Rediscover Your Heart, Reclaim Your Life
Our Story
Many people live life alone, trapped in the prison of their own intellect, morality, and self-will. Despite being hard-wired for intimate relationships, our fear and shame keep us detached from our own hearts and therefore detached from the ones we love. We learn to cope with life by utilizing any form of escape. This is not living fully; this is barely surviving.
The story of Tin Man Ministries really starts with one man’s story – our founder, Jeff Schulte, who after years of barely surviving finally hit a “wall”….
Founded in 2015, Tin Man Ministries was created as a safe place for people to start the journey of rediscovering their hearts. Like the character of the Tin Man in “The Wizard of Oz”, who finds himself alone and searching for his heart, many of us find ourselves disconnected from life and unaware of our emotions. Tin Man exists to change this for anyone who wants more.
No matter your situation, we are here to guide you one step at a time on the journey home: home to the God who made you, home to the gifts He gave you, home to your family, home to your passion, and home to your calling.
By investing deeply in the lives of all people through one-on-one mentoring, education, training, and consulting, we hope to help you live and lead with whole-hearted passion and integrity. Tin Man helps you get your heart back.
Tin Man exists to glorify God by creating relational environments that create attachment where people are Seen, Soothed, Safe, and Secure with God and Others.
At Tin Man, everything we do is inspired by our purpose, right down to the design of our logo and website. As we worked to create an aesthetic that was true to us, we found there were 3 stories to be captured in the design.
The first story to tell is the idea that your journey is a very human journey home. We each have a name and a story, but our journeys are going to be rough and imperfect. We want to embrace progress over perfection, and that is translated visually in our name Tin Man, represented by the subtle T and M.
The second story is around the goal of journeying together as we experience life on life’s terms. We exist to guide and be with you as you navigate this new way of living, and we believe no one can do it alone. This is translated visually in the badge, with our initial inspiration being the theme of unity found in a family crest.
The third story is our acknowledgment of God, as the One who created every part of us, beginning with our heart. The heart is where it started, and the heart is where the daily journey leads us as we let go of control and begin to trust. The family crest concept evolved into more of a heart-shaped crest, but it’s not a perfect heart. It’s rough around the edges but with softness too, much like us.
Leadership Team
Todd has served as a local church pastor for over 15 years, and currently is the Senior Pastor at Powell’s Chapel Baptist Church in Murfreesboro, TN. In addition to being a pastor, Todd has worked for six years logging thousands of hours doing individual, marital, and experiential therapy at the Center for Professional Excellence, a treatment center for men struggling with addiction and mental issues that prevent them from living fully.
Todd has a passion to help pastors discover how God uniquely created them to serve the body of Christ and to help men work through the “stuff of life” holding them back. He is uniquely gifted at discipling men through their stories of brokenness and helping them experience healing in areas of their lives they never thought possible.
Todd has a passion to help pastors discover how God uniquely created them to serve the body of Christ and to help men work through the “stuff of life” holding them back. He is uniquely gifted at discipling men through their stories of brokenness and helping them experience healing in areas of their lives they never thought possible.
Todd has been married to Jennifer of 10 years and they have 2 beautiful children, Tennysen and Cedar.
Jeff gives direction and oversight to the global mission of Tin Man. His passion is investing deeply and personally in the lives of leaders and the organizations they lead. For decades, Jeff has been a trusted friend, guide, and mentor to c-suite executives, elite athletes (college, professional and Olympic), coaches, musicians, pastors, and non-profit leaders. He is also an in-demand communicator and small group facilitator (executive leadership teams, YPO Forum retreats, etc.). To view a brief video where Jeff share's his "story," click here.
Jeff started and led several non-profits and was the directional leader, teaching pastor, and founder of a church with international reach that grew under his leadership from four people to more than 4,000 in eight years. Jeff has served in leadership roles with FamilyLife, Athletes in Action, and on ministry boards including Amazima, The Compassionate Hope Foundation, Hawaiian Island Ministries, and Porter’s Call.
Jeff started and led several non-profits and was the directional leader, teaching pastor, and founder of a church with international reach that grew under his leadership from four people to more than 4,000 in eight years. Jeff has served in leadership roles with FamilyLife, Athletes in Action, and on ministry boards including Amazima, The Compassionate Hope Foundation, Hawaiian Island Ministries, and Porter’s Call.
Jeff is co-author of Emotions Unveiled: A Bible Study Exploring the Depths of the Heart of Scripture and two Gold Medallion award-winning resources with over a million copies in print. He has an MA in counseling with honors, and he earned a Th.M. and M.Div. with highest honors from Western Seminary and a B.A. from Yale University where he majored in Organizational Behavior, Sociology, and Religious Studies.
Jeff’s own story is what brings him to the work of Tin Man. Married to Brenda for 34 years, Jeff is the father of 6 and the grandpa of three. Home for Jeff and Brenda is Nashville, TN.
Phil uses a dynamic approach to help his clients recover their hearts and redeem their stories. His therapeutic approach is grounded in the Spiritual Root System™, and is informed by the work of Irvin Yalom, Curt Thompson, Dan Siegel, and Dan Allender. He also integrates perspectives from Judeo-Christian traditions, and pastoral care. Phil works with individuals who have lost their way through addiction, anxiety, depression, struggles with spirituality, or burnout to walk them through the tumultuous and scary times that are so common to the human experience.
Phil worked in the trucking business through college and after college until finally realizing his true passion was helping people walk through difficulties and heartache. He completed graduate school in 1992 with a Master of Arts degree in counseling and religious education.
Phil worked in the trucking business through college and after college until finally realizing his true passion was helping people walk through difficulties and heartache. He completed graduate school in 1992 with a Master of Arts degree in counseling and religious education.
He served as a pastor in Texas for 15 years until joining the Center for Professional Excellence in 2005 where he served as Clinical Director until 2020. Phil became the Clinical Director and co-owner of (what is now) River Tree in 2020 and loves his role in developing, encouraging, and equipping the staff as they walk with people through their life journeys.
Phil lives in Murfreesboro, TN with his wife Sheila and they have one son, Luke.
Jeff Tikson has an MBA from the University of Virginia and 40 years of experience working with and for nonprofits. Tikson has served on the Tin Man Board of Directors since 2022 and recently joined the full-time staff of Tin Man Ministries. Jeff and his wife, Peggy, have three grown sons and three young granddaughters. They live in middle Tennessee.
