Three Days That Can Change Your Life
Via de Cristo has touched lives all around the world, but the beauty of it is how personal each weekend feels. You can step away from your busy life and have time to grow closer to Christ, and experience God’s grace in a way that can truly change your life.
About Via de Cristo
Via de Cristo means “Way of Christ” in Spanish.
A Via de Cristo weekend is a three-day retreat designed to strengthen your relationship with Christ and your connection to others. It’s not a “conference” or “class”—it’s more like a mix of worship, talks, small-group discussions, prayer, and lots of fellowship.
Each day has a rhythm: you’ll hear short talks from pastors and lay people, spend time reflecting on how faith connects to everyday life, and share with others around the table. There’s also plenty of worship, laughter, and encouragement along the way.
It’s not meant to be the end of your journey, but a launching point—helping you return home with a renewed sense of God’s love and a clearer vision for living your faith in your family, church, and community.
Via de Cristo of Western Washington had its beginning in the spring of 2003. The following individuals: Ron Millard (National Lutheran Secretariat Outreach Chairman), Pastor Ken Wyneken (King of Kings Lutheran Church in Renton, WA), Ron and Linda Becker, Mary Olson and Blake and Jan Ozias were the first to meet to start the process.
We were incorporated as a non-profit organization in February 2004, and conducted its first weekend in October 2004 -- a coed weekend attended by 12 pilgrims. The team that produced the weekend was comprised of Fourth Day community members from western Washington, Arizona, California and Utah.
Our Leadership
Secretariat Board
secretariatvdcww@gmail.com
Lay Director - Theresa Lui-Kwan
Spiritual Director - Coe Hutchison
Spiritual Director - Ken Wyneken
Secretary - Terri Hahn
Treasurer - Teri Aprill-McGourty
Palanca - Donna Chow
Music - Evie Lui-Kwan
Fourth Day - Gerald Lui-Kwan
Email - Marcia Newman
Facebook - Claudia Baillargeon
Website - Mary Olson
Training - Margaret Wyneken
PreWeekend - Lesley Hooker
Hear from Others
Via de Cristo is a personal choice to deepen ones faith with Christ. Hear from others who have taken this journey.
The History Of Via de Cristo
How Via de Cristo got started
The roots of Via de Cristo go back to the late 1940s, when a movement called Cursillo® began in the Spanish Catholic Church. It made its way to the United States in the late 1950s and eventually found a home in the Lutheran Church in 1971. That year, both lay people and clergy from Iowa and Florida attended a Catholic Cursillo weekend—and they brought the experience back with them. By 1972, the first Lutheran-led weekends were held in Iowa and Florida. Since then, the movement has grown across the U.S., taking place in over 25 states and even reaching some international communities. Via de Cristo is the Lutheran expression of this powerful faith-building weekend, and today, similar movements can be found in other denominations, including the Episcopal, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Reformed churches. In 1986, the National Lutheran Secretariat—which represented all Lutheran Cursillo groups—voted to become an ecumenical community and adopted the name Via de Cristo, which means “Way of Christ.”
History of Cursillo
Cursillo began in Spain in 1944 as a simple yet powerful lay movement to renew faith during a difficult time. It made its way to the U.S. in the late 1950s, growing rapidly across the country and becoming an official part of the Catholic Church. By the 1960s, it had expanded to English-speaking communities and established national and international offices. Today, Cursillo is a global movement with vibrant communities on every continent. A favorite tradition is the joyful greeting “De Colores,” meaning “in colors,” which reflects the bright spirit and joy found in this movement.
Additional 3-Day Movements
The Cursillo method has inspired many other retreat and renewal programs across different Christian traditions. Some of these include Alpha, Encounter, Antioch, Search (for high school students), Awakening (college students), Cum Christo, DeColores (adult ecumenical), Happening, The Journey (United Church of Christ), Kairos Prison Ministry, Gennesaret (for those with serious illness), Koinonia, Lamplighter Ministries, Teens Encounter Christ (TEC), Tres Dias, Unidos en Cristo, Via de Cristo (Lutheran adults), Chrysalis Flight (Methodist youth), and Walk to Emmaus (Methodist adults).
For more information check out our FAQs
® Cursillo is a registered trademark of the National Cursillo Center.