Author: Angela Miller

Welcoming Carol Schwartz and Angela Miller to the CORE Team

Written by Angela Miller on February 9, 2026. Posted in Prayer Ministers, Serenity Blog, Transformation Prayer Training. No Comments on Welcoming Carol Schwartz and Angela Miller to the CORE Team

by Barbara Rolen, Program Director at Serenity Retreat

The C.O.R.E. Team—which stands for “Clarification of Refinements”—was established by Kathryn Eason prior to her retirement in 2019. The team serves as a group of seasoned TPM mentors who provide guidance, training, and leadership development for our ministry. These are the women and men you can turn to with questions about TPM Principles, Purpose, and Process. They coach our mentors, lead training courses, facilitate community discussions, and help shape the ongoing development of how we equip others in Transformation Prayer Ministry. It’s a significant commitment, but also a meaningful opportunity to multiply impact and help ensure that all guests experience the same high quality TPM in their prayer sessions and our training remains faithful to the model established by Ed and Joshua Smith at TransformationPrayer.org.

Welcoming Carol Schwartz and Angela Miller to the C.O.R.E. Team

*Barbara Rolen, Angela Miller, Kathy Zimmerman, Keever & Brooke Wallace, Carol Schwartz,* *Becky Moorman.*

There’s something sacred about watching the Lord raise up the right people at exactly the right time. As we continue growing and refining what TPM looks like at Serenity Retreat, we’re celebrating two extraordinary women who are stepping into this expanded leadership role—Carol Schwartz and Angela Miller.

If you’ve been part of our Serenity family for any length of time, you probably already know these women. You’ve experienced their warmth, their wisdom, and their genuine heart for seeing others encounter freedom in Christ. Now, they’re bringing those same gifts to a new level of mentoring and equipping. Their addition to the team was unanimous—every current C.O.R.E. Team member recognized what the Lord is doing in and through Carol and Angela.

Meet Carol

Carol’s journey with TPM has been one of profound personal transformation—and she’s the first to tell you about it. “The prayer process has helped me experience the love of God in a deeper and broader way,” she shares. “It has allowed me to accept myself as God made me—especially being emotional—and to see that this is not a flaw but a gift.”

That kind of honesty? That’s exactly what makes Carol such a natural fit for the C.O.R.E. Team.

When we asked what unique gifts she brings, Carol didn’t hesitate: “Openness to God’s voice, encouragement, joy of working together.” And when it comes to her calling to teach and equip others, she lights up. The Lord spoke clearly to her: “I will one day teach you to ‘coach’ people with my Holy Spirit.” She senses this is that season—God’s way of preparing her for what would eventually happen.

Carol brings a beautiful combination of strength and tenderness to the team. She’s confident in TPM principles and comfortable answering most questions, yet she’s also refreshingly humble about her growth process. “I do have some concern about making mistakes as I continue to grow in the process,” she acknowledges. “I am learning to trust the Holy Spirit to guide me. I also want to be open to correction and see it as a natural part of learning.”

That kind of teachable spirit—paired with her natural gift for encouragement—makes Carol invaluable as we mentor the next generation of prayer ministers.

Meet Angela

Angela G. Miller

Angela serves in a dual role at Serenity Retreat—she’s both a prayer minister and our Program Manager, working closely with me in the day-to-day rhythms of ministry. Her attention to detail, administrative gifts, and heart for the mission make her an anchor for so much of what happens behind the scenes.

But what truly sets Angela apart is how she brings both administrative excellence and deep spiritual sensitivity to everything she touches.

When asked about her TPM journey, Angela shares: “It has been life changing. I didn’t realize I had believed so many lies. TPM helped me let go of those lies and has helped me step into greater freedom and live more fully in God’s grace. This is available to everyone! Praise God.”

That passion—this is available to everyone—is what drives her heart to serve on the C.O.R.E. Team.

Angela brings unique gifts to our team: a calling to teach and equip others in TPM, and a special sensitivity to how people learn and grow. She has a remarkable ability to sense what’s needed in the moment—whether that’s a word of encouragement, a clarifying question, or a gentle redirection.

Her natural strengths shine in one-on-one coaching and mentoring, small group facilitation, training course leadership, and the immersive experiences we’re developing. She’s also gifted at evaluating current mentors and curating TPM resources—skills that help us continually improve what we offer.

What excites Angela most about joining the C.O.R.E Team? “I love being part of a team and moving together as God leads us. I also love seeing others grow in their walk with Jesus, to be a part of that in this way would be a blessing. It’s answered prayer. I pray often to love God and others.”

What This Means for You

Both Carol and Angela participated in our inaugural TPM 201 Immersive retreat in Bellville recently. Their contributions to workshop discussions and practice sessions enriched the experience for everyone in the cohort. They’re already making suggestions that will enhance how we train prayer ministers going forward and deepen the experience for each guest who comes through our doors. You can read their reflections in the post, “When the Mountain Becomes a Molehill: Reflections on TPM 201 Immersive”

Their addition to the C.O.R.E Team was unanimous—every current team member recognized what the Lord is doing in and through these two women. We couldn’t be more grateful.

As we move forward, you’ll see Carol and Angela serving in various capacities: leading training sessions, coaching mentors, facilitating small groups, and helping shape the future of TPM at Serenity Retreat. They bring fresh perspectives, deep experience, and most importantly, hearts fully surrendered to where the Holy Spirit is leading.

We’re so excited about this season of growth. The Lord continues to raise up the right people at the right time, and we’re honored to walk alongside Carol and Angela as they step more fully into this calling.

Please join us in celebrating these remarkable women and the ways God is expanding our capacity to serve, train, and equip others in Transformation Prayer Ministry.

Blessings,

Barbara

When the Mountain Becomes a Molehill: Reflections on Our First TPM 201 Immersive

Written by Angela Miller on February 9, 2026. Posted in Serenity Blog, Serenity Retreat Center, TPM 201, Transformation Prayer Training. No Comments on When the Mountain Becomes a Molehill: Reflections on Our First TPM 201 Immersive

by Barbara Rolen, Program Director at Serenity Retreat

“The role-plays and the live demonstration minimized the mountain I had made of TPM.”

When one member of the cohort shared this insight after our first TPM 201 Immersive in Bellville, it reminded me of the way we humans many times approach new experiences, me included. We build up these mountains in our minds—mountains of complexity, mountains of fear, mountains of “I could never do that”—and then the Holy Spirit gently shows us that what looked insurmountable was actually an invitation to step forward.

On Jan 29 – 31, 2026 (with several of us lingering through Sunday morning), we gathered in Bellville for something that was just an idea from the Lord last fall: a condensed, intensive format for TPM 201 that would allow people to grow in their understanding of TPM and have multiple encounters with the Lord in practice sessions, without the challenge of sustaining momentum across six weekly classes. What unfolded was a community of believers sharing life together: lots of laughter and tears as we witnessed and experienced encounters with the Lord leading to transformation again and again.

But the journey didn’t begin when we arrived Thursday evening. It started weeks earlier, when participants began their pre-coursework…

Part One: Laying the Foundation—Weeks of Intentional Preparation

The journey to Bellville didn’t begin with packing bags or making travel arrangements. It began weeks earlier, when each participant received access to their pre-coursework—a carefully designed progression through seven modules that would prepare their hearts and minds for the intensive weekend ahead.

Over those weeks, participants were reading key chapters from The Principles, Purpose, and Process by Ed Smith and Joshua Smith, watching key teaching videos, and engaging with the content through Discovery Guides. They were learning the core TPM principles—we perceive what we believe, we feel what we believe, we do what we believe, we believe what we are persuaded to believe—and beginning to recognize patterns in their own lives. We also asked each person to complete three TPM sessions before arriving, giving them hands-on experience with the process they’d be learning to use.

Some engaged deeply with the pre-work, joining us for our three Zoom check-ins to discuss what they were learning and to experience the prayer process of TPM. Others did what they could, showing up with just enough foundation to begin. And that was okay—because what we discovered is that the immersive format has room for people to enter at different levels of preparation.

The pre-work served its purpose: everyone arrived with at least a basic shared vocabulary and some personal experience of TPM. But the real breakthroughs? Those would come during our time together, when teaching met practice, when understanding became experience, and when the Holy Spirit showed up in ways none of us could orchestrate.

Part Two: Three Days of Deep Transformation

Thursday: Setting the Atmosphere

We gathered around the table over a charcuterie dinner while sharing what brought us to this immersive experience. The honesty in the room was palpable—some eager, some nervous, all expectant. The discussion continued as we dove into the first component of the Purpose of TPM: faith-refinement.

After a brief orientation, focusing specifically on the Emotion Box, where every TPM session begins, everyone enjoyed a live demonstration. Watching someone demonstrate self-TPM made it feel… possible. Approachable. Real.

Angela Miller, one of our coaches, later reflected: “The TPM 201 Immersive reminded me how powerful it is when people gather together in-person, sharing meals, engaging in meaningful conversation, and learning about a prayer process that has lasting effects on our spiritual life. We create space to go deeper into our own stories while also bearing witness to what God is doing in the lives of others.”

Friday: The Rhythm of Breakthrough

Each workshop began with a playful or meaningful warm-up exercise designed to focus on an aspect of TPM. The first workshop of the day was focused on the Memory Box and Belief Box, exploring why it matters where our beliefs are stored (head versus heart) and how the Holy Spirit works to renew our minds.

The teaching sessions weren’t just lectures. We broke into small groups with coaches for role plays, working through scenarios like “Sarah’s Stressful Situation” and “Angie’s Anger.” These weren’t theoretical exercises—they were practice runs for the real sessions happening between workshops.

One participant captured it perfectly: “I loved the community that formed in the 36 hours we were together. I love how knowing the Lord and knowing others know the Lord gives us a strong kinship. I loved that people were serious about learning TPM and their hearts were really engaged in it.”

By Friday afternoon, we were tackling the Anger Box—learning to recognize anger in all its disguises and understanding that our anger always is fueled by a belief underneath. Friday evening brought us face-to-face with Solution Indicators—those protective behaviors we’ve developed to avoid pain, the ones that feel so right but keep us stuck.

And between every workshop? Practice sessions. Real prayer ministry. Real breakthroughs.

“I had a great prayer session when one of the participants prayed for me,” one attendee shared. “The most impactful time is watching the Holy Spirit breakthrough in someone’s life and givethem a new truth.”

Saturday: Integration and Transformation

Saturday morning we explored the Solution Box more deeply. This is where many participants had their biggest “aha” moments. One person wrote in her survey: “I realized I have spent my life in the solution box, thinking it was a good answer, thinking these behaviors were the right and logical truths. And my mind has been renewed. My beliefs are not correct, God’s truth is the right solution. I’m on a new path now in my thinking and how I perceive and believe. It feels like freedom and I actually felt lighter and dizzy, something left.”

Another shared: “I’ve spent most of my life thinking I am alone and isolated, and in my TPM session I realized that was a self-protection tool, and that I can depend on God in those places around me and feel safe and loved and cared for.”

Carol Schwartz, another coach, observed: “Being part of TPM 201 team was such a gift. The immersive setting gave us the chance to really slow down and walk with people as they practiced, asked questions, and grew in confidence. It was powerful to watch the material click in real time and to see the personal growth happening right alongside their hands-on learning.”

Saturday afternoon brought us full circle with a “Coaches Panel”—a time for participants to ask any lingering questions. Then came our closing ceremony: the Transformation Commemoration. Each person wrote on a river rock one lie they’d believed when they arrived—something Jesus had replaced with truth over these three days. One by one, they threw their rocks into the water, releasing what God had set them free from. Then they received cards to write down the truth God had given them in place of the lie or anything else the Lord wanted them to walk away with. It was a genuine celebration of what we’d witnessed God do.

A few of us lingered into Sunday for additional fellowship and reflection time. There’s something sacred about those unhurried morning hours after an intensive experience—time to let it all settle.

Part Three: What We’re Learning About This Format

The survey responses are still coming in, but certain themes are already clear:

The immersive format works differently than weekly classes. The concentrated time, the meals together, the ability to have multiple practice sessions in a short span—it accelerates both learning and transformation. Angela, who helped facilitate this intensive, put it simply: “I genuinely love this model and cannot recommend an immersive highly enough. Even if you have participated in a six- or eight-week training, there is something uniquely rich about the immersive experience that is well worth stepping into.”

Role plays and demonstrations demystify the process. That participant who felt the mountain become a molehill? She wasn’t alone. Watching real demonstrations and doing hands-on practice made TPM feel accessible rather than overwhelming.

Community matters. Being together in person, sharing meals, laughing over icebreakers, witnessing each other’s breakthroughs—it creates bonds that go beyond typical classroom learning.

The Lord shows up. One participant noted simply: “Still digesting everything, the skits, the workshop discussions were fantastic.” But beneath that digest-time is the reality that minds were renewed, lies were replaced with truth, and people encountered Jesus in tangible ways.

Part Four: Your Invitation

We’re offering more TPM 201 Immersive opportunities in 2026, and after experiencing this first one, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Whether you’ve never taken TPM training before, or you completed a weekly format years ago and want to go deeper, this condensed format offers something special.

You’ll arrive with some pre-work under your belt. You’ll spend three days learning principles, practicing skills, and experiencing personal ministry. You’ll leave with new tools, new freedom, and new friends who’ve walked this journey with you.

And maybe, like our participants, you’ll discover that the mountain you imagined was really just an invitation to step forward and watch what God can do.

If you’re interested in a future TPM 201 Immersive, reach out to us at Serenity Retreat [email protected]. We’d love to have you join us for the next one!

A New Season in Bellville: Welcoming Tiffany Pardue

Written by Angela Miller on January 15, 2026. Posted in Serenity Blog, Serenity Retreat, Serenity Retreat Center. No Comments on A New Season in Bellville: Welcoming Tiffany Pardue

by Cynthia Wenz, Interim CEO and Board Member

We are grateful to share that Tiffany Pardue has stepped into a new leadership role at Serenity Retreat as our Retreats Director and Community Partnership Liaison. This transition marks a meaningful new season for Serenity Retreat Bellville, and one we are entering with deep gratitude and confidence.

In these past months, as Tiffany has stepped more fully into this role, we have already seen the fruit of her leadership. She has helped maintain, develop, and strengthen the rhythm of retreats and ministry respites on the land, while also collaborating closely with the broader team to imagine what could be next. With creativity and wisdom, Tiffany has brought fresh insight into how our retreats and hospitality team can continue to serve individuals, ministries, and communities with care, depth, and intentionality. We’ve already seen the collaboration in action with our training team in our recent TPM 201 Immersive and how the Lord is positioning Serenity Retreat for the new wine to come!

Tiffany carries both a reverence for what God has already established at Serenity Retreat and a thoughtful openness to innovation, holding the mission steady while helping us grow with clarity and purpose. Her leadership helps ensure that the retreats, gatherings, and trainings hosted in Bellville continue to be places where people can encounter God in safety, truth, and love.

As Serenity Retreat Bellville continues to grow as a place of rest, prayer, and restoration, this role helps cultivate an atmosphere where Transformation Prayer Ministry can flourish and where individuals and groups can step away from the noise to listen, heal, and be renewed in God’s presence. The land in Bellville remains a place set apart, a place to come away, to be still, and to receive.

As Scripture reminds us:
“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” (Mark 6:31)

If you are sensing an invitation to step away for rest, prayer, or healing, we would be honored to host you at Serenity Retreat Bellville. To inquire about a personal retreat, group retreat, or ministry respite, please email [email protected] or fill out our Retreat Information Request Form.

We are deeply thankful for the way God is assembling leaders for this next season at Serenity Retreat. Please join us in welcoming Tiffany and praying for her as she continues to serve with humility, wisdom, and a heart fully yielded to the work God is doing here.

An Ordinary Morning, Sacred Ground

Written by Angela Miller on December 23, 2025. Posted in Serenity Blog, TPM 101, TPM 201, Transformation Prayer Training. No Comments on An Ordinary Morning, Sacred Ground

by Angela Miller | Program Manager at Serenity Retreat

Some of the most important moments of transformation don’t happen in prayer rooms or retreats; they happen in kitchens, laundry rooms, and bathrooms before the day has even fully begun.

This Advent, I wrote on my personal blog that I had what I would honestly describe as a good morning. I woke up steady, moved into my usual rhythm… and then realized I was completely out of my green drink and collagen (if you know, you know). Normally, I mix those with a little matcha, my gentle springboard into the day. That springboard was gone.

“Almost immediately, I felt that familiar edge creep in: I need coffee or I’m not going to survive.”

What surprised me wasn’t the frustration, many of you know that feeling, but what the Lord gently invited me into next.

When Frustration Is a Signal, Not a Norm or a Failure

Emotions are not the problem; they are an opportunity.

That morning, frustration told me something deeper was happening. I wasn’t just annoyed about ingredients. I was unknowingly trying to fix something in my flesh. I was leaning on a ‘coping mechanism’ to function.

(Let me pause here: I’m not saying coffee or routine is always a coping mechanism. But sometimes an honest evaluation is needed—especially when frustration or another negative emotion is associated with a habit, routine, or the desire to escape discomfort.)

So instead of pushing the feeling away, I paused and acknowledged it honestly:

“Lord, I’m frustrated with my circumstances because my routine is off, and I need to function.”

This is what we call the Anger Box in Transformation Prayer Ministry, naming the emotion without judgment, spiritualizing, or self-correction.

Then I moved into what we call the Solution Box, asking a question we teach people to ask regularly:
Do I sense hesitancy or resistance at the thought of letting this frustration go? Would it take effort on my part to let it go?

Uhhhh… yes. This cloud felt like it was just hovering over my head.

So I kept going and asked the next question:

“What do I believe would happen if I let this frustration go?” or “What bad thing might happen if the frustration was gone?”

The answer surprised me:

“If I let it go, I might not function today.”

So I asked the next question:

“So the reason I need to hold onto this frustration is what?”

And there it was:

“I need to be frustrated at my circumstances in order to function.”

This Is What TPM Looks Like as a Lifestyle

This is the heart of Transformation Prayer Ministry, not fixing behavior, but allowing God to reveal the deeper belief so He can speak His truth into it and transform our lives.

I shared that belief with the Lord and sat quietly. I didn’t strive. I didn’t try to replace it with truth on my own. I simply listened.

And what He impressed on my heart was simple and profound:

“I am your function.”

That one sentence changed everything.

“In it was everything I needed to hear… He is my help, clarity, strength, wise counselor, and capacity to do what He has called me to do.”

As I sat with that truth, the frustration lost its grip. The fog lifted. The I-need-coffee-or-else feeling faded. I felt clear, present, and capable.

This is not about having a perfect morning.
This is about learning how to walk with God in real time, on random, ordinary days, especially during seasons like Advent and the holidays when life feels full, loud, and heavy.

We Were Never Meant to Carry This Alone

If you notice frustration surfacing often…
If you find yourself snapping at the people you love…
If there’s a low hum of anxiety or pressure to “just function”…

I want you to know this: you don’t have to stay there.

The Lord provides a way through, a way to slow down, listen, uncover what’s happening beneath the surface, and receive His truth right where you are.

I won’t lie, this was a paradigm shift for me when I learned about this process, especially two of our core principles, but it made so much sense: “We feel and do what we believe.”
While learning this process is a process, it has been so worth it to no longer live in performance or anxiety mode.

That’s why at Serenity Retreat we teach TPM not as a technique, but as a relational prayer lifestyle.

TPM 101 introduces this framework and helps you understand what’s happening beneath emotions.
TPM 201 equips you to engage this process on your own, in your everyday life, with the Lord.

And fun fact! We’re launching a TPM 201 Immersive Experience in January, and there are only 12 spots! This guided journey combines 7 self-paced modules (plan to start early!), supportive Zoom check-ins with seasoned leaders, and a powerful 2-day retreat in Bellville (January 29-31) where you’ll receive personalized training and coaching.

Whether you choose the six-week course or the immersive experience, the goal is the same:
that you grow in confidence drawing closer to God, recognizing what’s happening in your heart, and receiving His truth, the kind that leads to lasting transformation and peace.

An Advent Invitation

Advent reminds us that we are waiting—not passively, but expectantly—for the God who is righteous, just, and deeply loving to finish what He has already begun.

The Lord is still meeting us. Still speaking truth. Still inviting us deeper through His Word and through community with other believers.

Perhaps this process, learning to cooperate with Him as He refines your faith, renews your mind, and transforms your life (TPM Purpose) is the gift He’s placing in your prayer toolbox for this next season.

If you feel that gentle nudge, I encourage you to say yes.
Yes to a prayer session.
Yes to sowing into this ministry.
Yes to coming out to Bellville for a retreat or bringing your own group.
Yes to training.
Yes to what He is inviting you to walk into next.

Merry Christmas,
Angela

P.S. Check out the TPM 201 Immersive

Register for TPM 201 and Immersive experiences here

Preparing for New Wine: Why TPM 201 Immersive Is the Next Step You’ve Been Waiting For

Written by Angela Miller on November 23, 2025. Posted in Prayer Ministers, Serenity Blog, Serenity Retreat Center, Transformation Prayer Training, Transformation Prayer Training. No Comments on Preparing for New Wine: Why TPM 201 Immersive Is the Next Step You’ve Been Waiting For

By Barbara Rolen, Program Director, Serenity Retreat

You know that feeling when you can sense God’s up to something, but you’re not quite sure what it is yet? That’s been me—and honestly, all of us here at Serenity Retreat—for the better part of this year. Collectively, we sense the Lord forming new wine skins—new rhythms and new structures so we are ready for what’s to come.

I am proud of the effective training courses we offer at Serenity Retreat, from intro to internship. Since there’s always room for improvement, each of the courses is undergoing refinement this year and next to improve the effectiveness and experience for participants.

And now God is also stretching us to expand our training to include TPM 201 Immersive for those looking for the convenience of a self-paced on-demand course, culminating with a dynamic, immersive experience at our Bellville Retreat Center.

The Real Heart of TPM 201: You First

Both our six-week TPM 201 course and the new Immersive format are designed to help you tend to your own heart first—before you even think about helping anyone else.

Here’s what I mean: you learn to recognize what’s actually happening inside you when thoughts like these won’t quit plaguing you:

“Where did that explosion of anger come from? I hate hurting my family like this.”

“I know God’s Word says that He’ll never leave you or forsake you, but it sure feels like I’m all alone, even abandoned.”

“I’m sick and tired of fear running my life.”

“God, make it stop! It’s just too much!”

“When will my life ever change? Will I always feel like there is something wrong with me?”

Whether you choose the six-week TPM 201 course or the TPM 201 Immersive, the goal is the same: learn how to use TPM as a lifestyle so you can gain God’s perspective any time of day, anywhere—even 3AM lying in your bed, or in your office, or while mowing your lawn or folding clothes.

Introducing the TPM 201 Immersive: A Whole New Way to Learn

Let me explain how TPM 201 Immersive is different from our standard six-week course.

The traditional TPM 201 is six weeks of live classes—one session per week, everyone moving through the material together on the same schedule. The first hour each week is spent discussing the homework questions and chapters read. During the second hour, students get to experience TPM in small groups in breakout rooms with a coach mentoring the sessions.

The Immersive? It’s designed for people who need more flexibility and want the in-person experience in Bellville. Here’s how it works:

On-demand course—Complete the core teaching modules at your own pace, covering the same content as our six-week TPM 201 course

Three Connect Points—Join your classmates for Saturday Zoom calls where you’ll share insights and get questions answered. (We keep it real with optional breakout rooms for your own TPM sessions—so you can experience what you’re learning, not just talk about it!)

Your own TPM sessions (at least 3 before the gathering)—Experience the transforming work of the Holy Spirit for yourself with a trained mentor, so you arrive at the weekend gathering having already experienced the process of TPM multiple times to prepare you to use TPM on yourself.

Community digital platform— Connect with your cohort and coaches between sessions, ask questions, and share insights as you go deeper with the material.

A multi-day, hands-on gathering at the Serenity Retreat Center in Bellville, Texas—This is where it all comes together. You’ll deepen your understanding of TPM’s purpose and principles, practice in small groups, and experience the gift of a like-minded community all moving toward the same goal: using TPM as a lifestyle. (Jan 29 – 31)

Is This For You?

Maybe you’ve been feeling that tug—that there’s got to be more than this feeling when it comes to your relationship with God.

Maybe you’ve wondered if God might be calling you toward prayer ministry, but you weren’t sure how to take the next step.

Or maybe you know someone in your life—someone with a heart for listening, for caring, for shepherding others—who would thrive in this kind of formation.

If any of that resonates? We’d love to have you join us.

Grateful for This Season

As we head into Thanksgiving, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for what God is cultivating here at Serenity Retreat. He’s building something steady and lasting—deepening and expanding what’salready been rooted in His presence.

Thank you for walking with us. For praying. For supporting. For listening to what God is stirring in your own heart.

And thank you for being part of what He’s forming here.

May your Thanksgiving be full of rest, warmth, and the quiet awareness that God is preparing you—and this ministry—for good things ahead.

With love and gratitude,

Barbara Rolen
Program Director, Serenity Retreat

The Three Ways TPM Changed My Life — and the One That Changed Everything

Written by Angela Miller on November 21, 2025. Posted in Prayer Session, Serenity Blog, Transformation Prayer, Transformation Prayer Training. No Comments on The Three Ways TPM Changed My Life — and the One That Changed Everything

by a Mentee and Prayer Minister, R.S.

There are 3 main amazing things [Transformation Prayer Ministry] TPM has done in my life. There is a 4th thing too, which is the most important thing. Before TPM, I cried out to God for emotional healing and help with my big strong emotions. They were ruining my relationships and my life.

EMOTIONAL LANDMINE

1. I was so emotionally damaged and traumatized when I started TPM that I had very few friends. The friends I did have were wonderful people, but I couldn’t really be a part of community because I had too many triggers.

I was like an emotional landmine field: so easily hurt. I would feel the emotions so strongly and for so long and didn’t know my way out of them. They made me physically sick. So, I would avoid groups of people, trying to avoid triggers.

My testimony is that now I have a bunch of friends. I am being loved and accepted in community. I am hurt by far fewer things and I feel God’s love and truth abiding inside of me much more.

I also feel safe knowing that if a hard emotion does come up, I can take it to my Jesus in TPM. I trust him to transform me and make me well again through this amazing tool.

2. I am able to do things that I’ve always dreamed of doing. For example, I’ve always been a passionate actress, but I had such intense emotional reactions that it gave me a bad reputation. It made me afraid of myself. Literally afraid of what I might do in a strong emotional moment. My emotions kept ruining my life because they were so big that they would burn bridges. Praise the Lord! He has transformed the heart beliefs that created those emotions, and now I have much better reactions SO much more of the time! Importantly, I don’t feel afraid of my emotions anymore. Because of Jesus’ redemption through TPM, I feel safe being me. I am now performing my dream roles. Praise the Lord! I know that if I have strong emotions, I can take them to the Lord, instead of them taking me over.

And on top of that, a lot of my heart beliefs have been shifted so I have better initial reactions and feel MUCH better in general. I trust myself a lot more because I trust the Lord in me. Most of the time I walk around filled with God’s peace and love. Not all the time, of course, but that’s when I get another TPM session!

3. Another huge testimony is I have been estranged from my family for 17 years because of some hard things that happened between us. I have been receiving so much deep inner healing through TPM that I feel healed and whole enough to go visit my family! I prayed to God for reconciliation and God did a miracle because he knew I was ready. Through a series of miracles that he orchestrated, He opened the door of love and my family invited me to Thanksgiving for the first time in almost 2 decades!

I feel so much freedom, love and joy in my heart towards them because Jesus has shifted my heart’s perspective to HIS truth. I pray for them with free loving goodwill in my heart! Praise Jesus! I feel heavenly freedom inside my heart. I love them!!! I am excited to see the people I previously proclaimed I never wanted to see again. Look what Jesus did!!! Jesus has reunited me with my family.

THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE!

4. Now, now—4 is the most important one. I am tearing up as I write this. Here it is: I have gotten to know Jesus intimately through this process. I have seen His amazing perspectives over and over again and gotten so much closer to Him by understanding how He feels and thinks about things. I have gotten closer to the Father as well, and of course, to Holy Spirit. Having relationship with Him is the best

thing in the universe because it’s literally what we were created for. Getting to actually spend regular time hearing him speaking and showing me his wise

perspective is like honey and diamonds. It’s the best thing there is!

So yes, TPM has been an answer to the deep heartfelt prayer I had for my emotions to be well so that my life could be well. I am so thankful to God for bringing me TPM and for the deep inner effect it has had.

Book your TPM session here or start your training journey here!

Happy Thanksgiving

Sitting in the Presence of Legacy

Written by Angela Miller on November 1, 2025. Posted in 25 Anniversary - Ring The Bell, Serenity Blog, Serenity Retreat Center. No Comments on Sitting in the Presence of Legacy

By Angela Miller, Program Manager at Serenity Retreat

As I sat in the audience that morning, I found myself quietly in awe. Serenity Retreat was celebrating 25 years of God’s faithfulness, and story after story testified to His transforming power. When Mary Whitehurst, CEO of The Source, took the stage, something in her words spoke to me. It wasn’t just what she said, or how she said it, but what she chose to do.

Before Mary spoke, our Interim CEO Cynthia Wenz introduced her with such tenderness. Cynthia shared how she once sat in Mary’s role as The Source CEO and testified how God had redefined her identity, not through title or position, but through intimacy with Him.

Then Cynthia looked toward Mary with genuine admiration and said,

“Ladies and gentlemen, I couldn’t be more honored to stand beside the torchbearer, the carrier of a ministry that healed me. So I give you, Mary Whitehurst.”

When Healing Becomes Leadership

Mary began to share her story with honesty and grace. She told us about the season when her marriage was unraveling, and her heart was weary.

“My husband and I were separated,” she said quietly. “I needed a place to heal. I needed to hear God’s voice again.”

In her search, she found Serenity Retreat in Bellville, Texas not by recommendation or by coincidence, but through a simple Google search that led her straight to a divine appointment.

“I came just needing rest,” she said. “But through Transformation Prayer Ministry, the Lord revealed parts of my heart that were broken far beyond my marriage. I left completely changed.”

Later, her husband joined her for his own retreat, and together they experienced reconciliation and restoration. Praise the Lord for what He does and how He has helped Serenity Retreat steward the land, of Bellville, to offer these places of rest to individuals!

As I listened, I could feel the entire room exhale, that deep kind of sigh that comes when you realize you’re hearing not just a story, but a testimony. And this wasn’t even the main story she was going to share. There was more!

Grace Built Into the Budget

What moved me most was what came next. Mary didn’t stop at her personal transformation; she turned it into an act of stewardship.

“We have twelve directors across our Houston and Austin clinics,” she said. “Each of them now comes to Serenity Retreat every year for time with the Lord. It’s become a sacred rhythm a time to rest, reflect, and remember God’s grace.”

She went on to share that her team’s retreats are now built into the annual budget. Wow!

That statement caught my breath.

As someone who has served in ministry spaces and higher education, I know how rare and how holy it is when leadership intentionally makes room for soul care! To see a leader not only recognize the need for spiritual renewal but build it into the annual budget and rhythm of care for staff is truly, servant-hearted leadership.

“It’s transformational for our team,” she said. “If you’re wondering whether it’s worth the investment, I’d ask, why not? Why wouldn’t you invest in the spiritual health and well-being of your people and yourself?”

In that moment there was a deep agreement in my own soul, and a hope that more leaders will rise to invest in the soul care of their staff. A prayer for a generation of leaders like Mary who are not only leading with vision, but with wisdom, compassion and action.

The Torch That Keeps Burning

As I reflect on that morning, “passing the torch” took on a deeper meaning for me.

Cynthia passed the torch of leadership, honoring Mary with grace and humility.
Mary carries her torch of leadership, illuminating others with the same light that once healed her. The leaders at The Source carry their own torches every day, inviting still more to experience and share the hope of Christ through their life-affirming reproductive healthcare.
And all of us sitting there, we were invited to take up our own flame of faithfulness, to consider how, where, and to Whom we guide others.

This is what legacy looks like: lives transformed by Christ, leadership marked by rest and renewal, and a commitment to help others hear God’s voice for themselves.

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think…” — Ephesians 3:20

My Heartfelt Thanks

So, thank you, Mary Whitehurst, for being an example to the next generation of leaders.

Thank you for showing that building time for renewal and spiritual rest into the rhythm of the year is an act of grace toward those you lead. It’s a gift, a covering, that reminds them, “Your soul matters too.”

In a world where ministry can often mean pouring out until you’re empty, your leadership models something rare and beautiful: that caring for others includes caring for those who serve beside you.

You’ve reminded us that care can be part of the plan, and that grace flows strongest when it’s lived out intentionally. May the torch you carry continue to light the way for many more to come.

The Book I Wish I’d Had: Why It Took Me Ten Years to Write Raising Truth Seekers

Written by Angela Miller on October 14, 2025. Posted in 25 Anniversary - Ring The Bell, Serenity Blog, Serenity Retreat Center, TPM 101, Transformation Prayer, Transformation Prayer Training. No Comments on The Book I Wish I’d Had: Why It Took Me Ten Years to Write Raising Truth Seekers

by Barbara Rolen, Program Director, Serenity Retreat

Ten years ago, God gave me a dream.

He wanted me to help parents weave Transformation Prayer Ministry, this beautiful process we use at Serenity Retreat, into their everyday parenting and family rhythms. To show them how running to Jesus with struggles could become as natural as breathing in their homes.

But here’s the thing: I wasn’t ready yet.

I was still holding onto way too many lies.

The Lies I Didn’t Know I Believed

For decades, anxiety and fear plagued me. They colored everything: my relationships, my parenting, my view of God Himself. What I didn’t realize was that I’d picked up lies as a child. Lies like “I’m worthless.” “I’m unlovable.” “I’m defective.”

The really insidious part? I had no idea these lies were running my life. I didn’t even know I believed I couldn’t trust God.

But when I finally got to the end of myself—when I cried out to Him that I was just done with this way of living—He met me there. And He brought Transformation Prayer Ministry (TPM) into my life.

One by one, He’s been replacing those lies with His truth—His perspective.

That’s what TPM is, really. It’s a process where we meet God in our pain, and He brings truth that sets us free as it says in John 8:32, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” TPM is simply a very effective way to cooperate with God and receive His truth—the kind that reaches down into the hidden places where we’ve been believing things that aren’t true, but we’ve been living life as if they were true.

Imagine growing up believing you’re unlovable. You might spend your life jumping through hoops so others will love you and not reject you. Maybe you can see how it would be extremely hard to believe that God loves you, if in the core of your being, you believe the totally opposite?

Even my husband’s death became part of this transformation journey. God used everything in my TPM sessions—the grief, the questions, the wrestling—to help me see things through His eyes instead of through the filter of my lies or limited perspective.

All of that has led to the birth of Raising Truth Seekers.

The Moments I Couldn’t Help My Kids

You know what I remember most about parenting young children? The helplessness.

When my kids were fighting or melting down, I didn’t know how to help them process what they were really feeling. I’d try to fix it, manage it, redirect it, but I couldn’t actually help them get to the root of what was happening inside.

And the reason was painfully simple: I didn’t know how to do it myself.

I didn’t know how to name my own emotions, trace them back to the beliefs driving them, or run to Jesus for His perspective in those moments. So how could I possibly teach my children to do it?

This is the book I wish I’d had as a young mom.

Not another book telling me what I should be doing, but one that showed me how transformation actually works—in me first, and then in my family. Because here’s what I’ve learned: we can’t give our children what we don’t have ourselves.

What We’re Really After

What we’re really after as parents is raising kids with deeply rooted faith—the kind that holds when life gets hard. The kind that doesn’t crumble when they face disappointment, rejection, or suffering. The kind of faith that is actually strengthened in the hard times each time the Lord persuades a family member’s heart of His truth.

And that can happen when we create a family culture where running to Jesus with struggles is just part of how we do life.

Not someday. Not when they’re older. Not when we finally get our act together.

Right now, in the carpool line, in the meltdowns and the middle-of-the-night worries.

TPM can happen anywhere: in traffic, before a hard conversation, in the moment your teenager slams the door. It’s like getting in the express lane with God. It takes you straight to the root of what’s really going on, instead of just managing the surface symptoms.

When Kids See It Work

I love what a dad in West Virginia shared with me. His teenage daughter was skeptical at first about this whole TPM thing. (Teenagers, right?) But after receiving truth from God in a TPM session with her dad, she yelled through the house: “Hey sis, Dad’s not crazy! This thing really works!”

That’s the dream, isn’t it? Raising kids who actually want to bring their struggles to God; who know how to meet Him in their pain instead of numbing it, fixing it, or running from it.

Esa and Conor George are a young Canadian couple I interviewed for my book. I recall Esa as a student in our training course asking questions about how to use TPM with children. I was delighted to discover that they are figuring it out in real time. Esa told me that they don’t typically sit down for a formal prayer session in their home. It happens right in the middle of the kitchen with the family all around. What a way to model running to Jesus when your emotions reveal you are not seeing things the way God sees them.

Conor said that TPM has made him more curious in the moment. Now he asks himself, “Why am I so upset right now? What’s really behind this feeling?” He’s even learned to name what’s happening inside, saying to his family, “I’m feeling this right now. It’s not anyone’s fault—I just want to be honest.” That awareness helps him pause before reacting. He recognizes that his emotions might not reflect the full truth. Instead of rushing to fix things, he makes space for God to bring His perspective. What a beautiful way Conor is learning to shepherd his family so that his children grow up knowing there is only one thing to do when life gets hard: run to Jesus.

This is generational transformation.

It Starts With Us

Here’s what I know after years of doing this work: the fruit of TPM is real, lasting transformation.

As prayer ministers at Serenity, we get a front-row seat to these stories. We watch someone walk into a prayer session carrying years of anxiety or depression—and then watch them leave with a different countenance. One hour with the Lord brings more breakthrough than years of trying to fix themselves.

But it starts with us experiencing it first.

Our kids won’t learn to run to God with their struggles if they never see us do it. They won’t know how to receive truth from Him if we’re not modeling what that looks like. They won’t develop the habit of bringing their emotions to Jesus if home isn’t a safe place to name what they’re really feeling.

Raising Truth Seekers is not a how-to book of Transformation Prayer Ministry but rather my invitation for you to prayerfully consider creating a family culture where meeting Jesus in the hard moments, for the purpose of gaining His perspective, becomes just part of how you do life together. You’ll read testimonies of parents and grandparents who have learned to incorporate TPM as a lifestyle in their families.

Your Turn

What lies might you be believing right now—about yourself, about God? What would it look like to run to Him with those struggles instead of trying to manage them on your own?

At Serenity Retreat we’d love to walk with you on that journey. Because the truth really does set us free and that freedom is the greatest inheritance we can pass on to our children.

Want to be the first to hear when Barbara’s new book Raising Truth Seekers releases? Grab your free Family Faith Talk at PursueAbundantLife.com, you’ll be added to her list for early updates, sneak peeks, and more!

At SerenityRetreat.com you can schedule a prayer session, request information about a retreat in Bellville, TX, or register for TPM 101, the first step in our TPM training.

Raising Truth Seekers will be released this fall in its entirety. For anyone who commits to a monthly pledge in October 2025, you can request a copy of the 25^th Anniversary Special Release (limited quantity).

Part Two: When Breakthrough Rings in Bellville

Written by Angela Miller on September 16, 2025. Posted in 25 Anniversary - Ring The Bell, Serenity Blog. No Comments on Part Two: When Breakthrough Rings in Bellville

By Cynthia Wenz

Part One: Read Here

Flash forward to today.

I sit in the seat of CEO for the very ministry that once held space for my healing. It’s not lost on me how full-circle God’s faithfulness is.

I’m deeply blessed and inspired to serve alongside a united, prayerful board as Serenity Retreat prepares to celebrate its 25th year—a year of reflection and renewed mission.

Twenty-five years of quiet miracles. Of whispered prayers. Of stewarding sacred ground that has absorbed the tears and testimonies of hundreds who came to meet with and receive from God.

This summer, as heat slowed the rhythm of the city, our board made a strategic move: they asked me to step in as unpaid interim CEO to fill the gap and carry the weight of vision leading up to our 25th Anniversary Fundraiser on October 3rd.

It wasn’t a business decision; it was a spiritual one.

We sensed that this summer wasn’t a pause, it was a preparation.

And so, we, as an organization, have turned first to prayer.

Led by our dear Tiffany Pardue, the Serenity team launched 40 Days of Favor — committing 25 minutes of every morning to lift high the name of Jesus, not only for our ministry, but for hearts across the city, our partners, the Church, and the world.

These moments have become the heartbeat of this season. No production, no polish. Just believers united in one cry: Come, Lord Jesus. Move among us.

From those calls to the quiet trails of Bellville, breakthrough is beginning to take shape again. It’s the kind that’s born from humble hearts and holy ground.

We hear it in worship echoing from the cabins, Lodge and prayer chapel.

We feel it in tears that water the soil beneath our feet.

We see it when someone walks out of a Transformation Prayer Ministry session, ringing the bell — a literal, physical bell — because they’ve encountered freedom, truth, and the nearness of Jesus.

And how fitting that this year, our 25th Anniversary will be held at The Bell Tower on 34th Street — a place where bells echo through stone halls, as if heaven itself were affirming: Breakthrough has a sound.

It’s the sound of prayers whispered in faith.
The sound of truth replacing lies.
The sound of a bell ringing in Bellville, and in hearts ready to be free.

Will You Join the Sound of Breakthrough?

🙏 Pray with us: Join the last 6 Days of our 40 Days of Prayer: Sign-Up for our daily 40 Days of Favor prayer guide here
🎟️ Host or sponsor a table at the 25th Anniversary Fundraiser Celebrations. Whether you’ve attended before or not, your presence and invitation could make room for someone else’s healing: Register to Host or Sponsor a table here
💛 Partner with Serenity Retreat: Through prayer, presence, or financial support, you help us continue to offer sacred spaces of restoration to those who need it most.

Breakthrough is more than a moment.
It’s a movement.
And it’s already begun.

Come ring the bell with us.

RSVP at serenityretreat.com/ringthebell.

Experience the Unthinkable

Written by Angela Miller on September 15, 2025. Posted in Serenity Blog, Transformation Prayer. No Comments on Experience the Unthinkable

By Eric Miller

My health had declined in ways that doctors couldn’t explain, then I lost my job, and most painfully, God felt silent.

I was still praying and living for Him, but my daily struggle had somehow drowned out His voice. I was worn out physically and spiritually, and sadly, I had started to believe that maybe God would no longer speak to me.

Then we discovered Transformational Prayer Ministry (TPM) through a Google search. After an orientation, I thought it would be just like any other prayer method I’d tried in the past, but boy, was I wrong. During my very first session, I experienced the unthinkable.

God spoke to me again… for the first time in several years.

Not through someone else and not in vague impressions, but in a crystal clear way that addressed the exact lie I’d been believing: that I was all alone. It was intensely personal, and extremely transforming. It gave me hope. Hearing God speak made my heart feel soft again (It’s amazing how hard my heart had become).

Amazingly, albeit slowly, my circumstances began to shift. Over time, my health began to improve, and eventually, new doors opened for me professionally. One day, I realized that I felt completely stable and perfectly normal. And shortly after that, I realized that the trials I had walked through had served the purpose of teaching me to always trust my Savior in the midst of suffering and pain.

TPM didn’t fix everything, but it definitely made my heart soften enough to hear God speak again, and as a result (it’s been several years since that first session), I am still able to hear my Savior speaking to me daily, and I am walking in continued health, freedom, and hope. All glory to God!

If you find yourself disconnected from God, or in a season of overwhelming trials, I want to encourage you that God is always speaking to you, and that you can always hear Him speaking if your heart is soft enough to listen. And I bet that He’ll use your pain and suffering to break through to you. And TPM.

…cause that’s what He did for me.

To book a TPM Session virtually, in-person, or at our retreat center in Bellville, TX go to: https://serenityretreat.com/book/