“Tell Me Your Story” is a gentle way to invite someone to share life with you — a method from science, rooted first in Scripture and God’s “loving presence.” In this program, it’s the “organizing principle” for what you’ll learn and practice — once over a cup of coffee, and optionally on your own you go about daily life.

“Into the Wild” is the overall, six-week guided journey: a few Gatherings for real time connection and prayer, a Guidebook+Journal to guide daily encounters with the Holy Spirit on your own, and one Coffee Connection to try out what you’ve learned about TMYS along the way.

(Spoiler alert: If you learn nothing else, this one line sums up all the theology and science in TMYS: Pray, “Spirit, help me help You,” as you invite, “Tell me your story.”)

Our Central Questions

The question for you that undergirds the Into the Wild program is this:

What happens in my relationship with God when I practice “walking in the Spirit” equipped with “Tell Me Your Story?”

You answering that question helps me answer my research question:

What happens when we do that together as Journey Church Tacoma?

So TMYS is an approach that guides how we are intentional relationally with people, but the point is YOUR spiritual growth, relationally, with the Holy Spirit in the process.

(Many other questions answered here: About)

The Research Behind It

This program adapts the scholarly work of Dr. Todd W. Hall, a Christian psychology professor at Biola University who specializes in “relational spirituality.”

Dr. Hall developed the “Deep Growth Narrative” — a way of helping another person experience transformation based in attachment theory, neuroscience, and therapeutic practice. Importantly, Hall faithfully grounds this in Scripture first.

Tell Me Your Story (TMYS) is a simplified, everyday version of Hall’s Deep Growth Narrative. But unlike the DGN that designed for professionals like coaches and counselors, my research adapts if for regular Christians, new or old, having regular conversations in daily life.

I first grounded my thesis in biblical and theological analyses. Importantly, though psychology may be an expression used in this program, there is no idea you’ll learn here which does not first find it’s grounding in Scripture.

As always, feel free to ask questions at any time, especially because Into the Wild isn’t a Bible or theology study.

What You’ll Recieve

The first “Gathering” of the program is a two-hour mini-seminar. You’ll get a three-ring binder containing:

• Program Overview with detailed descriptions and helpful appendices (including a glossary)

• Guidebook+Journal that walks you through the entire six-week journey, including short daily lessons structured like the familiar Our Daily Bread devotional format.

Each subsequent Gathering will be a 30-minute “check-in” for sharing, encouragement, and prayer. The final one will be a final sharing, celebration, and sendoff (and a couple housekeeping details related to the research and me getting you paid).

What This Program Is (and Isn’t)

This is not a traditional Bible study, classroom lecture series, or textbook course.

Instead, it’s an experiential journey — spiritual and relational. It’s something you practice immediately, learning as you go. The content comes in bite-sized pieces designed to fit into your everyday life, guided by the biblical principle of “as you are already going.”

And please hear this: you bring you. God knows where you’re at. Whether it’s light and contemplative, or full-steam ahead, or wherever you’re at, just show up knowing God is pleased that you did. That’s between you and him.

The Bottom Line

1. This is the program’s first run (part of my thesis project). Your grace and honest feedback are invaluable and most welcomed.

2. The ultimate goal isn’t research or academic achievement — it’s your spiritual health and growth. Please feel free to ask questions anytime during the journey via email, text, carrier pigeon, smoke signals, or whatever works for you.