My story begins at a crossroads. Not at a stop sign or traffic light, but at the intersection of brokenness and blessing, the place where wounds meet healing, and light blinds darkness in the presence, power, love, and truth of Jesus Christ. 

By the early 1990’s I had planted one of the fastest growing churches in the United States, been the head of a theological seminary, written books, and had an international speaking itinerary. I was headed for the top rung of the Christian leadership ladder. But as the external pressure collided with internal turmoil (another crossroads) I spiraled into a debilitating breakdown that landed me in a psychiatric facility in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Instead of climbing the ladder of success I began to descend into a  journey not of my choosing. A journey where I wrestled with unaddressed issues from the past. A journey of increasing intimacy with God. A journey that demanded that I lean into a trusted community. 

As time passed, my transformation became apparent to family, friends, and church community. I began to speak publicly about God meeting me in the darkest places in my life and healing deep emotional wounds. That deeply personal experience become the framework for a new approach to helping hurting people find healing and wholeness in God. I began to interweave what I learned from the behavioral sciences with practices of Christian spirituality; eventually creating what now is called Formational Prayer. 

These insights moved from one-on-one sessions to small group discussions, from weekend retreats to our first official training event.  Those humble beginnings became a movement that seeks to empower Christians on the journey to wholeness.

For the last two decades, my organization, Healing Care, has hosted events throughout North America, equipping thousands of professional counselors, pastors, physicians, and lay leaders to help hurting people experience healing in Christ.

It is my prayer that we continue to write a story that matters, a story that is fueled by the Spirit of God as we invite others to combine their journey with ours to encounter, experience, and respond to God.