Speak Truth

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

April 14, 2023 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

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)

March 17, 2023 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

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.

Going from Mess to Mission (Nick Agneto – 2/17/23 – NCS New Canaan)

February 17, 2023 by NCS New Canaan 1 Comment

With extraordinary humility and vulnerability (and his father in attendance), Nick Agneto shares the amazing journey from “mess to mission” that was prophesied when he was just a boy.

Nick describes a typical childhood in a dutifully religious and loving family followed by an adolescence searching for love and intimacy in all the wrong places. He talks, in “spoken word” poetic style and with remarkable transparency, about the “mess”–a tale of women and nightclubs fueled by a cornucopia of drugs that left a trail of brokenness.

Agneto recalls learning about the awakening of his father’s faith and the way he quietly pursued God, all the while modeling a new way of being for his family. Nick shares the anger he felt toward God in the middle of the “mess” as he searched for intimacy and God pursued him.

Nick also tells the amazing story of his miraculous and instantaneous healing at the hands of a visiting preacher through the power of the Holy Spirit. It was a healing that transformed his life, launching him toward the life of “mission” prophesied by a Catholic priest when Nick was an altar boy. Nick explains that he made a decision that day to follow Jesus whole-heartedly.

Nick challenges us to take the step he finally took–to choose intimacy with Jesus, to choose healing, to choose new life, to choose to know His love so that we can love others, to say “I want you, Lord!”. He challenges us to listen for God, to hear what He has for our lives, and to “be about our Father’s business”. He challenges us to share the story of the cross and how it has changed our stories. He challenges us as NCS brudders to “show up” for each other.

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

January 6, 2023 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

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.

Miracles of Men in Relationship (David Grizzle – 9/9/22 – NCS New Canaan)

September 9, 2022 by NCS New Canaan Leave a Comment

With tremendous NCS transparency, David Grizzle shares how he has experienced and witnessed the miracles that can happen when men are in deep, grace-filled and accountable relationships with each other.

On the eve of the Memorial Service for NCS brudder BJ Weber, Grizzle explains the very special relationship he had with BJ, going back to the first day BJ arrived in New York City. David talks about how, with BJ’s help, he learned compassion through “borrowed suffering”.

David vulnerably describes the irrational anxiety and panic attacks he felt and suffered during the COVID pandemic, not because of the pandemic but because of the devastating impact it had on markets, financial portfolios and businesses he was overseeing as a Board member. He shares how he began to recognize the power of idols in his life, and how he was able to find peace by finally forgiving himself.

Finally, David explains why he believes that men need other men–not only to help pull each other out of the “holes” we dig ourselves into but also to help each other reach all that God intends for us.

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