Plan Your Personal Growth in 2026
December 2025
The turn toward 2026 is an invitation into a posture of intentionality. Not pressure. Not striving. But intentional, prayerful planning for the person you want to become in the coming year. Proverbs 16:3 gives us the foundation: “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.” God is not opposed to planning. He is opposed to self-reliance. Our plans become powerful when they are surrendered plans—rooted in calling, humility, and listening.
Here are two questions that might help guide you:
Who is God inviting me to become?
And what practices, commitments, or goals will help me say yes to that invitation?
Notice the order. Identity before activity. Formation before goals. If we’re not careful, we’ll create goals that feed our ego instead of goals that reflect our transformation. But the work of becoming a mature, wholehearted Christ-follower requires alignment with God’s voice.
Here are some ways to approach planning for 2026:
Discern the one or two themes God is highlighting.
Maybe it’s courage. Or patience. Or emotional honesty. Or deeper intimacy with God. Or healing a relationship. Or stepping into your calling with boldness. Let the Holy Spirit name the core themes. Everything else flows from there.
Identify practices that shape your soul.
Goals are useful, but practices form us. What rhythms will keep you connected to Jesus? Silence and solitude? A monthly check-in with a Redwood? A weekly Sabbath? Regular group attendance? A deep dive in a Second Level Retreat? Real rest? If you want to grow, anchor your year in practices that nourish your inner life.
Choose one or two stretch goals.
Not ten. Not twenty. Just a few that matter. Perhaps its grabbing a Coach? Maybe it’s initiating counseling. Launching a project. Repairing trust. Reading Scripture daily. Joining a group. Or something God has put on your heart that scares you a little. Stretch is good. Overload is not.
Make commitments visible and accountable.
Redwoods do not grow alone. Share your intentions with Redwoods you trust. Bring your goals into community and into prayer. What we hide rarely grows. What we name often flourishes.
Ask God to lead—not just bless—your plans.
Surrender is not passivity. It is active cooperation with the Spirit. When plans are committed to the Lord, as Proverbs promises, He establishes them. He gives them roots. He strengthens them. He shapes them according to His purposes.
As you step into 2026, hear this: you don’t need to become a different person; you need to become your truest self in Christ. Who God is forming in you is already there—waiting to be strengthened, refined, and called forth.
So plan boldly. Pray humbly. And step into the new year with expectancy. God has work to do in you—and through you—in 2026. Let’s enter the year with clarity, courage, and an open, surrendered heart.
Fuel Christ-like Change in 2026
As we approach Thanksgiving, I’m filled with gratitude for all God has done through the Crucible Project this year. Together, we hosted 64 retreats, served 2,093 participants, and supported over 1,100 volunteers to walk alongside men and women in their deepest soul work.
Behind the numbers are stories of healing and hope:
- Philip reconciled with his son after 12 years of silence.
- Pastor Blake returned to ministry renewed and on fire.
- Nathan and Jan discovered a new language for their marriage.
Yet, the need is greater than ever. Families are struggling. Leaders are weary. Marriages are hanging by a thread. And God is calling Crucible to bold growth.
2026 Initiatives Require Bold Generosity:
- Implement Crucible App and CRM automation.
- 2 New U.S. Community Launches.
- 2 New International Communities in New Continent.
- Increased Support of Regional Leader Teams
- Continued Leadership Development and Curriculum Development
But here’s the truth: this ministry cannot do this without your financial partnership.
Every gift of any amount funds these initiatives to reach more people in desperate need to encounter transformation.
Will you help us close 2025 strong with a year-end gift? Check out the many different ways you can financially partner with the mission.
How will your gratitude impact your generosity? Will you commit to a monthly gift of $25, $75, or $150? Would you partner with the mission through a one-time impact-gift this Thanksgiving season?
Your generosity ensures that in 2026, several hundred more people like Philip, Blake, and Jan will encounter God’s healing grace and courage to live differently.
Over the Thanksgiving meal, will you make a commitment to help us step boldly into the new year.
Together, we will fuel Christ-like change for generations to come.
Fueling Transformation in 2026
October 2025
This year has been extraordinary. Because of your generosity, more than 2,000 men and women took courageous steps toward healing and wholeness at Crucible retreats. Behind each number is a face, a family, a future forever changed.
I want to share one story with you:
“After twelve years of no contact with my adult son, I put my newfound courage into practice and wrote a lengthy apology. We are not where we want to be yet, but we are now talking. I would not have any relationship with my son if it weren’t for Crucible.” – Philip
Stories like Philip’s are only possible because of Redwoods’ prayers, presence, and financial partnership. Together, we are fueling Christ-like change through experiences of radical honesty and grace.
As we step into 2026, the call is clear: expand our reach for life transformation. Every $193 funds the gap between the registration fee and actual retreat costs for someone ready to encounter God’s healing work. Even $100 helps cover essential retreat supplies, retreats in new communities, and outreach to new referrers. Together, we make this possible.
Your generosity — no matter the size — joins with hundreds of others to make transformation possible.
Would you prayerfully consider a year-end gift so that more lives, families, and communities will be changed in the year ahead? Together, we are creating a world where people live with integrity, grace, and courage, fulfilling their God-given purpose.
Give today at thecrucibleproject.org/donate and make transformation possible for someone waiting to take that first courageous step. If you want to have a conversation about your generosity, reach out.