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THE ROLE OF THE RECTOR -- FROM TEAM FORMATION TO LEADING THE WEEKEND

Good evening! Thank you for being here!

Greg Steele and I are both presenting the role of the rector as we are familiar with from the Via de Cristo communities we each represent.

As Greg and I talked long distance in preparation for writing our talks and compared how and what our rectors do we realized how very differently our communities operate to achieve the same results. At first we thought we'd start by telling you our differences, but decided that might take longer than actually presenting what the rector's duties are. Therefore, we have prepared a hand-out for you on the background of operation within each of our communities so you will better understand our presentation.

When I first attended a National Lutheran Secretariat meeting 5 years ago I went assuming everyone conducted their weekends just as we do in Minnesota. Much to my amazement, I found that we operate very differently than most other Via de Cristo communities. I returned home feeling somewhat confused and out of "synch". However, as I've attended more NLS meetings and talked with others around the country I've learned to appreciate our differences. And I know that no matter how each community operates God blesses each weekend - His Holy Spirit is present and active - no matter where the weekend is held or how it is operated.

Because the community I represent encompasses a rather large area we have had to become highly organized to conduct the number of weekends we have in different locations and still be consistent. We have established a time table for each team which guides the rector with time frames and deadlines of when specifics should be done prior to and through that weekend. The time table helps the rector, the team and the council to be on "track" time-wise.

Rectors are selected on the basis of experience and leadership qualities. To qualify as the weekend rector one must have served as a rollo room assistant rector and the rector of one of the 3 support teams - palanca, kitchen or 4th day. (Incidentally, we refer to both male and female leaders as rector). A listing of eligible prospective rectors is distributed to each council member for approval. Former team members also have input into this approval through evaluation forms each team member receives and which are reviewed by council members.

Each rector is chosen approximately 6 months ahead of the weekend they will be facilitating. The rectors of a paired weekend receive their manuals and 3-4 hours of training - usually within 2 weeks of being asked. This is conducted in northern and southern Minnesota by the 2 council members representing each of those areas. In the Minneapolis/St. Paul area it is done at the office by the coordinator.

This meeting is opened with prayer and a devotional by the leader and closed with open prayer, as are all training sessions. The rectors are "walked" through their manuals so its contents are understood and any questions answered. They are instructed to ask, at this time, only their 3 rollo room assistants, the rollo room musician and the rectors of the 3 support teams. The council chooses the rollo room or head spiritual director, who in turn selects 3-5 other spiritual directors as assistants.

Each rector is given a council approved list of prospective rollo room assistants and is instructed on selection of support team rectors. To serve as a rollo room assistant one must have served in the rollo room as a table leader or rollista table leader and have been a rector of a support team. To serve as a rector of a support team one must have served first as a team member on that sub-team.

Information is given about the church-site of the weekend, a listing of 4th dayers who have applied to serve on their team, a community roster which lists previous team experience, a liaison booklet which lists the liaison from each Cursillo church which they may use to contact to seek team members, and a copy of the Catholic "Leaders Manual" for them to read and better understand the origin, intent and purpose and method of Cursillo. They are instructed on some specifics according to an outline we follow. One thing that is stressed is that Via de Cristo is a specific program with specific procedures - not to add to or remove from it.

Before this meeting is over each rector is given a calendar and asked to work out together the scheduling of their team meetings and establish the dates of the next 2 training sessions. They may or may not hold simultaneous team meetings. The rectors are asked to contact the church-site of the weekend and coordinate their team meetings with the church's calendar. The site selection committee has previously confirmed the weekend dates and worked out some of the details with the church.

Our leadership training committee promotes that all dates of team meetings, training sessions and the post weekend ultreya should be established before any team members are asked to serve. When calling a prospective team member they are given the dates and if they have to miss more than one team meeting it is suggested that "this may not be the time to serve on team".

Following the first instructional meeting the rector seeks his or her leadership team and contacts the spiritual director. All the leaders and the head spiritual director are invited for the next training session, which we call Day One. During this time, which is approximately one month, the rectors are to read their manuals, select the theme of the weekend and they may or may not have a meeting with their leadership team.

At Day One training all leadership is expected to be present, at which time they receive their manuals. The leadership training committee gives talks on 1.) The Role of the Rector and Assistants, 2.) The Role of the Spiritual Director, 3.) Team Selection and 4.) Team Meetings. Some of the information covered at the initial meeting with the rectors is repeated so all leadership hears the same instruction. This meeting is usually 2-3 hours long, after which the leadership may stay on and get acquainted and begin discussion regarding team meetings, assignments and the weekend.

Following Day One training, the rector will work out the details and assignments of all team meetings and prepare an agenda for each meeting. Rectors are encouraged to involve their 3 assistants in this process, as they are actually training future leadership. The weekend rector seeks the rollo room team, assigns rollistas and distributes rollo outlines to them. Meanwhile the 3 support team rectors seek their team members. Additional leadership meetings may be held during this time. The rector prepares a letter welcoming team members and informing them of the next training session, which we call Day Two, and mails to each team member with an agenda for the first team meeting. The rector assembles the team roster when all 54 positions are filled and mails to the newsletter editor, along with specific palanca requests for the weekend. (We do not publish weekender lists before the weekend because there are frequently last minute cancellations and it will not be correct). The weekender and sponsor letters, stating acceptance to the weekend, are drafted and copied in readiness to receive the applications from the allocations chairman. When they are received, at about 6-7 weeks ahead of the weekend, names are filled in and they are mailed. We recommend men's and women's acceptance letters be sent at the same time so they are received at the same time.

The last training session, called Day Two, is held approximately 6 weeks after Day One and approximately 6-7 weeks ahead of the first or men's weekend of a pair. The leadership training committee conducts this meeting on a Saturday morning at the church-site of the weekend. All team members of both the men's and women's teams of a paired weekend are expected to be present. Eucharist usually opens this session - led by the spiritual directors of the two teams. The training committee gives talks on 1.) The Fundamental Ideas of Cursillo, 2.) Dynamics and Progression of the Weekend, 3.) Care and Use of the Manuals and 4.) Care of Property (Both the Church's and ours). One statement that is always stressed is that the weekend is for the weekenders, and team members are to practice servanthood. All team rectors and their teams of both the men's and women's teams are introduced so that one team knows who their counterparts are on the other team. Following the talks a resource person meets with each of the sub-teams (men and women together) to instruct them on specifics directly related to the details of that particular team on the weekend.

The training session usually ends just prior to lunch. After a short break, each team mingles over a bag lunch, then breaks into separate meetings - men's and women's. The rector leads in welcoming team members, instructing on procedures, sharing expectations, the theme of the weekend, discusses and assigns prayer partners, etc. some type of mixer, at the discretion of the rector, is done to better acquaint team members. The rest of the team members receive their manuals. Sub-teams meet together for their first meeting. One or two practice rollos may be given and affirmed.

To bond in one body, one spirit and one mind as a team, requires time spent together in prayer, preparation, fellowship and instruction. We recommend less meetings of longer duration, rather than short 3 hour evening meetings where members arrive late and leave early. In rural areas, with great distances to travel, this has been done with great success so we have worked diligently to re-educate the long term Cursillistas to this way of thinking. At least one, if not two, overnights (from Friday night through Saturday noon or mid-afternoon), is required. We have found the bonding process to work best where there are overnights - there is some freedom of time to get acquainted. We recommend that the overnights be held at the weekend church-site so all team members get the "feel" of the facility and how it relates to their particular duties.

Earlier I mentioned that each weekend rector is responsible for the agenda of his/her team meetings. The rector's manual gives guidelines and examples. To accomplish this task the leadership training committee recommends a minimum of 32 hours of team meetings, with additional sub-team meetings outside the regular team time as is necessary. Each of the 3 assistants are assigned to conduct at least one team meeting in preparation for leading one day of the upcoming weekend. Each team meeting is opened in prayer, inviting the Holy Spirit to be present. Eucharist is celebrated. Practice rollos and affirmations are interspersed with teachings, singing and sub-team meetings.

We recommend that practice rollos be given in the order they will be done on the weekend. However, some rectors prefer to give their rollo "Total Security in Your Fourth Day" first, to set the tone, and then return to the correct sequence. This gives the rector a sense of freedom to then direct their attentions to other details. Throughout the team meetings, commentary is made either by the rector or an assistant as to the events and scheduling that occur on the weekend around the time frame of the practice rollo being given. In other words, they are "walked" through the events of the weekend itself. 50% of team members are to be inexperienced and this helps them, in particular, to better understand the progression.

After each practice rollo is given team members fill out an affirmation sheet. The affirmation process consists of affirming that the main ideas of this rollo are presented and the theology is correct. If any of these factors are out of order, re-writing may be necessary. The affirmations are reviewed by the rector, 3 assistants and rollo room spiritual directors, who then meet with the rollista and overview the affirmations, giving them to the rollista to review individually.

Teachings, pertaining to specific events or procedures of the weekend such as Stations of the Cross, the Agape Dinner, serenades, chapel visits, music progression, rollista send-offs, etc. are given by the leadership of the sub-team whose duty it is to carry out the procedure. The responsibilities and duties of each sub-team are also taught. Each team meeting is ended with a prayer circle.

The weekender applications have been received from the allocations chairman about the same time the team meetings are getting underway. The rector fills in the letters, one to the weekender, one to the sponsor, and coordinates sending them at the same time as the opposite weekend rector does. Once the weekenders have received their acceptance letter there may be cancellations. We are now using a confirmation form that accompanies the sponsors letter directing them to make contact with the weekender to assure they have received their letter and plan to attend. Sometimes the applicant applied to an earlier weekend and didn't get in - sponsor and weekender may have gotten out of touch in the meantime. This activates their relationship as well as to confirm to the rector that the weekender does indeed plan to attend. When cancellations do occur - and they can right up to the Thursday evening arrival time - the rector must contact the allocations chairman for additional names of applicants to try and fill the weekend to 36 weekenders.

The rector makes a list of the weekenders to distribute to the team so they can be prayer for by name now, rather than just the weekenders as a group.

The men's and women's rectors of a paired weekend set-up and work out the details for the post weekend Ultreya, usually held 2 weeks after the women's weekend. This is considered a "closed" Ultreya, open only to the weekenders and team members (and their spouse) of this paired weekend. They assemble an invitational flyer which will go in each weekender bag and team envelope on the weekend. They will remind team members to be at the Ultreya - this is the completion of their team responsibilities. The witness talks at the Ultreya are usually given by one man and one woman weekender of this weekend, so they will have to be asked after the weekend.

About a week before the weekend starts the rector meets with all leadership to go over the weekend schedule. All leadership manuals contain a specific weekend schedule. If time re-adjustments are necessary, all will be working from the same schedule.

If the rector has not already assigned table leaders and weekenders table assignments the assistance of the 3 rollo room assistants may be sought to aid in this.

Before the weekend is under way the rector will ask a friend to give the "Welcome to the Fourth Day" talk at the clausura, providing an outline from the rector manual of points to cover within the talk.

The women's rector must prepare a short talk, with the help of a guideline within the manual, to be given at the apostolic hour on the men's weekend. The intent of this talk is to inform them of the women's weekend and what their participation may be. It also includes some direction to sharing with others what they have experienced at this weekend - encouraging them to be open about the events of the weekend, other than the palanca received, the agape dinner and the serenades. This is especially important for men whose wives will be attending the following weekend.

Now the time has arrived for which all the prayer and preparation has occurred - the weekend.

Up until this time the rector has been the main catalyst in building the community of the team, overseeing all plans and preparations, when the weekend starts every team member should know his/her assignments and carry them out. We frequently say the rector's job is done when the weekend starts, he/she can now sit back and let it happen. This may be true to some degree - however, there are still duties to be performed and talks to be given. Final authority on all decisions to be made rests with the rector.

On Thursday evening of the weekend the rector will conduct a brief team meeting, before arrival of the weekenders, to review the schedule of events for the evening ahead.

When the weekenders begin arriving the rector remains in the reception room to meet and mingle with weekenders and the rollo room team. The 3 assistants greet and check in the weekenders and give them their nametags, while other team members help them find their sleeping quarters and bring them to the reception room.

The rector rings the bell and invites the weekenders and rollo room team to the rollo room. A welcome, introduction of rollo room leadership and brief introduction of the team without identification is done by the rector. Some instruction and teaching is given also. The rollo room spiritual director leads in a few words, then conducts the communal spiritual examination and celebration of forgiveness, and the weekenders retire in silent retreat.

The rector's manual contains a section called "Rector's Comments" which are brief talks given throughout the 3 days of the weekend at specific times by the rector, otherwise the 3 assistants each take turns leading one day of the weekend. Two of the rector's talks included in these comments are a post piety talk and a post study talk. The rector remains visible in the rollo room throughout the weekend and may choose to comment otherwise at any time, keeping in mind there is a schedule to follow. While the tables are working on posters, there is some free time and rectors are encouraged to visit the support teams.

On Sunday afternoon the rector gives the final rollo "Total Security in Your Fourth Day", having two table leaders share how their renewal group works, when and how often they meet, etc. renewal cards are given out and each table discusses their use. Just before going to dinner the weekenders receive their palanca bags.

As dinner is being finished the 4th day community serenades with 3-4 songs. Following the serenade the rector leads the weekenders and rollo room team to the chapel for the apostolic hour. Together, the rector and spiritual director lead this time together, encouraging open discussion about the weekend, presenting each weekender their cross and closing in free prayer. In the past, we presented each weekender with a Bible, along with their cross. We now give them their Bible prior to the study rollo on Saturday morning so they can mark passages shared in rollos, if they wish.

The 4th day serenade community has had Eucharist in the sanctuary during the apostolic hour and is now awaiting the weekenders for the Clausura. The weekenders are ushered into the Clausura with the song, "Those Who See the Light". The rector then leads the Clausura directing each weekender to give their name and church and share what they wish about what the weekend has meant to them. The weekenders are welcomed to the 4th day by a 4th day friend of the rector. Following the benediction, the weekenders join the 4th day community in singing a slow harmonious rendition of the doxology, thus bringing the weekend to an end.

The rector conducts a final team meeting with open prayers of thanksgiving, collects manuals and reminds the team to complete and turn in their evaluations and be present at the post weekend Ultreya.

Before the post weekend Ultreya the rector of each team will select a witness speaker and give instructions on it. The rectors together will lead in facilitating the Ultreya. Each will collect any additional manuals and evaluations.

The rectors will review the evaluations, write their evaluation and return them, along with the manuals, to the office.

In the words of Oswald Chambers, from the book "My Utmost for His Highest", God will do everything for us which we can't do, but he will do nothing for us that he expects us to do. If we do the mechanics, he'll do the dynamics". The rector, with God's help, has completed his/her duties.

Rose did a good job defining the Rector role in Minnesota and what I want to do is kind of look at what she talked about and how many of you understood what she was talking about? How many of you come from that area of the weekend where you could understand these terms she was using? We're going to find out a couple of things there. Let's begin where Rose left off. I think that Oswald Chamber quote was worth repeating. "God will do everything for us which we cannot do, but He will do nothing for us that He expects us to do. If we do the mechanics, He'll do the dynamics." That's kind of neat and proving true again and again. Several Cristo sayings - we've heard them from Luther and Pastor Al for the past day and a half. This one is a statement which kind of fits our Christian walk as well as the Oswald Chamber quote. It's "God is not as interested in your ability as your availability." We've all seen that work, and I think that really speaks to most of the rectors that end up as rectors. It's the fact that they made themselves available and they finally let go and let God that they ended up taking on that tremendous task of being a rector. Availability has been part of my life. But it keeps working in your life coming again and again. Pastor Ron likes to talk about "becoming" because we're "becomers." Last Sunday I had that happen to me. I was at a church worshipping. Every once in a while we go to another church and experience a worship service. There's a couple of pastors who work with us in the Cristo weekends, so we went thirty miles north of our place and visited them. In the middle of the service, the pastor got a call on the phone and then he came to me- I mean, I'm the visitor! He came and got me and took me to his office. He said, "Greg, I didn't expect you up here this weekend. We got a phone call. There's a guy in the local jail up the road. He's 78. He needs a ride after the church service back down to Melbourne. That's where you live, and none of us do. Could you take him down?" and I said, "yes." But my insides weren't saying yes. I said yes from an availability standpoint, I guess, but inside I was saying, "I don't want to go 10 - 15 minutes further north, pick this guy up. He's been in jail three days - drunk and disorderly. Seventy eight. He's probably going to stink. I haven't got a very good car now, and it's probably going to smell worse. I don't know the guy. I don't know anything about him. But the chaplain's asking me to be available, and I haven't even talked to Ann. It worked out that we did do it, because I wouldn't not do it, and as you know I've been in some prisons and some jails. They're uncomfortable, and they're not nice. I knew that if I went up there and got him, I would have to take him down to Melbourne. He was there in a wheelchair they said. I just didn't like the idea. But we did it. Ann went along with it. We went up there, and we met Paul. We had to wait twenty minutes, because they don't do anything fast on Sunday in a prison. We got him in the car. I knew he needed a cigarette. He's an alcoholic. I knew - I could tell by looking at him - he was a wiry little guy. We got him in the car after he had his cigarette, because I told him he couldn't smoke in the car. I said Ann's got emphysema. She doesn't have emphysema - she has breathing difficultly. She said, "no it's not emphysema" - she wanted to explain this whole thing. I knew he wasn't a doctor. He didn't care, and I just wanted to get the point across. We got him in the car and got him down the road and got him home stopped off at the local market and he used his card to get enough money to buy a pack of cigarettes and he was in good shape. The availability and not the ability of the moment. And I wondered about that - whether it was a good thing, and whether I should have been available. The next morning I was going to work. I was listening to the Christian radio station, which I don't always do, but I was that morning. This Bob Featherstone was on, and I'm driving along and he says, "you know it's your availability and not your ability that counts". How'd he know that? Then he said, "think of Simon of Cyrene". He went on to tell about how Simon was available along the road, and he may not have been the most able guy to carry the cross, but he was the most available guy to carry the cross, and he probably really didn't want to do that. It kind of paralleled some of my thoughts, which weren't really good thoughts to have on this poor old guy, Paul, but I didn't want to go get him and Simon didn't want to help Jesus. Maybe, I guess, being available and helping Paul was kind of like being available and helping Jesus. That's what rectors do most of all. They have to be servants and they have to be helpers. It's hard for them, because when they get selected, they think they're king of the road. They're really the lowest one on the team, and if they keep thinking that, they'll be okay. Availability - that's why we're here - all of us. Our ability helps, sure, but being available is more important. Like Rose, my first NLS meeting was an eye-opener, too. That was a thing of availability. I happened to be in Atlanta on a business trip and didn't even know that was happening that week. Bob Sael somehow got in touch with me and told me that they were having the first NLS meeting. My schedule worked out so that I was available to attend. It was availability and not my ability, and I came out of that meeting as the first treasurer, and promptly lost the first $200 check they ever had.

Our community like Minnesota is large. We have so many similarities, and so few dissimilarities. We ought to look at those similarities and where we see differences, we'll find out that they really aren't that different. We've got a big State of Florida. It's long and it's wide. You know, it goes all the way over to Mobile and it goes all the way down to the Keys and all they way up into Georgia. In fact, Jacksonville is kind of looked at as south Georgia. We've got seven secretariats in that state - each one operating individually. Seven secretariats that run some 32 weekends a year. We organize pretty much the way that Rose has talked about. We all have rector training, and it's pretty much all the same, because it all came out of Miami Sonshine - our granddaddy. Miami pretty much populated the east coast of Florida with Cristo. Our rectors are selected on the same basis of experience. Where I come from, on the Indian River, we say that our rectors and rectoras (and by the way we call them rectors - I have a long theory on why they don't call them rectoras some places, but I won't go into that). Our rectors have to have been on three teams. Now that may get larger as we get bigger, but we've only been around about ten years. They have had to have been a table leader at least once, and given a talk or a rollo at least once, and been what we call a cha cha, or your palanca team at least once. We prefer that they have attended a workshop. They're selected by the secretariat (or our council) from an approved list, supplied by a leadership chairperson. Our secretariat leadership chairperson keeps a list of all the people who meet these qualifications. Then the secretariat will get together following a lot of prayer, because we have prayer to begin the secretariat meeting, but when we select a rector or rectora, we have more prayer. We discuss the names. I don't know if you all do, but we sit down and discuss the names because we might know something - some trial they're going through - some tough time they're having that they don't need to be asked because that temptation of saying yes and being available might be too much. So we discuss all those names. We don't cross their names off, but we discuss them, so that when we do vote, we have those things in mind. There's no campaigning for rector, rectora. We have a secret ballot. We take the top two names after that secret ballot. The lay director, (or president) will then go out and he (or she) will contact the first name on that list. You know, the one that got the #1 rating. We have a #2 name, because maybe we made a mistake. We've done that a few times. The Lord wanted the #2 name, we thought it was the #1 name. The #1 name had to turn it down. The lay director will talk to them, and if they have to turn it down, then they're asked just to forget about it, because they weren't the #1 name. Then we go to the #2 name. We've never had to go back again. That #2 name is the one that is the right one.

People on the secretariat keep quiet about this. The lay director ask the rector, and then they say yes. It's up to them to let people know that they've said yes. We will announce that they are the rector or the rectora at the first Ultreya or workshop after they've been selected. But if that doesn't come for a while, then it's up to them to let the community know. The secretariat isn't running around saying who's rector. They have that opportunity to share it with their group reunion, their family and then let the rest of the community know.

We usually select our rector/rectora four months ahead of time. Some places in the state, at least Boca Raton used to, have the knowledge out who was going to be the next rector on the team before. We felt that that's too early. The four months gives a person the time to do all the planning they need to do, to get into it, and they're moving all the time. If you give them too much time, in the first place a lot of people come up if they know they're going to be rector for next year and start putting in their bids to be on team, and bugging them, and driving them crazy. So, four months we've found is a good time for us. The men's and the women's are about a month apart. The way we do it, they are briefed by the lay director and the leadership chairperson and they're walked through their manuals, just like Rose talked about, so the contents are understood and they know what it is they're supposed to be doing, and what they will do is select what we call the head cha cha - you might call them a second rector, but we have a head cha cha and that person we ask them to look at real close at. That person should be somebody that would kind of lay down their life and die for them. Somebody they can really count on.

The rector/a also selects a back-up rector. Someone who can b e there all the time, and in an emergency take over. At Living Water #1, I was the back-up for Luther Piel. Two weeks before the weekend, Luther had a serious accident. I was available and the back-up rector. I was able to step in and we didn't miss a beat.

The spiritual director of the secretariat selects two spiritual directors for this particular weekend and the rector/a is notified who they are. We do not have outside spiritual directors. Only two in the rollo room.

The rector/a is given several tools to select their team from along with specific guidelines. The guidelines are in a booklet prepared for the rector/a to lead them through all aspects of their weekend from team formation through team training. The tools we provide them for team selection include:

• a card file of all active community members
• a list of people who have attended workshops
• a list of people attending Ultreyas

The rector/a then prepares a list of 70+ eligible who the Lord has touched the rector as possible team members. This list will be reviewed by the Lay Director, Leadership chairperson and the Spiritual Director of the secretariat. The final team will consist of about 30 members from this list of 70.

As Rose mentioned, the rector/a is strongly reminded that Via de Cristo is a specific program with specific procedures - not to be added to or removed from. In Florida, we say it in another way: "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

We have a physical arrangements chairperson on the secretariat who interfaces with the site for the weekend and provides all of the set-up/tear-down needs. It is not a rector/a responsibility.

When the rector/a is ready to begin calling the team, they have specific questions to ask and information to gather:

1. I've been chosen as the next Rector/a and the Lord wants me to call you as a team member.

2. Are you in a group reunion? (Answer must be yes)

3. Are you participating in church activities? (Answer must be yes)

4. Tell them dates of weekend.

5. Tell them dates - day of week and location of team meetings (8-9 team meetings a must)

6. They can only miss two team meetings.

7. Do not tell them their roll on the team.

8. Give them three days to talk to family and God about serving on the team.

9. Rector/a calls them in three days.

We call (weekenders) candidates until the closing and then they are pilgrims.

All correspondence and contact with the candidates before the weekend begins is the responsibility of the Pre-Cristo chairperson. It is not a Rector/a responsibility.

As Rose stated, the weekend is for the candidates -- we are continually fighting people, who are usually new to Via de Cristo, who want to "change the weekend - make it better". This reminds me of another old Cristo saying: "the less you know about Cristo, the more you want to change it, but the more you know about Cristo, the less you want to change it."

We do not encourage men's and women's team meetings at the same time and place. Nor do we encourage togetherness of men's/women's teams. We also do not encourage any special "theme" for a weekend, such as rainbows, doves, chickens, kiss-a-frog, etc. Jesus and the Holy Spirit are the theme every time and understanding the grace of God is the goal - and that's enough.

Our team meetings are very successful when held on a Sunday afternoon or a weekday evening. Nor more than two hours plus refreshments. The purpose is for the team to form into a well-knit community.

Learning to live together through:

• Prayer
• Scripture sharing
• Singing/jokes
• Rollo review
• Discussion of dynamics and team duties
• Prayer palanca
• Rector/a/Head Cha Cha perfect timing.

We do not have overnights. Sometimes a full Saturday review of all talks if the Rector/a wants it.

We do have a team social with spouses at the end of the team meetings just before the weekend, with perhaps a special surprise dynamic such as Clown communion, foot washing or annointing with oil. We do not have sub-teams. Our weekends are local and our outside support is from the local community for the following activities:

• Set up the site (100 attend)
• Sendoff (100-200 attend)
• Cooking (Head cook & volunteers)(5-10/meal)
• Serving meals (10-20 per meal and near 100 on Saturday evening during serenade)
• Palanca chapel during rollos (10-30)
• Sunday tear down from (6a.m.-6p.m.)(10-20 attend)
• Closing (100-200 attend plus team and new pilgrims)
• WISE meeting Friday evening (men candidates wives plus community women attend to discuss questions which might arise about the weekend)(50-75 attend) WISE=Womens Information SEssion

The weekend schedule is standard and only the Rector/a and Head Cha Cha have one. Table leaders are paired up by the Rector/a - one experienced and one inexperienced to each table. On our women's teams the table leaders select a table name from women of the Bible. Men's teams usually use Matthew, Luke, John, Peter and Paul.

As Rose stated, we, too, see the Rector/a job is finished when the weekend begins. Now the Head Cha Cha runs the weekend schedule with the rector/a providing the consistency for the candidates - the one who they can trust - a focal point to be looked up to. Our Rector/a dresses in suits and ties or dresses or skirts always appearing to have everything under control. Our team and candidates dress casual.

Our sendoffs occur in one church where the candidates and team members ride a bus to the site. Usually about 5-10 miles apart. This helps drive home the idea of isolation and meditation on Thursday evening. The community comes to the sendoff and sings "De Colores" as the busses pull away.

Our rector/a hasa 60 page manual which they read from throughout the weekend. We give out personal palanca letters from wives and family before lunch on Sunday . The Rector/a gives the Total Security rollo on Sunday (20 minutes) and the Fourth Day rollo is given separately (20 minutes). Group reunion cards and grouping are stressed as the fourth day goal.

Post Cristo chairperson and the Rector/a plan the post weekend meeting which is for the team and the new pilgrims only. The post Cristo chairperson explains the duties of the secretariat and then leaves. This followed by the final sharing of the team and new pilgrims.

At the closing there is a sharing by a fourth day speaker selected, in advance, by the Rector. Also at the closing the Spiritual Director of the secretariat and the Lay Director have closing remarks.

We have no apostolic hour - no supper - no Eucharist. We close at 4:30 p.m. Team and candidates arrive singing "De Colores" and as they enter the room they are joined by 100-200 of the community. The Rector/a and Spiritual Directors lead the closing service. Two candidates from each table are asked to share their table's experience. Others can also share their personal experience as they are moved.

As you can see, there are differences in some of the ways we do things. But what you can see most of all, there is unity in the body.

VIA de CRISTO

HANDOUT TO ACCOMPANY WORKSHOP #4 "THE ROLE OF THE RECTOR - FROM TEAM FORMATION TO THE RUNNING OF THE WEEKEND"

DESCRIPTION |MINNESOTA |FLORIDA

| |

Geographic area |All of Minnesota, |All of Florida with 7

served |western Wisconsin, |individual secretariats

|eastern North Dakota |which never meet as one | |unit but know each other

Secretariat |16 elected - convener|normal organization -(council) |(president), assistant|spiritual director, lay

makeup |convener, secretary, |director, pre Cristo |music,metro allocation|chairman, post Cristo

|supplies/property, |chairman, physical

|leadership training, |assignments chair,

|site selection, |secretary, treasurer

|procedures,document., |leadership chair,

|liaisons/renewal/ |outreach chair,

|Ultreya, 2 spiritual |newsletter/publications,

|directors, 2 northern |outreach chair, kitchen

|2 southern Minnesota |coordinator

|5 appointed-treasurer |

|newsletter, southern |

|MNallocations,northern|

|MNallocations, palanca|

|coordinator, 1 paid |

|coordinator. | year secretariat |plans begun in 1979 |Miami - plans begun in | |1972, Indian River -

| |plans begun in 1980

year first weekends| 1980 | Miami - 1973

were held | | Indian River - 1980

secretariat | 1980 | 1980

incorporated | |

number of weekends |21 maximum - paired |Florida's 7 secretariats

held in a year |(men & women),1 paired|hold total of 30, all

|(co-ed single & single|men & women

|women,) 1 mom's in |

|transition every 18mos|

location weekend |churches, around the |church large enough for

|state, large enough |70 without disturbing |to house 100 |normal ministry

team selection |rector - by council |rector - by secretariat

|spiritual director - |spiritual director -

|by council spiritual |by secretariat & lay

|directors |director,

|asst. spir. dir. - |asst. spir. dir. -

|by rolloroom spiritual|by secretariat

|director in consult. |spiritual director

|with council s.d. |

|rollo room team - |rollo room team -

|by weekend rector |by rector with lay

| |director guidance

|support team rectors |N/A

| - by rector |

|support team members |N/A

| - by support team |

| rector |

number weekenders | 36 maximum | 30 at present (36

| | ideal

team introduction |all team standsbriefly|all team stands briefly

to weekenders |on Thursday night |on Thursday night

|palanca team - Friday |kitchen - Sunday lunch

|eveningbefore stations|(meal servers sign

|of the cross |posters at each meal to |kitchen team - Friday |show support

|breakfast |

|4th day team -Saturday|

|lunch |

general team duties|rollo room - rollos, |rector - trains team,

|table leaders, posters|assigns rollos, runs 3

|chapel visits, grace |days

|the weekenders any way|head cha cha - keeps

|possible |everything on time,

|palanca - prayer team,|runs 3 days with rector

|rollista send-offs, |table leaders - gives

|Eucharists, stations |rollos, lead tables, do

|of the cross, flowers,|chapel palanca

|banners,clean bathroom|cha chas - keep rollo |kitchen - prepares & |neat & clean, serve |serves meals, serves |rollo room snacks, hold

|rollo room snacks, |doors, clean bathrooms,

|introduces"De Colores"|do chapel palanca, give

|to weekenders |skit on Saturday decuria

|fourth day - supply |head cook - prepares all

|team, set-up, tear- |meals as instructed by

|down, receives & |secretariat menu

|distributes palanca, |outside community - set- |interacts with 4th day|up, tear-down, serve

|community |meals, serenade Saturday

|outside community - |eve, closing, send-off |palancas service to |under direction of |weekend by previous |physical arrangements

|arrangement, Sunday |

|evening serenade |

number of team that| 54-56 team members | 27 team members

stays at site | |

outside help on | as is given - varies| 100-200 come

weekend | with weekends | throughout weekend

weekend supplies |own 2 supply trailers |1 supply trailer -

|which aremoved between|responsibility of

|sites by semi-tractors|physical arrangements

|each trailer contains |chairperson

|100 mattresses,6 round|

|tables, paper supplies|

|candles, banners,rollo|

|room songbooks, Bibles|

|& crosses to be given,|

|portable showers,agape|

|water & wine goblets, |

|carpet squares for |

|chapel visits, etc. |

|(no perishables) |

food cost/weekend | $1475 (average) | $800

team service how |recommended once a | same

often? |year, unless called to|

|leadership |

how often can |once, unless helping a| same

rector serve as |new area get started -|

rector? |then experience |

|recommended |

facility fee |$300 per pair of | $500

|weekends - paid before|

|the weekend occurs |