Emotionally Focused
Look under the surface of your unique story and discover more of your true life in God.
A robust and reflective transformation program that looks at who you’ve become and what blocks you from living more fully in His story.
Emotionally Focused consists of three modules that build upon each other:
1: Foundations
All about growing in awareness — understanding more clearly why we see the world in a particular way and how we decide to behave to stay safe in relationships.
By uncovering specific wounds we experienced and the meanings and vows we made, we can become aware of patterns of behavior that hold us back from becoming more like Jesus.
2: Formation
Expands the tools and deepens the experience of showing up differently in relationships.
Receiving coaching is a vital and life-giving way to see what we can’t see on our own, and many participants say that the coaching process is the key to moving out of stuck patterns into a life of flourishing.
3: Family
Looking at how and when our “buttons get pushed” as well as family of origin as the place the “buttons” were originally installed.
Using Family Systems theory as a framework, participants identify the various expressions of anxiety in their families, the impact, and learn to live in new ways in spite of it.
Upcoming
1: Foundations is a pre-requisite for other modules
1: Foundations intensives (2 days)
2-day intensive uncovering how childhood experiences are connected to the meanings we make about the world and the ways we show up in relationships
Pastors Cohort: Spiritual Health
9 Months | August 2025 – April 2026
Open to Vineyard pastors | This cohort takes an integrated approach to spiritual formation, combining retreat, formation practices, and community. We are passionate to see pastors refreshed and renewed in community with Jesus and others.
Pastors Cohort: Physical & Recreational Health
9 Months | Starts September 2025
Open to Vineyard pastors | This new cohort offers pastors mentoring, individualized plans and coaching, and large-group learning as we establish healthy rhythms, embrace abundance, and engage in a life-long journey of pursuing health.
Pastors Cohort: Emotional Health
6 months | Meets online
Open to Vineyard pastors | These cohorts are uniquely designed to guide pastors through the 6-month Emotionally Focused Formation experience that unpacks 12 topics for growing emotional health and leadership. In addition to coaching from seasoned leaders, pastors will receive bonus content from expert voices who speak to the intersection of spiritual formation and emotional health and healing.
REGISTRATION
Fall 2025 cohort: contact Alison Groenendyk to receive registration when available.
[In Progress] Pastors Cohort: Financial Well-Being #3
2 Years | February 2025 - November 2026
Open to Lead Pastors [No longer accepting applications] | This 24-month cohort for senior/lead pastors (and spouses, if applicable) provides both personal and corporate financial education, coaching and specialized support. Funded by a grant from the Lilly Foundation.
Emotionally Focused
Emotionally Focused is a discipleship process that blends Christian spiritual practices and concepts from neuroscience and psychology to unpack your most formative life experiences and help you understand how they influence the person you are becoming. There are three core experiences that build on each other and should be engaged in sequence. Each experience pairs excellent content and practical tools with time for guided self reflection, small group processing and coaching!
WHO IT’S FOR
All opportunities are open for general sign-ups, unless otherwise noted. Click the links by each date to register.
Upcoming Opportunities
STEP 1: Foundations Intensives (2 days)
Get an introductory look into the emotional health topics of mission, authenticity, integrity, obedience & vows. The two days will include large-group presentation, time in solitude for reflection & prayer, and small-group sharing and coaching. And you’ll walk away with tools and language to help you explore places in your story that God wants to heal and reframe.
- May 2-3: SYRACUSE, NY
- May 16-17: ONLINE (weekend)
- August 1-2: FRESNO, CA
- August 6-7: ONLINE (weekday)
- September 12-13: MINNEAPOLIS, MN
STEP 2: Formations Experience (6-month coaching process)
Expand the tools and practices for showing up differently in your most important relationships. Through 12 one-hour online meet ups and weekly coaching in small groups, you will explore where you are stuck, who you want to be instead, and how to get there!
- Fall 2025 Cohorts will launch the week of SEPT 29, 2025.
STEP 2: PASTORS ONLY Emotional Health Cohort
This is a safe and challenging space designed just for pastors to engage in the Step 2: Formation experience, alongside seasoned coaches and with access to expert voices in emotional health. Completion of Step 1 (Emotionally Focused Foundation Intensive) is a prerequisite for joining. Contact Alison Groenendyk for details.
- APRIL 2 – OCTOBER 15, 2025 (IN PROGRESS) In Person Retreat : August 11-15 in Colorado
- FALL 2025 COHORT dates coming soon
STEP 3: Family
Dive into family of origin work to better understand and map how anxiety spreads in systems, and the impact on your current relationships.
- Starts MAY 15th, 2025
STEP 1: Foundation Intensives
Join us for a Two Day Experience In Person or Online!
This is step 1 of your EF Journey! Our Foundation Intensive is a two day experience that presents five modules (Mission, Authenticity, Integrity, Obedience and Vows) in a structured process. Through large group content presentation, personal reflection time and small group sharing, you will begin to uncover how your childhood experiences are connected to the meanings you make about the world and the ways you show up in relationships. A workbook provides content summaries and reflection prompts.
UPCOMING : Save the date OR Click the links in blue for more Info & to Register!
May 2 & 3 – SYRACUSE, NY
May 16 & 17 ONLINE (weekend)
August 1 & 2 – FRESNO, CA
August 6 & 7 –ONLINE (weekday)
September 12 & 13 – MINNEAPOLIS, MN
STEP 2: Formation
A six month coaching experience!
If you have completed a Foundation Intensive, then this is your next step! The 6 month journey gives you the space to try on new ways of showing up in your most important relationships. You will join in 12, one hour Large Group Zoom calls that cover various topics to grow your emotional health! You will be guided through reflection & practice of new skills through a workbook and weekly small group coaching calls.
Winter 2025 Cohort (In Progress)
UPCOMING:
Fall 2025 Cohorts will launch the week of SEPT 29, 2025 and conclude the week of March 23, 2026.
PASTORS Emotional Health Cohort (STEP 2: Formation)
A six month journey through the Formation content with an In-Person Retreat designed for our Vineyard Pastors!
This 6-month journey gives you the space to try on new ways of showing up in your most important relationships and as you lead in your church! You will join in 12, one hour Large Group Zoom calls that cover various topics to grow your emotional health! You will be guided through reflection & practice of new skills through a workbook and weekly small group coaching calls with seasoned coaches. You’ll also have access to bonus materials from expert voices at the intersection of spiritual formation and emotionally healthy leadership!
APRIL 2 – OCTOBER 15, 2025 (IN PROGRESS!)
In Person Retreat : August 11-15 in Colorado!
FALL 2025 COHORT dates coming soon!
*Completion of the Emotionally Focused Foundation Intensive is a prerequisite for joining this cohort! Check out the list of options above if you need to engage this step.
STEP 3: Family
Join us for 10 sessions ONLINE
This experience builds on concepts & practices from Emotionally Focused Foundation & Formation, and applies them to your family of origin. Join a learning community for 10 total sessions on noticing how anxiety spreads through systems, and practice tools for diffusing it in yourself and others!
Starts MAY 15th, 2025!
This cohort meets on Thursdays from 11:30a-12:30pm ET. In addition to 8 content sessions, we will be doing some small group oaching work in triads. For the full schedule, click the link in blue to learn more and REGISTER!
2: Formations experience (6-months)
Weekly online coaching and 12 one-hour Zoom calls to move away from stuck patterns into a life of flourishing
3: Family course (8-weeks)
Weekly Zoom calls where participants identify anxiety in their family systems and how to change those patterns
