NCS New Canaan

Founding Chapter

The Painful Path to Possibility (Phil Zaldatte – 1/22/21 – NCS New Canaan)

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With incredible NCS vulnerability and authenticity, Phil Zaldatte shares his painful wilderness journey with advanced Lyme Disease and the amazing way God used it to bring freedom from past hurts and coping patterns in order to unlock new possibilities in his life.

Phil describes the devastating physical, mental and emotional impact of Lyme Disease. He vulnerably talks about wondering why God was not bringing healing, and about struggling with the guilt and shame of not being able to be present, or provide, for for his wife and son. He talks openly about suffering depression. Phil also explains how wilderness experiences include temptations to listen to voices that lead us away from God–temptations to return to the coping mechanisms and self-medicating practices that can hold us back from God’s possibilities.

Phil also shares the key Biblical passages and promises that he clung to in the pain and that have come to define and direct the next chapter of his life:

  • Isaiah 43:2 – When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.
  • Psalm 105:19 – God’s promise to Joseph purged his character until it was time for his dreams to come true.
  • Hebrews 12:1-3 – Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.
  • Isaiah 58:6 – “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed[b] go free, and to break every yoke?”
  • Luke 4:18 – “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed.

Phil reveals that it was during this painful journey that God showed him the “Signs of God’s Rising Reformers” message (see video below) he shared with NCS New Canaan in December 2020. He was also led to a new slogan for his ministry and coaching practice “Unlocking Xtreme Possibilities”. Phil also describes his realization that the plans put “on hold” by Lyme Disease (a television show and a new radio program) were dreaming “too small”. He explains the new focus on his ministry/coaching–raising up Josephs, Daniels and Esthers and helping people understand the “greatness” and possibilities God is calling them and helping them navigate the refining wilderness journey that unlocks those possibilities. Phil shares that he now knows Luke 4:18 and Isaiah 58 are meant to guide his work.

Before Phil’s talk, he played the following video “The Path To Greatness”.

Here is Phil’s teaching on “Signs of God’s Rising Reformers”:

Shame on Me (and How To Get Free) (Hal Rosser – 7/10/20 – NCS CT Chapters)

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With great courage, humility and transparency, Harold (“Hal”) Rosser shares the amazing journey of his life, including the fears, struggles, failures and challenges, as well as the joys, victories, miracles and lessons learned.

Hal takes us along the road that brought a kid with a 1.86 GPA in college who drank heavily to being a senior credit officer at one of the most respected financial institutions in the world and then to being the co-founder of a successful private equity firm and finally to founding his own private equity firm. He vulnerably tells about his fears and how he was always trying to prove he was good enough. Hal also talks about how he came to know Jesus and the profound impact it has had on his life, both personally and professionally, including an immediate healing through prayer that has led to 25 years without alcohol.

Looking back on his life, Hal ends by sharing and explaining eight lessons learned along the way:

  • Keep asking “Am I actually fully committed to Jesus?”
  • Living for yourself leads to an empty life.
  • Being in a community with other followers of Jesus is essential and life-fulfilling.
  • Many people are hurting and living superficial lives because they lack purpose and hope.
  • We are all created uniquely and need each other.
  • We need to release the expectations we have for others (particularly our closest loved ones) and learn to delight in them as God created them to be.
  • Looking back at even our most difficult times, Jesus is with us every step of the way.
  • Shame is a barrier to loving others and feeling loved, but we can get free of Shame by experiencing the unconditional love of Jesus.

This is a story of healing for anyone who has ever felt the shame of failures or being “not enough” or who is struggling with an addiction. It is a story of hope for anyone who wonders if Jesus is real or if God really has a purpose for their life. But mostly, it is a story of God’s unceasing love for and delight in one of his children–a love and delight he feels for each of us–and the miraculous power of accepting the open invitation to meet Jesus.

The Problem of Pleasure (Ravi Zacharias – 10/8/10 – NCS New Canaan)

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The world-renowned evangelist and apologist Ravi Zacharias went home to be with Jesus at the age of 74 after a battle with cancer.

DO YOU REMEMBER?

It was 2010 and we received an e-mail from an NCS brudder asking if we would be interested in having Ravi Zacharias speak to our Chapter.   Ravi was going to be in the area, had heard about NCS and was willing to speak to us.  Why is that amazing?  At that time, Zacharias spoke 300+ days/year and still turned down 99% of the speaking requests he received. He was used to speaking to thousands/tens of thousands/hundreds of thousands.  We didn’t ask, but he offered to come to our little restaurant in Darien.  It was one of the two largest crowds we ever packed into Ten Twenty Post Restaurant over 11 years (the other was Paul Young shortly after The Shack became a best-seller).

What do we take from this story?  Our loving Father wanted us to hear Ravi’s message in 2010.   We think He may want us to hear it again.  Ravi talked about “displaced priorities”–he shared vulnerably about his own regrets–what he missed as a Dad from a life on the road.  The Covid Crisis has been a reset for many–some families eating dinner together for the first time in years.  Old priorities have been disrupted and re-ordered.  When things “re-open”, we will have a choice–rush back to “displaced priorities” that feel familiar (that is where the world will draw us) or pause to consider “re-ordered” priorities.  

So here it is again–to honor the life of a man who gave to others and who incredibly offered to give very tangibly to our little community almost 10 years ago.

Live to Forgive Through Empathy (Jason Romano – 11/22/19 – NCS New Canaan)

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With tremendous transparency and authenticity, Jason Romano shares the painful story of estrangement from his father. He takes us on a journey from childhood to the depths of hurt, resentment, unforgiveness and bondage, and then explains how that journey finally took a God-orchestrated turn toward forgiveness, freedom and healing. Romano also reflects on the rampant unforgiveness in our society and the damage it is doing.

In recounting the journey, Romano admits how difficult it is to truly forgive as Jesus forgives us. He vulnerably shares how for many years he responded to hurt by hurting back from a place of bitterness and anger. He finally came to understand that forgiveness is not about the other person–it is about you. But most importantly, he came to understand that the key to forgiveness is empathy–what Romano now calls “the antidote to life”. Romano shares that being able to finally have empathy for, and forgive, his father, started him on a life of forgiveness.

Loving Kids (Bob Muzikowski – 12/5/14 – NCS New Canaan)

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Bob Muzikowski shares one of the most fascinating and inspiring personal testimonies you will ever hear. He shares the incredible journey from alcohol and cocaine addiction, dramatic bar fights and time in jail to a life devoted to lifting kids out of desperate situations and forming them into “leaders of character empowered by the hope that is in Jesus Christ.”  In his humorous style, Bob also challenges us to hold each other accountable for the “hoarding” mentality that accumulates multiple homes, cars, boats and other toys while kids in the inner city are struggling to get an education.  This talk will make you laugh out loud and reflect deep inside.

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