Dear Friend in Christ:

Welcome!  On behalf of the National Lutheran Secretariat (NLS) Executive Committee, I am privileged to welcome you back to Indianapolis for the 2023 National Via de Cristo Gathering/Annual Meeting. After a successful hybrid Annual Gathering in Texas last year, we look forward to seeing everyone together in-person this year.  The Executive Committee and Host Committee have been making plans and preparations for the past several months.

Before the Annual Gathering,you will be given access to the Virtual Binder, which you can review at your leisure.  Everything from the Speaker Bios, Nominee Bios and Annual Reports will be available for you to review at your convenience.  Recordings of our worship services and business meeting will be available after the Annual Gathering.  Please join us to learn, grow and take back information to your Secretariat!

On Thursday, July 27^th, we’ll have our Opening Worship followed by Rev. Sharon Walker, who will deliver our keynote about “Meeting Together”. We’ll have a brief NSL Business Meeting to announce the delegates representing the affiliated Secretariats and formally recognized as present as well as take Nominations from the floor for NLS Executive Committee Open Positions.  We’ll end the night with an Open Q and A Session with All NLS Nominees.  Our Opening Worship and our Business Meeting will be available on FaceBook Live. 

On Friday, July 28^th, we’ll start with worship, which will be on FaceBook Live.  Afterwards our first Forum session on “Encourage one another” will be led by Randy Long.  We’ll go into breakout sessions to share our insights and debrief together. Our second Forum session on “Love One Another and Serve One Another will be led by Debbie Kloos.  The Lay Directors and Spiritual Directors have their own roundtable sessions and you will have a choice of several EOI sessions. 

On Saturday, July 29^th, you will have a choice of several EOI sessions before our third Forum session on Serve Together by Jared Teany, Wally Lewis, and Ryan Johnson.  We’ll break for lunch and our Annual Business Meeting will reconvene at 2:15pm central time. The delegates represent the “voice” of the NLS and will vote in-person.  Guests are welcome and encouraged to attend.  The Annual Gathering is your opportunity to grow, learn and share with brothers and sisters in Christ from across the country.   The Annual Business Meeting concludes with a preview of the 2024 Annual Gathering ­­and worship.   The Annual Business Meeting will be available on FaceBook Live.

On Sunday, July 30^th, we’ll have our Closing Worship with anointing and installation of our new NLS Executive Board Members, which will be on FaceBook Live.

If I can be of assistance to you with this 2023 National Via de Cristo Annual Gathering, please feel free to contact me.  You can text or call me at 972-658-4387. I pray for God’s revival of our Fourth Day community and pray the Lord will continue to watch over us.

God loves you and so do I,
Jane Winge
NLS Vice President of Administration
vpadmin@viadecristo.org