Grace, peace, and mercy from God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit

I am humbled to be your President for these are truly exciting times. Don't you just love it when someone is elected to an office, or running for an office, says: These are truly exciting times! Well, of course they are - for them - because they are starting a new journey. But, what about for the organization or constituency? Times when only time will tell how exciting it might get! I believe and know that God is doing mighty things through His people and through the gifts and talents He has given His church. Our three day weekends, our spiritual renewals, are a reminder of our continual walk with God and an opportunity for us to discover anew, or reminded again of God's unfailing love.

Our recent annual meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina was amazing! Again, don't you just love it when someone says a meeting was amazing! Except it truly was because once again we witnessed God touching lives. The Host Committee and their team did a fantastic job making us fell welcome and taking care of us during our time on the campus of Queens University of Charlotte. The Executive Board prepared a wonderful program providing insight into where we have been (it was the 25th Anniversary of Via de Cristo) and how that history prepares us for the future. Through it all, God was present: in worship services, in forums, in small group activities, and in gatherings of people: large and small.

Several threads ran through the annual meeting. God's love for His people was ever-present. One I found very telling was relationship. We all know there are three important things in real estate: location - location - location. I was once again reminded that there three words vital to ministry: relationship - relationship - relationship. Our first relationship is with God: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord for being part of our lives and for being part of every Via de Cristo activity. The second relationship is with our family: physical and spiritual. As we more fully grasp God's love for us, we come to love those relatives that may not be so easy to love and our brothers and sisters in Christ that may not appear to be so easy to love. The third relationship is we grow in God is our ability to take love and grace into the places and spaces where we find ourselves. Often times that is difficult - but - we trust God has gone before us. Thank you Lord for your assurance.

Thanks to the Host Committee and the past National Lutheran Secretariat Executive Board for a wonderful reminder of how much God has prepared us for our coming journey. I am confident in God's promise that He will never leave us or forsake us. Through this promise we can be certain that God loves us.

Blessings -

Ed