Trellis: A Two-Week Listening Journey
“If a vine doesn’t have a trellis, it will die. And if your life with Jesus doesn’t have some kind of structure to facilitate health and growth, it will wither away…The point of a trellis isn’t to make the vines stand up straight in neat rows, but rather to attain a rich, deep glass of wine.”
— John Mark Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
Overview
For most of us, the past several years have been filled with intense disruption, disorientation, perhaps anxiety and despair. You may find your “typical” patterns of work, home, and relational life still upended, with no sense of what the future will look like. Yet here, in the disruption, we are given an incredible opportunity to re-orient ourselves towards creating new structures for holistic flourishing. With new themes every five weeks, this guided two-week journey is intentionally designed to:
- Engage our spiritual imagination and experience how the Trinity is intimately involved in the gospel (and our lives),
- Practice stillness to deepen and anchor the inner life of faith, and
- Experience the importance of community in hearing and responding to God’s voice.
COST: $40 (Free for Goldenwood Collective Members)
[All Trellis offerings are virtual and accessible from wherever you are.]
Components
Drawing upon the breadth of historic Christian practices and experiences, the following components are integrally woven together to shape the two-week journey:
Upcoming Dates
- Oct 26 – Nov 7, 2025 (Listening For God)
- Dec 7 – 19, 2025 (Knowing Yourself)
- Feb 1 – 13, 2026 (Loving Others)
- Mar 8 -20, 2026 (Hidden Hope)
- Choose just one session or register for the 2024-25 season and create a new life-giving rhythm in community for the year ahead!
Daily Pages + Scripture Meditation
A companion “Listening Book” facilitates hearing God in the midst of hectic days, incorporating a variety of spiritual practices and ancient styles of prayer adapted for daily integration.
Spiritual Companion Conversation
Inviting the Spirit to speak into our life through the voice of others requires intentionality. We’ve designed a companioning structure for listening and processing in partnership with another. This is optional.
Guided Listening
A contemplative time of communal listening online, three (Mon, Wed, Fri) twenty-minute pauses punctuate each week, providing intrusive space for the Spirit to remind you of God’s abiding presence into your midday.
A Framing Session
Each Trellis experience begins with a vibrant hour of stimulating theological training paired with small group discussion and rich guided orientation to new spiritual practices for the week ahead.
Next (Live) Trellis:
LISTENING FOR GOD (Oct 26-Nov 7, 2025)
The voices we hear profoundly shape the person we become and our sense of
purpose in this world. The work of Christ has reconciled us to God so that we
might hear God’s voice again. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and
they follow me” (John 10:27). Who we are and what we do in the world was never
to be cultivated apart from the expansive words of our Triune God. Yet, despite
the incredible access we now have because of the gospel, we daily forfeit the
privilege of hearing a voice anchoring us in the unchanging reality of God and
what He has done through Christ. Over time, it is easy for the voices of this
world to overwhelm us to the point where we feel lost and impotent.
What does it mean to be able to walk with God throughout the day and
intentionally take time to listen to His abiding voice? What would it look like to
live in the peace and wisdom of knowing that God is ever before us and that
nothing will separate us from His love? If we were to live in this reality where
God’s voice daily shapes us, how could our lives not display the distinction of His
glory?
The communal listening rhythms of TRELLIS are intentionally designed as intrusions into your regular daily routines and, therefore can be entered into from wherever you are.
The TRELLIS structure includes:
- 1 Intro Session: Sun evening, 7:30-9p EST. (Online experience for theological introduction and time in listening quads.)
- 6 Communal Guided Listening Sessions: every Mon, Wed, Fri 12:20-12:45p EST, over the course of the two weeks. (Attend live or listen to the 25-min recordings at personal set times.)
- Daily Scripture Meditation and Exercise Pages: Individually in your Listening Book. (Participants are provided with a digital PDF or can order their own physical copy online via Amazon.)The communal listening rhythms of TRELLIS are intentionally designed as intrusions into your regular daily routines and, therefore can be entered into from wherever you are.
Testimonials
Hear what others have to say…
“This program was extremely helpful in creating structured discipline for my days, weeks and months. It provided a process for me to hear God and understand some of the things he was actively doing in my life. I found the experience extremely rewarding and beneficial for my spiritual growth and will be continuing the program for as long as it is available.”
“Best $$ ever spent! Loved this experience and the real change that I saw in my life and how I encountered the Holy Spirit.”
“This [season] has certainly presented a unique opportunity for self reflection and re-orienting our lives. I think we’ve all craved greater purpose and structure in our daily lives. This listening journey helped me to stay grounded, focus on the big picture, and deepen my relationship with God.”