“When I realized my home life was as busy as my work life, it was so hard to find a way to peel off and commune with God for any length of time. “Deeper Journey” gave me a consistent check point for my own sanity and for the “soul check” I needed. At the end of the first retreat I was shocked by the deep rest that I had experienced in an overnight retreat. The pace and atmosphere that the Paynes set was a huge part of allowing me to disconnect and truly retreat. The teaching was thought provoking and the discourse excellent in evaluating my posture before God. The space for communion with my God brought about an openness to be used even more fully for His purposes which would have likely been missed had I not been a part of “Deeper Journey”. Thank you for sharing your gifts and passions. I have been blessed.”
“What a privilege it has been for me to meet with Brett Payne over the past year going through his coaching process. I was at a crossroads in my life and I needed to decide which direction to turn, but was paralyzed in making that decision. Brett helped me discover the nuances in my personality that make me uniquely me and what was causing that hesitation. I learned to embrace the way God made me and rest in the peace that is His grace. With Brett’s help, I confidently transitioned to full-time ministry to pursue my passion and lifelong calling that God placed in my heart. I’m so thankful for Brett and the blessing that he has been in my life! ”
— Peter Manni (Assoc Minister, Goshen Baptist Church)
“The biggest impact has been that my soul settled and found rest in God. I grew less dependent upon defining life or myself by what was going on around me, and more by what God is doing within and his ability to transform my thinking and views. Spiritual practices such as prayer, solitude, or Scripture reading were encouraged throughout my coaching. I learned to search for and then to celebrate God’s care, his help and his direction as I processed big decisions. Brett first offers a quiet space away from the noise of life — to process, to be heard, to simply be if needed. As he carefully listens to your story, Brett takes you on a journey in responding to God within your life experiences. It is a journey towards transformation and change, going from where you are spiritually to where you would like to be”
— Daniele (Church Ministry Staff)
“I was very nervous about that first phone meeting, and wasn’t sure what to expect. And, being in ministry, our choices for who we can confide in and be real with are sometimes limited. What I have found, from that very first call, has been nothing short of a gift in my life. GOD sent me to Susan. I was in a very difficult place due to years of mounting stress. My husband and I had suffered a great deal of loss, come through difficult days of cancer and infertility, and several other major life transitions. I was also in a very difficult place within ministry, plagued by deep hurts and questioning both our current and future roles in ministry. I found a safe place where I can talk about ministry, family, and personal struggles openly and without fear of judgement. I have found a spiritual mentor, who not only works through my struggles with me, but does so from a biblical, godly, and grace-filled perspective. With Susan’s help and counsel, I have overcome some real personal challenges and deep hurts, and become aware of others that I may have never been aware of before. In all, it’s made me a healthier version of me, a better wife, a better mom, and a better helpmate and leader in ministry. As I talk to other pastor’s wives, or other church leaders, I think: “Oh, I wish they had a Susan.” ”
“My walk with the Lord, the way I am a husband to my wife, parent my children and work in ministry was forever changed for the better as a result of my sessions with Brett. My time with Brett allowed me to slow down, clear space and allow for time to reflect on God’s role in my life. The time of focus, reflection, processing and setting healthy rhythms drove me to a depth with my heavenly Father that I never thought possible. Brett’s approach is kind, tender hearted, loving and patient. I never walked into a session nervous or anxious of what Brett would say or not say. Brett’s Scripturally driven approach is solid and my family and I are indebted to him. Brett’s words and methods allowed me to do what I had never done before; truly reflect, truly process and with excitement move forward.”
— Ryan (Pastor)
“Coming off of a busy season of ministry I found myself completely drained and burned out. I had lost connection with myself and was struggling to find a way forward. My time with Brett and Crosspoint offered me a safe space to journey deeper, creating the time and environment that allowed me to reconnect with God and my ultimate point of belonging. Our time provided context for me to understand the reality of what had gotten me to this point. His careful attention and prompting helped me face harder questions I needed to uncover and answer. Moreover it allowed me the space to breath more deeply and find the space to listen to God in ways I had not heard Him in a long while. Crosspoint helped me find the rest I needed, do the critical work of recalibration to change patterns to sustain me long term, and then provided the path toward reentry. Our time together was some of the hardest work I have done in my life that simultaneously was one of the greatest blessings I have enjoyed. I highly recommend Brett and Crosspoint for a sabbatical coach or deeper journey.”
“I have always thought of myself as emotionally self-aware. So, when I hit a wall where I couldn’t seem to feel anything but “numbness” and didn’t seem to care one way or another about it, I knew something was wrong. I called Brett, a long-time friend, and someone I knew was equipped to walk with me and help me climb out of this hole. At first I was skeptical of the Enneagram. As Brett and I met regularly and as he helped me interpret the results, some unforeseen (by me) things began to happen. I began to develop a vocabulary with which to discuss what I had been going through. In fact, it had surfaced a part of me that I hadn’t seen in a long long while - a part of me that I had neglected to nurture and to “own” for fear that it didn’t match up to the ministry expectations that were upon me. I began to have greater clarity about who God had designed me to be. The result was that I was released from the shackles of trying to be someone I’m not. I was freed to stop trying to be what I thought I was expected to be as a pastor and a church-planter. I got out of the funk. Now I’m learning to do ministry in the ways God has uniquely designed me to do them. All the challenges and expectations of the ministry remain, but now I am learning to tackle them with a renewed freedom to face them as my authentic self.”
— Jonathan Swift, MDiv., STM, DMin (Planting Pastor of Christ Community Church, Dearborn, MI)
