By this time Heart of Illinois Via de Cristo had become incorporated and joined the NLS.
After many months of planning, it was decided it was finally time to "bite the bullet" and get serious about having our first set of weekends.
Those took place in April of 1998. We had some team members from the local Cursillo© movement and some folks from Living Water
Via de Cristo in Northern Illinois.
Our Mission Statement:
It is: Through the Word and the Spirit we empower Christians in their calling to worship, study, and share Christ in their daily lives.
More About Our Weekends:
Heart of Illinois Via de Cristo holds two sets of weekends per year; a set in the spring and another in the fall. Although there are some movements
who hold co-ed weekends, so far we are set up exclusively for separate men and women's weekends.
Our weekend sendoff and closings (clausuras) are held at Faith Lutheran Church in Washington, IL. Sendoff events begin on Thursday evening
around 6:15 or so when sponsors bring their candidates for signing in. Snacks are available until approximately 7:15 (or whenever the last candidate
has signed in), and then the sendoff ceremony begins. After the names of those going on the weekend are called and they have boarded our luxurious limousines, the community sings All in Color as the vans prepare to leave. After the vans leave, the community returns to the sanctuary for a service where the crosses the candidates will receive Sunday will be prayed over by the sponsors and the community. Our closings begin about 4:30 Sunday afternoon when the vans return to Faith Lutheran from East Bay Camp. Information on our next weekends may be found here.
Significant Dates and Events in the Life of Heart of Illinois Via de Cristo:
Late 1996 and early 1997--The foundations for HOIVdC were developed and laid by a group of 4 dedicated people. This original group of people had made their weekends at Heart of Florida Via de Cristo.
1997--Heart of Illinois Via de Cristo joins the National Lutheran Secretariat (NLS) of Via de Cristo. The NLS is the leadership group of the Via de Cristo movement worldwide.
August, 1997--The very first ultreya was held. It wasn’t known if 5 or 50 might show up, but the actual count was 15. From the attendees at that first ultreya, other leaders for the secretariat were discovered. Ultreyas have been held on a regular basis ever since.
April, 1998--During late 1997 and early 1998, dates were set and a retreat center reserved for the first HOIVdC weekends which were held in April, 1998.
Fall of 1998--Men’s weekend #2 in the fall of 1998 didn’t have enough participants, so the weekend was postponed until spring 1999.
April, 2001--Women’s weekend #7 had 22 participants, which today remains the largest number of candidates for a weekend so far, either men or women.
2003--A nice equipment trailer was purchased, which now allows us to move supplies more easily for each weekend.
2005--First summer weekend held.
Established 1997
Promoting and practicing piety, study and action in Central Illinois
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful,
and kindle in us the fire
of your love.
Send forth your Spirit, and we shall
be created, and you shall renew
the face of the earth.
O God, who by the light of the Holy
Spirit instructs the hearts of the
faithful, grant that by the same
Holy Spirit we may be truly wise
and ever rejoice in his consolations;
through Christ our Lord. Amen
and kindle in us the fire
of your love.
Send forth your Spirit, and we shall
be created, and you shall renew
the face of the earth.
O God, who by the light of the Holy
Spirit instructs the hearts of the
faithful, grant that by the same
Holy Spirit we may be truly wise
and ever rejoice in his consolations;
through Christ our Lord. Amen
Click image for detailed
weather information for
the Peoria IL area
weather information for
the Peoria IL area
Land of Lincoln,
land of corn fields,
and land of...
land of corn fields,
and land of...
CT
Our Beginnings:
In October of 1996, four adventerous souls traveled to Heart of Florida to experience Via de Cristo weekends there. Upon their return, Pastor Mark Boster, Chuck Dixon, Keith Feigum and Ron Millard decided that similar weekends here in the heart of Illinois would be beneficial, and so the wheels were put in motion. An initial secretariat was formed, contacts were made with the national office of Via de Cristo, a trip to the annual NLS (National Lutheran Secretariat) assembly was made, and the first ultreya was set up for August of 1997.
There were many attendees at our first ultreya who were very interested in helping out in any way possible, so additional persons were added to our secretariat and an ultreya schedule was developed. Each ultreya found additional people wanting to help.
In October of 1996, four adventerous souls traveled to Heart of Florida to experience Via de Cristo weekends there. Upon their return, Pastor Mark Boster, Chuck Dixon, Keith Feigum and Ron Millard decided that similar weekends here in the heart of Illinois would be beneficial, and so the wheels were put in motion. An initial secretariat was formed, contacts were made with the national office of Via de Cristo, a trip to the annual NLS (National Lutheran Secretariat) assembly was made, and the first ultreya was set up for August of 1997.
There were many attendees at our first ultreya who were very interested in helping out in any way possible, so additional persons were added to our secretariat and an ultreya schedule was developed. Each ultreya found additional people wanting to help.
More About
Heart of Illinois
Via de Cristo
Heart of Illinois
Via de Cristo
Heart of Illinois
Via de Cristo
Via de Cristo
Our Beginnings:
In October of 1996, four adventerous souls traveled to Heart of Florida to experience Via de Cristo weekends there. Upon
In October of 1996, four adventerous souls traveled to Heart of Florida to experience Via de Cristo weekends there. Upon
