| About
East Texas Tres Dias |
East Texas Tres Dias is part of a world wide Christian Renewal
movement described below. East Texas Tres Dias began from several
people attending a similar weekend at North Texas Tres dias over 6
years ago. |
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History of
the Tres Dias Movement |
Tres Dias traces its ancestry through Cursillo.
Cursillo had its beginnings amid the turmoil and destruction of
civil warfare and of the Second World War, which left Spain with
empty churches and a sense of aimlessness and diminished dreams.
Late in the 1940's, a sense of revival was stirring within the
Roman Catholic Church. Small groups of friends in various
Catholic action groups began to share their faith regularly to
help one another. Pilgrimages were organized whereby men and
women could rededicate their lives toward Christian ideals.
Bishop Juan Hervas, who was active in action groups and renewal
activities with the men on the island of Majorca, and Eduardo
Bonin, who was involved with organizing pilgrimages, met through
these sharing groups. They began to see how the church could
benefit and the lives of people could be changed through
studying and sharing their lives in Christ.
With a broadening vision of what these small sharing groups
(reunion groups) could accomplish, weekly meetings produced
periodic retreats where the reality of living a Christian life
was intensely taught and experienced through support by reunion
groups. These retreats became known as Cursillo de Christiandad,
which means "short course in Christianity." Originally the
retreats grew out of the reunion groups!
There were few men in the Church after the tragedy of war in
Spain. One prime objective in the early years was to revitalize
the church by bringing men back into the activities of the
church.
The Cursillo movement was confined to Spanish speaking countries
until the late 1950's when a group of men from the Spanish Air
Force, who were in training in Texas, and were in a Reunion
Group, conducted the first Cursillo in the United States. Among
the Spanish-speaking people the movement began to spread across
the United States. The first English speaking Cursillo was held
in the early 1960's.
Protestants who attended the weekends, saw the need to make the
experience available to other Protestants. This led to the
development of the interdenominational Tres Dias. The first Tres
Dias weekend was held in Newburgh, New York, November 2-5, 1972.
Dave McManigal was its rector. He was a Protestant who had
attended a Roman Catholic Cursillo and was led to be
instrumental in forming Tres Dias That weekend, then as now, was
open to all Christian traditions.
Others involved in starting Tres Dias were Helmut Maier; and Bob
and Mary Essert. Starting from the Mid-Hudson community in
Newburgh/Poughkeepsie, New York, the movement spread rapidly.
Pittsburgh was the second community; then Fairfield County,
Connecticut, Northern New Jersey, Long Island, Maine, Central
Connecticut, New Hampshire, and South Hudson.
In the Spring of 1979, with the encouragement of the Mid-Hudson
Secretariat, John McKinney formed an ad hoc "National"
secretariat with Jim Thornley, Anton Wellbrock, Gerry Hoernes,
and Bob Decker. That group produced initial drafts of a
"National" constitution and "Essentials of Tres Dias". All other
communities were invited to participate and refine the drafts.
On July 11, 1980, at Poughkeepsie, NY, the constitution and
essentials were ratified and adopted by all of the above listed
communities. The Tres Dias organization was formed as a national
organization. The secretariats of the communities were chartered
as local secretariats. John McKinney was the first president.
Subsequently, Tres Dias was incorporated as a not-for-profit
corporation in New York state ... and was recognized by the
Internal Revenue Service.
A "charter" member of the first National/International Tres
Dias Secretariat, Peter Scharfenberg, labored for more than two
decades ... stocking and shipping manuals and materials to Tres
Dias people all over the world.
In 1985 Tres Dias became INTERNATIONAL when communities were
chartered in Korea and Germany.
Tens of thousands of people have made the weekend and tens of
thousands of lives have become more committed to serving our
Lord Jesus.
The reporters of this history pray that Tres Dias will continue
to be faithful to God's spirit. May the people who have made a
Tres Dias, be among the Christian leaders God uses to revitalize
his people. |
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The Blueletter Bible is an awesome online bible with different
versions and so much to help aide in your study of The Word of God!
www.blueletterbible.org
ETTD Board Meetings are held the first Thursday of each month at
Percilla Community Church . Join us at
6:30pm! Everyone is welcome!
East Texas Tres Dias News
Stay up to date on your community and see what's happening!!!
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