October Reflections (Updated with Day of ThanksGIVING)

Dear Friends,

What a wonderful Sunday celebrating five birthdays in our family this past weekend! The day was filled with laughter, food, and so much fun! Of course, the Eagles game was a highlight (as always!) We had a great lunch, birthday cake, took family photos, and later came back together for pizza in the evening. I am so grateful for meaningful family time with everyone being present! What a blessing!

We also had a blast cheering on our grandsons at their football game at Garden Spot High School! These two brothers are amazing athletes—Jude played several different positions and Isaiah, our quarterback, absolutely lit up the field! He threw two long passes for touchdowns and ran the ball in for two more! What an exciting game! Needless to say, we were some very proud grandparents, celebrating every play!

This past month at Cavod has been full and exciting as well! We were thrilled to have floats in both the New Holland and Manheim parades. What a joy to see Cavod’s dancing float proclaiming Jesus and bringing life to the streets! Our dancers from our outreach team, Citylight Dance Theatre, danced their hearts out with such passion, while parents, kids, and staff, walked alongside handing out flyers. It was incredible to witness people cheering on the goodness of God as these young girls danced to praise His name!

Enjoy this video of the pieces that we did on the float! We had an international theme.

Last Saturday, we had an all-day photo shoot—from morning till night—capturing incredible photos of our students in dance, music, and theatre. A huge thank you to our talented son Aaron Dienner, who photographed the entire day! He understands dance so beautifully and captured such stunning moments. New photos coming soon!

We also had the privilege to attend “Inspire”, hosted by Sight and Sound. This is a free event for non-profit leaders and pastors with a refreshing time of worship, the show “Noah” and dinner! THANK YOU SIGHT AND SOUND! What a lovely event! We were so blessed! 

In addition to all of this, we are thrilled to be hosting another Day of ThanksGIVING on Friday, November 7th! This is a special day when we come together to raise funds for Cavod. Our goal this year is $80,000, and we will have matching funds—so every gift donated that day will be doubled! You can give online at cavod.org, where every donation will be matched up to $80,000. Please also join us for an evening of celebration at the Cavod Theatre, with a giving stations, featured performances, free food, a dance party with a DJ, and ending the night with a powerful time of worship. It’s always such a joyful event as we celebrate all that God is doing! I invite you to prayerfully consider how you can help us reach our goal on November 7th—a one-day opportunity to keep this ministry thriving and impacting lives across the county and beyond. CLICK HERE, TO GIVE!  Every dollar, no matter how big or small, makes a difference! Thank you in advance for being part of this important day!

We also had a special reception at our Manheim location on Wednesday evening to share the vision with donors for our new 6,000-square-foot space right next door! We enjoyed wonderful hors d’oeuvres catered by Two Peas in A Pot. It was exciting to walk through the plans—a black box theater, two studios, three private lesson rooms, a welcoming foyer, and backstage areas. Truly, this is above and beyond what we could ever do on our own and we are trusting God fully as we prepare to kick off the construction campaign in January with an $800,000 goal. It will take a miracle—but we serve a miracle-working God! (I totally forgot to take pics!)

The Lord reminded me this morning of Ephesians 3:20:

“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.”

What stood out to me is “the power that works in us.” It’s not by our own strength, but by God’s Spirit working through us that we see the supernatural and things beyond ourselves. As we walk in grace and trust, we see His hand at work… transforming lives and doing miracles only He can do! So, be encouraged today, my friends. Trust Him day by day. Expect miracles in your life and family! He is a good Father!

“Lord, we commit our lives to You in a fresh way. Our hope is in You! Do more than we could ever ask or imagine, and bring restoration to the broken places in our lives, our families, and loved ones. We are overwhelmed with your faithfulness and love for each of us! We love you Jesus! In Jesus Name, Amen.“

Have a wonderful week, my friends. Grab a cup of coffee, smile, and encourage someone today!

With love,

Connie Dienner

Executive Director