![]() This month's GPS Life Journey Story is from Glenda Haendschke. "I moved to East Tennessee five years ago having left a very large non-denominational church in Florida where I truly found my home. The move to Florida initially was God-driven but not without some personal strife. It was at that church I was first baptized by immersion and truly felt the Holy Spirit take over my life. It was there where I began to learn about what a relationship with God really meant. I found fellowship with fellow believers and discovered the beauty of studying God’s Word. It was where I found the meaning of God’s Church outside the four walls where services were held. It was where I learned that God does really speak to me … if only I’d listen. … And then I did! I was visiting my family in Tennessee and heard the strongest message – so strong I did not think before asking my siblings what they thought about me moving to Tennessee. The rest as they say is history. I sold my house in Florida to a friend from church who had been struggling for months, trying to find the right home for herself, her mom, and her dad. I then moved to North Carolina where I also had another home to sell. God sent a family who was being displaced from their current home to buy it.
Having left a church where I was born again and planted in my spiritual journey, I began my search when I arrived in Tennessee to find the same … and was HARD! I’d go to one church then another church then and still another church before I gave up for a while. I never quite felt welcome or fulfilled. Then, four and a half years later I was led to First Baptist Church, Lenoir City (FBCLC). I sat in the front of the church and was greeted by a couple who lived near me. They introduced me to a couple of other people and then I heard and met Pastor John Hunn. I left that day feeling like I had finally found my home! My next steps were trying to figure out how to get connected and I found a display table in the foyer that spoke about this GPS Life Journey class. Fast forward a few weeks and I get an email saying new classes were starting up again and asked which timeframe worked best for mean. And thus my GPS journey began. While I was familiar with and in agreement with the findings of the assessments we took for the class, the jewel really was putting into writing my mission and vision statements. With the guidance of Paula Mills, my facilitator, I was able to focus on my spiritual gifts. I discovered how I could use them not only for the benefit of people in need but also to fill my tank with God’s love so that I could continue being the light God intended me to be. Setting specific goals and thinking about how and when I could fulfill those goals was a tremendously helpful exercise. Through those goals I identified certain mission areas that I believe will be great fits for me within FBCLC and enable me to truly become a part of this church family. I feel like I’ve finally found my home. Thank you, Nolen Rollins, for putting this study together. Thank you, Paula, for being my guiding light through this journey and encouraging me to write these thoughts down. But most of all I am so thankful to God for reminding me once again that He has a plan for me and I just need to listen and obey!" If you would like to participate in the GPS Life Journey process then please check our Events page. We offer in person and online via Zoom. You can learn more about us here. We look forward to helping you discover God's Plan for Significance in your life.
0 Comments
In this month's Note From Nolen - find out the exciting survey results from the GPS Life Journey Graduates party in Lenoir City, TN! Below is the video transcript.
"Recently, we held a GPS Life Journey graduate reunion slash party for graduates of the GPS Life Journey process at the First Baptist Church of Lenoir City, Tennessee. 47 graduates showed up. Many shared their testimony of their engagement in fulfilling their personal mission statement. It was extremely encouraging for all present. Thank you to each person who filled out a survey. The first question on the survey was: "What is your personal mission for the next stage of your life?" Everyone was able to write that down. I was encouraged by that. The second question was, "On a scale of 1 to 10, how engaged are you currently in fulfilling your life purpose or life mission?" The average response was eight. Again, I was very encouraged with that. The GPS Life Journey process is working. If it's not working for you, we can help you. Let us help you give us a call, contact us, and let us help you with one on one free coaching so that you can stay on your life journey and fulfill your mission and bring great glory to God." Life Mission Coaching by GPS Life Journey Founder, Nolen Rollins or Emily Miller, GPS Life Journey Director. Scheduled at your Convenience, Live or Zoom Two One Hour Sessions Cost: $0 FREE Contact Nolen Rollins at [email protected] or +1 239-860-0096 Contact Emily Miller at [email protected] or +1 239-771-0555 .In this video you will learn more about what is GPS Life Journey and hear from participants directly.
Nolen Rollins shared: "God has general purposes for the life of every follower of Christ that are pretty much the same. But, God also has a specific purpose, a unique purpose for every individual. Do you know what God's specific purpose, what His specific good works for you are? For the next stage of your life? GPS Life Journey helps you discover your God given mission for your life and helps you develop a strategy to engage in your purpose. Samantha Lewis shared: Participation in GPS Life Journey helped me to see God's purpose in my life. It is wonderful to know that God has a purpose for me. And my mission statement is that I will be an ambassador of Christ in all the spheres of influence He placed us in. The format structure of GPS Life Journey: GPS Life Journey consists of eight facilitator led sessions.
There is a format that will fit your schedule, including online via Zoom! Barb Dunn shared: "Going through the assessments in the GPS program really helped me to understand who I am, how God made me, and the fact that it's for a specific reason to glorify him. I feel now that I am so on point and so excited because GPS has really helped me be focused on what God's mission is for my life, what my purpose is, and I'm looking to change the world." Jim Robertson shared: "I have really appreciated GPS just because it has kept me going, not just with my mission, but continuing on with my vision." Senior Pastor John Hunn shared: "GPS Life Journey This journey has been an amazing benefit to our church here at First Baptist in North City. It has been an absolute godsend, so much so that we made it the year of mobilization. Over 200 of our members have discovered their life purpose. And, we loved it so much, this year is our second year of mobilization." We encourage you to join over 20, 000 people in over 30 countries of the world who have discovered their life purposes through the GPS Life Journey process. Please contact us for a list of all upcoming GPS Life Journey opportunities or check the Events page. ![]() Many years ago, my wife, Cheryl, and I participated in a small group study entitled Experiencing God written by Henry and Richard Blackaby. It was a turning point in our Christian lives. We realized for the first time in our lives that God was at work around us, and we were to be obedient and join Him. We did two things immediately. First, we hosted an Experiencing God small group study in our house and second, we started looking for opportunities to join God in His work. Several years later we joined another church where the lead pastor, Nolen Rollins, was influenced significantly by Henry Blackaby. Not long after joining the church we heard about a course offered by the pastor, GPS Life Journey, which, as we understood it, was an opportunity for Cheryl and me to learn about ourselves – our strengths, abilities, gifts, and passions – in a way we’ve never experienced before. We would use that information and our experiences in life to form a life mission that would guide us in determining how we would fit into the work God is doing around us.
Personal Missions Cheryl started doing bookkeeping in her grandparents’ business from the time she could hold a pencil in her hand. Today, she is a partner/owner in our accounting firm. As an accountant and QuickBooks ProAdvisor, she works with not-for-profit and for-profit organizations. What she’s discovered is that many organizations are not good stewards of their financial structure and they’re non-compliant with state and federal laws. We like to say their toes are at the edge of a cliff, but they refuse to acknowledge there is an edge. Cheryl’s mission is to be a resource in matters of finance and compliance so that organizations can avoid serious problems and make informed personal and business decisions. My mission is to tutor students in Christian-based programs so they can achieve their full potential and engage in God’s purposes for their lives. I graduated from college with a degree in psychology and education and found myself teaching applied physics. I’ve been an automotive machinist, teacher, technical trainer, manager of a documentation department, systems engineer, sales manager, and the Chief Technology Officer in our accounting firm. I love using all I’ve learned in my professional and Christian life in tutoring and mentoring students. For Cheryl and me, our GPS Life Journey clarified how we fit into God’s plan. We now know exactly how and where to join God in His work. Difficulties on Our Journey Facing challenges in the accounting firm, Cheryl and I left the firm in 2018 to focus on the work God was directing us toward. Amid the crisis we were facing, Cheryl’s mother discovered she had aggressive cancer invading her body. We cared for Cheryl’s mom and dad through a very difficult time in their lives. Within six months Cheryl’s mom passed away and soon after Cheryl’s dad also died. This put into perspective how short life is and had her asking the question once again – what am I here for? Cheryl took the opportunity to take GPS Life Journey again as a refresher to learn more about how God was working in her life. Today she continues to forge ahead in the work God has called her to. To make life more interesting, I was experiencing a significant loss of muscle strength due to the damage done to my motor neurons by the polio virus I experienced as an 18-month-old. Also, our income was affected enough during the downturn in real estate sales, that we were struggling to keep our home. It wasn’t the right time to sell. It seemed that from every side we were under attack. It was at that time that Cheryl was returning from visiting a client. As she pulled into our garage, she was thinking about trying to stay in our home when she heard God say, “You don’t know the blessings I have for you.” She knew that God was telling her that selling the house was in His plan. Today I continue in the work God has invited me to plus I’ve heard from God that he has additional work for me to do. I heard Him clearly say, “I gave you a story to write, write it.” For many years I have felt compelled to write a story about my life to leave to our grandchildren. For a decade, I wrote the story with no plans other than printing the story for them. After hearing God’s command, I knew He wanted me to tell not just my experiences from childhood but the entire story. I have just completed the third book in a five-book series detailing my experiences. Cheryl and I feel exceptionally blessed by God to have discovered the life-changing truths in Experiencing God and GPS Life Journey. Our lives are full of significance, even with experiencing the difficulties we have encountered. Cheryl Willett is an accountant/consultant with Willett Business Management, Inc. Rich Willett is an author, Whatever It takes, LLC. (Story written by Rich Willett) In this month's Note From Nolen - it's not about being busy!
"I attended the funeral recently of my long term friend and mentor, Dr. Henry Blackaby, author of Experiencing God. I've often heard Dr. Blackaby say, Most Christians are so busy doing the work of the church that they miss the will of God. Wow, that is a profound statement. It's not a negative statement towards working in the church. Working in the church is indeed the will of God for some people. But the problem is many people are just doing what they've been asked to do without seeking an understanding. What is it God wants me to do? What is God's specific purpose for the next stage of my life? God has general purposes for all followers of Jesus Christ, but he has specific purposes or a mission or good works, which he created for us in Christ Jesus. even before we were born that we should be doing. May I encourage you seek what is God's purpose and plan for your life rather than just being busy. Being busy is not what God wants you to do. He wants you to accomplish his specific purpose and plan for every stage of your life. About GPS Life Journey is designed to help you determine that. If we can help you feel free to contact us. God bless." You can learn more about events happening on our EVENTS page. You can CONTACT us here. In this video, you get to meet Sam Trait, a recent GPS Life Journey Graduate in Lenoir City, TN. Here is what she had to say about the process.
"I recently took GPS life journey class. It was amazing. It does a lot for you. My strengths have been just brought to light and I can, you know, it's to honor the Lord with those and serve my church. It feels good to be able to do that and I learned a lot about my purpose in serving and honoring God also in the class. And how crucial it is to the body of Christ in service for him and helping our community and our members of the church. I would highly recommend this class to you, not only just for the sake of learning your strengths, but learning who you are and how you can honor God." If you would like to participate in a GPS Life Journey class then check to see what events are happening or contact us to learn more about different movements around the world. Including online via Zoom! ![]() This GPS Life Journey story is written in memory of one of my dearest friends ever. Dozens, if not hundreds, of times in GPS Life Journey Workshops I have verbally told the living-on-mission story of Jim Milby. His story is a vivid testimony of the value of participating in a GPS Life Journey Workshop. Jim Milby was promoted to heaven for his ultimate Kingdom service adventure on November 30, 2020 after a long battle with cancer. Jim and Linda Milby have not only been our dear friends for many years, but they are also family. Their youngest son, Todd, married our oldest daughter, April, in 1997. So, we have been doing family together for over 25 years and we share three tremendous grandchildren. Large Service, Small Fulfillment Jim Milby was the ultimate churchman. He served in numerous leadership capacities over his decades of church service. He was a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ and said “yes” when asked to serve in his Church. He gave leadership to the church’s capital stewardship campaign. He served as Chairman of the Deacons. He often found himself in positions of out-front, spokesperson leadership. Frequently, Jim contemplated why he was most often uncomfortable in these leadership roles and why he experienced more frustration than fulfillment. After all, Jim was accustomed to holding extremely responsible positions and giving excellent leadership to teams over his illustrious career as launch director for the space program. He had overseen the launch for numerous communication satellites in his career. His retirement celebration gave evidence of his commitment to service and excellence. Then Came GPS Life Journey After Jim’s retirement and consequent relocation to Southwest Florida he became a member of our church and served as an Elder. Shortly after joining our ranks, he and Linda, his wife, participated in a GPS Life Journey Workshop. It was my privilege to facilitate that particular workshop. When I announced that the first section of the GPS Life Journey consisted of seven personal assessments to better understand how God had uniquely created and shaped each of us, I saw less than enthusiasm in Jim’s eyes. I wasn’t sure what that meant but proceeded as if “all is well” because I had seen that gaze before in the eyes of other highly successful professionals. Later “why the look” became crystal clear through Jim’s testimony. And the Light Came On After we had spent the first three sessions of our workshop compiling these seven assessments on each participant, the light bulb lit up brightly in Jim’s mind and heart. “When you indicated that we were going to do personal assessments, I thought, ‘been there, done that, so many times in my career that I not only have the T-shirt, I have worn it out.’ I was confident that I knew who I was and my giftedness.” Then I witnessed the teary-eyed confession and conclusion that Jim had reached. “I really did not know myself as I thought I did. When I took these kinds of human resource assessments in the work place, I had no thoughts of what this means and how does it apply to my service in the Kingdom of God.” Jim continued, “Now, I understand why most of my service in the church and other organizations has not been fulfilling. These positions were not what God had created me for. Because of my position in the work place, church leaders asked me to serve in roles for which I was not suited. God did not design me to be an out- front spokesperson and cheerleader. He designed me to quietly serve others behind the scenes.” You see, Jim discovered through the GPS Life Journey assessments that he was a “steadiness” and “conscientious” personality type, possessed the spiritual gifts of “service” and “exhortation,” and scored the highest in the strengths assessment for “deliberative” and “analytical” strengths. He understood for the first time the kind of leadership and service roles in which he should be engaged. The last years of Jim Milby’s service in the Kingdom of God brought fulfillment, significance, and success to him and his church. He severed in roles that let him function in his giftedness and he excelled in all he did. One day not long before his death, Jim quietly shared, “These last years of ministry and serving with you have been among the most enjoyable experiences of my life. Thanks for helping me to be who God created me to be.” Jim Milby was retired launch director for Lockheed-Martin and the NASA Space Program in Cape Canaveral, FL. (Story written by Nolen Rollins) In this Note from Nolen video, you'll hear from Nolen Rollins asking Are You Living on Mission with God?
"Are you living your life with a sense of purpose? Are you living on mission with God? If you participated in the GPS Life Journey, you compiled a personal mission statement for the next stage of your life. I've discovered over the years that many people with great intentions develop that mission and they're excited about it. But for some reason or reasons, they hit a roadblock. They get sidetracked and the mission gets put on the shelf. Let me encourage you, this spring, as we think about things growing and expanding, you growing in the fulfillment. Of your mission, your personal mission. If you need assistance to get back on track, let us know. We're here to help you with free coaching. Know what your purpose is. Be engaged faithfully in fulfilling that purpose. And by doing so, you will bring great glory to God. You will leave a legacy of impact and make a difference in the lives of others. God bless." Need Life Purpose Coaching? Life Mission Coaching by GPS Life Journey Founder, Nolen Rollins or Emily Miller, GPS Life Journey Director. Scheduled at your Convenience, Live or Zoom Two One Hour Sessions Cost: $0 FREE Contact Nolen Rollins at [email protected] or 239-860-0096 Contact Emily Miller at [email protected] or 239-771-0555 In this brief, Note from Nolen, we have an important Easter message.
"Without a doubt, one of the most important, if not the most important week of the year is Holy Week for followers of Jesus Christ. I want to wish you a happy Easter and I wish you a great year this year. As you follow the risen Christ in fulfilling his specific purpose for your life. God bless you." If you don't know what God's specific purpose is for your life then please consider participating in the GPS Life Journey process. We offer in person and online events throughout the year, check out what's happening here. You can also contact us to find out more information. ![]() This month's story is from GPS Life Journey Graduate, Don Gunther. "I had enjoyed a high level of business success that many would envy. I spent 40 years with the Bechtel Group, one of the world’s leading engineering and construction firms. We worked in 120 countries building some of the most complicated and largest structures ever attempted by an engineering and construction firm. For example, we built the tunnel under the English Channel between England and France. Our company was also responsible for extinguishing the massive oil well fires in the Gulf War. When I retired, I was Vice Chairman and was responsible for all of our business units around the world. I thoroughly enjoyed my career with Bechtel and loved living abroad and all across America. I tried retirement, but after the big house and the big boat, I was not satisfied with my life. I was glad that I had more time for my large family, but I sensed that maybe God had more for me to do. Yet, I was at a loss at how to go about discovering that purpose for the next stage of my life.
A New Friend Changed My Life That is when a friend introduced me to Nolen Rollins and GPS Life Journey. GPS Life Journey helped me focus on the skills I had and how I might use them to help others and have a greater impact in the world. It helped me evaluate my strengths and weaknesses and through it, I began to identify where God would like to use me. Coupled with my commitments to family, I felt called to become involved in a foundation that serves an impoverished migrant community in Southwest Florida, surrounded by immense wealth. I served as Chairman of The Immokalee Foundation and brought my abilities to bear for the benefit of the board, the organization, and those we serve. We are making a big difference in the lives of many young people, who with our help have a much greater chance at success in life. I also started a new chapter of Men’s Golf Fellowship at the country club where I was a member. This weekly group is designed to help men successfully deal with personal issues and to become devoted followers of Christ. It also was my privilege to serve as a leader in Legacy Church in Estero, Florida, where my new friend and mentor, Nolen Rollins, was Senior Pastor. Nolen has been the greatest spiritual influence in my long life. It was a blessed day when I met him. My life went from being prominent to being significant as I learned God’s purposes for my life and began to engage in fulfilling those purposes. There is no feeling as great as knowing that you are doing what God created you to do. And...to see how that makes a difference in the world. A much greater difference than building large structures. GPS Life Journey was very significant in my finding and fulfilling my life purpose." Don Gunther is the retired Vice Chairman, the Bechtel Group. (Story written by Don Gunther) |
AuthorNolen Rollins, Founder & President of GPS Life Journey Archives
January 2025
Categories
All
|