External Transcript Summary: Gary Sheng at NCS Men's Group - Rich Carney Speaker Event

Date: September 19, 2025 Location: Austin, Texas (NCS Men's Group Meeting) Host: Nick Alter Featured Speaker: Rich Carney Key Participants: Gary Sheng (@gary-sheng.md), Aaron Alba, Bradley Rapier, Nick Alter, Rich Carney Duration: Extended morning meeting with networking afterward Context: Gary's first attendance at National Community of Specialists (NCS) men's group meeting

Executive Summary

This transcript captures Gary Sheng's first experience at an NCS men's group meeting in Austin, featuring retired military leader and ministry veteran Rich Carney as the keynote speaker. The event demonstrates the intersection of faith-based community building, professional networking, and authentic Christian discipleship among men. Gary's interactions with Aaron Alba and Bradley Rapier reveal significant spiritual and professional alignment, while Rich Carney's message on incarnational leadership and defeating isolation resonates deeply with Gary's current ministry calling.

Meeting Structure and Community Philosophy

NCS Mission and Format

Nick Alter's Opening Framework:

"We are a group of Christian men that are learning how to be friends with other Christian men, right? It's how do we actually build those relationships, build that trust, build those connection points. And the expectation is that what we are doing here is something to extend beyond this time that it happens all throughout the week."

Community Challenge:

Nick: "How many of us served somebody this week? Truly served somebody, went out of their way intentionally and served them well, right?"

Vision for Expansion:

Nick: "My goal is to get 200 guys at that retreat for 2026... I want our chapter to be the largest presence at the regional retreat."

Rich Carney's Incarnational Leadership Message

Core Theology: Presence Over Platform

Opening Story - Las Vegas Elevator:

Rich: "The Holy Spirit gave you words. I said gently, Miss, I just want you to know that you matter. You are not alone. God sees you. He loves you... That's the heart of the incarnational leadership. Not a platform, but a presence. Not a sermon, but a sacred interruption."

Universal Human Condition:

Rich: "There's a Green Day lyric that captures the ache of our time. I walk a lonely road. I walk alone... Every generation has sung its own version of that line. It's the condition of isolation. But listen to the longing and the refrain. Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me."

Military Experience and Spiritual Warfare

El Salvador Combat Experience (1983):

Rich: "In 1983, I found myself in El Paiso, El Salvador. My arrival was on a battered Huey helicopter skimming the treetops to avoid small arms fire and rocket propelled grenades... When the Huey lifted off, leaving me behind, the reality hit me. I was utterly alone."

Isolation as Spiritual Weapon:

Rich: "Satan uses isolation as a weapon, not just to make us feel abandoned, but to sideline us from the people and purpose we were made for, and to steal our joy... Isolation doesn't just wound individuals. It can wound the whole city."

9/11 Response and Community Mobilization

Ground Zero Ministry:

Rich: "Within 48 hours, I was on my way to Manhattan... Over the next few weeks, the pace was relentless. We mobilized disaster relief teams, set in on both benches across Manhattan... One afternoon, I found myself holding a firefighter in my arms as he sobbed."

Leadership Under Crisis:

Rich: "Crisis clarifies leadership. Vision doesn't save the city. Execution does. If I had a gun for every time I went to a conference where we talked about vision, I'd be a millionaire. It is not the vision. It's important. It's get off your butt and go to work."

Key Theological Insights

Community as Kingdom Strategy

Rich: "Isolation is the enemy's weapon. Community is how the kingdom advances. The deepest human ache isn't success. It's to be wanted by God and other people."

The Interruption Principle:

Rich: "Programs and platforms won't defeat isolation. Presence will... Every interaction advances the kingdom. Or, it's ground to the enemy. The interruptions, they are the world."

Discipleship Through Modeling

Victor Benavides Story:

Rich: "So the answer is, if you want to change the world, you've got to do it the way Jesus did. You've got to model. And you may only get to do that with one person. Your son and your daughter. You may get to do it with another man. That's okay. You don't have to conquer the world with everybody, but do it right with at least one person and we'll change the world."

Gary's Spiritual Introduction and Testimony

Personal Introduction:

Gary: "My name is Gary Chang. I'm a software engineer and storyteller that's mostly worked in, like, the secular world... I'm single. I have been in Austin this year... I've visited a lot of different churches. I've advised the Vatican. I've been pulled into the Orthodox direction. I've loved the Ridge. I've loved Red Rocks. I like Whitestone... I think that we're much more united, um, under Christendom than other divisions."

Aaron Alba's Faith and Business Breakthrough

Recent Spiritual Transformation:

Aaron: "Probably this year. Probably in the past legitimately 100% full transparency in the past six weeks since I took Bradley... I just realized that like, okay... I don't give a shit about that stuff, man. Like I just want the Lord. I just want Jesus."

Divine Direction vs. Strategic Planning:

Aaron: "The Lord gave me the job. The Lord gave me my wife. The Lord gave me my children. The Lord gave me a house. The Lord gave me this book deal. The Lord, how many more things does the Lord have to do for me to be like, maybe God has a plan for me and maybe it's better than my plan."

Business Philosophy:

Aaron: "They were like, Aaron, let's put it this way. We are Alex and I own the company 50 50% split evenly. But more than that, God owns a hundred percent of our company."

Peace as Direction:

Aaron: "I think peace is the greatest parameter of direction."

Bradley Rapier's Creative Ministry Philosophy

Presence-Based Ministry:

Bradley: "I talk about staying in the sense of pressure... when you're just kind of doing what you do and being present with the mundane, the simple, the maintenance stuff, but you're in a sense getting out there, God then comes and just does stuff."

Execution Over Strategy:

Bradley: "Sometimes you think of me, that stuff can feel small when you're trying to make a big plan, but really this is where it happens. And then moving here and going, well, I just got to get home. And then you, like you said, you see somebody in the parking lot and you go, I can talk to that guy. And that's where it happens."

Post-Meeting Spiritual Dialogue

Gary and Aaron's Parallel Journeys:

Gary: "I think God wanted to see that it was show me that it's, you have to, I have to be very deliberate about discerning what my will is versus God's will."

Aaron's Affirmation:

Aaron: "Your spirit is so much more at peace than any of the moments I've texted you or been around you the last two years... I could cry man, like, I see it, and it's just so cool. Do you see like colors? I don't see colors, but I've met people who see colors... I could just see the lack of peace in your spirit the last two plus years, and I'm really proud of you for stepping in there."

Three-Fold Conversion Discussion:

Aaron: "Tim Keller... talks about conversions is a three, there's a threefold conversion for an individual... mind, head, heart, and soul... are you submitting your mind? Are you submitting your soul and are you submitting your body or your heart?"

Community Building and Isolation Warfare

Nick's Vulnerability and Leadership:

Nick: "Who in here had a hard week? Who in here had things that were overwhelming, things that really crushed their souls... my mother-in-law, over this last week, they were supposed to be in a time of celebration in Cancun, and she decided to drink again in the middle of their trip... There's some hard stuff."

Community Necessity:

Nick: "That's why this room, rooms like this, not just this room, rooms like this, we need this all over the city. We need this everywhere... Because that's why God, that's why Jesus says, love God, you know, all your heart, mind, spirit, and soul, all this stuff, and also love each other."

Key Themes and Insights

1. Incarnational Ministry

The meeting emphasized presence-based ministry over program-driven approaches, with Rich Carney's military and crisis experiences demonstrating how authentic presence defeats isolation more effectively than formal structures.

2. Divine Timing and Orchestration

Multiple participants shared testimonies of God's perfect timing, from Aaron's job placement to Bradley's publishing deals to Gary's spiritual redirection from Tulsa to Austin.

3. Business as Ministry Platform

Aaron's testimony about Streamline Books operating under the principle that "God owns 100% of our company" demonstrates integration of faith and professional life.

4. Community as Spiritual Warfare

Rich Carney's message that "isolation is the enemy's weapon" and "community is how the kingdom advances" provided theological framework for the group's mission.

5. Presence Over Strategy

Both Aaron and Bradley shared recent revelations about trusting God's direction rather than their own strategic planning, emphasizing presence and availability over self-promotion.

Documentary and Media Connections

Aaron's Film Industry Network:

Aaron: "I have one of the most talented camera film guys I know, if you want me to introduce you. He's best at these documentaries... his art is documentaries, and it's faith-based documentaries."

Bradley's Entertainment Background:

Discussion revealed Bradley's connections to Zachary Levi and mainstream entertainment industry, providing potential bridge between faith-based content and secular media platforms.

Networking and Professional Opportunities

Publishing Connections:

Aaron's role at Streamline Books and recent partnership with John Gordon creates opportunities for Gary's book projects and thought leadership platform.

Speaking Circuit Access:

Bradley's representation by exclusive speaking bureau and Aaron's coaching expertise provide pathways for Gary's speaking ministry development.

Creative Collaboration Potential:

The convergence of Aaron's publishing network, Bradley's entertainment connections, and Gary's documentary vision suggests potential for significant creative collaboration.

Spiritual Maturity and Growth Indicators

Gary's Peace and Presence:

Aaron's observation of Gary's increased spiritual peace over the past six weeks aligns with Gary's own testimony of surrendering strategic planning to divine direction.

Authentic Vulnerability:

The meeting demonstrated healthy masculine vulnerability, with multiple men sharing personal struggles and spiritual breakthroughs without shame or performance.

Cross-Denominational Unity:

Gary's appreciation for unity "under Christendom" rather than denominational divisions reflects the group's inclusive Christian approach.

Strategic Implications

Ministry Network Expansion:

The NCS model provides a framework for expanding authentic Christian male community throughout Austin and beyond.

Media Ministry Integration:

The convergence of publishing, entertainment, and documentary expertise creates opportunity for significant media ministry impact.

Business as Mission:

Aaron's testimony about faith-integrated business success provides model for other Christian entrepreneurs and professionals.

This meeting represents a significant networking and spiritual breakthrough for Gary, connecting him with aligned Christian professionals while reinforcing his calling to presence-based ministry and authentic community building.