Led by Pastor Karl Gaston
Spiritual Director Participation & Recruitment
- Many participants shared their personal journeys into Via de Cristo (VdC)—several were invited by persistent pastors or friends.
- Testimonies showed the profound impact of the VdC weekend, often leading to calls into ministry or spiritual growth.
- There was broad interest in mentoring seminarians and young leaders by bringing them onto teams to serve alongside seasoned spiritual directors.
- Discussions included:
- Inviting pastors to attend weekends, even as pilgrims.
- Offering weekday clergy-only weekends to accommodate pastoral schedules.
- Promoting VdC at local seminaries to create awareness and interest.
Practical Support for Clergy Involvement
- Ideas were shared about providing pulpit supply support to free up pastors for serving on weekends.
- The need for advance planning and clear communication was emphasized for clergy participation.
- A suggestion was made to create a regular SD Zoom roundtable schedule, preferably bi-monthly and well-publicized in advance.
Tech and Communication Improvements
- Past issues with unreliable Zoom access and communication breakdowns were discussed.
- Chris offered to host future SD roundtables using his church-funded Zoom account for consistency.
- Problems with contact databases were acknowledged as contributing to poor outreach.
Clergy Video Project
- Ongoing effort to update and expand clergy testimonial videos for use in VdC promotion.
- The video is meant to:
- Encourage clergy participation.
- Explain to pastors the spiritual and congregational benefits of VdC.
- Volunteers are asked to record a short clip (in person or online), even voice-only if camera-shy.
- Dennis is leading the effort; his wife is handling video editing.
Personal Stories & Reflections
Several attendees shared powerful and diverse personal stories:
- Second-career pastors discovering their call through VdC weekends.
- Life changes initiated by loss of employment, military service, or spiritual crisis.
- The unexpected ways God used people and events to lead them into ministry and service through VdC.
- A few mentioned how VdC helped heal wounds, clarify callings, and spark ongoing discipleship and leadership.
Challenges & Concerns
- Concerns over clergy resistance due to misconceptions or past negative perceptions of VdC.
- Comments on past critiques (e.g., “church within a church” dynamics).
- Suggestions to frame VdC as a leadership development tool for the wider church.
Reported by Donovan & Andrea Douglas
