Sep 16 2026 The First Byzantine Church to Embrace ChristLife By: Dianne Davis I am happy to share some exciting news from Our Lady of Wisdom Byzantine Catholic Church in Las Vegas, Nevada. This past January, our parish made history by becoming the first Byzantine Catholic church to begin the ChristLife evangelization process. The pastor, Fr. Nathan Adams, enthusiastically supported this initiative and his wife, Ali, has been indispensable in implementing ChristLife. In Redemptoris Missio, Pope St. John Paul II speaks to the importance of the initial proclamation of the Gospel shared in Discovering Christ: “In the complex reality of mission, initial proclamation has a central and irreplaceable role, since it introduces man into the mystery of the love of God, who invites him to enter into a personal relationship with himself in Christ and opens the way to conversion.” Fr. Nathan said it perfectly: “Without understanding the foundation of the kerygma one cannot appreciate the ornamentation of the Byzantine Church.” Nearly 60 participants and team members journeyed through Discovering Christ at Our Lady of Wisdom over seven weeks plus a retreat day. Each week they gathered for a delicious dinner, prayer, a dynamic video teaching, and small-group discussion. Participants ranged in age from 20 to 80 and included longtime parishioners as well as Muslims, agnostics, lapsed Catholics, and several who were not yet baptized. The Lord worked in wonderful ways. Here are a few of the inspiring testimonies we received. Vincent shared: “My relationship with Jesus was present before Discovering Christ, but now it’s alive. I have never had this much joy to enter the Lenten season.” Megan, a young adult who had stopped attending church, said: “Discovering Christ has made me closer to Jesus, prayer and the Church. I went back to confession for the first time in 10 years after session 4 of Discovering Christ.” Deacon Stephen Melancon, who facilitated a table discussion with his wife Betsy, wrote: “What I had sometimes seen take years in evangelization happened in just five weeks. Truly amazing!” Ali, who also facilitated one of the small groups, shared: “People at the table I facilitated expressed to me that throughout the course they felt part of something bigger. A few told me their understanding of the Gospel now had clarity and they felt God’s love for them more than they ever had.” One of the most powerful stories came from Bree, a young woman who was invited to Discovering Christ. She was not baptized and had no knowledge of the Catholic faith. She wrote: “I didn’t have a relationship with Jesus before, but now He is the center of my life.” Bree has now joined OCIA at our parish! We look forward to continuing with Following Christ this September and Sharing Christ at a later date. Please join us in praying for open doors for ChristLife and the Catholic Eastern Rite churches.
Sep 01 2026 Leadership Transitions Brothers and sisters in Christ, I want to share some good news: Pete Ascosi has been given the responsibility as Executive Director of ChristLife. Pete, our dear brother, has served in ChristLife for the past 21 years. Over these years we have been sincerely blessed to witness his growth in so many ways as a husband, father, brother, servant leader, and true missionary in Christ. He faithfully manages our office team and various committees, helps with content development, and is a gifted teacher. Our dear brother carries the charism that the Lord has entrusted to ChristLife to serve the Church for the salvation of souls. That charism is seen, heard, and experienced by many who have participated in the ChristLife relational process. I, Dave, will continue to serve as founder and senior leader of ChristLife. We thank God for the mission He has entrusted us: to help others discover, follow, and share the Lord Jesus and to equip them to become missionary disciples. We thank Him especially for you, our partners in this great work. Your brother in our Lord Jesus,Dave NodarFounder and Senior Leader Message from the Executive Director I’m so very grateful to God for calling me to be a part of ChristLife 21 years ago. I have especially benefited from the faith and life witness of Dave Nodar and Leo Rudegeair, as well as many incredible staff and volunteers over the years. Their evident love for God continually spurs me on “to love and good works” (Hebrews 10:24). ChristLife’s impact on my marriage with Ally and on our family has been transformative, thanks be to God. It has fueled our passion for the Lord and our commitment to evangelization. As I step into this leadership role, I look forward to sharing the charism of ChristLife with a new generation. Please pray for me, that “I may accomplish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). Fraternally, your brother in Christ,Pete Ascosi
Mar 18 2026 Winter 2026 Founder’s Letter Dear brothers and sisters, I remember seeing the story of a father sharing with his child how much he loved him. He said, “Do you know how much I love you?” And he held his hands out in front of him, several inches apart asking the child, “This much?” And then said to the child, “No, I love you much more!” “Do I love you this much?” he asked the child again, as he put his hands a couple of feet apart. “No, I love you more!” He continued to expand the distance between his hands, each time saying, “No, I love you more than that!” Finally, with his arms completely outstretched, the father said, “This is how much I love you!” He then gave his child a great big hug. Recently while gazing at an image of Jesus crucified, I was reminded of this father’s question, “How much do I love you?” When we gaze upon Christ Jesus crucified, we see how much God loves us. His arms are completely outstretched in order to carry our sins and in his suffering to reconcile us to the Father. This is how much the Father truly loves us: you, me, and all of humanity. He loves his children completely. As we approach the season of Lent, let us set apart time to praise and worship the Lord who has given everything to make us his own, to save us. Let us take time in adoration to surrender our lives to him so that we might “live no longer for ourselves but for him who for our sake died and was raised.” (2 Corinthians 5:14) Let us share the most wonderful news of the God who loves us and has given everything so that we might be his! Blessings in the abundance of his merciful love, Dave Nodar ChristLife Founder and Senior Leader
Mar 12 2026 When God Underlines Scripture When we read Scripture with the expectation that God wants to speak to us through His living Word, often the Holy Spirit underlines something for you to pay attention to specifically. In this video, Dave shares how to be more attentive to this movement of the Holy Spirit and tips for memorizing these key Scriptures.
Feb 26 2026 The Father’s Longing For You We read many stories of God’s great love for His people in the Scriptures. We find one such example in Luke 15 where Jesus gives us the parables of lost things: sheep, coin, and son. In these parables, Jesus tells us about the love of God the Father and how He longs for us to be united with Him. In his recent video, Dave Nodar shares a few reflections on this topic.
