Via de Cristo is a 3-day retreat to help strengthen and renew the faith of a Christian. Via de Cristo of Western Washington offers one retreat weekend a year, which are designed for a co-ed group of no more than 24 people. Via de Cristo of Western Washington is a local movement of the larger organization, National Lutheran Secretariat of Via de Cristo.
What happens on a Via de Cristo weekend?
A Via de Cristo weekend is three days in length, beginning on Friday morning and ending the following Sunday afternoon. The participants live, study, worship and commune together daily.
During that time the key to the weekend are around fourteen talks given. Following each talk, small round table discussions focus on the main points of the talk and a poster is drawn. The talks build on each other to present the Christian life, based on the person and teachings of Jesus Christ. The titles of these talks are listed below and indicate their content:
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In addition to the talks there are times for music\singing, meals and fellowship, a time for laughter and for prayer. We celebrate Holy Communion together and offer additional meditations each day.
People who attend for the first time arrive to have the opportunity to experience the weekend fresh and new. As mentioned it is a structured weekend. People must be willing to participate with a weekend that depends on a schedule and preplanned meal times, speaking times, worship times, etc.
What Via de Cristo is Not
This is not a getaway type vacation or retreat where you have a lot of free time. While there is some open time it is meant to give the attendee time to reflex and grow in their faith.
What happens after the weekend?
You may attend Via de Cristo only ONCE in your life, but you are asked to build on it for the rest of your life. After you have attended a Via de Cristo weekend you are encouraged to:
- Expand your inner spiritual life through study and church participation.
- Become more active witnesses for Christ in your daily life.
Who should attend a Via de Cristo weekend?
This is designed for a strong christian who believes in Jesus Christ as their personal savior. It is perfect for Christians who believe their spiritual lives need strengthening; who love discovering more about prayer, study and sharing their faith; who understand being Christian involves responsibility and would like to have both the spiritual foundation and moral reserve to carry this out in their lives; who are willing to dedicate their everyday lives to God in an on-going manner, are the best candidates to attend a Via de Cristo. In other words, if you have a strong faith and want to grow that faith even more, you are probably the best candidate to attend!
Fourth Day Movement
Via de Cristo (Way of Christ) is a Lutheran “Fourth Day” movement comparable to Roman Catholic Cursillo® but autonomous from any church body. We do not take any official stances on the actions of any organized church body – we are not a church, a church within the church, nor a Para-church organization. As a simple movement within the church, our priorities remain on teaching the gospel of grace, assisting participants to influence their environments with the gospel, and encouraging a renewed personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Summary
We ask you to keep an open mind and heart in making your decision to attend a weekend. Everyone’s own experience will be unique, and all discussions in the world will not become a substitute for your weekend. You need to experience it yourself to obtain its full and life-enriching value.