NCS New Canaan

Founding Chapter

Everything Matters: 5 Things Worth Fighting For (Allan Houston – 5/26/23 – NCS New Canaan)

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Through transparently sharing the journey of his life, NBA star and Olympic Gold-Medal winner Allan Houston reveals five basic principles that have guided the journey–five things he believes are worth fighting for as we seek to let the glory of God be seen through us daily.

Houston explains that these principles came from his parents and have helped shape not only his basketball career but also his role as a husband and father. He talks about how the five words, revealed to him by the Holy Spirit, reflect lessons learned listening and watching his mother and father.

  • Faith
  • Integrity
  • Sacrifice
  • Leadership
  • Legacy

Allan emphasizes that we are in a “spiritual street fight”–a fight for a Kingdom life, for our family, for our children and for righteousness–and these principles provide a strategy for navigating the fight.

He shares the challenges of being a parent in the current culture. In describing the challenge of raising seven children, Houston honors the sacrificial role that his wife has played in holding the family together and helping him grow.

Houston also talks about the importance of remaining sensitive and open to the leading of the Holy Spirit as we engage in this spiritual fight. He stresses the importance of “believing” in times of difficulty and uncertainty because our belief can release the Holy Spirit to guide us through the challenges.

Finally, Allan describes the FISLL Project (FISLL)–a new business and brand to make these principles aspirational and tangible for the next generation by infusing them into aspects of the culture that are impacting that generation–aspects such as technology, fashion, and content.

Riding the Creative Wave by Faith (Dennis Collins – 4/14/23 – NCS New Canaan)

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Dennis Collins humbly shares the journey that brought him to the New Canaan Society over 20 years ago and then led to him becoming part of the worship band that played each Friday morning for many years.

Dennis also describes the upbringing that provided a rock-solid Christian foundation, how that foundation has helped him navigate the world of entertainment, and how he has tried to provide that foundation for his own children.

Although Dennis almost seems embarrassed when he hears someone list some of the legendary musicians with whom he has performed**, he talks about times when his career provided opportunities to winsomely share his faith and times when he had to gently but confidently defend his faith. He also vulnerably describes his commitment to do the right thing in God’s eyes and how it has required him to turn down certain assignments.

Collins emphasizes the importance of Christians continuing to study and grow in their faith and suggests some of his favorite books and passages of the Bible. He also explains why it is important for our work to be integrated with our faith.

In an extended 15-minute Q&A, Dennis discusses, among many other things, how he has been intentional about drawing boundaries in order to remain connected with his wife and children despite a career in the music and entertainment industry.

**He has recorded and performed with such artists as: Ray Charles, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Roberta Flack, Smokey Robinson, Bruce Springsteen, Carole King, Bonne Raitt, Steely Dan, Alicia Keys, Jackson Brown, Jon Batiste, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Beyoncé, Billy Joel, Sting, Ralph MacDonald, Jimmy Buffet, Willie Nelson, Carly Simon, Patti LaBelle, Bette Midler, David Bowie, James Taylor, Sheryl Crow, Faith Hill, Jewel, Nelly, Ja Rule, Clay Aiken, The Blue Man Group, Lauryn Hill, Moby, Angelique Kidjo, Al Jarreau, Serge Gainsbourg, Patti Austin, Donald Fagen and many others.

Against All Odds: Casting Your Nets (Eric Torres – 3/17/23 – NCS New Canaan)

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With great transparency, Eric Torres shares the broken childhood that equipped him to love broken kids, and the words of life spoken into him that have allowed him to speak words of life into so many young people.

Eric vulnerably describes a challenging childhood growing up in Bridgeport with a father who was an addict and a drug dealer. He tells about the lies–the words of death–spoken into him and how he began to internalize them and believe he had no future other than to drop out of high school and follow in his father’s footsteps. He believed he had no hope, no purpose and no destiny.

Eric then explains how, on his 16th birthday, his life was set on a new trajectory. He was invited to church, and a woman took him out for pizza and a pitcher of water. He describes how she affirmed him and spoke words of life. Torres reveals that he came to know Jesus that day through the relational acts of that woman. She invested in him and gave him a hope, a purpose and a destiny.

Eric tells how he went on to graduate from high school, get a bachelors and a masters degree, teach for 18 years in the Bridgeport schools and spend two years as a principal.

Torres then talks about how his life took another turn at 40 years old when his kidneys failed. Within a year, God miraculously provided a transplant and a new job as Executive Director of Elevate Bridgeport.

With tremendous humility, Eric describes how, though Elevate, he is able to show Jesus to young people by speaking life, hope and purpose, changing the trajectory of their lives just as words of life and the love of Jesus changed his. In describing the four-part Elevate model of character building and life skills, full-time mentors, adventures, and college and career preparation, Eric shares that the Elevate motto is “No one gets there alone.”

In closing, Eric challenges us to recognize we were made “for such a time as this” and to hear Jesus’ call to cast our nets on the right side of the boat to see what He has waiting for us.

Adventures of a Urogynecologist (Dr. Bob Lobel – 1/6/23 – NCS New Canaan)

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With incredible courage, humility and vulnerability, Dr. Bob Lobel shares the challenges and pain that can come from “family of origin” problems–in his case never feeling he could meet his father’s expectations.

Bob explains that, despite being seen by others as a hugely successful and confident surgeon, those childhood feelings manifested as intense “shame” that has impacted his marriage, relationships, career and life. He describes it as a “chronic illness” that requires daily “medication”.

Despite growing up in a home devoid of religion or God, Bob talks about the deep faith that has helped him survive horrific tragedies, including the loss of a child to SIDs and his first wife to cancer.

As the founder of the NCS Albany chapter, Bob shares the profound impact NCS has had in his life: his first NCS experience was a Retreat at Mohonk Mountain House, an NCS Retreat at Hershey opened the door to understanding his shame, and an NCS Retreat at the Homestead helped his family heal from the loss of his first wife.

This is an NCS brudder truly taking off his mask in the hope that revealing his pain may help others begin to face and heal from theirs.

Running the Good Race (Reginald Jones III – 12/16/22 – NCS New Canaan)

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With incredible humility and authenticity, Reginald “Regg” Jones III shares a unique and fascinating faith, family and life journey that had its faith roots at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Darien, site of an incredible spiritual revival documented in the book The Miracle in Darien by Bob Slosser.

Regg describes growing up with a father who decided to change the trajectory of his family by making time with his children a priority and how Regg came to face the same challenge with his own family. He explains the four “family values” that shaped much of his educational and professional journey and how he came to accept Jesus Christ as his Lord at the tender age of 11.

Jones talks about how his faith grew through the mentorship of others, the struggle he experienced after college in deciding between pursuing a path in “ministry” or “business”, how those mentors helped him choose business, and how he later came to understand that his choice was based on a false dichotomy, learning that both paths constituted “ministry”.

Regg describes his professional path through top firms such as Pepsico, Apple, Bain and Goldman Sachs, and the lessons they taught him about organizational culture. He explains how he learned to carry and share his faith in those environments and how all those lessons about culture and faith eventually helped shape the vision and culture of Greenbriar, the private equity firm he founded in his 30’s.

Regg explains the four pillars of Greenbriar’s unique culture that was born from a vision to take the best of the corporate cultures he had experienced and shape them by his faith, and he describes why he believes “love wins” even in the marketplace.

With remarkable vulnerability, Jones talks about how he navigated the challenges along the way and how God showed up with “kisses from Heaven” to encourage and guide him at just the right times. He describes challenges such as balancing a demanding career with family life, starting a new business in the midst of 9/11, and walking the “thin green line” between success and failure, always trusting in God’s providence.

Finally, Regg explains the vision that inspired his involvement in the founding of Trinity Church Greenwich.

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