Change Is In The Air! Transforming Marriages and Staffing Transitions

September 2017 Newsletter

In this newsletter hear how couples are experiencing the Battle for Your Marriage, find out about transitions in Wellspring staff and learn how to get a free t-shirt!

This month 29 couples came together at the beautiful Winshape Retreat center for the Holistic Communion, the second catalytic event in our Battle for Your Marriage track. For all participants it was a time to celebrate what God has been doing among these couples and teams, but also a time of taking back ground that evil has stolen through sexual brokenness and distortion.

Some of the highlights of the weekend included vulnerable sharing by Mary Ellis as well as Ed and Judy Dorris. Their testimonies of God’s redemption through pain and risk were stunning and led many of the couples into a time of deep sharing that brought major breakthroughs in their hearts and marriages.

Testimonies from the Battle for Holistic Communion

“I have been impacted this weekend as I have felt seen and cared for by God, my husband, my team, and the Wellspring staff. I came into this weekend exhausted from fighting what has seemed for years a losing battle. God has shown me that he doesn’t want more from me, but rather, more FOR ME. This is still a journey, and I don’t leave feeling “fixed” or “fine,” but I leave hopeful for the future of my marriage.”

“The Battle for your Marriage has been a difficult, scary and intimidating process to undertake. God has met me and my wife in unique ways and given us great encouragement as we enter our 16 ^th year of marriage. So much is at stake and without the BYM process we would not have dealt with pain, hurt and lies we have believed about ourselves our spouse and our marriage.”

“We have been loved, protected and nurtured by each other and our team. Healing and restoration have taken place this weekend and we are leaving with cautious hope.”

“We now see how Satan has twisted sexual union like the twisting of language at the Tower of Babel. Now the untwisting has begun.”

During the closing session, Larry cast a vision for alumni to consider taking a two-year journey with three other couples that are new to the Battle for the Heart process. This journey would involve the husbands and wives going through the Battle for the Heart for men and women in separate teams, and then entering the Battle for Your Marriage together as a team of eight the following year. The impact of intimacy and community is increased exponentially in teams who have done this. Would you be interested in pursuing this? If so, contact [email protected].

We are also looking at beginning another Battle for Your Marriage in September of 2018. If you and your spouse know of three other Battle alumni couples who would be interested in joining you for this journey, please contact [email protected].

To Learn More About The Battle For Your Marriage Click Here

In 2011 one couple had a burden for marriages so they funded the development of the Battle for Marriages. A significant part of that funding enabled us to hire Karen Crowe as our Experience Designer. Karen’s primary purpose was to work with me (Larry) in developing this transformational process for couples that now includes two catalytic events and two eight week follow through modules. In addition to her work on the marital track, Karen led our team in revising the Battle for Your Heart Team Equipping Material in 2012-2013 and has been significantly involved in our women’s equipping track. Karen’s contribution runs deep through every element of the Battle for the Heart experience!

This fall Karen will be reducing her time as she transitions off the Wellspring staff to give space for engaging with her family in this next season of her life. I will personally miss the joy of our many brainstorming sessions as we creatively dreamed, worked and saw God’s transforming love change the lives of His sons, daughters and their marriages. However, I am eternally grateful for the privilege of seeing Karen grow and blossom as a person, designer, facilitator, equipper, and speaker. She has affected all of our lives and those we touch in ways that will resound throughout all eternity. We look forward to staying connected as she volunteers in the future.

Here is a bit of what Karen had to say about her time on staff:

One of the highlights of being on staff has been seeing my smaller story redeemed as I surrender it to God's Larger-Story purposes. The last six years have included some personally trying and painful seasons, where the Lord needed to plow, plant, and prune. But He has also watered and fed me with truth, and surrounded me with brothers and sisters who have loved and supported me. It has been amazing to see the painful times blossom into good fruit, not only for my enjoyment but to benefit others too. I have had the joy of facilitating many, many teams of women and couples at retreats and in coaching calls over the years: I’ve had a front-row seat as people have courageously battled for their hearts and the hearts of those they love.

Perhaps the biggest area of growth has been the Volitional level of my heart. I’ve always been very connected to the emotional floor of my heart elevator, and less conscious of the Desire level that drives my choices. The longer I’ve worked at Wellspring, and grown in recognizing and honoring my deep desires, the more willing I have been to take risks – both personally and professionally. In both areas, it’s been very freeing to face my fears and risk failing, not getting it right, discovering how to do something in my unique way, through my own unique expression. I’ve discovered how to be okay with my own decisions, even if they don't always turn out like I’d hoped. Knowing that God delights in me, that He can be trusted even when I mess up, has given me more confidence. And that is something I get to keep, even as I transition into this new season of my life.