FROM THE LAY DIRECTOR "Renewed By Spring"

My favorite season is spring as we get to more comfortably get outside and witness the majesty of God’s creation of nature returning and coming back to life. The temperatures begin to rise, and we are surrounded by powerful reminders of God's unfailing love and His promise of renewal. We see trees beginning to blossom, flowers blooming, and the air carries an unmistakable and incredible scent. As we dive deeper into the premises of spring, spring also offers a spiritual invitation to renew our hearts and to deepen our personal relationship with the Lord.

For the Via De Cristo community, spring also offers an opportunity to host another set of weekends where we can continue to share the messages of God’s love and grace through the framework of piety, study, and action in which we are familiar.  Via De Cristo is life changing for many as they recenter their lives on Jesus and better understand His unwavering love for them. Whether you are serving on the teams for this season or not, there are many ways to support the ministry. If you are available to serve or donate meals, offer prayers or sing, sponsor candidates, please keep the spring weekends in mind as the preparations are being finalized.

Jesus said in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.” Just as branches flourish when connected to the vine, so do we flourish when we remain connected to Christ. Our service bears the most fruit when it flows from a deep, personal relationship with Him. The sense of community is important as we can learn from, and support others as we all navigate through our lives. For me, I continue to be in awe of the many strong Christian leaders of brothers and sister in which I observe in our community. Getting to hear their perspective on Bible verses or spiritual elements is truly inspiring.

This particular spring is also an incredible opportunity to for us gather together as a community to pause and honor God and reflect on just how great God is by allowing us to have hosted 100 weekends in the Central Michigan area over the last 45 years. The one constant through all these weekends is that God is in control. Many of us have witnessed times where we have made plans and made arrangements only to find out later that God has other, and always better, plans in mind. If you haven’t yet registered for the Celebrating 100 Weekends event on May 31st, there is still time, but you’ll need to act quickly to reserve your spot.  

This spring, may we be inspired by God’s creation to seek Him with renewed hearts. May we find joy in serving others, strength in gathering together, and hope in the promise that He is always at work, making all things new.

God Loves You & So Do I,

Jeff Walk, LVCCM Lay Director