Director’s Corner
Six weeks into serving in this new role at VIA I’m grateful and anticipatory. As I sink into relationships and the day-to-day operations of the organization, I see the faithfulness, generosity and compassion that undergirds it. My goal is to navigate, in partnership with the board, this leadership transition with care and concern for the people and the organization so that VIA is increasingly healthy and resilient. Transition expert Bill Bridges wisely described the second phase of transition as “The Neutral Zone”, the in-between time after change is initiated, but the new isn’t fully operational. I’m enjoying this space of learning the organization, developing relationships, assessing, and innovating towards VIA’s fresh identity.
The staff and I spent our first morning together sharing around the themes of “highlights, hardships, and hopes” - related to our personal lives as well as our work with VIA. We walked the prayer walk together at Mother Cabrini Shrine with periodic stops to pray for each other, VIA and the Denver metro community. Our anchoring scripture was Psalm 62. David affirms his absolute reliance on God in verses 5-8:
Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
Dallas Willard said, “Prayer is talking with God about what we’re thinking and doing together; it is co-laboring with God to accomplish the good purposes of his Kingdom.” This perspective reminds us that prayer is a posture of complete reliance on God. It flows out of our relationship with God - an unceasing conversation with God throughout the day. Willard emphasizes the importance of this integrated perspective on prayer when he said, “Don’t seek to develop a prayer life - seek a praying life.”
At VIA we are co-laboring with God to accomplish a Kingdom-vision. Please join us in talking with God about what we are doing together. You can do this in a couple of ways. We ask that as you go about your days, you entrust VIA - its purpose, people, and plans - to God. We are also working on gathering a group to meet monthly for an hour to pray specifically for VIA. I’ll be facilitating this one-hour, once-a-month prayer time. Please reach out to me (deone@viadenver.org) if you are interested in serving VIA in this way.
May God go before us as we serve together!
Deone
