Many of you reading this have known me for a long time. Some of you have been part of Christ in the Rockies from the early days. Others have come along the way through camps, retreats, volunteering, support, conversations, or these one-pagers. Because of that shared history, I want to share with you as if we were sitting together over coffee.
The end of 2024 and much of 2025 have been a difficult stretch, both for me personally and for Christ in the Rockies. Some of the difficulty has come from changes in my own thinking and understanding of faith. Over the past years, my framework has become more inclusive, and that has not always been easy for everyone around me. I have lost some long and meaningful friendships, and the ministry has felt the loss of financial support. Plans we once had for succession have not unfolded the way we expected.
Most of us, if we have lived long enough, know what it feels like when something we love shifts in ways we did not plan. Disappointment, grief, and uncertainty are not strangers to any of us. This past year has reminded me that life keeps asking us to let go of what we thought the future would look like.
Our board met recently, and I spoke very openly about this season. What I heard in return was not discouragement, but hope. Together, we sensed that this is the beginning of a transition into the next phase of Christ in the Rockies. Over the coming months, you will notice some changes. We will share those gradually within these weekly one-pagers. You will see a short note marked CITR Update, where I will include you in knowing what this transition is looking like.
In clear but yet undefined terms, we sense a move away from large scheduled camps and toward smaller on-demand retreat experiences, writing, teaching, and communication. We also hope to complete our third book, with possibly a fourth book to round out our ministry offering.
CITR has never been about programs alone. It has always been about people, relationships, and the shared search for what is true and life-giving. This past year has been hard, but it has also reminded me that new life often begins quietly, in places we would not have chosen, but are given anyway.
Thank you for continuing to walk with us.
Mike