I love it when science proves scripture true. Over the last 20+ years, research in psychology, neurology, and sociology—has proven true the theological implications of Paul's words in Romans 12:2, "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Our mind (soul or psyche in Greek) can be renewed. The compromised neuropathways of destructive thoughts, damaged emotions and disordered desires can be reconstructed, repaired and reordered ... and in doing so, our heart—the integrated center of spirit, soul and body and the seat of our will—comes into closer alignment with the heart of God.

 

The Hope-Brained Way curates:

• A biblical foundation for hope fostering help for ruptures, encouraged by faith in a Father's love—"God-Withness" scholarship; encouraging ministry leaders in the formation of an earned secure attachment to God as a secure base from which one can explore in the context of captivated attention to the Word of God; narrated by the exilic return to Exodus.

• A theological and theoretical foundry for hope facilitating healing and repair, equipped by the hope found only in the grace and truth of God's Son and our Savior, Jesus—"Godward Wilderness" discipleship, individually and corporately in the Church; equipping ministry leaders regarding a safe pathway to navigate pain and distress with personal curiosity and communal confidence; constructs reflect the synchronization of Trinitarian theology with attachment theory, sanctification with neuroplasticity, and public theology with narrative practices.

• A productive  fountain of hope fueling human flourishing and resilience, enlivened by love flowing from the presence, power and providence of the Holy Spirit—"Gospel Witness" apostleship in the world; enlivening mature, empathetic Christian leaders to contend in culture with courage; emphasizing daily, weekly, monthly and yearly spiritual rhythms of engagement with God's Word, God's will for our lives, God's work for us as the church and God's world.

 

The Hope-Brained Way advocates for “hope-brained restory,” composed of an evidence-based system of attachment, pathways and agency (Anthony Scioli and C.R. Snyder). Employing the "3 E's" of trauma, trauma-informed spiritual formation for ministry leaders seeks to:

• encourage via new EVENTS to encounter the love of God (attachment; spiritual foundation for hope for help in the face of rupture)

• equip via new EXPERIENCES to encode the mind of Christ (pathways, or what I like to refer to as “affective abiding”; emotional and relational foundry of hope for healing and repair)

• enliven via new lasting EFFECTS to more effectively (and affectively :-)) embody the presence of the Spirit in the lives of others (agency; vocational fountain of hope for human flourishing and resilience)

 
The Hope-Brained Way sets about the mission of mending the shame story of emotional and relational brokenness with the shalom story of spiritual and vocational wholeness. Hope-brained restory catalyzes hope by resourcing restory, helping people “reinterpret brokenness” in the content of their stories, in the context of God’s story and in community with others’ stories, for the purpose of communicating a better story of reconciliation, regeneration, redemption and restoration.

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The Hope-Brained Way presents "hoping strategies"—trauma-informed spiritual formation rhythms—based on positioning, principles and practices necessary to form a pattern for wholeness,.

 

• Informed by noological positioning (the place of care; spiritual grounding; spiritual direction, soul care and ministry supervision).

• Conformed and reformed by neuroplastic principles (the process of counsel; psychological groaning and growing; 12-step recovery discipleship)

• Transformed by narrative practices (the purpose of coaching; sociological Rule of Life rhythms to engage the world),

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Hope-brained restory facilitates engagement with God's Word, God's Will for each of us in Christ (personal), God's Work as the Church (communal), and God's World. This is how "words create worlds" (Abraham Hershel), words change people and people change worlds. In particular,  HBR seeks to encourage college students in ministry pursuits; equip ministry leaders regarding reparative spiritual formation; and enliven the Church for more effective apostolic ministry to people and communities in crisis. HBW focuses the majority of their initiatives on these three "audiences": college students, Christian leaders, and communities in crisis.

 

"The Hope-Brained Way REstory Course" group intensives, "The Hope-Brained Way Workshop" (Christian leadership training), and custom hope-brained programming provide a variety of opportunities to engage hope-brained restory.  #REhope #hopework #hopeonpurpose #staytherestorycourse