Christian Identity as the Foundation of Formation
Christian identity serves as the foundation for spiritual formation, discipleship, recovery, and theological education. The various projects highlighted here reflect a common commitment to helping individuals and churches grow into the image of Christ through intentional formation and gospel-centered discipleship.
This monthly update provides a structured overview of ongoing work in theological writing, pastoral ministry, recovery discipleship, and global church formation. These projects are unified by a central aim: equipping the Church through sustained theological reflection and practical discipleship.
Much of this work is intentionally long-term and formative, prioritizing depth over immediacy. As such, this update serves less as a performance summary and more as a record of vocational stability, theological integration, and faithful continuity.
Current Writing and Research Projects
Significant progress continues across multiple writing and publishing efforts situated at the intersection of academic theology and applied ministry contexts.
A revised book proposal for the monograph Divine Impassibility and the Holy Spirit: Nicene Retrieval, Divine–Human Interaction, and the Healing Work of God has been completed. This project, emerging from dissertation research, advances a constructive theological argument that divine impassibility secures the consistency and efficacy of God’s redemptive activity.
Additional academic contributions include:
- An article on the twentieth-century rise of theological passibility, currently under review at Evangelical Quarterly
- A submission to the Journal of Reformed Theology on divine impassibility and pneumatology currently under review.
- My review of The Pastoral Epistles: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries) by Osvaldo Padilla was recently published in the Bulletin of Biblical Research.
Ongoing writing projects also include:
- The Recovery Ministry Handbook is now complete and posted here.
- Preliminary work has begun on two new journal articles exploring integrative theology: one investigating Chalcedonian Christology as a resource for Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and another examining the doctrine of mixed relations as a framework for understanding divine missions in counseling and recovery.
- Monthly Blog post, currently from the book of Hebrews, can be found here.
Collectively, these works contribute to the retrieval and application of classical Christian doctrine in contemporary pastoral settings.
Recovery Ministry and Discipleship Initiatives
Recovery ministry continues to function as a central context for pastoral care, spiritual formation, and leadership development.
Recent developments include:
- Participation in a national leadership summit in Nashville focused on long-term ministry sustainability and leadership development.
- Follow-up planning from the conference includes the continued development of CPR cohorts, First Responder Step Studies, Mental Health Recovery Coaching initiatives, and future Step Study scheduling.
- Weekly Celebrate Recovery gatherings, including teaching, testimonies, and structured lessons
In addition to weekly programming, the ministry recently published a guided seven-day prayer devotional, designed to strengthen communal spiritual life and theological reflection.
These efforts reflect an integrated approach to ministry that holds together discipleship, accountability, and theological formation.
Global Theological Education Efforts
International ministry initiatives continue to expand, particularly in Central America and beyond.
Recent and upcoming developments include:
- Next week a small team will visit a potential pastoral training site in Colombia, exploring the development of a contextualized educational program modeled on the curriculum currently being used in Nicaragua.
- HTI Nicaragua: Contextualization teaching and leadership development sessions in Somotillo are complete and preparation for the next course on missions is in progress.
- Ongoing expansion into additional Central American contexts.
Further global engagement includes collaboration with Ethné Global Services, supporting mission work in Nigeria focused on medical and educational outreach.
These initiatives underscore the growing importance of contextualized theological education and global partnership in the contemporary Church.
Equipping the Church Through Spiritual Formation
This season includes a range of teaching and pastoral ministry opportunities, both locally and internationally.
Recent and upcoming activities include:
- Teaching within Celebrate Recovery gatherings, including “Crossroads” and “Give.”
- Participation in cross-cultural ministry contexts, including sharing my testimony through a cross-cultural ministry partnership serving a Japanese audience.
- Preparation for upcoming testimony presentations and pastoral engagement opportunities
In addition, the course I am teaching on Counseling Theory and Methods has been revised and will begin next week and run through the Fall 2026 academic term.
Looking Ahead to Future Ministry Opportunities
Sustained study remains foundational to all writing and ministry activity.
Current areas of focus include:
- Continuation of Year Two in the M’Cheyne Bible reading plan
- Engagement with contemporary works in suffering, theology, and spiritual formation
- Study of patristic and Byzantine theologians, including Gregory Palamas and Maximus the Confessor
- Continued preparation for a structured, long-term reading plan of Karl Barth’s Church Dogmatics
Future research will concentrate on:
- The doctrine of the imago Dei
- Theological anthropology and sin
- The integration of theology with counseling methodologies, particularly Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
Development of:
Restored Through Communion continues to emerge as a theological framework integrating recovery, counseling, discipleship, and spiritual formation. At its center is the conviction that God’s redemptive work is fundamentally relational. The goal is not merely the elimination of destructive behaviors, but the restoration of persons through communion with God and healthy participation in covenantal relationships with others.
Recovery and counseling are therefore viewed as expressions of discipleship: a lifelong journey of being renewed into the image of Christ and learning to reflect His character faithfully within the Church and the world.
- Identity – Recovering God’s Image
- Story – Understanding How the Image Was Formed and Distorted
- Attachment – Recovering Secure Connection with God and Others
- Recovery – Breaking Cycles that Damage the Image
- Covenant – Restoring Faithful Relationships
- Discipleship – Being Conformed to the Image of Christ
- Mission – Reflecting God’s Image in the World
Development during this season has focused primarily on Identity, establishing a theological foundation rooted in the doctrine of the imago Dei. Future work will expand the remaining movements as a comprehensive model for discipleship, recovery, counseling, and leader formation.
Why This Work Matters
Across writing, teaching, recovery ministry, and global partnerships, the unifying goal remains deep, sustained Christian formation.
This work seeks to:
- Equip leaders for faithful, long-term ministry
- Integrate theological depth with practical discipleship
- Foster multiplication through teaching and leadership development
Whether in local recovery ministries, pastoral leadership development, theological education, or international partnerships, the objective remains the same: to form people who are capable of forming others for faithful service in the Church and in the world. Ultimately, Christian identity remains the foundation of genuine spiritual formation. Whether through writing, recovery ministry, theological education, discipleship, or global missions, these projects share the common goal of helping people grow into the image of Christ and participate more fully in God’s mission in the world.
View all Current Projects updates → Current Projects Archive
Pastoral Counseling Disclaimer: Any spiritual or pastoral guidance offered through this ministry is provided solely in my capacity as an ordained Christian minister. Such guidance is religious and pastoral in nature and is not intended as professional mental health counseling or psychotherapy. I do not offer clinical services, diagnosis, or treatment, and I am not a licensed counselor or therapist in the State of Oklahoma. Those seeking mental health care are encouraged to consult a licensed mental health professional.