Inner Anvil ministries is a non profit dedicated to creating life experiences that generate character oriented conversations. “Who are you becoming and why?” is the catalyst question. And we choose to journey together, as long as you’re willing. Are you willing?
Key Areas of Engagement
Character Process
We have adapted “The Hyde School” process. It is the framework for a life dialogue. It looks something like this.
Big Picture
You are special, with unique skill and gifting. It was intended that it should be so. You choose to live in the truth and let it shape how you think. You choose to gather people around you who will hold you to your best effort while staying on the journey with you.
Traits Explored
While investing in your strengths, you are not afraid to wrestle with your weaknesses, facing your fears. You choose to be a leader of one, learning to serve in preparation for being in charge of more than yourself. Your actions and thoughts align, at least that’s what you’re working towards. You are developing compassion and empathy. You are interested in the world around you. You are a life long learner.
Tools
EEMO ( Attitude Assessment ), EEC ( Thought Awareness ), AICR ( Work Inventory )
SPIRRS
A life values prioritization concept.
You have been given authority over your Spiritual life, your Physical well being and your Intellectual/Emotional growth. Out of the development in those areas you invest in your Resources ( time, money, talent and attitude ), build Relationships ( with yourself, your family, your community and the world ) and find a way to invest in and Serve the world. This is the beginning, the bottom rung, of living an intentional life.
Life Mentoring
An early morning meeting. A conversation. Questions that challenge the status quo. A safe place for real answers that inspire an attempt at growth and fearless failure. Knowing that invested effort over time creates resilience, resilience creates maturity and compassion. It is the best of the journey.
Passions and Brokenness
I find myself drawn to people of passion. They inspire me with their joy, dedication, sacrifice and vision. I could sit and listen to their stories….all day, given the right cup of coffee. I think people of passion have a unique significance. They are flawed, or rather their flaws don’t stop them from stretching beyond their comfort zone into the passion fulfillment. And I think that is significant.
I want to live a significant life… a passionate, significant life. And I’m discovering that a significant life is a life of passion and brokenness. Passion is that thing that consumes you and broken is what happens as you are consumed. We start with what we know, seek to strive towards the edge of what we think we can do and if we are lucky, we fail…mightily. And lying there in the midst of our misjudged, over confident, risk it all effort we have to decide…will we try again or are we done. I never want to be done. And so, I have to commit to the process that will allow me to continue. I choose to strive daily, I choose to break daily and I choose to grow daily. And tomorrow we start again, edged closer to better, deeper, harder. Over time, I have discovered, my passion will inspire others and my brokenness will allow me to be available to them…to encourage, to comfort, to co-join in a barbaric yop. And so we can journey together…and that is fun, and significant.
Message From Kevin
For the past thirty years I’ve had the privilege of watching youth ministry suffer from lack of funds. So, fifteen years ago (it took me a while), I decided to rally a few core relationships into a non-profit that would serve the primary mission of investing in junior high through college students and their families. And the investing would be based around character formation and passion development. In other words, we do things that help you grow as a person and help you achieve the dreams that drive you.
Early on we developed a recording studio. If a student wants to record their music, you get to spend time with them for days. If you get to spend days of time with them, you might get the opportunity to have a conversation. If you engage in conversation, you might start learning what they think…about music, life, God. If you know what they are thinking, you might be able to pray for them in such a way that God has greater access to your heart in how you engage them. It’s a vicious cycle!
So, along with recording we did late night volleyball, big ball (you’ll have to ask), crazy UNO, paintball, summer travel trips, surfing, rock climbing, mountaineering, worship, song writing, band creating, Christ and the Creative Arts, The Character Process, SPIRRS, The Grand Intention, Rock-N-Horse Studio, Camp TRY (Take Risks Yourself), Camp Musica, The Heart Cafe, Entree Amis, Heartlife Imagineering Home School Co-op…and the list goes on for thirty years of ministry (yes, we funded it before we had a non-profit)… things we did to capture the imagination of students who wanted to dream and grow.
And we are not done.
Here is one story, recent, to show you how God keeps bringing us the dreamers. I was invited to a talent show by a previous student of mine from Heartlife (Home School Co-op). When I walked in the door a teacher asked me to be a talent judge. OK, I can do that. The first band was five brothers who were playing an original piece…poppy and fun, but the guitar was out of tune, only two band members smiled and the music wasn’t quite together. Needless to say, they didn’t win. At the end of the evening, as I was walking out, I happened to walk by the guitarist and felt inspired to say, “ My name is Kevin Brusett and I have mentored musicians for thirty years. If you’d like to know why you didn’t win first place, give me a call. “ and I gave him my number. Two weeks later he called. The band and I went to breakfast. I bought because when you buy, you get to ask the questions. I explained why they didn’t place and asked if they wanted to get better. They said, “YES!!!”. For the past month we have been meeting every Tuesday from 9-3 (it helps that they home school), working on their craft. Today, after a month of being in community, I got to share with them EEMO (an acronym concerning attitude and choice). After a month of investment I finally had the credibility to be heard. That is the ministry of my life.
I could fill a book, and perhaps I will, but the point is…this process works. And we plan on continuing. As we create opportunities, the investment expands. Friends, family, communities get drawn into the process. And the reach of your voice creates waves of investment that continue on into life. I am still investing in students that I had twenty and thirty years ago. Only now they are peers, we are equals and I receive as well as give. In the midst, God keeps weaving love, relationship and dreaming. It is a wonderful ride.
TESTIMONIALS
Here are some of the ways that we have affected a few students who actively participate in Inner Anvil activities:
“The way Inner Anvil has effected my life… There is a huge list. I can honestly say that I would not be the same person that I am today without Inner Anvil. I have been shown how to have less fear in whatever I do, and how to step out of my comfort zone. They have made a safe place where you can make friends, at Camp TRY and Heartlife. I personally think that they give you a new way of thinking. I also believe that Inner Anvil puts you in a new environment like with Camp TRY. From personal experience, it really does test you like never before. It puts you in a place where you can’t back down and you can’t just go home. Plus it helps you with social skill’s cause it makes you work as a team to make it thorough all the challenges.”
– A.C. O’Neal (Student)
“Paintball, Heartlife, Camp TRY, it has all affected me in many ways. It has built character, and inspired me to follow what I want. It has taught me I can do more than I thought. It has helped me find courage to put at play in life. It has given me confidence, and taught me many lessons on responsibility. Without Inner Anvil supporting us and backing us up, none of this could have happened.”
– Elise Morrow (Student)
