Introducing Deep Dive Spirituality: A Dynamic Coaching and Formation Program for Pastors and Spiritual Leaders

I've had the privilege of working with pastors and spiritual leaders for over twenty years. In the process, I've learned that many of us, even those who are publicly successful, hold "secrets" close to our heart. They sound like this:

My ministry sometimes feels more like a burden or cross to bear than a joy-filled calling...

I'm profoundly lonely because I have to keep a wall around myself...

I sometimes struggle in my faith with doubt, uncertainty, and fear...

I have a difficult time slowing down and enjoying meaningful hobbies outside of my ministry...

I feel like I have to care for others before I can take time for myself...

I'm worried about the ways my ministry affects the persons whom I love the most (my spouse, children, parents and friends)...

I'm exhausted by the demands of my calling and fear that I'm on the edge of burnout...

Life and ministry do not need to feel this way!

What if you could design a rhythm of life that nourishes your soul and frees you to be your best self for ministry and for your family?

What if you could apply simple tools and resources to rethink your understanding of mission so that you can look forward to the next decade and beyond?

Introducing Deep Dive Spirituality with Dr. Brian Russell

I've been there. I preached my first sermon at age 19 and became a pastor of a local congregation at age 24. Since then, I've served rural, urban, and suburban churches as a pastor. I've also planted a church. Plus over the last twenty years, it's been my privilege to mentor and teach over a thousand students as a seminary professor and to speak in dozens of churches, camps, and conferences. 

I know the heavy load that we carry. I've experienced the pain and disappointment of working in difficult contexts. I've lived through personal trauma. I've struggled to balance work with my heart desire to be a loving husband and father. 

I've had to ask deep questions of myself. Besides continuing to cultivate my expertise as a biblical studies and missional thought leader, I've read hundreds of books on personal development, burnout, recovery, transformation, spiritual growth, time management, and psychology. I've worked with multiple coaches and spiritual guides who helped me to work through my pain and to reboot my life for the highest purpose.  

In the process, I've gained deep insights into the love of God and grown in grace in ways that I'd never previously experienced. I've been sharing bits and pieces of my personal revival with students in class and more deeply in private mentoring. But I believe it's time to share these lessons with frontline ministry leaders like you.

I invite you to join me for a spiritual deep dive:

–Cultivate life enhancing habits rooted in ancient practices that are uniquely designed for your personality and that serve your highest and best self 

–Take immediate control of your time and learn to move through overwhelm and hidden fears

–Create goals for a truly abundant life

–Transform your study into times that feed your soul, mind, and body

–Uncover and experience transformation and healing for your deepest wounds that are sapping you of energy and joy

–Grow into the person God created you to be in a dynamic group experience that you can then replicate in your ministry context to expand your impact on the world

–Work with other like-minded spiritual leaders to create solutions to your most difficult challenges in ministry

The Process

We'll meet as a group via Zoom video conferencing for two live sessions per month. Each session will involve guidance from Dr. Russell, group reflection to apply the new ideas, and a time for a "hot seat" coaching conversation on a ministry challenge or question. Members will covenant to put in the time to do the deep work of growth in between the sessions. Sessions will last roughly an hour.

Interested? Email me at deepdivespirituality@gmail.com

For those desiring a more private process, I am accepting a small number of clients for one on one coaching. 

Brian D. Russell, Ph.D. is an academic dean, professor of biblical studies, Licensed practitioner of NLP, Life Coach and Business consultant.

3 Questions to Find Your Sweet Spot (Your Professor for Life #2)

Tony Robbins says, "The quality of your questions is the quality of your life."

In this brief (5 minute) video, I offer three questions for your reflection: Who is your mission? Who is your community? What kind of person do I need to become?

The intersection of the answers to these three questions is your "sweet spot" for maximum achievement and fulfillment in life. These questions correspond to three core values/needs in each of us: mission/purpose, community, and character/holiness.

Let me know what you think.

Video Blog: Life that Demands Explanation

In this video, I talk about the intersection of mission, holiness, and community as the sweet spot for living as the person whom God created us to be.

© 2015 Brian D. Russell

Becoming a Life Long Learner: Prevailing in the Classroom and in Life

As I begin another semester, I've prepared two videos (about 10 minutes each) to help facilitate and maximize learning. I'm embedding them below with notes:

Part One: Motivation and Belief

 

 

Remember in the movie The Matrix, Neo gets a crash course in which he learns new skills merely through uploads directly to his mind?

Wouldn’t that be great for learning Greek, Hebrew, IBS, and Exegesis as well as the other courses in our curriculum.

Learning isn’t easy, but it is essential for becoming the men and women that God created us to be.

One of the challenges of theological education is that the curriculum covers a wide variety of courses. This guarantees that all of us will find ourselves out of our comfort zone from time to time.

Biblical studies classes are challenging. Reading the Bible is both a skill and an art. This class will push you to develop new ways of listening to Scripture. Whenever we are confronted with new learnings, it is vital to recognize that learning takes time and intentional practice.

Reflect on the wisdom in these quotations:

“All things are difficult before they are easy.” Thomas Folk

“He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance, one cannot fly into flying.” Friedrich Nietzsche

Motivation:

(1) Recognizing the vital importance of learning.

a.     Missional Need: Our World Needs the Good News

b.     Scripture as the ocean. How deep?

c.      Set learning goals.

                                               i.     Michelangelo “The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.”

                                              ii.     Jim Rohn “You want to set a goal that is big enough that in the process of achieving it you become someone worth becoming.”

(2) Believing that you can actually learn.

a.     Be positive. Mary Kay “If you say ‘you can’ you can; if you say, ‘you can’t’ you are right.”  Zig Ziglar: “A positive attitude doesn’t let you do anything, but it allows you to do everything better than a negative attitude.”

b.     Use affirmations: “I love learning to read the Bible closely.” “I enjoy getting better at Greek and Hebrew every day.”

c.      Prioritizing your Time (What is important versus the urgent)

 Part Two: Process and Perseverance

Process:

(1) Pray.

(2) Breakdown the skill into key parts

(3) Practice intentionally. Put the time in. Do it correctly. Don’t cheat yourself.

(4) Persevere.

Recognize the stages:

Apprentice – Creative-Active – Mastery (See Mastery by Robert Greene)

Learn how to learn. Study your learning style. Figure out best times for you to study and be ruthless in carving out those times. Take 100% responsibility for your own success.

Plan your semester in advance.

Closing Thoughts:

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” Confucious

“What saves a man is to take a step. Then another step.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery

“The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” William Faulkner