Vision
To create a world of men who live with courage, integrity and grace –
fulfilling their God-given purpose, like Jesus.
"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.
Do everything in love." —1
Corinthians 16:13–14
"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." —John 1:14
Mission
Our mission is to provide retreats for men of faith to equip them to live to their fullest passion, power and potential.
"Each one should use whatever
gift he has
received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s
grace in
its various forms." —1 Peter 4:10
"…our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also
with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction." —1
Thessalonians 1:5
Core Values
Integrity
We are committed to having our walk match our talk -feeling and acknowledging our feelings, expressing our truth, keeping our agreements impeccably and taking responsibility for the circumstances of our lives.
"Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’…"
—Matthew
5:37
"God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in
love…"
—Ephesians 4:15, The Message
"What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ's body we're all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself. Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don't use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don't stay angry. Don't go to bed angry. Don't give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life." —Ephesians 4:25–27, The Message
"Confess your sins to one another… " —James 5:16
"Why do you look at the speck
of sawdust in
your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your
own
eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take
the
speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in
your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own
eye…" —Matthew 7:3–5
Courage
We are committed to knowing ourselves authentically, challenging and calling forth the best in each other, facing our fears and taking risks to make an impact in the world.
"And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. —1 Thessalonians 5:14–15
"Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching …"
—1 Timothy 4:16
"The purposes of the human
heart are deep waters, but those who have insight draw them out." —Proverbs
20:5
Grace
As God does for us, we offer to others the acceptance we all crave and desire.
"Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you…"
—Romans
15:7
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." —Matthew 7:1–2
"Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep."
—Romans 12:15
"Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. " —1 Peter 4:8
History
This ministry grew out of the longings of a pastor and a handful of other pastors and lay leaders who felt a hunger to push beyond the limits that characterize men's relationships in the church. As good as small groups and other gatherings had been, these men sensed God had something more in mind when the Bible talked about men sharpening one another as "iron sharpens iron." How could men gather together and provide grace-filled places to be radically honest about their lives and support and challenge each other to heal and grow?
Greg Huston, founder of this ministry and pastor for more than 16 years prior described his desire this way:
"Like most pastors I had a passion to see deep, lasting life-change happen in people. However, in my own journey toward Christ-likeness, I became aware of a nagging dissatisfaction with my own progress. I used all the tools available to me - the 'means of grace' seminary trained me for and that I'd counseled others to use. Yet below the surface, I felt stuck and unable to find the freedom the Scriptures promised was possible."
Greg left the pastorate in 1998 and entered a period of searching and learning. This journey included personal counseling, reading, workshops and retreats that helped him discover some new ways to zero-in on problem areas. Following the advice of a trusted colleague, he opened up himself to learn from sources that were outside his comfort zone. He used his theological training to "test everything and hold on to the good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Though initially skeptical, Greg found enormous benefit from trying new avenues of personal development, and discovered that many "new" tools were simply the practical working-out of biblical principles. For example, practices like radical honesty and truth-telling (James 5:16; Ephesians 4:25), taking the log out of one's own eye instead of focusing on the faults of others (Matthew 7:3; Galatians 6:4-5), learning to be a student of oneself and not just hiding behind Bible-knowledge (1 Timothy 4:16; 1 Corinthians 8:1) and going much deeper into community with other men (Galatians 6:2; Romans 1:12) radically impacted his progress, and he saw that he was becoming a better man, husband and father.
He and a small band of brothers formed a men's group to do this kind of work together. More than a Bible study, it was a circle where men could work on themselves and their issues in safety - yet call the best out of each other and "press on toward the goal" (Philippians 3:14) God had for each of them. After about a year, the co-facilitator suggested they do a retreat. In the fall of 2001 they had their first weekend training with this small group of men, and they used many of the experiential tools Greg had been learning about. Just a few months later in February 2002, after getting the input from a few other wise leaders, the first "official" Dare to Soar Weekend was held.
Greg remembers,
"The retreats were like a 'boot camp for the soul'. We discovered that men experienced truth and grace like never before, and did so in a strong community of brothers. They began to tell their friends about their experience and gradually word started to spread so that we began adding more retreats - holding two a year through 2003, then adding a third one in 2004. By 2007, we had four sold-out retreats! We are seeing a deep hunger among men for this kind of authentic community and transformation."
The first ten weekends were held under the umbrella of Greg's personal coaching business, Dare to Soar, LLC. As the work grew, he and the other leaders realized that creating a not-for-profit would be the best way to steer and expand the work to the next level. The weekends required a large, volunteer staff, and such an arrangement would enable those men who were selflessly giving their time and energy to volunteer for a not-for-profit instead of a private business. The leaders also wanted to raise money to help men participate in the weekend who might not be able to afford it, and the not-for-profit status made that easier. In December of 2005, "The Crucible Project" was formed as an Illinois not-for-profit to oversee and shepherd this growing ministry. All of the first-level "Dare to Soar" Men's Weekends (and the training events that develop staff) are now run under the direction of the Board of The Crucible Project. Together with Greg's ongoing leadership, the Board and enthusiastic growing cadre of volunteers stand in awe of what God is doing in the souls of men through these weekend experiences.