Mission to the Russian-speaking world
On staff now with Novo (formerly CRM) since 2006, Lyle and Diana have lived in St. Petersburg Russia since 2007. Originally a ministry to just the city, the vision and influence have expanded, especially after the beginning of the war with Ukraine, to encompass all of the former Soviet Union and Russian immigrants worldwide. Now with Russian as the second most spoken language online, Novo’s Russian-speaking mission is a unique ministry in its interdenominational reach and focus on relationships more than mere personal transformation. More about their ministry itself and its needs can be found here. As a faith ministry, all personal and ministry needs are by donation. Find out more here.

Prior Experience
Before moving to Russian, Lyle ran a private practice in Christian counseling and life coaching in Richmond, Virginia. Simultaneously, he had a passion and vision is for citywide transformation, and so he founded and served as the director of Christian Ministries United, a coalition of over 60 nonprofits, churches, and Christian businesses, dedicated to helping broker strategic relationships for large-scale change in Richmond from 1998-2007.

Education
Lyle received his undergraduate degree from Duke University in Music and Comparative Area Studies. His graduate work was in Social Work and Christian Education, degrees which he received from Virginia Commonwealth University and the Presbyterian School of Christian Education, respectively. He is also certified as a Life Coach and as a coach trainer through Lifeforming Leadership Coaching.

Lyle’s counseling training has come from several sources beyond his graduate education. He studied for over two years with the Christian Counseling and Training Center in Richmond in Biblical (nouthetic) Counseling. Additionally, he has received training in Transformation Prayer Ministry.

Writing
Lyle’s first experience as an author came out of both his family counseling as well as his struggle to work through a dark period in his marriage. The result was the book, “Becoming Mr. Ephesians,” an intensive transformational study (in e-book) for husbands based on Eph. 5:25-33, which came out in 2005.

Since moving to Russia Lyle has written over a dozen courses for building healthy and transformational relationships, with such titles as: The King’s Community, The King’s Treasure, The King’s Round Table, the King’s Dominion, Real Peace with Papa, Real Good News, Real Calling, Real Forgiveness, and My Real History.

Family
Lyle has been married to Diana (nee Leinbach), since 1992. Diana started serving as serves a consultant and conference speaker through SHARE Education Ministry in 2011, which fills a niche for the unique needs of families living cross-culturally. However, since 2017 her focus shifted, and she took over the teem program, designing and leading a team of staff and volunteers to help (mostly missionary) teens build community and find God in the midst of often difficult and isolated living situations in the field.

Since 2020 Diana has been trained as a spiritual director and works with cross-cultural youth (often called Third Culture Kids – TCK’s) individually, sometimes traveling to them on location to disciple them through their challenges to recognize God’s presence, goodness, and care for them.

Lyle and Diana have three children, Lydia (1998), Kerith (2001), and Simon (2004). Lydia works as an ICU nurse in Nashville, where she is preparing to marry Jacob Harter in April of 2025. Kerith is a mechanical engineering student at Purdue University, and Simon is studying piano performance at Taylor University.

 Below is a series of banners we have used through time since 2006.