About Us

Let's become Alive & Well Together

At Alive & Well, we believe the greatest invitation ever given came from Jesus. Throughout His ministry, Jesus welcomed people into a relationship with Him, a relationship marked by peace instead of fear, joy instead of striving, and secure love instead of isolation. He didn't simply teach truth; He lived with people, walked alongside them, and transformed them through His presence.

Today, we have the privilege of extending that same invitation!

Our Heart

Alive & Well exists to walk alongside people as they deepen their relationship with Jesus and experience the joy and peace of life with Him

Our mission is to create multigenerational communities where people are growing in secure attachment with God and each other, interacting with Immanuel, and equipped with relational joy skills to live freely from the heart that Jesus gave them. Our vision is to see people fully alive in relational joy, living in Immanuel’s peace, journeying to maturity, and modeling that lifestyle in their own communities.

We believe God designed us to grow in relationship. While knowledge has an important place, spiritual formation is nurtured through experiencing God's presence, practicing life with Him, and growing alongside others in authentic community. Much of what shapes us is caught as much as it is taught.

Whether through courses, Journey Groups, Immanuel Encounter ministry, leadership development, or mentoring relationships, we create spaces where people can experience the presence of Jesus, discover that God is glad to be with them, and become equipped to share His joy and peace wherever He leads them.

Meet our Founders

We’re grateful for the story God has written through Alive & Well founders, Jerry and Margaret Webb. What began in 1999 as a simple desire to set aside resources for ministry in retirement became the foundation for something much greater. Jerry spent 50 years in the financial industry with a passion for giving, while Margaret spent decades helping people find health and wholeness. Through her discovery of the Life Model and Immanuel Prayer, she began seeing a deeper need for secure attachment, relational connection, and intimacy with Jesus. In 2010, she and her team developed Immanuel Encounter to help people grow in joyful connection with Jesus, themselves, and others.

Though the road wasn’t always easy, Jerry and Margaret continued trusting God and following His lead. Today, at 80 years old and celebrating 50 years of marriage, they are filled with gratitude as they watch Alive & Well grow through the people God has brought alongside them. Their greatest joy is seeing this vision continue to reach more lives and help people become fully alive in joy, securely attached to God and others.

Meet The Team

Linnea grew up on a farm in Indiana, where she learned early the value of hard work and integrity. Through Alpha, she encountered Jesus and found belonging in a biblical community, an experience that ignited a calling she couldn't ignore. Years of serving Alpha Chicago in fundraising, event planning, and leadership training followed, along with her own journey through every Alive & Well offering.

Along the way, she became a certified Spiritual Director, Immanuel Prayer facilitator, Journey Group leader, and HeartSync minister. Now, as CEO, Linnea creates a thin space where others can hear God's perspective, carrying that calling forward as she helps shape the future of Alive & Well.

Linnea Baney

CEO

Amy Hamilton is the Director of Program Development and Director of Journey Groups and the Alive & Well Leadership Community with Alive & Well.

She is the creator and author of the Journey Group relational discipleship program, as well as the Transformed by Joy series. In the Alive & Well Leadership Community, she provides training and mentorship for those who lead others, whether in the family, church, or community.

Amy is a Life Model Network Ambassador, and actively involved in developing the practitioner program for the Network. Amy is also a relational skills trainer for THRIVEtoday’s Premiere Training and co-authored the book Relational Skills in the Bible with Chris Coursey.

Amy Hamilton

Director of Development and Program Director

The Rev. Dr. Jessica Duisberg serves as Alive & Well's Immanuel Encounter Program Director and is an Anglican priest with a deep passion for helping people experience the healing presence of Jesus. She enjoys good stories and exploring the beauty of God's creation with her husband, David. With an M.A. in Teaching, an M.Div., and a Ph.D. in Practical Theology, Jessie brings both theological depth and practical wisdom to her teaching.

She has served churches across Chicago, Los Angeles, throughout the United States, and internationally, equipping leaders and walking alongside people as they deepen their relationship with God. Through her ministry at Alive & Well, Jessie helps others experience secure attachment with Jesus, encounter His perspective, and grow into a life marked by greater joy, peace, and relational wholeness.

Jessie Duisberg

Program Director

With eight years in and around Journey Groups, Christine has found it to be "the most fun and transforming gift God has given me to do thus far!" Now as the co-director of the Journey Group Program, Christine mentors Journey Group leaders-in-training.

Working alongside Amy Hamilton in the courses and programs Amy authors, they are the "dynamic duo" of relational discipleship.

Christine lives in Western Washington and has her bachelor's degree in organizational development, with a background in supporting local businesses and lay midwifery. Christine's experience dovetails beautifully with the ministry of Alive & Well in supporting others through what Jesus is bringing through them.

Christine Bender

Assistant Program Director

As Communications and Marketing Coordinator at Alive & Well, Taylor helps share the heart and mission of Alive & Well through communications, marketing, social media, newsletters, and program promotion. Taylor works to create inviting, relational ways for people to discover the Alive & Well community and connect with resources that encourage deeper connection with Jesus and others.

With four years of leading Unveiled, a personal mentorship for women, Taylor is passionate about reflecting the heart of Alive & Well by helping women grow in secure attachment with Jesus and experience greater freedom, joy, and connection.

Taylor Goodridge

Communication & Marketing Coordinator