SPONSOR GUIDELINES FOR VIA DE CRISTO WEEKENDS

· Before you become a sponsor, you should have a home church, and attend a reunion group and Ultreyas.  You should be prepared to stay in close contact with your candidate for up to one year.  Be sensitive to the length of time a candidate wants support.  In order to carry out the duties of being a sponsor, you may want to sponsor only on a weekend you are not working.  Ask the Lord for guidance and help to enable you to carry out your responsibilities.

· Via de Cristo is for adults, 18 and over, and is an experience for both men and women. For couples, both spouses are encouraged to attend and the husband is strongly encouraged to attend before his wife. Men’s weekends occur prior to the ladies weekend and the couple will have the same weekend Number.

· Single, widowed and divorced candidates are also welcome to attend Via de Cristo weekends.

· Candidates should be recognized as capable or potential leaders, with a strong and balanced personality and the potential to influence their environment. It is preferred that candidates have a specific church home.

· Practice gentleness and patience when inviting candidates (especially clergy) to attend a weekend.

· Via de Cristo movement is one of many instruments for Christian growth. It is not in competition with other ministries. Always remember to practice humility and avoid a "holier than thou" attitude.

· It is important to “practice what we preach,” especially regarding group reunions, Ultreyas and evangelizing in our environments. Via de Cristo does not pretend, nor is it able, to provide a complete course in Christianity in just three days. The “fourth day” is the most important. When our weekend is over, we have not “arrived” at our destination. Rather, with God’s grace, our journey will continue along “the Way of Christ” for a lifetime.

· Explain! Explain! Explain to your candidate the purpose of Via de Cristo and that complete weekend attendance is expected.  Explain the start and end times of the weekend.  Explain reunion groups and Ultreya. 

· Avoid the Spanish terms used in the Via de Cristo movement when talking with those who have not yet attended a weekend. Terms like rollo, Cursillista or palanca can intimidate prospective candidates by making it seem like a “secret society” with its own “language.” Be open and answer all questions honestly, there are no secrets in Via de Cristo,

· Explain that a Via de Cristo weekend is not a retreat based on quiet contemplation. Although there is a time for that, the weekend is an active encounter with Christ through prayer, listening to others, discussion and participation.

· When you emphasize the benefits of Via de Cristo movement, remind your candidate that Via de Cristo is not a church. Nothing in the movement is meant to separate anyone from their church or denomination. Don’t create the impression Via de Cristo is necessary for "true faith" or salvation.

· As a sponsor you have certain obligations to fulfill. The primary role of the sponsor is to support the new candidate in every way possible.  Whether making sure the candidate gets to the sendoff, attending closing, perhaps taking care of children or pets, obtaining palanca, assisting with finding a reunion group, assisting in attending an Ultreya, etc.; the most important thing we can do is lift up the candidate and their family in prayer. 

· To understand sponsorship more in depth, you may benefit from attending a Sonbeam Via de Cristo Community Leader’s Workshop on sponsoring. 

· If considering sponsoring someone a weekend, please print the Sponsor and Candidate Application documents from the Website (www.SonbeamVDC.org) and make copies as needed. Study them and pray about the candidate you wish to sponsor.  Then, after you have determined this person would be a good candidate, fill out the sponsor form and have them fill out the Candidate Application Form.