Faithwalking

An Ongoing Spiritual Formation Journey

Why Faithwalking?

What is Faithwalking? Why is it needed, and what is it all about? Well, uh, it’s complicated….

In the video below, Ken Shuman addresses this complexity, explaining clearly and concisely what Faithwalking is all about and what its impact on people is as a powerful tool of personal and spiritual transformation. The bottom line is that we at Faithwalking desire to lead people in the way of Jesus. In an increasingly anxious, reactive, and polarized world, it is more and more difficult to live as our best selves, in ways consistent with our values and beliefs and the teachings of Jesus. Faithwalking helps people uncover issues beneath the surface that are preventing them from being on mission with God. It gives them a process and a set of tools that work to bring real change – bringing wholeness to every dimension of people’s lives and, by extension, the world we live in.

 

 

Audio version below

 

 

Transition

2018 is a year of exciting transition for Faithwalking. The team is working hard to navigate this transition, and we are really excited about the possibilities before us and about our future. Below is a summary of some of the changes on the horizon and ways you can help us accomplish our vision.

Beyond the transition of leadership we face as Faithwalking founder Jim Herrington has stepped down from active leadership in the organization, we are currently engaged in making large strides toward becoming a vision-centered organization rather than a leader-centered organization. We recognize this is a normal process in healthy organizations.

Expanding the reach and impact of Faithwalking is the second task at hand for us. We have reenvisioned our strategy of empowering Faithwalking Circles to use the Core Four to continue to expand the Faithwalking “movement” that is our legacy. This is really exciting, as we hope that this revamped strategy will align more clearly with our core value of being missional in the world and reaching those who are poor, marginalized, and in need.

On the other side, the very real challenge of creating wholeness and workability for Faithwalking in the financial arena has proven to be a creative force for us. On the one hand we have carefully considered an increase in our fees and implementing a scholarship structure. On the other, we couldn’t be more excited about the creation of a new Faithwalking curriculum, “Faithwalking Foundations,” and new offerings, such as “Becoming Differentiated with our Families,” that we hope to begin rolling out in September.

Stay tuned – there is more to come! For now (and as usual), we invite you to help us. We are currently seeking grants to help fund the following special projects:

  • a professional rewrite of our materials
  • a professional rebranding of Faithwalking
  • hiring a bilingual (Spanish) intern

If you are familiar with any grants you think we should consider applying for, or if would like to discuss how you might help us fund any of these projects at any level, we would love to hear from you! You can also click below to donate immediately. If you would like to designate your contribution to a particular project, you can do so in the “special instructions” box.

DONATE HERE

Contact: Angela Raley, angelaraley@faithwalking.us

Why Faithwalking? Interview – Ken Shuman

From counseling to meditation, there are plenty of transformational programs that claim to address our deepest human needs. But how do we define these needs, and what keeps Faithwalking from becoming just another program? In this video, our leader Ken Shuman discusses with Marcos Leon the deep needs we have for wholeness and workability in our lives. He explains how Faithwalking can transform us into people who grow in these areas despite living in an anxious and reactive world. Following the video, we invite you to read Ken’s short reflection, “The Case for Faithwalking,” to further explore the uniqueness of what Faithwalking has to offer.

 

 

audio version available below

 

The Case for Faithwalking

A clear statement of the need we address:

We live in a reactive culture where even the most well-intentioned people behave in less than healthy ways.

Everyone has triggers. Marriages, families, churches, businesses, communities and governments are all impacted by people’s lack of ability to work together in healthy and life-giving ways. As a result, most of the systems in our culture are impaired, and many are disintegrating. Individuals and the world remain broken and disunified. Christians inconsistently follow the path of Jesus. We miss out on the fully alive life. The world remains mostly unchanged. Polarization and impulsive bad behavior are on the increase. Simple answers get offered when the real answers lie deep within every individual.

“External conflicts are difficult to resolve before resolving the internal conflicts that fuel them.” Dr. Henry Cloud

We believe that wholeness and workability are God’s intended design. We believe that God desires peace, unity, and soundness in individuals and in systems. We believe that when God’s kingdom invades the earth that wholeness is reclaimed in everyone and that workability is established for everyone.

Reclaiming wholeness and establishing workability in individuals, communities, systems and the world is our mission.

How do we address this need?

We believe that information alone doesn’t transform but that informed practice transforms.

We teach people how to use a set of tools that lead to personal transformation and the fully alive life. We coach them in how to apply the tools in their lives. We empower them to learn to coach themselves as an ongoing way of life. We mobilize them to join with God in God’s ongoing mission in the places where they live, work, and play. Individuals are transforming and becoming more whole, and they then impact systems that become more whole and workable.

What makes us unique? Our mix of resources. Family systems theory, spiritual formation, missional theology, leadership development, and practical self-help. Our process: of information, practice and reflection Our coaching A mix of professionals and volunteers. Our end-game of wholeness and workability in individuals, communities, systems and the world.

How can others help us? Pray, Give, Coach, Volunteer

 

A Story of Congregational Transformation Mile High Vineyard

Below you will find the video and audio from Corey Garris, a reflection on the Faithwalking process at Mile High Vineyard from Chris Knudsen, and a personal testimony from one of their participants.

 

audio version available below

 

A Faithwalking Reflection, by Chris Knudsen

As a representative for the Vineyard, I have the privilege of seeing the Faithwalking process grow into many different Vineyards all around the country. I have the pleasure of hearing stories of pastors and leaders turning over a new way of being because of the way Faithwalking has impacted their lives. For instance, one Faithwalking participant told me that their staff meetings were different and their staff members were different. He said their staff now trust one another because they allow each other to say what is so for them, and that this allows for everyone to be heard without the angst of seeking approval or fear of being let go. Over and over, the testimonies are similar – pastors and leaders are able to communicate differently because they are taking a look at what is happening on the inside. Faithwalking offers a new way of communicating because it offers a new way of being. For many of the participants who have completed Faithwalking 201 the consensus is similar, in that there is a new sense of freedom and liberation for a new way of being, and this goes against the way of what has always been.

Thus far we have taken Faithwalking into five congregations. In those five churches we continue to run Faithwalking 101 retreats and offer the 201 experience. A couple of those churches have had two or three Faithwalking 101 retreats followed by the 201 experience. Some churches are newer to the process and are currently in their 201 experience but have scheduled their second round of Faithwalking 101 retreats in the fall and winter of this year and early 2019. Our goal is help each church in the Vineyard become self-sustaining with regard to the Faithwalking process. In addition, we are scheduled to be in England in early fall of this year to expand Faithwalking beyond the United States and into the UK.  

Currently, I’m in the process of building up our coaches. As Faithwalking continues to be a means by which our church and other churches disciple, we are in need of many coaches. Consistency in the quality of training is important, as coaching is critical for the overall growth, health, and development of Faithwalking within our systems. Personally, I believe coaching is what helps unlock the Faithwalking work. For me, this has been true in two ways – for one, as a participant, being coached was what stabilized and kept the process going – and second, as a coach myself, coaching has meant “trying on” many of the concepts I learned during the 201 and 202 experienced. I believe anyone can be coach and that everyone should try on coaching, because coaching gives us the opportunity to practice the skills we have learned – listening to understand, managing our anxiety, asking thoughtful questions, and growing in differentiation – in the midst of those we are coaching. Despite my belief that everyone should be a coach, I also want to ensure that coaches have what they need to be a strong coach. As such, my work is currently in training, monitoring, and nurturing new coaches.

A Testimony from a Participant from Mile High Vineyard

I went into Faithwalking knowing it was something Jesus was asking me to do before becoming a parent.  I didn’t realize how much work would go into getting freed up from ways of being and seeing the world that I’d inherited from my parents.  Continuing the journey of seeing God as the ultimate parent, and myself as his beloved child, has been quite a process.

Before Faithwalking, I operated on autopilot out of semi-unconscious vows (“I can’t let people see who I really am or they will reject me,” “I have to protect myself,” “I need to be self-sufficient,” etc.).  Faithwalking has unpacked those vows, helped me travel into the layers below to identify the situations that wounded me, and see what Jesus’ truth is in each situation.  Living out of that truth into new counter-vows and developing a set of guiding principles is a process I’ll be doing for the rest of my life.  But now I have a framework and language that not only helps me but is rippling out to my family system, my coworkers, my marriage and my friendships, as I pursue authenticity and whole-hearted living, acknowledge my needs and limitations, and share with others what I am learning.  I like Faithwalking because it provides common language that anyone, regardless of their relationship with Jesus, can connect to and see themselves reflected in, and I’ve had friends from very different spiritual backgrounds share that they really appreciate hearing about this process.   

I’ve had to face grief as I’ve realized how my autopilot has wounded others around me through the walls I put up, my fear, and my tendency to debate instead of dialogue when I feel unsafe. I’ve taken steps to repair that damage, try to listen well to others, and face up to the impact of my actions.  I’m committing to this life-long process of keeping open about what I don’t know, asking Jesus to transform what I do, and doing spiritual workouts that connect me to Him.

My current Guiding Principles (they continue to evolve):

I live FROM, not FOR approval, as a beloved child of God, and can rest in this.

  • I am cherished and a delight.
  • I will not be abandoned.  I reject the idea that I have to make things easy and avoid conflict or the people close to me will leave me.
  • I can give and receive love (“Be love, be loved”)
  • I can celebrate with joy and gratitude
  • I can trust all will be well
  • I can rest and not strive
  • This speaks the gospel to my Enneagram “2-ness”

I am responsible TO, not FOR others…and FOR myself.  (KINDNESS to self and others)

TO –

  • love with kindness and compassion
  • respond with differentiation
  • foster belonging/inclusion/equity
  • set boundaries (but not out of fear of others controlling me)

FOR –

  • care for myself (body, soul, spirit: “love your neighbor as yourself”)
  • “4-time”- doing the things that recharge me
  • my choices and responses
  • abiding in Jesus and my journey of faith
  • asking for help (not being self-sufficient)
  • keeping an open heart

I seek real wholeness and well-being not just appearance.

  • live in the light without shame
  • honesty with self and others
  • welcome challenge/conflict as an opportunity for growth
  • realize my real, messy process is a gift (not “too much/not enough”)
  • develop into a non-anxious presence that brings the peace of the kingdom
  • allow Jesus to transform me through connection with him

I stretch into grace and truth.

  • Celebrate the dynamic ocean of life-long growing and learning with Jesus, and allow others to have their journey of discovery
  • OBSERVE–> THINK/FEEL–> PRAY–> RESPOND
  • Galileo Prayer (curious, non-judgmental, relational and bless their journey when responding in truth)

I pursue sonship and stewardship.  

  • There is abundance for TODAY and grace for TOMORROW (no credit)
  • Sonship: As a child of God, I have FREEDOM to imagine, dream, adventure, explore, be creative, enjoy, use big faith, make “impossible lists” and live in abundance
  • Stewardship: As a caretaker of what belongs to God, I have RESPONSIBILITY to steward resources, plan, work hard, set goals, use delayed gratification and wisdom

Harvey Story – Jim Herrington

In this video, Jim Herrington shares his experience in recent weeks and months of working with a network of people and organizations in Houston and beyond to create a coordinated effort to address Harvey recovery. They have tackled how to get resources from affluent parts of the city to under-resourced areas and how to sustain this recovery effort long after compassion fatigue sets in and most of the recovery work in the city ceases.

Together these groups and individuals from all walks of life have collaborated, shared resources, and worked on finding the best solutions to the problems communities in Houston face, such that the recovery effort will be more effective and sustained for a longer period of time and the most under-resourced communities of the city will have access to resources that will complete the recovery in their communities.

 

audio version available below