Tag: Restoring Your Heart Resources

WDA to Publish First Spanish Workbook

Posted on by Jordan Stafford

Fayetteville, GA, July 29, 2021 — Worldwide Discipleship Association (WDA) announced today that it will publish the Spanish edition of its Restoring Your Heart (RYH) workbook, “Procesando El Dolor (Processing Pain),” this summer on Kindle and in print. The workbook is part of WDA’s new “RYH en Español” initiative, which will expand the reach of the Restoring Your Heart ministry and offer emotional restoration to Spanish-speaking communities.

According to Patty Alba-Hughes, the head of RYH en Español, the publication of the “Procesando El Dolor” workbook is only the first step for the new program. Alba-Hughes plans to start offering RYH en Español groups on August 10. Group registration is available online at restoringyourheart.com.

“There are a lot of people who need to walk in the freedom and the promise that God has for them,” said Alba-Hughes. “Now I understand that it was necessary for me to experience healing first so that I can be a part of their emotional healing. I am completing my training as an RYH Group Facilitator so that I can walk alongside other women, helping them find freedom in Christ, and so I can bring RYH en Español around the world.”

Restoring Your Heart en Español is launching this year. If you have a heart for Spanish speakers and want to help RYH with this ministry, or if you want to offer these RYH group experiences in your Spanish-speaking church, community, or ministry, please email Patty at patty.hughes@disciplebuilding.org.

Restoring Your Heart offers a series of safe, small group experiences for those who desire freedom from emotional hurt and unprocessed pain. This ministry is delivered through the church and other organizations via trained leaders who facilitate safe, gender-specific small groups to their congregation and surrounding community. RYH was developed by Jack Larson, an Atlanta-based pastor, and a team of theologians, mental health professionals, and lay leaders who collaborated to produce workbooks and group experiences geared toward helping individuals process past pain, understand emotions, and conquer shame. Over the past 12 years, the Restoring Your Heart ministry has transformed thousands of lives, made the Church a place of healing again, and offered marriages and families an emotional toolkit that has led to greater freedom in Christ. Restoring Your Heart is a ministry of Worldwide Discipleship Association (WDA), Inc.

Media Contacts
Worldwide Discipleship Association
Jordan Stafford (Marketing Coordinator)
770-460-1337
www.disciplebuilding.org/
Or contact Jennifer McClin (Director of Generosity)

Breathe and Rest

Posted on by Jordan Stafford

 

“It is for freedom that Christ has made you free.” (Galatians 5:1)

This scripture runs through my head at least once per day. Paul wrote it in his letter to the Galatians. The church was dealing with the pressure to add to the grace given by Christ. He accused them of turning to a different gospel, “which is really no gospel at all.” (1:7) The people were like many of us being thrown into confusion by the opinions of this world, the rituals, and the traditions that tell us how we should think, feel and act in order to be acceptable or even “normal.” 

When I think about the things our world is broadcasting these days, it’s not all bad. I’ve enjoyed learning the science behind calories, simple carbs and complex carbs. I love getting into a deep conversation about classical education vs traditional. Even a light political discussion can be invigorating, as I pretend to know the ins and outs of the constitution; but, when I am not careful, these things begin to suffocate me. Condemnation creeps up and condemns me for not measuring up to the standard, and pride creeps up as I judge others for not reaching my standard. Then, I begin to see gluten-free eating as the standard for all and classical education as God’s best. Even political leanings can begin to look like a leg of the Gospel.  

 

These thoughts and feelings hold me captive; I become a slave to them. I rise, and in order to satisfy my conscience, I strive to eat that gluten-free muffin. When it comes to politics, I begin to ignore an obvious wrong in efforts to stay aligned with the “right” political party. I continue classically educating my kids even though I may find myself overwhelmed with the process, while there is a great traditional school right down the road. And just like the Galatians, I enter again into a system of works, trying to earn my righteousness, being a slave to the law. While reminding the Galatians that their salvation came through faith in Christ alone, Paul also admonished them not to add again the works of the law (namely circumcision) in efforts to maintain their salvation.

There was a time in my life that it was all about maximum effort in hopes of maximum results. If you are like me, it’s exhausting maintaining a standard imposed on me by popular culture. Paul reminds us of the freedom we have in the finished work of Christ. Breathe easy, my sisters and brothers, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Doesn’t that feel good to read this scripture releasing us from our works and inviting us to rest in Christ? I can just hear Christ’s invitation to “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am meek and lowly at heart and you will find rest unto your souls.” (Matthew 11:29)

 

Martina is a wife and mother of four wonderful children. She began as a participant of RYH groups and is now an RYH Ambassador. The Griffins live in Orlando, FL.

 

Worldwide Discipleship Association Presents Restorative Ministry Webinar

Posted on by Jordan Stafford

Fayetteville, GA, April 13, 2021 –(PR.com)– Worldwide Discipleship Association (WDA) will present “An Intro to the Restoring Your Heart Ministry” webinar on April 29 at 7:00 p.m. The event will be hosted on Zoom and feature guest speakers Mel Turner and Linda Dukes.

At the “Intro to the Restoring Your Heart Ministry” webinar, participants will learn how the Restoring Your Heart (RYH) ministry model works, how to join an RYH Safe Group, how to become trained as an RYH Group Leader, and how to offer RYH groups at their church.

Registration is free and tickets may be purchased online at Eventbrite.com or on the Restoring Your Heart Facebook page.

“Restoring Your Heart has provided a safe and comfortable environment where I was able to share my feelings and analyze my past,” said Matthew Ong, a staff member at Ikthus church in Bacolod, Philippines and an RYH men’s group participant. “My group has helped me grow as a disciple by being available and attentive to listen and grieve with me and providing knowledge that is essential for emotional and spiritual growth.”

Worldwide Discipleship Association (WDA) is an interdenominational Christian ministry whose mission is to serve the church worldwide by developing Christ-like character in people and equipping them to disciple others like Jesus. WDA has been serving the metro-Atlanta area since 1974.

Media Contacts
Worldwide Discipleship Association
Jordan Stafford (Marketing Coordinator)
770-460-1337
www.disciplebuilding.org/
Or contact Jennifer McClin (Director of Generosity)

RYH and Communities

Posted on by Nancy Higgins

 

Restoring Your Heart was designed to help people grow towards spiritual maturity by experiencing emotional healing. The process was aimed specifically at individuals.

However, as more people participated in RYH groups, their families began to change. People learned that their past, though over, was still having an impact on their present life.  They also learned what makes a healthy family and then applied those principles to their children. When husbands and wives both participated in RYH groups, the benefit was even greater. Marriages improved as people better understood themselves and could talk about their hurts with their spouses. Communication improved. Both spouses learned about healthy families and became better parents. 

The natural outcome of healthier families is healthier communities. We have been so encouraged to see this happen over and over again. It makes participating in a RYH group all the more valuable. Not only are you receiving your own personal healing, the benefit spreads to your family and friends.

We believe the implication for communities is huge.

We’d like to share a testimony from a person who participated in a RYH group simultaneously with her spouse. 

“A friend of mine took Restoring Your Heart and described to me how powerful and life defining it was for her.  I became intrigued as she talked about how it led her to take a personal & spiritual inventory of her life.  I will boldly confess before you today that as engrossed as I was in her story – literally hanging on her every word – the woman lost me when she told me the length of the group, and I felt myself shut down when I learned the cost. 17 weeks and $30 was a bit more of a commitment than I was accustomed to surrendering for a Wednesday night group.   

She laughed at my shock and awe.  And told me that if I put in the work and attended the group, she guaranteed I would get at least $30 worth of restoration.

I talked to my husband about it and we thought it would be neat to do the group together.  We could discuss our answers and get to know each other a little better.  There’s always more we can learn after 16 years of marriage, right?  

There are two types of Restoring Your Heart groups. One focuses on the losses in our lives and the other on understanding emotions.  I signed up for Understanding Emotions and my husband signed up for Processing Pain.  It turned out to be the best thing for us individually and as a couple.  We were still able to share our answers, but not cover the exact same content.

We started talking about Restoring Your Heart so much that the title got to be too long so we just referred to it as RYH.  If something happened in our family, we’d be quick to say, “Oh! This is a RYH moment!” 

In RYH, I learned how to handle and process emotions that I had long suppressed.  I had cracks in my spiritual pottery that I didn’t know about!  Or the cracks I did know about, I didn’t worry about repairing.  I studied emotions from a Biblical perspective and took a look back at circumstances in my past that were driving how I respond to life today.   I learned that how I respond to situations in my life flows through the very spiritual cracks lined with decades of past, unresolved emotions.   So how you respond to stress, strife or struggles in your life is directly related to your past unresolved hurts.  There’s no way around it. 

I had THE best small group in the world.  Together we chose to let the light of Jesus shine through our spiritual cracks and made ourselves available for Him to refill them with the Holy Spirit.  We’ll never forget our journey together. “

So now that I’ve completed one group, I’d like to write a public service announcement for RYH.  If RYH was a Visa commercial, the announcer would say…

RYH Group  $30

Time Investment  17 weeks

The Spiritual Transformation & Freedom   PRICELESS

We start with one person and God, then the benefits of healing fan out to everyone around them.  When will you start to heal your community by healing yourself?

 

Created with Needs

Posted on by Nancy Higgins

Throughout all of Scripture, God promises He will meet our needs for value, security, acceptance and connection

Throughout all of Scripture, God promises He will meet our needs. In the second chapter of Genesis, God says that it is not good for the man to be alone. That’s because when God formed the man from the dust and blew His breath into him, He blew in the needs for value, security, acceptance and connection. And by creating a woman for the man, God was meeting those needs. He was at once revealing Himself to the man and drawing the man close to Him.

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When I was a kid, my family lived in Dallas, Texas. It so happens that Dallas is the hometown of the famous department store, Neiman Marcus. In the 1950’s, Neiman Marcus was THE place to shop in Dallas. There was only one location, and it was downtown, since the shopping mall had yet to be invented. A visit to Neiman Marcus was a special adventure.

My daddy, who was a family-oriented kind of guy, was pretty involved in my life, especially for activities that were outside the home. So, around the age of 5, when I needed new “dress shoes”, my daddy took me to Neiman Marcus downtown to get them. The only details I remember about that outing were actually being in the shoe department of the store and spying THE shoes. They were soft black suede Mary Janes with rhinestones all around the front edge. I instantly fell in love with them and saw no need to look at any other shoes. I remember trying them on and my daddy saying, “Now are you SURE those are the ones you want?” They were indeed the ones, so he bought them for me. Although I don’t remember many details of the outing, I DO remember the feeling of being loved by my daddy. He wanted me to have the shoes I liked and was taking the time to make sure I was satisfied. And not only that, he was glad to be with me as I picked out something he otherwise would have no interest in at all. He wanted to be with me and he wanted me to be pleased.

In just that one simple outing to buy new shoes, my daddy met my needs for value, security, acceptance and connection.

Why do I remember that one random outing with my daddy?

When that memory plays back in my head, I instantly feel valued, secure, accepted and connected. Since those are the emotional needs that God Himself created within me, when I remember that day, not only do I feel all those things from my daddy, I also feel them from God. Remembering makes me smile.

When we are children, our parents (or other caregivers) don’t always adequately meet our emotional needs. When they don’t, we as children will figure out some way to get them met, and it usually won’t be a very healthy choice. When our needs aren’t validated by an adult, we might assume that our needs are wrong, or that there is something wrong with us for even having needs.

The beauty of the RYH process is that it helps us understand and accept those needs. We learn to look to God and also to healthy relationships with people in order to get our needs met. In the process, God reveals Himself to us and draws us close.