Resources

Spreading Christian Soul Work

Do you want to see Christ-centered soul work expand across the US and the world?

Over the past few months, several Redwoods have taken the initiative to introduce our transformative work to wider audiences by setting up booths at various conferences. Their experiences highlight an effective way to share Crucible with larger groups in an impactful way.

Choosing to showcase Crucible at these conferences stemmed from the recognition of the platform they provided for engaging with individuals eager to explore avenues of personal growth and transformation. By renting booths at these events, these Redwoods found themselves in the midst of communities ripe for exploration and learning, making it an ideal setting to share Crucible's mission.

The process of preparing for these conferences was streamlined by the support and resources provided by the Crucible office. Postcards and handouts are readily available, along with banners, booth layout suggestions, marketing material, and help with the booth fees. Crucible ensured that the Redwoods onsite in the booths had everything needed to effectively engage with conference attendees who stopped by. You can have access to these resources, too!

The impact of Crucible's presence at these conferences was palpable, with consistent booth traffic and attendees expressing genuine interest in learning more about Crucible and how to get involved. Distributing materials such as business cards with direct links to upcoming events and informational brochures further facilitated engagement and follow-up opportunities.

Crucible booths have exposed thousands to what God is doing through us at American Association of Christian Counselors and Coaches, American Association of Christian in Health and Human Services, Rocky Mountain Sectional of the Christian Camps and Conference Centers Association, Iron Sharpens Iron Connecticut, Finishing Well Conference, Southern Baptist Convention, Co+Op Texas Ministry Conference, and others over the past year.

Reflecting on his experience in a Crucible booth at the Iron Sharpens Iron men’s conference, Redwood Peter Aldrich shared that it is absolutely something he would do again. He stated, “It was worth getting out in front of people to help them understand the transformation Crucible offers so they can become who God created them to be.” He also noted the importance of choosing conferences that align with Crucible’s mission of igniting Christ-like change through experiences of radical honesty and grace because the attendees at those conferences are ready and seeking growth.

For those considering representing Crucible at conferences, booth rentals offer a practical and accessible avenue for spreading Crucible's transformative message. YOU can be part of spreading the word locally and globally! By stepping into these spaces of exploration and learning, you have the opportunity to empower individuals to embrace their true selves and embark on a journey of personal growth and transformation.

If you are willing to host a conference booth but would like help finding a conference in your area, reach out to Crucible and we can help you explore options. If you already know of an upcoming conference and would like help securing a booth and getting marketing materials, let us know and we can help with the process! If you can’t get to a booth but would help fund the efforts to spread Christian soul work across the globe, make a donation or find out other ways to give. Partner with Crucible to create a world of men and women who live with integrity, grace and courage, fulfilling their God-given purpose.

Join by Financially Contributing

Behind every great movement of God, generous business leaders have partnered with those doing the work in the ministry. God raises up people to do the Kingdom work and he also raises up patrons to support them. A Gospel Patron is a someone who is personally and financially involved in supporting Christian leader’s Kingdom work.

Jesus and the Apostle’s Ministry

Jesus did not fund his ministry with miracles. Luke 8:1-3 tells us that “Mary… Joanna… and Susanna… and many others, provided for (the ministry) out of their means.” Romans 16:1-2 records that Phoebe was a patron of many, including Paul. Acts 4:36-37 records that Barnabas funded the early church as well.

Church History Movements and Patrons

History records a cloth merchant, Humphrey Monmouth, who in the early 1500s was thrown into prison for funding William Tyndale’s translation of the Bible into English. Selina, Countess of Huntingdon, who supported George Whitfield, an evangelist itinerant preacher in the 1700s associated the “Great Awakening” movement across the US. British merchant and philanthropist supported writer, hymnist, priest and abolitionist John Newton in his Kingdom work.

“I’ve been hearing God say, “my enough is your enough”… The abundant life is not about how much I have, but how much I can give.”” – Janice Worth

Your Financial Gift = Your Ministry

Not everyone has the gift to create successful careers or businesses. Some are gifted by God to make money. Others may not have time, energy, or health to volunteer for or lead retreats. The truth is that God has gifted you to serve with what you have and in your gifting.

In Gospel Patrons, John Rinehart states, “I knew life was about more than making money. More than climbing the ladder. More than the American Dream. I believed God put me on planet earth for a reason.” He challenges us that “Gospel Patron is the tender journey of what it is to be a Christian business leader… This is how the Gospel spreads: someone is going to preach and someone is going to provide.”

Giving from Wealth Not Discretionary Income

Gospel patron Redwoods are those who believe in our mission and want to see it spread across the globe. They give from their overall net worth, instead of their discretionary income. They prioritize generosity in their family and business budgets and highly value what God is doing through Crucible to ignite Christ-like change through experiences of honesty and grace.

Learn more about the many ways to give, including gifts of real estate, vehicles, securities, donor advised fund, trusts, and other assets. Discover the process for leaving a legacy gift through your estate. Ascertain if your employer matches your Crucible giving. Or make a direct donation through credit, debit or ACH transfer, monthly or as a one-time gift, in honor or in memory of someone you love.

If you would like to set up a conversation with Crucible leadership about questions you have, let us know.

What is a Development Group?

Development groups are groups where you can continue to “wrestle with God” through what has historically been called, “Carpet Work." A trained and certified leader, usually along with an apprentice leader-in-training, provides you with an opportunity to do soul work over the course of life’s ups and downs.

Why Do More “Wrestling with God”?

Many new in our work assume that their carpet work experience was all that they will ever need. Most of us who continue our journey in work have found that getting at the same issue from multiple angles helps bring fuller wholeness. What you did on your weekend approached the issues that have been driving you from a specific quadrant process. Getting back on the carpet might bring you back to the same wounding place, but give you an opportunity to do a piece of work that you have not done so far.

Who Is It For?

Redwoods who have completed the Growth Group and want to continue their journey by going deeper find great benefit in Development Groups. You may find that you are not committed to all the 2^nd level weekends or coaching, but would like to have the 2-Year Program Development Group experience. If you are wanting to take on life with purpose, passion and power, this is the group. Life is the curriculum. Each week you come with the current issue you are facing. You share the journey doing work around the shadows that keep you stuck and celebrate your progress together with growth-committed Redwoods.

90-minute meetings
Meets three times a month (one week off each month)
Usually in person, but also available online
Meeting Process: Check-ins followed by bidding for work; one or two participants each meeting (as time permits) are led through a carpet process by a trained and certified leader (or supervised leader-in-training)
Minimum four-month commitment, but no limit on how long you stay (many stay for years!)
Cost: $110/month

Get started by contacting Lisa Modrzejewski or Byron Myers.

Stop the BS and Get Real in 2024

If you don’t like how 2023 ended, then this article might be for you.

Don’t repeat what you’ve said you were going to do every year and then not do it. Stop the BS!

You will not and cannot reach your goal if you keep doing the same thing.

Get Clear on Your Commitment

“This year, I think I’m going to…” “I really want to … in 2024” “I’d really like to…”

This language is NOT commitment language. Your words have power. There is a difference between expressing your want and declaring your commitment. If you are making a commitment, make it a clear commitment. Declare what you will do and by when. State it verbally and in writing.

Don’t Declare it If You’re Not Fully Committed

Greg Huston was famous for saying that if every cell in your body isn’t fully committed, you are more likely not going to do it. Check in with your soul to see if you have reservations and make sure you have a “full body yes” before you make your declaration. If you don’t have a full body yes, it’s just BS.

Agreements and Commitments

If you have a “full body yes” and you make your declaration, you are making a commitment to yourself and to God. Take it to another level by declaring it to another person. When you declare it to another, your commitment turns into an agreement. A clear and definitive agreement with another, with specific action(s) and timeline provides motivation to stay in integrity with yourself and them.

You are more likely to break commitments to yourself and to God than another person. God made us to need others. Without making an agreement with another around your goal, you are less likely to reach it.

Welcome Support Accountability

You hold yourself accountable better when you welcome support accountability from the person you made the agreement with. Accountability means stepping into responsibility for the choices you made that kept you from keeping your agreement. It means considering if your choice is part of a pattern in your life and who, besides you, this pattern might be negatively impacting.

You are Not Perfect

Imperfection is expected. When you sit with the person with whom you broke your agreement and step into support accountability by owning your choices, you have a better chance of receiving grace instead of letting shame pile up and become another barrier to your goal achievement. The only perfect person who ever lived was murdered by all the imperfect people around him. Accept your imperfection, give yourself grace, and get moving toward your goal again.

Make a New Agreement

The best way to reach your goal after you’ve blown it is to make a new agreement. Consider breaking it down into a smaller step or changing one of the measurements or timelines. Make your goal more achievable now so that you can make it more challenging after this win. Declaring your new commitment and making a new agreement toward your goal with another person is the way to continue to move toward victory. No new agreement is just BS.

You Can’t Do It Alone

“I’ve got to figure this out by myself” is BS. We were never meant to do life alone. Your track record shows that. Don’t do in 2024 what you did in 2023. Make 2024 your transformation year. Do 2024 BS-free. Join the Men’s 2 Year Program or sign up for 2^nd level weekends to deepen your transformation. Get in a group. Get a coach. Crucible is offering a free 30 minute coaching session to help you get started. Connect with your Men’s or Women’s Regional Leader. Find a mentor, Christian counselor or pastor. Just don’t try to do it alone.

Creating the 2024 You Really Want

On your initial weekend, you were challenged to stop blaming and complaining, and begin creating the world you really want. As 2023 comes to a close, live intentionally by planning to create the 2024 you really want. Take some time alone to reflect, journal and plan. Step into responsibility and into integrity with yourself, God and others!

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” – Psalm 37:4 NIV

Review 2023

Begin by journaling about where you are and what you’ve learned the last twelve months.

What are your disappointments, failures, and breakdowns?
What are your successes, wins, and accomplishments?
What have your learned about yourself and your life? What insights have you gained?
Where are you in being all that God has called you to be?
How is your relationship with God been this year?
What are you grateful for?

“A well-thought-out plan will work to your advantage, but hasty actions will cost you dearly.” Proverbs 21:5 VOICE

Plan for 2024

Begin with the end in mind and turn your dreams into goals with specific target deadlines. Journal the following prompts. This can be repeated for other goals as well.

What I really want to create for myself in 2024 is… (brainstorm a list)
The most important one I want to focus on is…
When I closed my eyes and visualized for a few minutes creating this want, what came to me was…
The key values withi8n me that will drive this change and that make it important for me are…
A measurable goal of this want with specific dates and measurements so that I can know whether or not I reached it is…
Obstacles and barriers I may encounter in seeking to reach this goal are…
Support and resources (people, education, technology, etc.) I have in my life that can help me succeed in reaching this goal are…
The specific action steps, with specific dates, that I will take to achieve my goal and get what my heart desires are…
I am making the commitment to myself and God and will share this plan with…

“Brothers and sisters, as I said, I know I have not arrived; but there’s one thing I am doing: I’m leaving my old life behind, putting everything on the line for this mission. I am sprinting toward the only goal that counts: to cross the line, to win the prize, and to hear God’s call to resurrection life found exclusively in Jesus the Anointed.” - Philippians 3:13-14 VOICE

If you want to find a group or coach to support us, let us know!

Shop at Online Auction

For the first time in Crucible’s history, we are running an online auction. Online auctions are usually a great place to find a great deal. When they benefit a favored nonprofit, there is hardly anything more fun than shopping for that perfect Christmas present while supporting a worthy cause.

Clicking for Christmas

A great way to surprise that special someone in your life is to find them a unique gift. The Crucible online auction has several gifts to put a smile on their face.

Bourbon Basket – That special someone who loves bourbon will enjoy a bottle of Wellers 12 year along with special keepsake basket that includes 4 brandy glasses, whiskey cubes and a book on the history of bourbon.
Date Night Cooking Class – Make memories together at a Sur La Table event for couples and enjoy $150 shopping spree while you’re there. Keep the apron, tea towels, and couple’s selfie for memories.
Grilling and Meat Package – Who doesn’t love meat from Butcher Box? Enjoy $200 worth of shopping, two cookbooks, digital meat thermometer, cutting board, and the ever-famous Yellowstone spice kit. I’m licking my lips just reading this.
Three Crosses Cutting Board – If your special someone enjoys cutlery, they’ll love this three crosses cutting board with Joshua 24:15 engraved in it.
3 Nights for up to 6 Guests – Enjoy a getaway in Northeastern Wisconsin May through July 2024 to experience the beauty and serenity of the North Woods. A beautifully appointed cabins await you, with pristine lakes, hiking and walking paths and forested vistas to enhance your stay.
White-Tailed Deer Hunt – If your special someone is a hunter, join them in a 4-day, 3-night deer hunt at the 5500-acre Wilderness Reserve in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, between September and December, 2024. Lodging, meals, beverages, guide services and trophy fees are included.

Online Auction

Donate an Auction Item

Online auction items are still being accepted. Great items include gift cards, experiences, spa or golf packages, vacations, cabins, tickets, etc. To make a donation, complete the online form and you will receive a Gift in Kind acknowledgement for your IRS reporting. Make sure you indicate if shipping of the item is included or not.

Dollar for Dollar Match Up to $60,000

Bids above the actual price of the item are considered donations and are eligible to be included toward the $60,000 goal challenged by the Board of Directors. Financial donations must be received on or before December 31^st to be counted toward the goal.

Auction for a Good Cause

For the first time in our twenty year history, Crucible will host an online auction fundraiser November 1 – December 5. All proceeds will go toward the general operating budget of the ministry.

Bidding is not open yet, however, a few items are already available to preview, including a 4-day/3-night White-tailed Deer Hunt and a 3-night stay at a cabin on a wilderness preserve.

Other items that we expect to be donated for the auction include the following:

Experiences (shopping spree, entertainment, adventures, etc.)
Food and wine (gift cards or cases of wine, liquors, ect.)
Wellness packages (spa gift cards, etc.)
Sports (memorabilia, golf packages, event tickets, etc.)
Shopping (jewelry, gift cards, gift certificates, etc.)
Travel
Services
Electronics (TVs, etc.)

If you would like to contribute an auction item, you can complete the form online and your item will be reviewed for approval. Or if you have questions, let us know.

Growing Communities

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, churches, nonprofits and Crucible communities faced the formidable challenge of reigniting community engagement. Engagement has waned across the

country in multiple facets, from church congregations to volunteer initiatives and charitable contributions and beyond. In response to this predicament, Crucible and its dedicated leaders have actively sought innovative strategies to reconnect with Redwoods, fostering a renewed sense of community and purpose. In this article, Crucible community leaders Andy Spell, Chris Cash, and Dawn Aldrich share some of their thoughts and experiences surrounding reengaging Redwoods.

Rhythms of Growth and Reengagement

Within various Crucible communities, a well-defined rhythm of community growth has emerged, emphasizing the paramount importance of connection and leadership. This rhythm begins, as Dawn Aldrich shares, with inviting others to join you in your community development journey. It progresses by identifying and offering growth opportunities for the leaders who partner with you which may include things like participating together in carpet trainings or engaging with the Crucible Leader Track. The key with all of this is to advocate for individuals to assume leadership roles themselves. Leading by example and encouraging others to become certified Crucible leaders further enriches the fabric of the community. Once some of those tasks are happening, hosting local retreats and groups such as Exploration and Growth Groups serve to deepen the sense of community and belonging. This structured approach ensures that community leaders are actively engaged in various Crucible experience.

Why do we need communities?

But why is community engagement of such critical importance within the Crucible? The answer resides in the profound impact of authentic connections. “People are starving for authentic connection," Aldrich states. Chris Cash shares, “Going through The Crucible Project has helped me so much and I have only scratched the surface of my own journey. I stepped into wanting to grow the community because I want other men who might be going through what I am going through to know that they are not alone and help spread what I am learning to others so that it may help them.” We each hold a compelling need for genuine bonds and meaningful interactions. We need one another to lean on and these connections serve as the lifeblood of this transformative work.

Celebrate the Wins

To truly thrive, Community Leaders shared that each community must emphasize consistency and collaboration. Proactively scheduling activities in advance, preferably on a monthly basis, showcases intentionality and enables community members to plan their participation effectively. The formation of leadership councils, composed of community leaders, offers fresh perspectives and invaluable feedback, shaping the direction of community development. Importantly, Cash shares, it's crucial to remember what’s important when hosting community events. “Don’t get frustrated if the turnout or responses do not meet your expectations. Just continue to focus on big picture and count your wins, no matter how small they are.” The “wins” here are Redwoods coming together in collaboration with one another to impact their local community. No matter the size of the event turnout, each small success contributes to the larger tapestry of community growth.

Persistence is an indispensable ingredient in the recipe for community engagement. Regularly organizing events, sending out newsletters, and maintaining consistent communication are essential elements for keeping the community vibrant and dynamic. Most importantly in the post-pandemic era is actively reaching out to members who may have drifted away so that we reinforce their sense of belonging, reigniting their interest and commitment.

Don’t Go Alone

Pastor Andy Spell points out that building communities is an endeavor that requires the collective effort of all members. “Don’t go it alone, find other men (or women) to engage with you. Rebuilding is hard but get a group to do it with you and call out others if they aren’t helping. It can’t be up to one leader to grow the community, it’s all of us. It’s like a church – it’s not just up to the pastor to grow the church, it has to be everyone.” Leaders cannot shoulder the growth burden in isolation – community growth requires collaboration and the entire community has a collective responsibility for building, growing, and sustaining connection.

Inclusivity stands as a core principle. Diverse voices and ideas enrich the community experience, creating a more vibrant and dynamic space. This philosophy extends to welcoming and nurturing ideas brought forth by community members. Encouraging active participation and inviting members to contribute their ideas ensures that Crucible communities can remain fresh, adaptable, and ready to truly ignite Christ-like change in men and women in their area.

In the journey of reconnection and growth, intentionality plays a pivotal role. Both Andy Spell and Cash feel that embracing a grassroots-level approach marked by personalized invitations and outreach helps rekindle bonds, ensuring that every member feels valued and acknowledged. Roy Wooten frequently states, “Emails don’t work anymore. You have to pick up the phone or go see them face to face to reignite engagement.” For those struggling with reigniting engagement or on the beginning end of building a community, Aldrich shares, “If you want to see your community thrive, do some small thing every day to grow it. Find others to link arms with and run alongside you, preferably (those) who are different from you so that you attract more participants from all walks of life.”

Embracing a New Reality Together

As we navigate how to thrive in a new social reality, rebuilding and fortifying community engagement within Crucible communities assumes paramount importance. A structured approach to growth, underpinned by authentic connections and bolstered by consistency, collaboration, inclusivity, and intentionality, provides guidance and direction communities to thrive. The value of these engagements is immeasurable, creating a healthy soul work community where circle of authenticity, truth and grace bring wholeness, integrity and courage.

Resources for Sharing Crucible with Others

Podcast

The Crucible Podcast has been hugely beneficial in Redwoods sharing The Crucible experience with people they love enough to get into action. On the Podcast, men and women share stories about their weekend experience: how it has transformed and continues to transform their lives. Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and share podcasts with friends, family and on social media.

Postcards

Love is not passive, but actively engages with another. Who can you share your experience with? Whether you have a few friends to share Crucible with, or want to bring many postcards to an event, we've got the material for you! This is a great way to invite others to an an upcoming weekend!

To request Postcards, send us your name, address, community, and how many postcards you are requesting.

Engage on Social Media

Are you social? If you have a Facebook or Instagram account, please like, follow, share and comment on our outward facing social media channels. It is a free way to spread Crucible to everyone who knows you!

Lead an Exploration Group

Do you already lead a small group at church? Have you ever trained others at work? As a Redwood, you have the skills to lead an Exploratiion Group.

Exploration Groups are groups for souls who have not done a weekend yet. All of the group materials are pre-weekend activities. The Exploration Group Facilitator’s Guide is a free resource for you. All of your group members attend without a fee.

Reach out to let us know you’d like the curriculum, gather your group of either women or men and start your group. Some communities are reporting that the overwhelming majority of those who attend the Exploration Group attend the next retreat.

Salesforce Updates

We want to be sure to keep you updated on all that’s happening, ensuring that you are up to date! Salesforce is changing all the web addresses connected to their systems, meaning that any link on our website connected to salesforce has to be changed (any registration or payment page). We will be shutting down the website on May 26 from about 8am-3pm to make all these changes.

There will be a banner on the website a week prior letting users know that this day will have limited functionality. The website that Salesforce users go to log onto will also change on this day. Meaning that any bookmark that users have to login into salesforce will no longer work. You will be getting a new one via email after the changes are active (Friday afternoon May 26).

For more information or questions, reach out to Brittany.

We're With You

Just as the spring flowers blossom, we are excited watching the ministry happening in Crucible blossom too. Not only are many Redwoods completing initial weekends. Men and Women are also participating in groups, second-level weekends, releasing shame, and stepping into their power.

We see that change and life transformation in YOU. We are excited as we get to see YOU step into your God-Given power.

As a reminder from your initial weekend, you do not journey alone.

We want to support you as you LIVE and SHARE your Crucible journey.

Survey

As you navigate pieces on the website to get the information and support you need, how is your experience? We’d love to know the things on the website that are working for you, and what can be done better.

Fill out the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TCPWebsiteSurvey

Podcast

The Crucible Podcast has been hugely beneficial in Redwoods sharing The Crucible experience with loved ones. On the Podcast, men and women share stories about their weekend experience: how it has transformed and continues to transform their lives.

It has been just as impactful for the Podcast Hosts who get to interview guests.

Podcast Host Jay Mountjoy shared, “I have loved hearing other men's stories about their weekend experiences as it helps remind and ground me to my weekend experiences. I love hearing the about the growth, the change, the Grace that has come from the weekend experiences of radical Grace!”

Podcast Host, Armando Batista added, “My favorite podcast memory so far was when someone recognized my voice from the podcast during an initial weekend and shared that it was one of the reasons they decided to come to a weekend. This made me happy to know that this Podcast journey has been fruitful. It has helped bring others closer to Jesus Christ through The Crucible Project.”

Are you ready to take a next step of investing in others?

Contact Jess Donovan on how to get connected in the podcast process.

Get Involved

As you journey, remember that you do not journey alone. We have coaches ready to meet with you one-on-one to encourage you along. We have soul-groups to continue stepping into your growth, growing alongside other redwoods. Staff a weekend, and you’ll be able to grow and learn more, as you invest in participants. Take the next step in you soul-work experience by attending a Second-Level Weekend.

As you journey, know that we are with you and for you!

What is love?

There is a quote that shares: “Love is moving towards another with God’s intended good for them.”

Who invited you to your Initial Weekend? It’s safe to assume that they had God’s best for you in mind. Wanting God’s best for you looks like someone being willing to invite you to press into FULL GRACE AND TRUTH. It may also look like them inviting you to wrestle with God, to find the gold that is in you.

Think about your weekend: What did you wrestle through? What did you learn about yourself? What new messages did you take on? What gold did you find?

Love is not passive, but actively engages with another. Who can you share your experience with?

We have many tools to help you share your experience:

We are SO excited to be sharing a NEW promotional tool with you: Whether you have a few friends to share Crucible with, or want to bring many postcards to an event, we've got the material for you! This is a great way to invite others to an exploration group, weekend, and more!

To request Postcards, send us your name, address, community, and how many postcards you need.

Contact Jess for postcards.

Check out this video on how to share your story.

Invite them to listen to other Men and Women’s experiences in a video or podcast.

2022 is a Year to Celebrate!

This year we have witnessed increases in number of weekends and a reduction in number of weekends cancelled. We continue to grow the number of certified leaders and expanded our number of training offerings. Redwood groups, including 2-year program membership, training participation, and participation in Second Level Weekends are outpacing last year’s participation results. Post-weekend surveys tell us that the overwhelming majority of new Redwoods want to join a Crucible community and are committed to promoting Crucible to those they know.

This year we noticed a trend of more participants on weekends reporting that they found us through internet searches or from listening to our podcast channel. Those searching for Men’s or Women’s Christian retreats are finding us on the front page of their search results. We celebrate our first international women’s weekend and first men’s weekends in St. Louis, Charlotte and Rwanda.

Challenging Fiscal Year

While there is much to celebrate, our 2021-2022 fiscal year still reflects challenges. Our goal to reduce fees for weekends has not been met as we struggle to engage larger percentages of Redwoods to contribute at the financial level necessary for such a decision. Additional pressures on weekend fees comes from a growing number of participants seeking financial assistance resulting in $112,138 of financial assistance rewarded.

Overall, only 14% of last fiscal year expenses were not programs or program support. 86 cents of every dollar was spent in mission-centric activities. Our financial picture as reported by nonprofit watchdog group, Excellence in Giving, awarded us with the Certified Transparent Seal again this year.

Inflation is also having an impact with increases in retreat site rental fees, food, and materials. 73% of staff and participant fees for weekends are spent directly on the weekend. The remaining 27% is not enough to fund the program support provided for weekends, such as back-office staff support, website, transaction fees, and required accounting support.

Support Crucible’s Mission

We are headed in the right direction, but we have so much more to do.

Join other Redwoods by making a monthly financial contribution, which will be doubled, up to $25,000, if you do it in the next 10 days.
Staff a weekend and help participants face the fire and find their gold.
Promote the weekend to friends and family by telling your story.
Promote the Crucible podcast to your church, friends, family and on your social media channels. More souls are deciding to go to weekends after listening to the podcasts than are finding us online through searches.
Like, follow, share and send Crucible social media channels like Facebook and Instagram.
Keep doing your work and growing!

Join #CrucibleGives22

‘Tis the Season of blessing and giving! The Holiday Season is the perfect time to reflect on the many blessings both given and received. As an organization, we can easily share that our ministry has been rich in blessing this year. To see the heart transformation of hundreds this year through experiences of radical honesty and grace has been remarkable.

We see the gold in YOU: In those who’ve staffed, those who’ve attended weekends, those who’ve donated through time, money, and energy. We could not carry out our mission without YOU: THANK YOU!

As you may know, The Crucible Project is a Non-Profit Organization: That means we can’t do what we do without support and donations. If you have been blessed by the ministry you’ve received through Crucible, would you consider sharing that blessing with others?

Here is a simple and tangible way for you to share Crucible with the friends and family in your life:

Attached is a video that you can share on your personal pages:

#CrucibleGives Giving Tuesday - YouTube

Share this video before or on Giving Tuesday (Tuesday, November 29^th) on your Facebook or Instagram page, with a word about how Crucible has worked in your life, as well as the hashtag #CrucibleGives22. Everyone who shares the hashtag will be entered into a drawing. Three names will be drawn from those who used the hashtag to receive some Crucible Merch!

We’d love to see hundreds, scratch that… thousands more, get to experience their own heart transformation through experiences of radical honesty and grace! How awesome that by simply sharing, you could help to make that happen!

Thank you again for your commitment to seeing a world transformed by men and women, who live with integrity, grace, courage, and fulfill their God-given purpose!

Happy Giving!

Enrollment Resource

I Want To Invite, But I’m Unsure How?

Have you struggled with how to let your church group, friends, coworkers or family members know about the opportunity to experience radical honesty and grace on an upcoming Crucible weekend?

Recruiting Starts with a Personal Review of Your Weekend

Sit with yourself or perhaps with a journal and think through what you experienced. Your answers to the following questions may help (and none of this breach confidentiality or your commitment to keep the specifics of the weekend processes sacred):

What did you learn about the level of integrity and power in your life?
What did you learn about the differences between the image you show the world and the real you inside?
What dilemma did you discover? What are the two opposing messages that keep you stuck?
What did you learn about how you manage anger and what that costs you?
What are the major shadows (the parts you hide, repress, and deny) that you uncovered?
What was the thing you stepped out to get for yourself? What was the block—the message that keeps playing and holds you back; and where in your past did that block come from? What new affirmation (“I am” statement) did you choose in the end?
What animal name did you have at the start of the weekend, and what issue did that represent?
What new animal name did you choose after your work and what did that represent?
What gold did you discover in yourself? What gold did other men affirm in you?
How you do feel you are most changed having been through the weekend?

Directly Contact Your Potential Participant

In this post-pandemic season, social media posts and emails with multiple people or a group seem to have less impact. If you really want to share the opportunity, get in front of the potential participant. Call, Text, or Zoom and set up a face-to-face appointment. Schedule a visit over your favorite beverage or a meal!

Share the Reason Why You are Inviting Them

Speak about yourself. Use “I” statements. Share what you discovered about your story, your woundedness and the new grace you experienced. Speak from your heart about what you felt on the weekend and feel now.

Follow Up with Retreat Details

Make sure you have the retreat details readily available. Share when, where, start and finish times, and any travel times that you know may impact their decision. Send them a text with the Weekend Registration page for the weekend you are inviting them to.

Reach Out for Support

If you are unsure about how to invite someone, reach out to your Regional Leader. Contact the appropriate Ministry Leader, Byron or Lisa, and ask for help. If you want some collateral to print and bring with you, like the Weekend Brochure, let us know and we’ll get that to you.

The Crucible Project Podcast

Podcasting has been a part of the communication strategy plan for outward-facing communication. The purpose is to expose more souls to Crucible and provide support for Redwoods as they recruit friends, family, coworkers and fellow church members to a Crucible Weekend.

The Crucible Project Podcast launched on August 28, 2022, with a fully volunteer group editors and podcasters under the leadership of Armando Batista. The podcast promises raw and real discussion about Christ-centered soul work within the mission of igniting Christ-like change through experiences of radical honesty and grace.

Subscribe Where You Listen

Every Wednesday The Crucible Project Podcast drops a new episode. You can expect to hear more interviews with Men and Women like those that have already dropped. Maryland Mosaic Pastor Jay Moynahan was interviewed about “Do the Work, Live Differently” and Byron Myers was interviewed about “What is Integrity”. You can subscribe any where you listen by searching for “The Crucible Project Podcast” or through BuzzSprout.

Podcast Leadership

Recently we caught up with San Antonio Redwood Armando Batista, who has been serving as the Volunteer Podcast Team Leader for the past several months. He shared, “It has been a privilege to stand on the shoulders of Tim White and Robb Paolasso who contributed so much to the development of this team and our podcast structure.

Volunteer Podcast Hosts

Armando shared, “It has been great to work with our team of volunteer podcast hosts. We have a number of interviews Chicagoland’s Tim White recorded as well as several recent interviews hosted by Houston’s Andy Spell, Chicagoland’s Lisa Modrzejeski, and me. Others who are podcasting include, Colorado’s Jay Mountjoy, Midland’s Nicole Dominguez, and New Hampshire’s Jess Donavon.”

Volunteer Editors

“I’ve been impressed with our audio editors who are working with a variety of volunteer hosts to make our podcast production high quality. David Clurman from Connecticut and Robert Locklear from Chicagoland are the sound engineers and editors who work their magic in production.”

Join the Team

If you are interested in learning how you can join the team as a volunteer podcaster or editor, or if you are interested in being interviewed, let us know!

Training the Next Yoda

A new Redwood sitting in the Goals and Transition Circle several years ago asked what the process is to train the “Yoda” who facilitated his carpet room. The staff and other participants laughed as the leader answered the question.

Developing Carpet Leaders

Certification as a Crucible Carpet Leader is a long and arduous process. Our commitment to having safe and high-quality carpets is the primary reason we take such care in the certification process. Certified Carpet Leaders provide input into the Carpet Leader Track and certify carpet leaders as a committee.

Carpet Facilitation Training

Each Carpet Leader Track Redwood must complete four facilitation training sessions of about 16 hours each. In an effort to recover ministry expenses, each training has a fee of $350 per individual or $600 per couple. Training is provided by certified trainers recognized within and outside of Crucible. The four required facilitation trainings (or their equivalents) are:

Introduction to Facilitation Training
Advanced Process Training – God Split (must have completed IFT)
Advanced Process Training – Tombstone (must have completed IFT)
Advanced Process Training – Predator (must have completed IFT)

Carpet Leader Training

The majority of training Carpet Leaders is “on-the-job”. As the Carpet Leader Track Redwood safely demonstrates on weekends and in development or two-year groups their facilitation of a variety of processes, they are invited to participate in a four-hour Carpet Leader Training. This training usually has a nominal fee ($50-75) and covers carpet leading matters not specific to facilitation.

Safe and High-Quality Carpet Leadership

Members of the certification committee must observe safe and high-quality carpet facilitation and the skills required to lead a carpet team and room in order to be eligible for certification. When they have completed all required training and are ready to try their carpet leading skills, they are observed leading as an Apprentice Leader for multiple carpet days. When enough members of the certification committee believe they are ready, they are finally certified.

Interested?

If you are interested in beginning the Carpet Leader Track, contact Byron Myers or Lisa Modrzejewski to learn how to start the process. Even before you know whether or not you want to pursue the leader track, you are welcome to attend the 16-hour Introduction to Facilitation Training. Trainings can always be found at TheCrucibleProject.org/training-schedule

Post Weekend Follow Up

At Crucible, we believe that every soul is a precious gift from God and worthy of us inviting them to experience the life changing soul work of Crucible. Every new Redwood is valued enough to not let fade away but instead be invited into a soul work lifestyle that will help them survive the ups and downs of life.

Responsibility to the New Redwood

It is irresponsible to open a participant up to critically new learnings about themselves and their emotions and not provide follow up. According to our records, over the past 12 months less than 20% of new Redwoods were in a group within six weeks after their initial weekend.

Too many Redwoods leave their initial weekend and never connect with other Redwoods in their community. This is especially true for Redwoods who do not live near a large or budding community. It is vitally important for each soul who has touched a piece of their shadow and experienced the scandalous grace of God to find immediate support for their continued journey.

Taking Action to Leave No Redwood Behind

We believe each new Redwood needs a community where the ups and downs of life can be met with Christ-centered soul work in a Crucible community. As part of the No One Left Behind initiative, we have implemented a post-weekend interview with the same pre-weekend interviewer. During the interview, each Redwood is asked about their soul work support system and any barriers to accessing groups or coaching.

A Group for Every New Redwood

Regional Leaders have taken responsibility to be intentional about providing group opportunities post weekend. Growth Groups are being scheduled before each weekend to begin within 6 weeks post weekend. Group coordination has been strengthened across Crucible Communities. A new Online Community will capture souls who live far from a Crucible community to provide follow up for online groups.

Reach Out to New Redwoods

If ever Redwood reaches out to a Redwood they have not had contact with in a while, we can do our best to invite and include every Redwood in lifelong soul work. Your intentionality about leaving no Redwood may be the difference between life and death for that soul. It is every Redwood’s responsibility to do our part to leave no one behind!

Annual Gathering

Our first in-person Annual Gathering hosted by Chicagoland Community is going to be a great time to reconnect and come home to the birthplace of Crucible. We have big plans for our time together!

Pre-conference facilitation training with Byron and Lisa
Friday pm pizza night at Lou Malnati's
Breakout sessions including: Parenting and Soul Work, Enneagram Intro and Advanced, Finding Purpose in Retirement, Next Gen and Mentoring
Banquet catered by Firehouse Community Center Culinary Program
Enjoy celebrating and having fun!
Sharpen your knowledge.
Gain and share new ideas and best practices.
Meet Founder Greg Huston and many of Crucible’s leaders.
Reconnect with Redwoods you’ve staffed with and connect with new Redwoods.
Friday pm pizza night at Lou Malnati's
Breakout sessions including: Parenting and Soul Work, Enneagram Intro and Advanced, Finding Purpose in Retirement, Next Gen and Mentoring
Banquet catered by Firehouse Community Center Culinary Program

We have extended early-bird registration until June 30^th! Check out all that is planned and register at TheCrucibleProject.org/Annual-Gathering.

We can’t wait to see you!

CoChairs Doug Harwood, Jess Donovan, & Lon Oury

MyJourneyTo.com Evolving

With the rise in number of weekends and offerings and the slow engagement of membership subscriptions in My Journey To, we are reassessing our investment level in this new program and making some changes. Changes are in process to both increase memberships and reduce program specific expenses.

Reducing Fees

During this reassessment period, we have reduced fees. Our Bronze membership level remains free forever, however our Silver level is now only $7 monthly and Gold level has been reduced to $14. These levels still have access to discounts for live events, groups and coaching. We desire to spread My Journey To to as many souls as possible and believe reducing fees will increase memberships.

Expanding Bronze Level

Additionally, we have added the incredibly powerful Self Assessment Tool to the free Bronze membership level. This online tool allows you to take an inventory of your life and chart your next steps on your soul work journey. You assess eight areas of your life including your satisfaction with your finances, career, recreation, relationships with family and friends, as well as your emotional, physical and spiritual wellness. Results are graphed for life balance and include recommendations for growing areas with low satisfaction.

Pre-recorded Sessions

We are expanding the rich library of prerecorded session available on demand in My Journey To to cover a number of new topics. While wrapping up some of the regular length topic series, many of these new sessions are shorter process recordings targeting specific life challenges that many of us face from time to time.

Transitioning My Journey To Staffing

As a result of our disinvestment at the current level, Bob Locascio is transitioning from My Journey To Manager to a contract role with Crucible Project going forward. Bob will continue to serve in his role as Technology Lead and other program roles, such as group, carpet, and retreat leading as well as continue as a trainer and workshop leader.

Bob’s influence on the success of Crucible and the development of online services is remarkable. His legacy as a staff member is his passion for soul work and his “engineering mind” around organizing virtually every support system used by Crucible Project’s staff and volunteers as they carry out the ministry’s mission.

Bob stated, “While I have enjoyed the challenge of launching My Journey To, and am very proud of the content we produced, I look forward to increased opportunities to directly facilitate folks in their soul work, which is my first passion.” If you want to get in touch with Bob he can be reached at bob.locascio@gmail.com.

Please join us as in blessing Bob in this transition and in praying for this My Journey To assessment and transition period.

Corporate Matching Gift Opportunities

What is it?

Corporate matching gifts are a type of philanthropy in which companies financially match donations that their employees make to nonprofit organizations. Many business desire to be perceived by investors, employees and customers as Corporate social responsible. A portion of their annual giving is dedicated to be given to the same nonprofits their employees support.

Contributions from Employees Mean So Much

The Crucible Project is a 501c3 nonprofit eligible for most Corporate Matching Programs. Companies and their employees can support the important work of The Crucible Project staff and volunteers as we ignite Christ-like change in men and women through experiences of radical honesty and grace. When you donate to Crucible through your workplace, you are making a difference in your community and across the globe.

Matching Gifts: Double the Impact of Your Donation

Your gift to The Crucible Project could be doubled, tripled or even quadrupled by your employer! Many employers sponsor matching gift programs and will match any charitable contributions or volunteer hours made by their employees, retirees and/or employees’ spouses

How Does It Work?

When you make a donation to Crucible, check here to see if your company has a corporate matching gift program. Or contact your company’s human resource or legal department to see if your company has a corporate matching gift program. They will require you to complete a form in writing or online. Frequently they will notify Crucible requesting verification of your donation or volunteer hours. Then your company will send a donation to Crucible based upon their matching policy.

The Online Intensive: Experiences of Radical Honesty and Grace

Another Way for the Same Results

In the first few months of the pandemic, a “Dream Team” was organized to investigate any possibility to keep in mission by offering our powerfully transformational weekend online. After three meetings discussing how it is impossible, Scott Selby broke through with a creative possibility. Over the next six months the team built out processes to get at the same things that our initial weekend processes achieve. The result was our Online Intensive, which has now been run for Men and Women in the United States and Australia.

Recent Online Intensive Graduate’s Story

Bob Crawford signed up for the Online Intensive at the referral of a friend. He lives about an hour outside of Pittsburg and the closest in person weekends were over six hours away. Although he had some concerns for the time commitment and how technology would work for his experience, he had a deeper want that made it worth the risk. “I wanted to find a way to live in grace. I knew the truth but was unable to accept the Grace of God and His forgiveness of my past. I wanted to press on forgetting what was behind and live my higher calling in Christ.”

Powerful Results of Online Intensive Experience

The Online Intensive was powerful for him. He shared, “I found GRACE! I was taken on a journey that demonstrated the grace that awaited me by embracing the forgiveness that Jesus has already given me. He forgave my sins even before they were committed and I was able to move forward in Christ love and forgiveness.”

What Was It Like Staffing First In-Person Weekend?

Bob joined the online two-year program and quickly signed up to staff an in-person weekend closest to him. While most of the processes were similar to what he experienced, he shared “My first staffing I was able to participate in the blessings without words with 3 other staff men. It was immensely impactful and created a lifetime bond with the other staff men who I did not even know before the process. We are now and will continue to be kindred spirits because of this blessing we participated in.”

“I Recommend the Online Intensive”

Having now experienced both the Online Intensive and the in-person Weekend, Bob told us, “I absolutely recommend the Online Intensive to others! It had changed my life permanently since attending the Online Intensive and without a doubt it has the ability to change others like my own. It was done with excellence. I think it was conducted like a conductor in an orchestra with every part worked out nearly seamlessly. I describe it as Zoom on steroids.”

Who Should Be Referred to the Online Intensive?

The Online Intensive is a great referral for those living too far away to travel to a Weekend, including English speakers across the globe. The Online Intensive is perfect for the Man or Woman who keep telling you that they will go to a Weekend, but never sign up. Men or Women who have concerns about sleeping away from home due to physical challenges will likely be able to sleep in their own bed. Women or Men who spend large amounts of time online who may have social anxieties that prevent them from attending in-person will benefit from this experience.

Another Way to Launch Crucible Communities

During the pandemic, travel in and out of Australia was very prohibitive. Australian Women initiated in other organizations wanted to host a Crucible Women’s Weekend. Lisa Modrzejewski and other Women Leaders coordinated the first international Online Intensive resulting in 10 new Australian Women Redwoods.

Who do you need to let know about our upcoming Men’s Online Intensive?

Judson Poling will be leading the next Online Intensive for Men, February 18-20, on Pacific Time. There are a limited number of seats available. The cost is the same as an in-person weekend as a considerable amount of supplies are shipped to participants. In order to get their supplies in time, the registration deadline is fast approaching. Participants can register online at TheCrucibleProject.org.

Soul Work Opportunities

Check In for Redwood Men, Every Thursday noon central on Zoom

Check In for Redwood Women, Wednesdays noon central on Zoom

Staff an Upcoming Men's Weekend

Brownwood, TX January 28-30

Como, CO January 28-30

(Spanish) North Zulch, TX January 28-30

St. Charles, IL March 4-6

Andover, CT March 18-20

Chouteau, OK April 1-3

Check out all dates Men's Weekends

Staff an Upcoming Women's Weekend

Alba, TX March 4-6

St. Charles, IL April 1-3

Andover, CT April 22-24

Check out all dates for Women's Weekends

Creating the 2022 that You Want!

Join us for an opportunity to intentionally create a vision, goals and a plan for 2022. If you want to enter the new year with more intentionality, you will not want to miss this live online workshop!

December 30, 2021 7PM – 9PM CDT

FREE

Attend a 2^nd Level Men's Weekend in 2022

Leadership Joy St. Charles, IL Feb 4-6

The Mission Weekend Como, CO Mar 4-6

Sexuality Weekend Andover, CT Apr 8-10

Leadership Dark Side Brownwood, TX May 20-22

The Mission Weekend St. Charles, IL Sep 9-11

Sexuality Weekend Como, CO Sep 16-18

Join Redwood Pastor’s Mens Group

Over the past year and a half we have offered Zoom groups for Pastor’s to connect with men from all over the country. We have found friendship, support, understanding and a safe place to do our work. These groups are open to Pastor’s and para church ministry leaders.

Pastor’s Group Zoom kickoff is Wednesday January 19^th meeting every other week until Wednesday May 25^th.

7:00AM Eastern/6:00AM Central time - contact Brent Johnson

6:00AM Mountain time/5:00AM Pacific - contact Ryan Porter

Personal Self-Assessment

Live Weekly Events

On Demand Recorded Library of Processes

Online Workshops

Discovery Groups

Learn More

How grateful are you?

John Ivan has been a Redwood for over fifteen years and is a North East US community leader. He challenges Redwoods in this article.

“Twenty years ago, I was driving home from work after dark. I felt alone and hopeless. For a moment I contemplated driving into oncoming traffic or off the road into a tree. I believed that no one would miss me after I was gone. That desperation prompted me to begin a healing journey that eventually led me to the Crucible Project, where I finally experienced the radical grace and truth that allowed me to banish the lies I had been believing about myself.

I was so filled with gratitude that I immediately acquired a passion to share the life transforming grace that Crucible offers with others in need of it. I knew that the life transformation I gained from my Crucible retreat experience was worth far more than I had paid for it, but my heart was heavy for those who had reached the point where they were ready to do whatever it takes to get the lives they wanted, including paying the cost of a retreat, but did not have the means to afford that cost. At the same time, I knew that the cost to field a well-trained leader team to keep retreat processes safe as well as manage all of the retreat logistics and keep the organization running is not trivial and cutting corners to reduce costs would serve no one well.

Because of that, I cannot overestimate how excited I was to read of the Board’s decision to move from a primarily fee-for-service ministry model to a donation-based ministry model. If we truly desire to make this work available to every person who is ready to face the fire, feel the heat and find their gold, I feel it is vital to also operate as though we do. I believe that this is essential for us to reach the people who need this ministry the most.

At the same time, I also see the enormous risk and fear in making this shift. It depends on asking Redwoods and others who value our ministry to voluntarily donate enough funds to cover operational support by the end of 2021 – and not knowing if they will. I honor Roy and the Board for stepping into this fearful place – for having the courage to trust God and take this risk which I believe is the right direction for the Ministry.

This is a 180-degree shift for us Redwoods as well. Instead of saying “I am willing to pay whatever it takes go on a retreat and get the life I want”, it means saying “I am so grateful for how this ministry has changed my life that I am willing to pay whatever it takes to keep it going for others to get the lives they want.” It means moving from a place of reluctantly paying out of desperation for the opportunity to experience radical grace to a place of choosing to give generously out of gratitude for having experienced that radical grace.

This is exactly what Crucible stands for – moving from shadowy victimhood to standing in our power and gold.

How grateful are you for the grace you have experienced from Crucible Project programs?

How important is it to you to see Crucible continue to serve others?

I am so grateful that I have increased my giving during this critical time for the organization between now and the end of 2021. I challenge you to stand with me in your power and gold and fight for Crucible through this scary transition.” Learn More

John Ivan
Majestic Lion Who Dreams

Conference Feedback Please

Tell Us What You Think

If you attended any part of the 2021 online Crucible Celebration Conference, we want your feedback! Please Click here to complete a quick and easy Conference survey.

Conference Sessions Available to You at TheCrucibleProject.org/Conference.

KUDOS TO THE COMMITTEE!

THANK YOU to the Crucible Celebration Conference Committee: Redwoods Chair Deb Gustafson, Gary Mullins, Marcus Thorne, Jeremy Driver, and Brittany Duke. Special thanks to Jeremy Driver, our conference tech guru, and Jonathan Strauss, who designed our conference logo and limited edition t-shirt, which you can Purchase Now in the Crucible SWAG shop!

Crucible Celebration Conference Wrap-up

While we missed the planned hugs and in-person conversations, Saturday, October 2, 2021, was a great day of online learning, connection, and recommitting ourselves to our fellow Redwoods and The Crucible Project. There was something for everyone, led by a diverse representation of Redwoods across genders, races, ages, and places.

Folks were encouraged to come and go throughout the day, with an average of 50-60 attendees for most sessions. Redwoods led every element of the program with John Casey kicking off the day and Nic Dunbar leading us in inspiring worship music. Chris and Lisa Modrzejewski co-taught an engaging session on how to incorporate soul work in families. Byron Myers followed with how you know if you are a leader, including interacting with authority when the authority is not you! Roy and Devra Wooten co-led on the intersection of soul work and marriage, reminding Redwoods that even valuable soul work principles can be used to build up or to tear down.

Jeff Madsen interviewed our founder Greg Huston and his wife Toni. It was great to see the Hustons and remember all that God has done through Greg’s vision for what is now The Crucible Project.

Crucible Chair Linda Oury led our inaugural annual meeting. Unsurprisingly, pandemic-related weekend cancellations have negatively impacted ministry finances. Roy Wooten gave an update of the State of the Ministry and reported that 80% of our recent weekend attendees required financial assistance. That’s why Crucible - with the full support of the Board of Directors - is pivoting to rely more on donations than on full fee-for-service events. With enough monthly donations, Weekend, Group and other fees will go down to as much as half of current rates.

Carl Sutter weighed in from his church in Colorado with a challenge for men. Afterwards, Redwoods from across the U.S. and Australia ‘met’ on Zoom for community gatherings, a great time of connection! April Damey interviewed Bryce Woodason about spoken-word poetry he created, inspired by his initial weekend. Bill Snyder delivered an invitation to be faithful stewards of our time, money, and talents to benefit our fellow Redwoods and The Crucible Project. Ernest Gray took us on a well-researched academic tour of the relationship between Soul Work and our Christian faith.

Chris Cleghorn gave a tender benediction, using the lyrics to “Lean on Me” and bringing to mind how much we need one another. Afterwards, a bonus two-hour class by Bob Locascio on The Drama Triangle explored choosing (or not) to be the victim, villain, or hero in our relationships.

We had a great day together!

God willing, our next global gathering will be in-person in the Chicago area sometime in the summer of 2022. We hope to see you there!

Crucible Women’s Soul Work Continues Growing!

Since the launch of Crucible Women’s Work in the Spring of 2019, God has used this ministry on thirteen weekend retreats producing 254 Women Redwoods! What began in Chicagoland has been replicated in Connecticut, Tulsa, Cheyenne, Online, Northeast Texas and Houston. Women leaders are thankful for the support of men who helped set up and feed staff and participants during the first several weekends. The initial support provided on-the-job training that is now being fully accomplished by women.

According to Women’s Ministry Leader, Lisa Modrzejewski, “I’m excited to see this work spreading to new areas of the world, because I’ve found that the desire to be seen, heard, and blessed is universal.” Communities now include Chicagoland, Western Australia, Northeastern USA (CT, MD, MS, NH, NY, PA), Northeast Texas, Houston, Cheyenne, Wyoming/Denver, CO, and women scattered from Alaska to Atlanta.

Crucible Women have been intentional in developing and growing leadership. Currently there are twenty women on the leader track toward certification. Three Crucible Certified Coaches, Three Certified Carpet Trainers, three Retreat Leaders, four Carpet Leaders and four Group Leaders are leaning in to growing the next wave of Women Leaders.

Lisa continued sharing, “What I have enjoyed most about leading Crucible’s Women’s ministry is witnessing women using their gifts, letting their true selves show, and seeing how contagious that is to others. I see brave women who are boldly saying that they want something more for themselves and their families, and even though they may be scared, they’re taking the risk to trust that God has something powerful in store for them.”

Coaching, groups, workshops, and weekends will continue to grow in 2022 as well as new offerings. The first of the Women’s Second Level Weekends is being developed by a Women’s Committee. The goal is to develop a new Second Level Weekend annually. The inaugural Second Level Weekend is scheduled for February 4-6, 2022.

Lisa shared, “I’m really looking forward to the future of women’s work because I know it’s not just impacting me and my friends, but this is going to be available for our sons, daughters, and the next generation. We’re also blessing the Church and the world by bringing this authenticity, vulnerability and compassion for others to our local churches.

Your Pastor Needs Your Support

I spent last week with pastors, and their wives, from across Texas. I heard story after story of pastor’s wounds at the churches across denominational lines. Although this year was particularly brutal, pastors shared the many times over their ministry when they entertained the thought of doing anything else. According to Fuller Institute, George Barna, and Pastoral Care:

90% of the pastors report working between 55 to 75 hours per week.
80% believe pastoral ministry has negatively affected their families. Many pastor's children do not attend church now because of what the church has done to their parents.
33% state that being in the ministry is an outright hazard to their family.
90% feel they are inadequately trained to cope with the ministry demands.
70% say they have a lower self-image now than when they first started.
70% do not have someone they consider a close friend.
40% report serious conflict with a parishioner at least once a month.
50% have considered leaving the ministry in the last months.
50% of the ministers starting out will not last 5vyears.
94% of clergy families feel the pressures of the pastor's ministry.
Many denominations report an "empty pulpit crisis". They cannot find ministers willing to fill positions.

Help Needed Before It’s Too Late

One pastor shared the story of planting a church that grew to over 3,000 regular members. After twenty-four years of shepherding the community, the board told him that he would be stepping down because the church “needs someone younger” leading. He said, “I had never been encouraged to take a break or sabbatical my entire pastorate. When I did at this difficult moment, I wish I had invested in recharging and healing earlier in my ministry.”

Moral failings of church leaders get headlines in secular media. The blow-up of a ministry due to moral failings costs the pastor, the family, the church, and many individuals. The faith of many is rocked. Church critics point to the headlines as reasons why no-one should ever look to Christ.

Supporting Pastors In Their Calling

I can easily think of a couple of dozen Redwood pastors who came to Crucible for healing and restoration following a moral failing. I also know of over 100 Redwood pastors, ministry leader sand missionaries, who found their hard soul work at a Crucible weekend breathed new life into their ministry, marriage and family.

Here are some ways to encourage the pastors and ministry leaders you know:

Pray for your pastor and let them know that you are praying for them.
Contribute regularly. Besides the spiritual benefits to you personally, giving regularly is a sign of support for the church and your pastor.
Ask your pastor how you can better support the ministry. You may have skills that are needed most right now. This rare question will communicate your support.
When you hear stories about your pastor, ask the storyteller if they have spoken to the pastor about it. If they haven’t, shut them down and invite them to have the conversation with the pastor. (If the report is of abuse, then support the storyteller and get them to church leadership).
Let your pastor know that you care about them and invite them to one of the upcoming Crucible weekends. The August 23-25 Initial Men’s Weekend is a midweek so that pastor’s do not have to take a Sunday off.
Share the MyJourneyTo resource with them so that they have additional tools when providing pastoral counseling to individuals and couples. Your pastor is welcome to join an online Discovery Group where they can talk about things they cannot with anyone else.
If your pastor is a Redwood, let them know about Redwood Pastor’s Mens Group and a special Pastor’s Retreat just for them.

Frequently Asked Questions Related to COVID19 Pandemic

What happens if I register and become ill before the Weekend begins?

We encourage everyone who is ill to postpone attending the Weekend until their health is restored. Do not attend an in-person weekend if you are sick. You will have a better experience if you are not sick and you will prevent the spread of your illness to others by not attending. Registration fees are transferable to another Weekend. Communicate as early as possible if your illness will prevent you from attending.

What regulations are being followed to make Crucible Weekends safe?

We value your physical and emotional safety during all our experiences. We believe that being in integrity includes following government entity’s regulations and laws. We will be compliant with governmental COVID19 regulations on our Weekends. We encourage you to check regulations of state and local guidelines at the Weekend retreat site location before registering for the Weekend.

What is your position on vaccinations, masks and social distancing?

We encourage everyone planning to be at our Weekend sites to be fully vaccinated prior to their arrival date. Federal public health authorities have stated that those who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear masks or physically distance. Federal public health authorities have also stated that unvaccinated people should continue to wear a mask and physically distance. We encourage all unvaccinated people to reconsider registering for the weekend or to wear a mask throughout the weekend if they choose to attend.

Will I need to be tested before attending the Weekend?

Unless governmental regulations require it, staff and participants are not asked to present COVID19 test results for participation on our Weekends. On our Weekend you will be in contact with others who may not be vaccinated and may not have been tested. Consider your personal health risk in deciding to register for a weekend.

Will I need to show proof of vaccination?

Unless governmental regulations require it, staff and participants are not asked to present proof of COVID19 vaccination. While we encourage vaccination, we will not ask you if you have been vaccinated.

Will I be able to physically distance during the weekend?

Except for where governmental regulations require it, social distancing will be difficult on our weekends. Sleeping accommodations, restrooms, dining and some Weekend experiences will put you in close proximity to others. Physical distancing will not be possible, unless public health guidance requires it on the Weekend site. As with any health matter, we will make reasonable accommodations if individually requested.

What are the reasons for not requiring vaccinations, masks and social distancing?

We believe that our personal power comes from the choices we make. We also believe each person is responsible for the consequence of their personal choices. We believe you are the best person to make your health decisions regarding registration and attendance. An abundance of publicly available COVID19 information and education is available to you as you make your registration decision.

What are the COVID19 requirements for attendance?

In addition to any governmental regulations, you will be required to sign a document waiving Crucible of liability for your personal health decisions to attend and participate in our Weekend. The document acknowledges that you know and accept COVID19 risks and will hold Crucible harmless of any related health outcomes of your decision to attend.

How can I talk to someone about more COVID19 details of the weekend I want to attend?

After you register, your Weekend Participant Coordinator will contact you by email. Questions specific to that Weekend can best be answered by your Weekend Participant Coordinator. You will also have a brief interview prior to the Weekend during which you can ask additional questions. Before you register, questions can be provided by contacting us directly.

Is there a Weekend for those of us who do not want to be physically close around unmasked people or do not want to be around unvaccinated people? Yes! The Crucible Project has an Online Retreat available for those with such health concerns. Many of the teachings are experiences are available in the Online Retreat. Contact us to for more information about the Online Weekend and to find a Retreat date that works for your schedule.

New Group Resources

Have you tried to figure out how you can take what you experienced on the weekend you’re your church small group? Do you have an accountability group or longtime friend group that you wish could experience the radical honesty and grace of this ministry?

We were thinking about that recently and are sharing some of the ways that might be helpful.

Teach them to Check-In– Helping your small group members check in assists grows awareness of their internal emotional world. It builds group connection and provides opportunities for praying for each other in a deeper way. Creating a safe place where people can take off their masks and honestly check provides opportunities for experiencing grace!
Play a recorded session in the video library of MyJourneyTo.com. Seasoned soul work facilitators will take your group through a brief teaching and exercise wherever your group meets. Follow up the recorded session with a debrief. Anyone with a membership has access to the library!
Launch an Exploration Group. The exercises are developed for those who have not experienced our initial weekends yet. The Exploration Group Curriculum is free for everyone who attends and is totally free for Redwoods, including resources to help navigate leadership. Contact Byron or Lisa to discuss becoming an Exploration Group Leader.

Help for Friends and Family NOW

Daniel called to report that his wife of twelve years moved out. “She’s gone and I don’t know what to do.” Chrissy shared that she could no longer trust him after finding sexual text conversations between Daniel and another woman. “I’m hear broken.”

Their long-time couple friends, Will and Sheri, who are also Redwoods, felt strongly that their continuous wounding of each other had led to this painful place in the marriage. They believed that if Danial and Chrissy could experience the radical honesty and grace of a Crucible Weekend, they would be able to own their own mess with each other and stop wounding each other out of their own woundedness.

After referring them to Christian marriage counselors and praying with them, Wil and Sheri had to wait in the past for the next upcoming weekend. Frequent hesitancy about financial challenges

and lack of details about what would happen on the weekend would need to be worked through. Would Daniel and Chrissy trust them enough to take a chance on a Crucible Weekend?

Help for Chrissy and Daniel NOW

With My Journey To, Will and Sheri can now refer them to Crucible resources right now. Chrissy and Daniel can take individual assessments, work through a library of video or audio versions of soul work exercises and attend up three live events a week. Hesitancy about price is greatly reduced as these offerings are only $15 per month. And the free two week no risk trial period provides a free review of the offerings before any financial transaction.

The resources available in My Journey To provide opportunities for individual soul work or experiencing the exercises together as a couple. Daniel and Chrissy have opportunities to join My Journey To groups, get My Journey To coaching and are encouraged to attend an upcoming weekend. We believe they will be more likely to attend an initial weekend in the future after experiencing help through Crucible with My Journey To.

How To Help Friends and Family NOW

Below find a number of options to help your friends and family get Crucible support right now.

Text or type into their phones “MyJourneyTo.com”
Gift a membership for them by paying for their membership and letting them know how to sign in. Make sure you register with their full name and email address.
Ask them to sign up for newsletters at https://www.myjourneyto.com/ and/or https://thecrucibleproject.org/ where they will receive helpful support as well as recommendations to My Journey To resources and Crucible Weekends.
Like and Invite all of your friends to Like our outward facing Crucible Facebook Page
Tell pastors and counselors you know about this great adjunct resource for supporting their work with others.

Soul Work Evangelism

If you are like me, you probably hear the word “evangelism” and immediately think of spreading the gospel of Christ. The word also means “zealous advocacy of a cause”. It is that definition that fits my heart’s desires in spreading Christ-centered soul work across the globe.

I want everyone to experience what I experienced on my initial weekend!

Reaching the Unreached

Over my long career, I have journeyed with many pastors and missionaries who were in great pain. They were unaware of what every Redwood learned about shadows and gold. Acting out of their own wounds, they were hurting themselves and those they love.

I also know of several people whose physical limitations would prevent their participation at any of our initial weekends. Yet their heart yearns for belonging and healing.

How can Crucible reach isolated pastors and families on the mission field?

How can we create access to our powerful transformational weekend for those with physical disabilities?

Digital Offerings

My Journey To is a digital format for many of the things we have been doing over the past fifteen years in Crucible. Within the platform, every soul can complete an online assessment measuring their satisfaction in ten different areas of their life. Dozens of online 30 minute recorded experiences are available to begin delving into awareness and soul care. Members can join several monthly online live events, including check ins and workshops.

Breaking News: Never-Before Offer For Redwoods Only (for a limited time)

It’s here!

My Journey To is officially launched for Redwoods Only!

For a limited time, you have access to try the 2 week free trial before we open up registrations to the world.

Bob Locascio and the My Journey To team need your help. Will you sign up for the two-week free trial, take all of the offerings out for a spin, and send your thoughts, comments, questions, “better ifs” back to us at memberservices@myjourneyto.com ?

What is My Journey To?

My Journey To is a digital soul work offering to help souls across the globe begin a journey that we hope will lead them to an incredibly transformative Crucible Weekend.

All of this for as little as $15 a month.

Please do not share this with your family, friends, fellow church members, coworkers and others just yet. This is just only open to Redwoods, like you, at this time. We will let you know as soon it is open for you to tell everyone else in your life about it.

Your feedback will make a better experience for those in your life you invite to it. Like the person you have asked to come to an initial weekend for the past several years who has yet to register. Those are the people we believe will benefit most from My Journey To.

Like most memberships, when you register for the 2 week trial, you will be asked to provide billing information. You will not be charged for the first two weeks. However, if you do not cancel within the first two weeks, you will be charged for a monthly fee until you cancel. Everyone who shares feedback to memberservices@myjourneyto.com in February will receive an additional 2 weeks free membership.

On the Ground Floor

You are making history happen with Crucible. With the launch of this digital platform, our soul work evangelism toolbox has deepened. Together we will spread Christ-centered soul work across the globe!

Roy Wooten

Executive Director

Updates from Bob

The My Journey To soft launch for Redwoods, while delayed from our hoped-for our original launch date, is now a couple of weeks away. We’ll follow that with the full launch soon, February 15th. Anticipating that day, I have a questions for you:

Where do your friends and family do their growth work?

Where can they go for emotional renewal, wellness and belonging?

You’ve discovered this life changing work and have seen the impact it has in your life, your family’s life, your workplace, church and world. But where can friends and family who’ve not yet experienced this work go for to begin a process leading to a similar life changing impact?

We believe that the My Journey To will be that place for many. If you agree, invite your friends and family!

Send them to MyJourneyTo.com where we will give them the first opportunity for a 2 week free trial when we launch.

Be a part of blessing as many souls with the power of this work as possible.

Be well,

Bob Locascio
Member Services Manager

WHO DO YOU KNOW?

My Journey To is a new, online resource that helps people who have not been through our weekends find renewal, wellness and belonging. It will be available in late January for everyone to experience soul care, anytime and anywhere.

My Journey To provides both recorded and live experiential processes and activities designed to help people explore and work on their internal emotional world. We are inviting everyone to take their own personal journey inward.

Who do you know that could use renewal right now?

These resources are based on the soul work expertise of Crucible’s worldwide community. The experiential processes go beyond merely informational or inspirational webinars and podcasts. We offer the opportunity for anyone to transform their life with soul work tools.

Who do you know that would benefit from emotional wellness right now?

2020 is one of the most stressful years in our lifetimes. With the pandemic, social and political unrest, and the economy faltering, the ambient level of emotional stress and unwellness seems higher than ever. All while we are more emotionally isolated than ever!

Who do you know, that needs a sense of belonging right now?

As a new part of our ministry, you have the first opportunity to invite your family members, friends, coworkers, church members and neighbors to access these life-giving resources. They can try out the new service at no financial risk for two weeks before making a decision to become a member. Our vision is that this new service would bless many, many people across the globe.

Are you willing to help us make that vision a reality by extending invitations to people in your life?

They can sign up for the launch date in January right now at MyJourneyTo.com. If you want to try it first, be watching for an email to you when we launch for Redwoods only in early January.

Excited!

Bob Locascio

Member Services Director

Faith over Fear: Connecting with God During a Pandemic

In this month’s free resource, Faith Over Fear: Connecting With God During A Pandemic, we want to help you connect with God during these uncertain times. Crucible authors have written devotionals to help your soul through the pandemic and beyond.

Faith Over Fear Download

COMPASS: A Resource You Can Share

Have you ever wanted more ways to share about The Crucible Project to your family, friends, coworkers and church members?

Compass is a monthly outward facing email offering that all Redwoods will begin receiving December 5^th. It is written for all the people you know that might want to learn more about Crucible.

In every email, Compass readers will discover an article, downloadable ebook, devotional, webinar or podcast episode that will introduce them to Crucible and to soul work. They will also read about upcoming offerings specifically for them, such as the new My Journey To offerings, soul work coaching or Weekends.

If you want to make sure your friends receive this free offering, they can sign up online by Join Our Mailing List at the bottom of any page of TheCrucibleProject.org. Everyone will receive a new devotional series in the next Compass, which will then be made available online for new people who sign up to Join Our Mailing List.

Another way that you can tell others about Crucible is to Like and Follow The Crucible Project on Facebook. This page is outward facing and public. All posts are shareable on this page. Many Redwoods have liked The Crucible Project Facebook page and invited all of their FB Friends to Like it as well.

Be watching for other new ways to communicate to non-Redwoods about The Crucible Project in the near future.

Honoring Greg Huston & the history of The Crucible Project

Jeff Madsen is the owner of Legacy Nation, LLC, and the chairman of Convene, an advisory board for Christian CEOs. He also is a Redwood who completed his initial weekend in 2008 and is a two-year transformational program graduate. He served as the only Crucible blog editor and curator.

He recently endeavored to honor Crucible Founder Greg Huston by recording his history and the history of The Crucible Project. Truth & Grace: The Leadership Legacy of Greg Huston, which has just been released in ebook through Amazon.

Readers will find Greg’s full story, with the ups and downs of his pastoring years and his journey to follow God’s calling to launch soul work for Christian men. His inspirational story is real and captures his integrity, courage and compassion. You will also enjoy reading about the earliest days of what would become The Crucible Project through the launching of weekends across the globe.

This short read is a must for every Redwood. Every purchase provides funding for financial assistance to future Urban Redwoods, in line with Greg’s deep passion for this work. We hope you will enjoy this short and inspiring read.

Leader Track: Leadership Certification

Byron Myers, Crucible Leadership Development Director, lays out a clear track to certification:

Key Process leader training:

First training: September 12. Limited to 9 persons.

This training is designed to help accelerate the Key Process Leader by allowing participants to teach the major teachings before an audience of peers. Retreat Leaders and Apprentice Retreat Leaders will give feedback after each teaching for the benefit for the teacher and the other participants in the training.

Entry to Leader Track

Application

Be sponsored by two Retreat Leaders who will vouch for the person. Must have support of the local community. (The local community support is essential)
Has staffed a minimum of four Weekends.
Has demonstrated the Crucible Project’s philosophy of leadership and its components. (see “Introduction to Leadership” document)

Approval

The candidate contacts the Leadership of his/her local community to inform them of his/her desire to get onto the Retreat Leader Track.
The candidate will send out the Leader Evaluation form to three men or women who lead him or her, three men/women at his/her level of development, and three men/women he/she leads.
When all Leader Evaluation forms are returned, the candidate summarizes the results on the Leader Evaluation Summary form and meets with a Leadership Developer to review and discuss a growth plan.
The candidate will choose a mentor.
When all the above is accomplished, the candidate enters the track as Key Process Leader.

Contact Byron with inquiries and questions.

Invitation to Join the Racial Understanding Facebook Group

One of the amazing things that happens fairly unique to the Crucible community is that people with diverse experiences and beliefs have the opportunity to be seen and heard. It is part of our journey through continued growth in grace and truth. As we journey we remain fully committed to living with integrity, grace and courage.

If you’re interested in racial understanding and how it affects us all, you are welcome to join the “Redwoods Racial Understanding Group” on Facebook. Led by our Chicago Urban Crucible leaders, you will find enlightening articles and discussions posted almost daily.

Join the Facebook Group.

One of the highlights is a series of both LIVE and archived videos where a host will bring on guests to discuss topics:

The Four Quadrants and Race (coming soon).
“Two Brothers, one white and one black, raised together. Hear their story and their thoughts about racism and racial understanding.”
Listening Sessions where guests answer questions and discuss racial topics.
Redwood men & women of color discussing the realities of their experience.

If you are interested you can easily connect and join the Facebook Group.

Money for Nothing, Social for Free

Other than an homage to Money for Nothing by Dire Straits (I Want My MTV), The Crucible Project needs your help with Social Media!

In these unique times, it's more important than ever to engage people online. We are even creating new programs and services to offer because of this.

How can you help? Promote the transformational work of The Crucible Project. Here's just a few ways to help:

Invite your friends and family to our online external page www.TheCrucibleProject.org
Share our social media posts, our blogs and new programs as they come out.
Like and Share our general Facebook Page.
Like and Share our Instagram Page.
Like and Share our Twitter Feed.
Put comments in the posts - your interaction makes a huge difference!
Write your own posts and link our website, pages and social media with hashtags #TheCrucibleProject, @crucibleproj
For examples in Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, just search with the hashtag #TheCrucibleProject - see what we mean?
Our social media posts are meant to share with others - just look for the Share button or link.
Need some assistance on how to do some of this? Just email Tim at communications@thecrucibleproject.org

Your Social for Free work is one of the greatest gifts you can give to us during this time!

Redwoods Only Website Homepage

The NEW Redwoods Only Homepage is LIVE!

Working with John Owen, Bob Locascio, who frequently owns the unofficial title of “Engineer”, stepped into the Technology Manager role in February 2019. He has been advocating for a new Redwood facing website since then.

Bob reported “As we’ve worked to make our website more outward facing, a long overdue change, I believe we’ve experienced two unintended consequences. First, we’ve seen a sometimes confusing mixture of content for uninitiated visitors and Redwoods. Second, we may have unintentionally communicated a message of lower value toward our Redwoods. To address both of these consequences, I am excited to announce a new internal, hidden “homepage” for Redwoods only. This page is intended to hold all our content that is designed for Redwoods, separating it from content for uninitiated visitors.”

Bookmark this link in your browser to get quick access!

https://thecrucibleproject.org/redwoods/

Dangerous Relationships Webinar: Family Violence Training

An average of twenty people experience family physical violence every minute in the United States resulting in more than ten million abuse victims annually. 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have experienced some form of physical violence from someone who says they love them. On a typical day, domestic violence hotlines receive over 20,000 calls. During this pandemic, law enforcement response to domestic violence calls have increased 35%.

The soul work skills of Crucible are available to help relationships get stronger. However, The Crucible Project is not a mental health, nor family violence, organization. We must rely on professionals to be a part of the solution.

In this Family Violence Webinar, Family Violence Expert and Director of Lindsay’s Light, Shari Nightingale, shares the following:

How family violence affects everyone.
What family violence is and is not.
The domestic violence cycle.
Resources for those living in a dangerous relationship.

We encourage every Redwood in a relationship to watch this together with your spouse. If you are in a domestic violence situation, we recommend contacting 911 or the National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233.

For more information about the content of this webinar, contact Shari Nightingale at snightingale@shieldbearer.org.

Family Violence Training PowerPoint Slides

Commitment to Confidentiality and Privacy

Achieving the mission of “igniting Christ-like change through experiences of radical honesty and grace” requires creating an environment where participants of our programs and services can go to the darkest places and full unfiltered authenticity within the safety of a circle who holds sacred and confidential any information shared. That means that it is never OK to talk about another Redwood’s personal work, or share another Redwoods contact information without their expressed permission. It is never OK to market, or sell a business or cause, to participant or staff lists of Redwoods.

The Crucible Project is fully committed to confidentiality and privacy for all program and services participants and Redwoods. Our hope is that the commitment to confidentiality and privacy should be a most fundamental priority for all Redwoods as well. Great efforts are taken to keep our commitments to confidentiality and privacy.

Name and Contact Information

The Crucible Project has never and will never share or sell your name and contact information to another group, business, or person. In order to attend a weekend or participate in a group, leaders, volunteers and participants are required to commit to keep your name and contact information private. Their commitment includes not sharing your name and contact information without your permission and not using staff or participant lists to market or promote their business or cause. Names and contact information are protected and available to staff and participants only on a need to know basis, unless you make other agreements.

Confidentiality of Personal Information

On a weekend and in groups, a verbal commitment is made by everyone in attendance. The weekend protocol reads:

“What goes on throughout this weekend as well as each man’s story is confidential. Whatever a man says and does here, stays here. When you leave this place, you may talk about what you learn about yourself, but not the work of others. The staff will not share anything they hear about you, nor should you share what you hear about any other man. The only exception to this rule is that if any man shares he is currently abusing children or the elderly in any way, the staff has an obligation to report such activity to social agencies. However, we as a staff remain committed to helping you face and overcome such a pattern, and will work with you toward liberating you from your abusive practices.”

Paid group participants commit to a covenant with similar language. End each participant of a paid group makes such a verbal commitment to the circle. Each weekend staff and participant makes a written commitment to keep your personal information confidential. We are committed to ensuring that those who volunteer to staff and the participants of our programs and services maintain confidentiality of personal information.

When Confidentiality Breaks

When a Redwood breaks confidentiality of personal information, The Crucible Project is committed to following up and holding the offending Redwood accountable. This occurs both at the corporate level and within communities and groups. If an offending Redwood cannot own and repair any damage caused and commit to never breaking confidentiality again, they are usually encouraged to continue their work only through our coaching services.

If a Redwood’s confidential personal information is shared in our commitment to follow legal mandates to report, he or she will be immediately notified of the obligation and provided Crucible support in circles or coaching.

When a Redwood uses personal contact information to sell or promote a business or cause, The Crucible Project is committed to doing everything we can to address it and prevent it from happening again. Where necessary, offending Redwoods have boundaries set that prevent them from opportunities for such situations to occur again.

Reports of violations of our privacy and confidentiality policy that you or a Redwood you know may have experienced should be reported to our hotline email account to address . Send the details to report@thecrucibleproject.org.

If you have questions about The Crucible Project’s policies regarding privacy or confidentiality, contact Executive Director Roy Wooten at rwooten@thecrucibleproject.org

The New Crucible Website - December 2019

In the early days of the founding of The Crucible Project, fellow Redwood Jason Bachman almost single-handedly put the ministry’s website in "search engine awareness." Serving as the volunteer webmaster, he also launched our first attempt at a blog, driving internet presence to number one in Google rankings for our key words. We are so thankful for Jason’s labor of love, putting his gifts and talents to work in the ministry for the last decade.

As the organization has grown, so has the need for an updated website. We are excited to announce that The Crucible Project’s new website is up and running!

Based upon feedback from the Website Revision Survey and input from Redwoods across the globe, the Website Redesign Committee was charged with six primary goals:

Highlight our unique position as leaders of Christian soul work in the Church and the many programs and services we offer and ways to access them.
Easy editing systems and integration with our other technologies.
Weaving generosity and giving throughout.
Easy addition of other programs and services developed in the future.
Process for “lookers” to give us their contact information for future outward facing marketing.
Highlight our communities and have each emerging and established community represented with its own page for centralized community-specific information — these pages can be managed by a delegate within each local community.

We are thankful for the highly skilled and diverse Website Redesign Committee that worked diligently throughout this process since July of 2019.

While emphasis has been placed on the overall look and feel, brand integrity, usability, and appealing to our intended audience, significant effort has been focused on our weekend registration component and integration with our weekend management tool, Salesforce, with a goal of automation and scalability as God continues to grow our organization. The Committee has put together a list of additional upgrades when funding makes Phase 2 possible, which will include improved communication options and further technology integration.

We are especially thankful for Houston Regional Leader and Retreat Leader John Owen and his team (Patrick and Jason) at JohnnyoDesign.com for leading this effort. Each of the Committee members brought essential expertise and voice to this process.

Thank you to Board Secretary and Urban Community Leader Lawrence Haskin, incoming Board Member Sharon Cooper, Longtime Volunteer Webmaster Jason Bachman, Connecticut Redwood and programmer David Long, Operations Support Manager Larry Korbus and Mens Programs and Services Manager Bob Locascio for your good work and dedication to the great achievement of this project.

If you have not taken the opportunity yet, check it out at www.thecrucibleproject.org

Download Your Free E-Book

Click here to download a free E-book that incorporates clearings for couples.

What does Giving - Give to You?

This time of year, most of us are giving to church, charity, friends and family. It just feels good to bless others around the holidays.

But did you know there’s more to generosity than that warm, fuzzy feeling you get in your heart? Researchers have been exploring how generosity affects our health for years. And, as it turns out, philanthropy comes with a lot of perks.

Read this short feature financial guru Dave Ramsey unpacks how giving gives to you!

Finding Rest

Three books on Rest and the Spiritual Discipline of Sabbath & Retreat.

"The Rest of God" by Mark Buchanan.

Widely-acclaimed author Mark Buchanan states that what we've really lost is "the rest of God-the rest God bestows and, with it, that part of Himself we can know only through stillness." Stillness as a virtue is a foreign concept in our society, but there is wisdom in God's own rhythm of work and rest. Jesus practiced Sabbath among those who had turned it into a dismal thing, a day for murmuring and finger-wagging, and He reminded them of the day's true purpose: liberation-to heal, to feed, to rescue, to celebrate, to lavish and relish life abundant.

"Rhythms of Rest: Finding the Spirit of Sabbath in a Busy World" by Shelly Miller.

Sabbath-keeping not only brings physical refreshment, it restores the soul. God commands us to "remember the Sabbath," but is it realistic in today's fast-paced culture? In this warm and helpful book, Shelly Miller dispels legalistic ideas about Sabbath and shows how even busy people can implement a rhythm of rest into their lives--whether for an hour, a morning, or a whole day. With encouraging stories from people in different stages in life, Miller shares practical advice for having peaceful, close times with God. You will learn simple ways to be intentional about rest, ideas for tuning out distractions and tuning in God, and even how meals and other times with friends and family can be Sabbath experiences.

Invitation to Retreat: The Gift and Necessity of Time Away with God by Ruth Hailey Barton.

In these pages Transforming Center founder and seasoned spiritual director, Ruth Haley Barton, gently and eloquently leads us into an exploration of retreat as a key practice that opens us to God. Based on her own practice and her experience leading hundreds of retreats for others, she will guide you in a very personal exploration of seven specific invitations contained within the general invitation to retreat. You will discover how to say yes to God's winsome invitation to greater freedom and surrender.

Cultivating Growth in Faith

by Chris Cleghorn

I made an intentional commitment for Christ when I was 20 years old. Even before that I had formational input from years in church. One of the challenges of my Christian walk has been a lifelong wrestling with on again, off again devotional life – regular time with God. I experience a sense of connection with God when I’m intentional about spending time with God.

There are a lot resources about cultivating the Christian walk. Perhaps the best is the classic by Richard Foster “Celebration of Discipline”. This was first publishes 40 years ago and has been recently updated and re-released. It is a timeless guide helping seekers discover a richer spiritual life with a deeper understanding of God. Many call this the best modern book of Christian spirituality.

My own pattern for the last couple of years has been a near daily commitment to doing three simple things. The first is the simple premise of spending time with God – setting aside at least 30 minutes, usually first thing in the morning. So, I’m present. Then I read a piece of scripture. I prefer to read just a few verses usually working slowly through one of the Gospels, to spend time with Jesus. Then I do about 20 minutes of centering prayer. A key for me, after years of trying to “think my way to God” is to move my experience from my head to my heart, to move my time with God to my body. This is where in Crucible we do much of our work.

Two resources on Centering Prayer are Fr. Thomas Keating who is widely credited with reviving this ancient practice and Cynthia Bourgeault a mystic who wrote “Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening”.

F**k Shame

I have heard that phrase several times on weekends since my initial weekend in Houston in April 2010. I said it and believed it for myself and for other men. I hated shame and thought I had dealt with it. Then in January of 2018, I was hit with a part of my shadow that I have hidden since I was 15 years old and the flood of shame came over me like a crushing wave. Not knowing how to deal with it sent me into a deep depression which led to isolation, hiding and even suicidal thoughts.

How the hell did I not see this toxic shame and why had it not come to light in the work that I had been doing until now? I knew that just saying “f**k shame” was not going to get me out of this place.

The first thing I did was finally talk to two of my redwoods in the Houston community (after living with this shame for 6 months) and they gave me such grace and mercy that I knew I was not alone and that I could deal with my shame with them by my side.

Second, I came clean with my wife, which sucked, but allowed us to share intimacy like never before.

Third, I went to resources to help deal with shame. My hope is that you experience hope.

I first listened to Brené Brown's Ted Talk on shame:

Here is a quote I found very helpful, “If you put shame in a Petri dish, it needs three things to grow exponentially: secrecy, silence and judgement. If you put the same amount of shame in a Petri dish and douse it with empathy, it can’t survive.” I found this to be true. When I started to share the shame I had walked in for over 40 years with men who showed me deep empathy, it started to crumble around me.

The second resource I turned to was the book “The Soul of Shame” by Dr. Curt Thompson.

The tag line for the book is “Retelling the stories we believe about ourselves”. What helped me initially was Dr. Thompson's explanation of the brain and how there is a neurobiological response to shame that will rewire our brains when it comes on. “Shame has a tendency to disrupt the process of 'regulating the flow of energy and information' by effectively disconnecting various functions of the mind from one another, leaving each domain of the mind as cut off from one another as we feel ourselves to be disconnected from other people."

Shame had come to me at an early age and I had not dealt with it. That caused my brain to not function as it was meant to function. This helped me realize why shame had been so incredibly toxic in my life and how I had nor realized that I had shut it down. Two of the chapters I found especially helpful were the chapters on “Shame and the Biblical Narrative” (which has been around from the beginning of time) and “Shame’s Remedy: Vulnerability” (which I think speaks to the importance of The Crucible Project, continuing our work, and being in small groups). Highly recommended.

The third resource that I found helpful was “No More Mr. Nice Guy” By Dr. Robert Glover.

The tag line for this book is, “A proven plan for getting what you want in love, sex and life”. It has helped me realize why I had struggled with many things about being a “man” in my life which brought its own message of shame that I “was not a real man”.

The chapters that spoke to me in this book were, “The Making of a Nice Guy” (which I related to big time), “Make your Needs a Priority” (which I told myself all my life if I did would make me selfish and not very “Christian”) and “Reclaim Your Personal Power” (which again feels great to take on if you have ever struggled with wondering “is this OK?”). Both books are easy reads but challenging.

As I sit here writing this, I can’t believe how far I have come since January of 2018. The shit storm of shame hit me hard and nearly took me out. But thanks to men who love me, walk with me and challenge me, to a wife who showed me great mercy and forgiveness, to my Pastor who walked with me for the past few months and allowed my honesty and for these resources I am in a totally different place.

Men, do your work, tell your truth, and use the resources God has provided us with to deal with toxic shame. I would love to know what resources have helped you. I would love to hear from you if you would like to talk about shame or have resources that have helped you. aspell@westhoustonchurch.org

God bless you all,

Andy Spell

Badass Grizzly Bear

Additional Resources:

Dan Allender's website on Shame

Am I a Sex Addict?

While a few of us were driving back from a Crucible graduation, we got on the topic of sex and addiction. One of the men asked me if I considered looking at porn "an addiction or a compulsion."

That led to a very deep and vulnerable conversation.

It is clear biblically that we are to strive to be sexually pure:

"Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body." - 1 Corinthaisn 6:18

"But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people." - Ephesians 5:3

Sexual integrity isn't just what we do with our bodies. Jesus makes it clear that purity starts with our minds:

"But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." - Matthew 5:28

If you start to feel some guilt from reading these, please keep this in mind:

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9

Our culture now has more accessible resources for intense sexual gratification than ever before in the entire history of mankind! Sexual integrity issues are the great shameful secret many men don't discuss.

Neurologists have done studies that show sexual addiction is eerily similar to heroin addiction. Peruse TED talks on the topic. Even The World Health Organization recognizes this issue.

God's ultimate goal for us is Total Transformation. So how do I know if I'm addicted to sex?

Ask yourself these questions:

Where you sexually abused as a child or adolescent?

Have you subscribed or regularly purchased/rented sexually explicit magazines or videos?

Did your parents have trouble with their sexual or romantic behaviors?

Do you often find yourself preoccupied with sexual thoughts?

Has your involvement with pornography, phone sex, computer board sex, etc. become greater than your intimate contacts with romantic partners?

Do you look forward to events with friends or family being over so that you can go out to have sex?

Do you keep the extent or nature of your sexual activities hidden from your friends and/or partners?

Have you ever paid for sex?

Have you ever had sex with someone just because you were feeling aroused and later felt ashamed or regretted it?

When you have sex, do you feel depressed afterwards?

Is sex your greatest need?

If you answered 'yes' to a good many of these questions, I encourage you to reach out - especially to a professional counselor that has training in sexual issues. There are groups of men around the country supporting each other.

There is no shame in seeking to be a healthy man.

Remember, God's ultimate goal for us is Total Transformation.

For more resources, go to LIFE Recovery (http://freedomeveryday.org)

Movie Clips about our Work

Many movies contain themes or scenes that remind of The Crucible Project work. Perhaps it’s a process on a weekend, or a big theme we work on after the weekend, here’s a few scenes that remind us of our work.

Les Miserables

In this powerful performance by Hugh Jackson as Jean Valjean - he promises to use the Bishop’s act of grace to turn his life around. The themes of repentance, transformation, self-awareness abound. Did you experience those same themes in your Crucible work?

Unbroken

As a young boy, Louie’s brother encourages him to run even though he doubts himself. His brother tells him, "I believe in you." Where have you been given that same message? Maybe on your initial weekend? To whom can you give that message to today?

If you have other movies/scenes we should highlight - send a message to communications@thecrucibleproject.org and let us know!!

Read Scripture App

The single most important spiritual discipline is to be listening to what God has to say to us. That happens when we read His letter to us and are still enough to hear what He is saying!

A tool that I’m using this year to help me do that is an app called Read Scripture. It is a thematic reading plan that shows the overarching STORY of scripture. Through the use of amazing short illustrated videos created by The Bible Project, I get to see how what I’m reading fits into the bigger picture of God’s redemptive plan from Genesis to Revelation.

I’m suspect of people recommending the “best ever app.” So don’t just take my word for it…take Francis Chan’s word! He used this reading plan with his church and endorses it. Currently my church, Wellspring Alliance, is using it.

Here’s what I like about “Read Scripture” app:

I has the actual scripture passage included so I can read off my phone.
It lays out a daily reading plan so I will read through the entire Bible in one year.
It tracks my reading progress.
I always have my phone with me wherever I go, so I’m without excuse!
A text is sent daily to remind me to read.
It creatively uses video throughout the reading plan.
And it’s free!

Book Review: Preparing the Soil for God's Transformation

By: Scott Larson and Daniel L. Tocchini First, a word about one of the authors, Scott Larson. He is known as “Strong Lion” and recently staffed the November 2018 Weekend in Williams Bay, WI. If you staffed that weekend, you know Scott as a man of quiet strength. I had the opportunity to get to know him during the weekend and have been enjoying his book ever since. Both authors bring years of experience in transformational training and practical application. Scott has spent most of his career working with juvenile offenders and those who serve them. He uses multiple stories from that experience to illustrate his points - which are relevant and easily understood for any person who has an intentions to grow. At 183 pages long, this book is packed full of insights into the transformation process! Using the analogy of SOIL – clearing out bad soil and replacing it with good, rich soil that is receptive to the life that Christ wants to give us. I was struck with the multiple similarities to the work we do in Crucible. However, Larson and Tocchini use different terms and expressions to explain what men have experienced on their Initial Weekends and in Crucible groups. Accountability, Integrity, Shadow, the Iceberg, Our Little Boy, Judgement, Emotions, plus many more topics are covered. It is helpful to see common issues we discuss in Crucible addressed in a fresh light. Each chapter is followed by perceptive and thought-provoking questions for the reader. Take the time to answer these and it will make your reading richer, helping you grow, and dare I say, “transform?” Not only a good self-read, this book would make an excellent group study book. I’m proud to have a Crucible brother who has written such a powerful book. I highly recommend it to you!

The Treasure of Blogs

Were you aware of our treasure-trove of Blog articles, written by Crucible authors? Every week, Crucible men write a timely or timeless article that deals with topics like Anxiety, Father Wounds, Sex, Marriage, Overcoming obstacles, Shadow work and more. Did you know you can actually subscribe to our weekly blog? If you want an email reminder, just go to https://thecrucibleproject.org/community - sign in or register, and then sign up for the blog subscription. Did you know that you can search them via date, via subject, via author? If you go to the BLOG > POSTS tab, you will find RECENT POSTS, DATED ARCHIVES & TOPICAL CATEGORIES as well. Our website actually has more features if you get a username and password. Subscribe and more benefits magically open up in the Community Tab. To subscribe, go to thecrucibleproject.org/community and sign up! First time subscribers will be placed in a drawing to get $25 off their next staffing! Check out the Blogs.

We thought we'd go Back to the Future and share classic resources that still speak today:

The Little Book on the Human Shadow: Robert Bly

I've given this book to more men than I can remember. When you graduate from an initial weekend, we recommend it. What is Bly's book about? It's the something is not quite right with ourselves. The person or role they play in the world is not quite authentic. Bly tells us that some of our most magical self as a child gets banished by parents' and society's requirements--into a bag, he says, which we drag along behind us. You will be reminded of your weekend when you read it. Plus it's a great primer on the carpet work that you did. Learning more about the Shadow and how others are a mirror for things we don't like about ourselves is Gold.

On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity & Getting Old

Parker Palmer is a treasure to read. When it comes to a wise elder/sage, Palmer is one of our best writers. “To grow in love and service, you must value ignorance as much as knowledge and failure as much as success.” More of a collection of essays, this book puts together those topics highlighted in the title. Mixing story, poetry, musings and other's material - this is a book meant to rest in and take a break. To ponder while reading. On the Brink, makes you stop and wonder. Palmer's perspective on aging places life in a perspective that allows us to breath and grow and to realize that we are continuing on this journey of life - not ending it. “Wholeness is the goal [of life], but wholeness does not mean perfection. It means embracing brokenness as an integral part of life.” We as Crucible brothers know this part of life. Highly recommended.

Marriage Resources

We recently asked Crucible leader, Roy Wooten, what marriage resources he recommends. Roy and his wife Devra have led over 175 of their Life Together Forever Couples Weekends and are the authors of The Secret to Lifetime Love: Speaking and Hearing Truth. He is the Executive Director of Shield Bearer Counseling Centers in Houston, TX. Click on the titles to purchase. General Books: Married with low libido or either been through sexual abuse: General about Sex: Premarital: Free articles and videos: MarriageToday.com FamilyLifeToday.com LifeTogetherForever.com GrowthTrac.com

A Plethora of Resources

We thought it would be good to cover a number of areas this summer. Here's a list of great resources according to topics! If you have some recommendations, send them to me here. Financial Resources: Dave Ramsey. For Financial Peace University to blogs, podcasts, books and radio shows - go to https://www.daveramsey.com/ Ron Blue. Kingdom Advisors is an online resource for someone needing financial advice to financial advisors. go to https://kingdomadvisors.com/ Business & Leadership: Henry Cloud. Leadership U. Boundaries. Business books. go to https://www.drcloud.com/ Michael Hyatt. Leadership mentor, Goal and management resources, the Leader Box. go to https://michaelhyatt.com/ Sexuality: Dan Allender. Healing and Restoration. Books, Online courses and more from The Seattle School. Go to https://theallendercenter.org/ Mark Laaser. Faithful & True ministries. Workshops, Counseling, Sexual integrity resources. Go to https://faithfulandtrue.com/ Healthy Living: Rick Warren, Dr. Daniel Amen. The Daniel Plan, a Biblical approach to food. Go to http://www.danielplan.com/ Rex Russell, M.D. A great book entitled, "What the Bible Says about Healthy Living." Go to Amazon here. Marriage: Gary Chapman. Love Languages, practical books. Go to http://www.5lovelanguages.com/ Mike Mason. The Mystery of Marriage is the classic book on Christian marriage. Go to https://www.mikemasonbooks.com/ Henry Cloud and John Townsend. Boundaries in Marriage. Go to Amazon.

Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People

Bob Goff is amazingly funny, hope-filled and Jesus crazy. "Everyone Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People" is the follow up to his NYT best selling title, "Love Does."

I thought I had this book figured out before I read it. Of course, it would be filled with amazing stories, poignant insights and deep truths - Bob encourages us to love those people that aren't easy to love. To love without inhibition or judgement. However, Goff really made me think more deeply about this issue than I expected. It's quite a skill to be both entertaining and challenging at the same time, and Bob pulls it off. Why not throw off our inhibitions and shadows that have kept us from truly engaging, truly loving everyone? This book is fun, silly, playful, serious, smart, deep ALL at the same time. Just what we need in this day and age. Follow Bob on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bobgoff

God’s Word & More: YouVersion

"All Scripture is God-breathed and useful..." - 2 Timothy 3:16a. Scripture has the power to transform men's lives. The Crucible Project experience is filled with powerful Scripture. Did you know you can have that same power in the palm of your hand? YouVersion has already been downloaded 300 million times. Not only does it offer offer 1,713 Bible versions in 1,134 languages for free, and without advertising - it also has hundreds of devotional studies from amazing authors and Bible teachers. I use it daily in my chair time to read a number of devotionals - and there are great ones for men's issues. Right now I'm doing Wild Life with John Eldredge - it includes video, Scripture and guided questions to work on. There are amazing features - you can share your devotional sessions with friends, do sessions together, and create visual Bible verses. It is available via iOS, Android, via Bible.com and also installable for Voice. Go here for more.

RightNow Media: Resources for you from your church!

One of the most exciting avenues of the internet has been streaming media - movies, music and more. Enter RightNow Media - called "The Netflix of Christian Bible Study," it features over 10,000 free videos and studies online. Perfect viewing for individuals, small groups, families and more, RightNow offers an amazing array of topics from Ministry, Work, Marriage, Addiction, Mens' & Women's issues, Youth, Kid's, Topical Bible studies and even humorous videos. Heavyweight authors and teachers like Francis Chan, Phil Vischer, Henry Cloud, John Townsend, John Ortberg and more are featured on RightNow. It can be accessed on Roku, Firestick, AppleTV and more as well as your PC, Tablet and Phone. One caveat: You cannot sign up individually to RightNow. They state: "We believe that being part of a community of believers is critical to spiritual growth as well as obedience to God. We want to encourage people to be part of a body of believers and use our resources within that framework. Our mission is to serve local churches, and we believe that mission becomes less clear when we are serving individuals directly instead of allowing the local church to shepherd their own congregation. This way we can partner with the church and build on the foundation that the church has already laid." It's possible your church already subscribes to RightNow, and you'll need to reach out and get your free subscription. If your church doesn't subscribe, RightNow is more than happy to make that happen. Check it out here at https://www.rightnowmedia.org

White Awake: An honest look at what it means to be white.

By Daniel Hill First of all, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK. Unless, you are ready to have your world rocked. It certainly did mine. I’ve always considered myself non-prejudice, non-racist; a person well aware of those different from me. While that is true, what I did not consider was my culture as a white person. In other words, my whiteness needed to be woken up! White Awake chronicles the journey of Daniel Hill, a Willow Creek staffer who attempted to start a multi-racial church in Chicago, then failed. In that failure he came to confess, “I was oblivious to what I didn’t even know. I was blind but I didn’t know I was blind.” He began to see that his unawareness to his being white was keeping him from a true transformation. It kept him from the very objective he had to participate in a multi-colored world. The book outlines issues of cultural identity, the historical American narrative on race, the dangers of denial, facing honest dialog, and the place of lament and repenting. It concludes with challenges and practical suggestions for those willing to step into the realities of what it means to be white in a multi-colored world. On a final note, I am encouraged that in our Crucible community we have the tools of honesty, vulnerability, grace, and truth that are all necessary to engage in a dialog that I pray will lead to change in our society. If you’re ready to get stretched and are willing to see realities that you may be blind to, then this book comes highly recommended.

The Heart of Man Review

“The Heart of Man” is a movie with a story told so well that one would find it hard to not come away impacted by its message. While couched in a documentary, the film has beautiful cinematography. It is a story of brokenness and redemption, and speaks to the very soul of our nature and sense of worth. Told with the same symbolic styling as J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, it’s a story of how people have found the only way out of a lifetime of sexual brokenness. Seven people share their stories of being set free from shame, secrecy and using lust to self-medicate their deep pain. Contributing are author William Paul Young, therapist Dan Allender, spoken word artist Jackie Hill-Perry and author John S. Lynch. The movie has an edge not suitable for younger viewers that is necessary to explore the issues of shame, guilt and restoration. It’s not just about sexual brokenness, but is one of the lynchpins in the story. Initially offered at select movie theaters via Fathom Events, it had an encore showing due to its popularity. We’d highly recommend it for individuals, families, small groups and churches. There are resources online such as a participant’s guide to use in small groups at Heart of Man Movie. At 74 minutes, “The Heart of Man” features additional content – including a 26 minute discussion with the cast and crew. It is now available via DVD, Blue-Ray, iTunes, YouTube, Amazon, and Google Play. There are plans for a Netflix release this year. Some churches, like Willow Creek, offer their member’s access to Right Now Media, a video resource that has the movie available.

Book Review: Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life

By Richard Rohr “Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal. (John 12:24-25, The Message) Jesus, the master paradox speaker, uses one on his disciples to foreshadow the necessity of his death. He was letting them know that through death comes life, letting go we receive, and in humility we are lifted up. It is these truths that Richard Rohr explores in Falling Upward for any man who wants to see that the second half of life is not a slow descent to death. Rather it is about what happens when we let go of building our bank accounts, reputations, power, and positions. It is about the “upward journey” to becoming more whole as we “fall downward.” While any man at any age could read this book, I’d highly recommend this book to men over 50 who are wondering how they will navigate their lives into their 60’s and 70’s.

The Liturgist’s Podcast

Have you ever tried listening to podcasts on your long drive or in your office? There are so many out there (and availability with smart phones makes it easier) that you might be wondering, “Where’s a good place to start?” Michael Gungor and Mike McHargue (Science Mike) host an amazing podcast called, The Liturgists, where they tackle topics you really don’t hear the church talk much about – other than Crucible weekends and groups. The Liturgists state, “We create art and experiences for the spiritually homeless and frustrated.” Sound intriguing? There is some salty language at times, but when you’re dealing with messy topics like marriage, women, violence, science and art. This will make you think and stretch your faith. Don’t listen if you want to stay safely in your current beliefs. LINK: http://www.theliturgists.com/podcast You can also access it via iTunes (link), Google Play (link) and Spotify (link) Want a few more ideas? Relevant Magazine has a few more ideas: CLICK HERE

GLSNext Leadership Resources

Those men who have attended the two second level Crucible weekends on leadership, know the value of good resources. The Global Leadership Summit, an annual event across the globe, brings world class leaders right to you. GLS also has online and app resources that you can access free! Just go to glsnext.com for more. Content includes leaders Jim Collins, Melinda Gates, Andy Stanley, Jack Welch, Seth Godin, Henry Cloud, Albert Tate and more.

Stress & Connection Video

Here is an excellent two part video series from Dr. Henry Cloud, business leadership consultant and clinical psychologist who speaks at Willow Creek Community Church annually. "Handling Stress" and "How our Connections affect Our Stress," give both practical guidance and strategies that you will find invaluable. VIDEO ONE VIDEO TWO

ACTION POINT: Give us your three favorite books, and we will give you the results next month! EMAIL

Here are some of the responses: Beautiful Outlaw by John Eldredge The Three Battlegrounds by Francis Frangipane Fierce Conversations by Susan Scott A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn Dethroning Mammon (Making Money Serve Grace) by Justin Welby To Bless the Space between Us by John O'Donahue

Book: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business, by Charles Duhigg, a New York Times reporter – takes you on a journey of discovery that can impact you personally, professionally and your community.

Spending over 60 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List, Power of Habit digs into the science and accumulated research into how our brains actually form and continue habits. Using the formula of Cue: Routine: Reward, which research has unearthed, Duhigg expresses how habits take root in us personally. He also digs into how business uses this research to their benefit – and examines organizations and movements. For me, understanding how my brain functions regarding just how habits work, has allowed me to focus on changing some of the bad habits I’ve acquired over the years. Power of Habit actually gives us some practical tools on changing old habits and instilling new ones. The Crucible Project’s design is actually totally in tune with these principles. Duhigg explains the power of peer networks and how they assist in building new habits. By looking at a number of organizations, including Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, the Civil Rights movement, Target and the NFL. Everyone will enjoy something from this book’s contents. It’s an intellectually revealing read as well as a personally useful one. Rare these days.

Book: Loveable by Kelly Flanagan

Any man that has stepped onto the carpet and taken a look at the darkness knows it is the only way to come into the light. The premise of Loveable, is the same. Loveable gets to the heart of the matter: the shame we carry and helpful ways to deal with it. Step one is to deal with the shame before you can start to become fully alive. The author weaves his personal journey throughout the book. You get a glimpse of a scared youth, aggressive student, and hardworking husband/dad that has found how being “loveable” brings true joy. Authentic, vulnerable, and easy to read…Loveable is now topping my “favorite books” list! Being one of the first read it, I have been telling all my friends they MUST get this book!

I can name three Crucible brothers that are reading this book right now. One of them is going through it a second time because the truths they are finding are so beneficial to them! - JJ Click on the book to get it!

Resources for the Journey

Sometimes, especially after a man does work on his initial weekend, other issues come out that haven’t been addressed. Oftentimes those issues have to do with addictions. Sexual addiction is an issue that 18-24 million Americans struggle with yet help seems difficult to find, because of the tremendous power of shame. One valuable resource is LIFE Recovery International, an addiction recovery ministry that provides resources for not only sexual addiction, but other addictions as well. Based on the L.I.F.E. guidebook written by Dr. Mark Laaser, who leads Faithful & True, a Christian Counseling Center that offers intensive weekends for men, women and couples, there are hundreds of Faithful & True small groups that meet weekly around this issue all around the country. Both websites have helpful self-assessment tools, free resources and downloads, workshops and podcasts. Both men and women, husbands and wives travel to Minnesota for the workshops that are offered.

Books for the Journey

Seven Desires: Looking Past what Separates Us to Learn what Connects Us. By: Mark & Debbie Laaser

If you’ve longed for deeper insight into what we all long for and the common longings in every person’s heart, Mark & Debbie Laaser’s book, Seven Desires, is an insightful read.

The Laasers use Biblical insights, counseling stories and sound psychological principles to explain and pinpoint the common desires God gives you: to be heard, affirmed, blessed, safe, touched, chosen, and included.

When I read the very first chapter, my heart skipped a beat as the initial explanation reflected many issues I haven’t been able to put into words. That chapter was worth the price of the book and more. I was able to instantly recognize the main desires that I have been ‘chasing’ all my life.

With helpful “Points to Ponder” at the end of every chapter, this is a book that can be experienced individually or in a small group. It’s great to read with your spouse.

The Crucible Project does a great job at meeting these seven desires, and I can see this book as a next level type of reading for those that have been through an initial weekend as well as seasoned Crucible vets.

Books for the Journey

The Road Back to You

An Enneagram Journey To Self-Discovery By: Ian Morgan Crow & Suzanne Stabile

Ian Morgan unravels the mystery of the “Enneagram”, an ancient personality system that helps people understand who they are and what makes them tick. When I say ancient, think monks from 400AD. By the early 1900s a teacher developed a nine pointed geometric figure, thus “ennea(nine)gram” to illustrate this system. Fast forward to 1970 and the personality system came to the United States where millions of people have used the system and swear to its accuracy.

OK, enough history already! Why should you read this book? Other than the obvious reason of answering the question, “what number am I anyway?!” I’d offer three reasons.

First, to understand yourself better. To date I’ve never found THE absolute and total system that gets to the heart of how I tick. The Enneagram is one of many tools that can help you do that. By reading about your “type” it gives you a greater appreciation for your gold and shadow. The truth be told, it is more about the sin that most trips you up. By seeing it from a higher view it helps you make choices about how you want to live.

Second, to understand those around you. My wife and I read this book together and we’d often stop and comment on how clearly it described me, her, or one of our kids. After reading one chapter we joked “they should rename that chapter ‘Susan’ (the name of our friend).” To live in harmony and understanding with those around you, the first step is often seeing how the other is wired. Different is just that – different.

Third, to share a common language with others. I’ve noticed that more and more men in The Crucible community are being exposed to the Enneagram through reading, workshops, and blogs. A friend of mine shares the same personality type. We are able to address certain issues in light of the Enneagram that gives us greater understanding of the soul work we are doing. Coupled with the tools offered in Crucible I have found this to be very helpful to go deeper.

On a final note, let me say the book is very easy to read! The lead Author, Ian Morgan Cron uses a humorous narrative throughout to illustrate the various types and gently shows us where our sins trip us up. He speaks from his own experience (think “I statements”) and invites his reader to do the same. You’ll read this book to “figure out what number you are” and discover you are reading it to “figure out who others are” as well. Fascinating, entertaining, insightful! A must read for any man on his journey.

Books for the Journey

If you’ve ever seen Truth in places where some don’t – you’ll enjoy “Waking The Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive,” by John Eldredge. The author of “Wild at Heart” takes on the tenant that Christianity offers life – full life, as promised by Jesus himself in John 10:10. Eldredge’s purpose is to ignite that life that is already within us. He uses biblical and cultural examples to communicate God’s great purposes in redeeming us even in the midst of a wounded and shell-shocked world. At the same time, John communicates that the path of following Jesus is a narrow path in the midst of spiritual warfare. The chapter on “Fighting for Your Heart” takes that whole topic on to a place you might have never considered. If you want to live your life in a way that is FREED in following God, and challenge some of the lies you might have believed about yourself and your heart, this is a great place to start. Added bonus: It’s now on Amazon Kindle for $1.99 here: Waking the Dead: The Glory of a Heart Fully Alive

Books for the Journey

“Scary Close – Dropping the Act and Finding True Intimacy” is Donald Miller’s most recent book. The author of “Blue Like Jazz,” Miller has an engaging conversational way of writing. It feels like you’re with a good friend. I’d read other Miller books, and was looking forward to this one – yet this book seemed different. It was a more mature man, coming to grips with his need for intimacy, while at the same time scared to death of it. With chapter titles like, The Distracting Noises of Insecurity, You are Good at Relationships, Why Some Animals make Themselves Look Bigger than They Are, Five Kinds of Manipulators and Do Men Do Intimacy Differently, there is really something for every man at every stage of their lives. I think a good author is someone who can peel off the common layers that we all have, and get to the nitty gritty of life. Miller does that here. I have so much common ground with his “voice” in this book, that I really feel that his story is my story. When I read the chapter on parenting – I couldn’t help but traverse through all the emotions on display with the parents who talk about intimacy and the role it plays with their kids. You’ll be shocked and comforted most likely, like me. Donald is a storyteller, and because of that, alongside with the conversational writing, it’s truly hard to put down. That’s always a sign of a great book, in my opinion. Every man should read it.

Spreading Christian Soul Work

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WHO DO YOU KNOW?

Faith over Fear: Connecting with God During a Pandemic

COMPASS: A Resource You Can Share

Dangerous Relationships Webinar: Family Violence Training

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Highly Recommended Books - Nov 2019

Download Your Free E-Book

Finding Rest

Book Review: Preparing the Soil for God's Transformation

We thought we'd go Back to the Future and share classic resources that still speak today:

The Little Book on the Human Shadow: Robert Bly

On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity & Getting Old

Marriage Resources

Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People

White Awake: An honest look at what it means to be white.

The Heart of Man Review

Book Review: Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life

The Liturgist’s Podcast

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GLSNext Leadership Resources

Stress & Connection Video

ACTION POINT: Give us your three favorite books, and we will give you the results next month! EMAIL

Book: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg

Book: Loveable by Kelly Flanagan

Resources for the Journey

Books for the Journey

Books for the Journey

Books for the Journey

Books for the Journey

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Get your free copy of the ebook, “Faith Over Fear: Connecting with God During a Pandemic” devotional book when you join our email list. Sixteen Crucible authors contributed their wisdom with authenticity.