continue our journey through Crucible Project history with a look back at the years 2015–2018, a season of continued growth, stretching, leadership development, and expanding impact. Looking back reminds me how faithful God has been through every season—and how many Redwoods helped carry the mission forward with courage and sacrifice.
You’ll also discover a wonderful free resource from Byron Myers:
Leadership Training with Jesus, a 40-day devotional designed to help leaders grow in Christlike leadership and formation.
I hope you take advantage of it. It will soon replace the Unstuck offering on our webpages, so let others know where they can get their own copy.
Last month I shared about how Tulsa Retreat Leader Kim Rush’s leadership mattered on a recent women’s retreat’s last minute move to a new facility. This month, I share how Houston Retreat Leader Andy Spell’s Leadership Matters: The Pivot Weekend highlights that every volunteer staff member matters.
I continue to be deeply grateful for the men and women who lead our retreats across the globe. Leadership worth following!
You’ll also see an invitation for Redwoods to represent Crucible Project at the Global Leadership Summit in your community.
I love this opportunity because it allows us to carry the heart of Crucible outward—to connect with business leaders, church leaders, and people who may be searching for exactly the kind of transformational work we offer.
And as always, I encourage you to check out what is happening in both our
Men’s and Women’s Ministries.
God continues to move powerfully through retreats, groups, leadership development, coaching, and community.
Thank you.
Thank you for serving, giving, praying, staffing, leading groups, inviting friends, and continuing your own soul work. Thank you for helping us steward this ministry for the next generation.
Can’t wait to hug you at the Birthday Party. Continuing the Journey!
— Roy Wooten
Ministry Updates
I’m checking in with tenderness and hope.
The world feels messy right now. The headlines are heavy. The pressures many of us are carrying in our finances, relationships, work, families, and souls are real. And yet, in the middle of it all, I continue to see God at work in the Crucible community. I see Him drawing people back to Himself. I see Him restoring courage, joy, truth, and connection. And I see Him continuing to form men and women who are becoming more like Jesus.
As you read through this month’s newsletter, I hope you hear one clear invitation:
Do not drift. Lean in. Lean into God, your work, and your community. Lean into the work God has already begun in you.
One of the themes we keep naming in Crucible is this: you do not grow by watching. You grow by participating. This work was never meant to be something you admire from a distance or graduate from once your weekend is over. It becomes part of the way you live.
And in a season like this, that matters more than ever.
That is why this month’s newsletter points so clearly toward next steps.
For some of you, the next step is continuing your work through a Second Level retreat. Some of you know you are ready to go deeper into the places God first touched on your initial weekend. Some of you need to re-engage in a way that calls forth courage, healing, and greater freedom.
For others, the next step is community. You may not have found your group yet. You may need brothers or sisters who know your story, who will tell you the truth, and who will journey with you in your soul work. Groups remain one of the most important ways we stay connected, practice what we have learned, and keep moving toward transformation.
And for some of you, the right next step may be to find a Crucible Certified Coach. Sometimes what helps us move forward is intentional support, wise challenge, and a space to keep listening for what God is doing in our lives.
This month we are also highlighting the Men’s Two-Year Transformation Program , which brings those elements together in a powerful way. It is a highly intentional journey for men who want sustained growth. Participants move through the Second Level retreats together, meet three times each month in a cohort of brothers, and receive a monthly coaching call with their group leader.
It is designed for men who want to become more present husbands, fathers, leaders, and live and lead more like Jesus.
You will also see an article with a video. Mission Advancement Director, Stacey Huyler -Fisher, personally invites you to the Annual Gathering this June Down in H Town from the snow covered slopes of Colorado.
You will also see an article on finding your way back to joy in a messy world. I want to encourage you to read that one slowly. Many people are carrying a low-grade ache right now. This is not the season to isolate or pretend you are fine. It is the season to use the tools you learned on your weekend, reach out to fellow Redwoods, and let God meet you again in the places that feel tired, anxious, numb, or discouraged. True joy is not pretending life is easy. It is returning to the One who holds us steady in the storm.
You will also find an article that highlights Kim Rush, about how Crucible Leadership Matters and what it looks like to stay grounded and faithful when plans change last minute and pressure rises. Strong leadership matters in Crucible because it matters in life. And growth in leadership always begins with growth in the soul.
In continuing our celebration of our 20th year of ministry, you will also enjoy reminiscing about the period between 2010 and 2015. I find it fascinating that we are still grappling with some of the same issues over a decade later, while serving exponentially more Christ-followers than ever before.
Finally, I shared something deeply personal in From Roy’s Heart and the true reason why I and Devra are donors. Crucible changed my life. I know many of you could say the same. If you already give, thank you. If you have not yet joined us in fueling this work for others, I hope you will prayerfully consider it.
Redwoods, thank you for staying engaged. Read slowly. Pay attention to what stirs in you. And where God is inviting you to take your next step—through a Second Level, a group, coaching, serving, giving, or simply reaching out and reconnecting with a Redwood — and say yes.
With big love, Roy Wooten
March Ministry Updates 
I’m checking in feeling excited and grateful. I’m super excited that the Women’s Community has initiated our 1,000th Redwood Woman!!!!!! So thankful for Lisa Modrzejewski, Women’s Ministry Director, Retreat, Carpet, Group, and Community Leaders, and the hundreds and hundreds who have volunteered to staff a retreat. Thankful for so many who have donated, making a way for women in financially difficult situations to still experience grace and healing.
Each month this newsletter is a snapshot of what God is doing through the people and work of The Crucible Project. As I read through the articles in this issue, one theme keeps rising to the surface: transformation happens together.
Transforming to Be Like Christ
I had a new Redwood share “I was never able to live out my Christian faith before Crucible”, and that his initial retreat and Growth Group has radically changed his life over the past couple of months. God is using this ministry to work out the stuff between our ears, and between our head and heart, so that there is hope to be more like Jesus where there never was before.
In this newsletter, we challenge you to let your magnificence shine link to article, and stop hiding or waiting for others. We reflect on Easter and living like Christ. We share three shifts that can help you prevent or break out of burnout and overwhelm. And we share what is happening in Men’s and Women’s Ministry, and what is happening with our new Elder’s Retreats.
Across all of this, one truth continues to surface: this work was never meant to be done alone. Reach out and connect with a Redwood you know! It is in doing life together with our Crucible skills, that we will continue to be more like Jesus.
Down in H Town
The Annual Gathering Committee, led by John Owen and Stacy Huyler-Fisher, is working hard creating an awesome event where you can connect from Redwoods from all over the world. Mark your calendar for June 26-27 in Houston for “Down in H Town” 2026 Annual Gathering. If you would like to make a presentation, want to volunteer on site, or are interested in partnering with this event, you will find a link on that site. You will love this year’s gathering!
However you engage, community matters. God continues to grow this Redwood Grove—through honesty, courage, and the willingness of men and women to keep stepping toward the work. Thankful for the prayer warriors and financial partners that support this work.
And I’m grateful you are part of it.
Ministry Updates
The Forest Is Growing — And You Are Part of It
I’m checking in tender and happy. God has been good to Crucible. I am so thankful for so many engaged Redwoods who have driven growth in both retreat registrations and donations. As you read through this month’s newsletter, I’ve tried to share a theme:
Movement. Expansion. Engagement. This is not accidental. It is where we are as a ministry. And it is an invitation.
Opening the Door for Others
We began by asking a simple question: Why lead an Exploration Group? Because before someone ever steps onto retreat property, they need a safe doorway. Exploration Groups are becoming one of the most effective ways we introduce men and women to the Crucible way. They create space for honesty, for the kind of community that changes lives. Some of you are ready to gather a few people and open that door. You don’t need special credentials. You need willingness.
Getting Back in the Game
Then we asked another question: What’s keeping you out of the game? Some Redwoods are in a season of healing. Others may have drifted. But this work was never meant to be something you graduate from. Whether it’s joining a soul group, registering for a Second Level retreat, stepping into the Leader Track, volunteering, or simply reconnecting with another Redwood over coffee—engagement protects your soul. You don’t grow by watching. You grow by participating.
When the Tent Expanded
We revisit the moment when the work left Chicago. What began as a local ministry stretched into Texas and beyond because someone asked, “Why not here?” Expansion required courage, systems, leadership, and faith. It still does. Every region that now hosts retreats exists because someone was willing to stretch the tent pegs and trust God with the outcome.
Fueling the Mission
From the beginning, retreat fees have not covered the full cost of this work. We intentionally keep the price point lower than actual expenses, so finances are not the barrier to transformation.
Expansion across the United States and around the globe requires outreach investment, leadership development, stronger systems, and stronger communication systems to better connect Redwoods. It requires continued strengthening of weekend management systems. It requires investing in the next generation of certified Retreat and Carpet Leaders. It requires advancing the mission. Discover who God has brought to lead that charge and how you can get involved.
Serving Beyond the Weekend
We also highlighted opportunities to serve outside of retreats —editing, writing, curriculum development, graphic design, media engagement, podcast hosting, outreach coordination, Annual Gathering support, Global Leadership Summit representation, and more.
The Redwood Grove grows not just because of what happens on carpet, but because of what happens behind the scenes. Many of you carry professional skills that are Kingdom assets waiting to be put into action with this ministry.
Planting, Watering, Growing
The Apostle Paul wrote, “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow” (1 Corinthians 3:6). That is our story. Greg Huston planted. Early leaders watered. Many of you have watered and are watering. And God continues to bring growth. Now we stand in a season of momentum.
Men are still searching for identity and freedom. Women are stepping into deeper courage and integration. Leaders are being developed. Regions are expanding. Nations are opening. Technology is helping us stay connected. The next generation is watching to see if this work will be carried forward with integrity and humility.
The question is not whether the mission is moving. The question is how you will participate. Some of you will lead Exploration Groups. Some will re-engage your own soul work. Some will give generously to fuel expansion. Some will volunteer your professional skills. Some will step into leadership certification. Some will simply reach out and reconnect. Every action matters.
Redwoods, this has never been about building an organization. It has always been about forming people who are more like Jesus—men and women living in truth and grace, free from the control of the shadow, courageous in love.
The Redwood Grove is growing. I’m so glad you are a part of making it so. Thank you God for the Redwood reading this newsletter. Checking out Blessed!
Ministry Updates
Thank you for your generosity!
I am so thankful for each of you who helped Crucible finish 2025 strong by making an end-of-year gift to the ministry. Especially thankful for Redwood John Ivan, whose $25,000 matching gift challenge to 2 year program graduates led to gifts totaling over $31,000. I’m thankful for the gifts to the Blaine Palmer Fund (link to article) and the many gifts that support keeping our work financially accessible in 2026. If you haven’t set up a gift for 2026, you can do that now.
Our 20th Year of Ministry
The Crucible Project celebrates our 20th year of ministry in 2026. You’ll find another article of the earliest days of Crucible in this edition. Look for an article sharing our history in every newsletter this year.
New Beginnings in 2026
Each new year holds new promise for us. How will you plan your personal impact this year. As you get into action on any new goals or resolutions, remember that transformation is not an event, but rather a process. If we can help connect you with a group, or a coach, let us know!
Selling verses Sharing
Like me, I’m sure you know a few folks in your circle of influence who would benefit from a Crucible retreat. Inviting someone to a Crucible retreat can sometimes feel daunting. The pressure to have the conversation can sometimes feel like a sales pitch. Hopefully my thoughts about the difference between selling and sharing can help reduce your anxiety so you can continue to help others experience this powerfully transformative retreat.
Scheduling 2026
Mark your calendar for the 2026 Annual Gathering scheduled hosted by the Houston Community at West Houston Church of Christ, June 26 & 27. Catch up on the exciting news about what is happening in Men’s Ministry and Women’s Ministry Come volunteer to staff one of the 2026 retreats that are listed on the Women’s and Men’s pages. Plan your attendance at one of the online or in person leader trainings.
Prayer Request
Please keep our Redwoods across the United States and across the globe in your payers. Pray for the over 1,000 who will be leaving their families to volunteer staff one or more of the almost 70 retreats scheduled this year. Pray that God will bring participants to fill every bed and backjack. Pray that God will use Crucible for renewing of minds and hearts, healing of relationships, and developing deep friendships. Pray that God will provide the finances for Crucible to not only serve well this year, but sustain the ministry for the next generation. Your prayers for me, and for all the many leaders and staff within Crucible.
Thank you!
Ministry Updates
December 2025
I had a marvelous time connecting with family over Thanksgiving and am looking forward to much the same for Christmas. I enjoyed our staff team’s remote Christmas party filled with laughter and connection. It is a time of celebration... and opportunities for reflection.
Beginning Our 20th Year
I was recently able to express our deepest appreciation to Crucible’s Founder, Greg Huston, for his courageous decision to hold the first, what would become, Crucible initial retreat back in 2002. As I shared how far and wide Crucible has expanded, he laughed as I told him it was all his fault. He, and other leaders at that time, knew that to spread Crucible far and wide, we needed funds and volunteers. At this time in 2005, they anxiously awaited approval from the state of Illinois to launch this organization.
20 years later, much is the same. God is still using the incredibly powerful experiences on the Crucible Project initial retreat to change lives. Over 1,151 Redwoods volunteered last year and estimated 97,280 hours. And over 400 Redwoods financially invested in the mission with critical donations advancing the mission to serve more.
It’s Not Too Late
There is still time for you to pause and reflect so you can finish 2025 strong! It’s not too late to reflect on your soul work progress and to plan your personal growth in 2026, which might include volunteering for a retreat. And it is not too late to join other Redwoods in fueling our mission. There are only 10 days left for a 2025 donation to Crucible.
Join the Team
If you’ve ever wondered about what it would be like to be on the staff team, we have an opening. Our part-time men’s ministry assistant position is vacant. Who do you know would be a good candidate to support Men’s Ministry focusing on Community Development? Contact us for the full job description and join the staff team supporting volunteers across the Men’s communities.
Have a Merry Christmas!
This season is a wonderful reminder of the gift of Jesus to the world. Revisiting the gospels’ accounts of Jesus birth reminds us of the preciousness of life. Redwood Brooke Byrum, my daughter, recently gave birth to my 2nd grandson. Holding his fragile and dependent little body had me in awe that our Savior came to this world in a same state. It has me thinking about Christmas through the lens of Crucible’s teachings and values.
On behalf of the board and staff team, and my family, we pray God’s blessings for a meaningful and connecting Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Roy Wooten
Ministry Updates
November 2025
I’m so thankful for November. We are reminded of the sacrifices of Veterans and their families on November 11th. And our gratitude continues with America’s annual Thanksgiving season. For me and Devra, it means gathering with my family members, most of whom are Redwoods, and reflecting on all that we have to be thankful for.
There is a scientific connection between gratitude and a host of benefits including reduced stress, improved sleep, lower blood pressure. It also enhances self-esteem while increasing happiness and better health. Research also reveals the interesting cycle of gratitude and generosity.
Thankful for Greg Huston and 20 Years of Crucible
It was about this time of year in 2005 that a committee that would become the inaugural board of directors filed paperwork to establish The Crucible Project. When the government paperwork came back in early 2006, The Crucible Project was birthed. That means that 2026 is our 20th year of fueling Christ-like change through experiences of radical honesty and grace.
It would not have happened with good men standing along our founder, Greg Huston, and his selfless leadership that is his legacy. Each newsletter in 2026 will have an article celebrating our rich history.
Thankful for Crucible’s Growth
What started as Greg’s vision of coaching offerings as Dare to Soar in 2002 is still expanding into new United States’ communities and across the globe. In fact, we have heard the call to expand to new continents in the next few years. It will take generosity of time and financial partnerships for this expansion, well above what it will take to continue to fuel Christ-like change in 2026.
Thankful for You!
I am deeply thankful for you. Redwoods who live-out our values of integrity, grace and courage. Redwoods who always share the initial weekend opportunity with others in their lives. Redwoods who volunteer (and pay their own lodging) to staff retreats. Redwoods who volunteer to lead communities. Redwoods who partner financially with regular donations. Redwoods who lead groups and retreats. Redwoods who serve on the staff team that make our back office work, digital footprint grow, and help set volunteers up for successfully fulfilling the mission.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Roy Wooten
Ministry Updates
October 2025
I’m checking in, so excited about what I see happening in the ministry. Marriages and lives saved. Redwoods living in a season of their highest levels of integrity, grace, and courage ever. Intentional moves to live more in God’s purpose for their lives! It is amazing that I get to be a part of such an authentic community.
I love introducing what God is doing through Crucible to new people. God has had me in front of pastors, Christian business owners and entrepreneurs, Christian counselors and coaches, and groups of men as I’ve spoken at or had booths at the Global Leadership Summit, Convene, American Association of Christian Counselors and Coaches, and men’s church retreats.
I’m also thrilled that we have exposed people to Crucible on Christian radio, television, and podcasts through our tipping point initiative. Our own podcast continues to grow in downloads and subscribers. We’d love to have your help as we attempt to wake the church up to our powerfully transformative work.
We are only a few months into the new registration process meant to make it easier for people to financially access our retreats. More than ever before, participants are paying the full fee of $695 when they register. The price of $795 is affordable for almost every budget with payment plans as low as $88 monthly. In fact, I’m told that several participants who initially signed up requesting financial assistance have asked to move into the payment plan options. We will continue to monitor this new registration system and the impact on registrations, but so far, so good.
I am so thankful for those of you who are financially fueling the mission. Behind every great movement of God are the generous people whom God has blessed to fund the movement. I’m happy to let you know that we are investing in a new Mission Advancement Director position to facilitate generosity. We are also looking to fill a couple of part time roles: Operations Manager and Men’s Ministry Assistant, as Dan Ripple will be transitioning to volunteer roles.
If you haven’t yet financially partnered with Crucible, I’d love to have a conversation with you about what has kept you from giving back to a ministry that has done so much. The only way we continue to change lives is when generous Redwoods financially partner to fuel the mission.
Don’t forget to check in with what is happening in Men’s Ministry and Women’s Ministry. Learn about upcoming staffing opportunities, training opportunities, and updates about groups and coaching there. Join up to staff an upcoming weekend, or sign up for a 2nd level retreat. Your future self will thank you for it.
I am also thankful for each of you who volunteer on Regional Leadership Teams, on retreats, and with our back office. I love hearing stories about those of you who are always sharing the transformational opportunity with those in your life. I have deep gratitude for many of you who have this ministry in your prayer list. Keep praying for this mission!
With deep gratitude,
Roy Wooten