Vision
The 18 Inch Journey: Phase One is a two month discipleship school of the heart dedicated to help adults ages 21 - 30 have a thriving relationship with Jesus in every area of life.
In a culture of distraction, burnout, and spiritual fatigue, the 18 Inch Journey is a set apart time for you to grow as a disciple of Jesus, discover your true identity in Christ, and be formed in community. Phase One is not a ministry or worship school. It is a 65-day intensive focused on empowering you with spiritual disciplines and emotional health tools to grow in connection with God, your own heart, and in your relationships. Life is full of joy, tension, and pain and learning how to stay rooted in God in every season is essential.
We are looking for students who have lived enough life to know they need help and don’t have all the answers—adults who want to follow Jesus, become lifelong learners, and are ready to be led in the challenging and rewarding work of spiritual formation. We long to partner with men and women who have vision for the areas where they want to grow and desire help getting there. This school is for people who are ready to practice humility, are eager for leadership to speak into their lives, and want to grow in making powerful choices rooted in God’s wisdom.
Discipleship
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:36-40
The 18 Inch Journey centers around discipleship. Our desire is to empower you to grow in friendship with the Lord, hear His voice, follow Him, and walk in daily discernment. Life is hard and it is challenging to feel rooted and connected—to God, others, and even ourselves—in times of pain and struggle. We lead our Phase I school through life-on-life discipleship, just as Jesus modeled with his own disciples. We do everyday life together and engage the hard work of staying anchored to Christ in the midst of life’s tensions and joys.
We believe that Jesus intended for us to follow Him together. Salvation, wholeness, and healing are best walked out when we invite trusted people to speak into our lives and offer wisdom, mentorship, and help that we can’t get on our own. Discipleship requires teachability, vulnerability, and a willingness to receive feedback. When you say yes to the 18 Inch Journey, you are committing to let our staff champion your growth and speak into your blind spots. We are looking for students who want to grow in humility and willing to practice honesty and ask for help.
We walk out discipleship in Phase One through:
Teaching sessions with Jonathan & Melissa Helser and the Cageless Birds.
Learning practical tools to process your emotions and internal world with God.
Weekly One-on-Ones with a mentor from our staff who will walk closely with you.
Learning about scripture, the nature of God, prayer, vulnerability, healthy relationships, and more.
Practicing healthy communication and conflict resolution.
Consistent rhythms of worship, stillness, gratitude, and contemplation.
Weekly small groups for connection and reflection.
Rhythms of Sabbath and fasting with our community.
Community Living
You were made for belonging and connection. We believe that sharing life with others is part of the Lord’s intentional design for our lives. Practicing vulnerability, being seen and known, and pursuing the heart of God together are essential in this school. These are values we practice as a staff year-round. The work and gift of stewarding healthy relationships is an important focus of the 18 Inch Journey. How we live life together and relate to one another matters to God.
We walk out community living in Phase One through:
Participating in shared, everyday life with like-minded men and women who are committed to growing in wholeness with Jesus.
Engaging tools to become a powerful and compassionate communicator.
Eating daily meals together with other students, staff, and our community families.
Living with other students in spaces intentionally designed to foster peace, rest, and beauty.
Stewarding your living and working spaces together.
Working out the balance between community and solitude.
Rejecting patterns of isolation and giving into the gift of relationships.
Opportunities to practice powerful communication, ownership, and conflict with one another.
Rhythms & Schedule
We believe in the reward of intentional work and rest. During Phase One, every day is structured and purposely planned with you in mind. Because of the pacing of the 18 Inch Journey, it is essential that our students dedicate the full 2 months to the requirements of the school. It is impractical to try and balance other part-time jobs, work remotely, or take online classes while participating in the 18 Inch Journey. We want you to be fully present!
The journey from the head to the heart is often worked out through the work of our hands. Creative rhythms are a part of our school because they help you connect with God in a tactile way and process what He is doing in your life. Being challenged in this way helps you take the seat of a learner, which is essential to our school. We do not have any artistic or creative prerequisites for Phase One.
We believe that stewarding our bodies is vital in our walk with God. Our school rhythms honor our bodies’ need for movement, play, and care—through intentional community workouts, tending to the land, hands-on learning, and making time for adequate rest, Sabbath, and recreation.
What you can expect:
Rhythms of rest and recreation and learning how to Sabbath
To be in a creative collective taught by our staff throughout the school: pottery, leather craft, darkroom photography, printmaking, movement, or music (no experience necessary)
To be taught and receive creative help and feedback from our staff and teachers
Visual art class (no experience necessary)
Intentional workouts led by our staff
Learning in various, hands-on environments in addition to a standard classroom
What we’re asking from you:
An understanding that you are submitting to a school structured to set you up to grow: meals, sessions, and classes are not optional
A commitment to learning how to slow down to God’s pace
A willingness to engage the vulnerability of learning something new as an adult in areas that you may or may not be familiar with
Application Information
The 18 Inch Journey application includes four parts: a written application answering questions, a short video introducing yourself, a reference form submitted by a close friend or leader in your life, and a $15 application processing fee. We will update this webpage when we have more information about the timeline for our 2025 school application release.
The 18 Inch Journey is a small and intentional school. We take time to read each application and are only able to process a certain number for men and women. Due to the limited number of applicants we can consider, we encourage you to submit your application as promptly as possible, once applications are available.
Photos from our Phase I School
