In this special youth episode of With Generous Hearts, host Danielle DeNise speaks with Savannah Jane Williams and Walker Simerville, who recently walked the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage in Spain. They reflect on how this sacred journey shaped their faith and their understanding of perseverance and generosity. The Camino provides!  



What began as a physical challenge became a deeply spiritual experience. Through sore feet and soul-deep conversations, Walker and Savannah Jane share the ways they discovered God in community here at Christ Church and with neighbors from all over the world on the Camino.  

EYC has had a fantastic year and in 2024 saw a 266% increase in average attendance. EYC gathers on 2nd and 4th Sunday evenings for dinner, games, small groups and Compline. Want more numbers?  

• 118 Books of Common Prayer given to confirmands;
• 56 volunteers across all youth program offerings;
• 1,248 of Alice’s homemade chocolate chip cookies eaten;
• 4,300 donut holes eaten on Sunday mornings

When Walker was asked what makes Christ Church irresistible, he didn’t mention the building or the programs. He simply said, “Alice and Savannah Jane.” For him, it’s the people who have walked beside him in faith and shaped the community that changed his life.

The largest part of our church’s operating budget is devoted to staff. That’s not just about salaries—it’s about making sure that people like Alice and Savannah Jane, and all of our staff, can continue to be present with us. Your giving makes it possible for our staff to guide our children, comfort us in grief, rejoice with us in joy, and lead us in worship.

When we give, we’re investing in the people who make Christ Church a place of love and belonging.

Check your mail this week for more information about the 2026 campaign.

Has Walker’s story inspired you? Do you know a student in 10th or 11th grade? Join us on the Camino in the summer of 2026. Try the Russian potato salad, experience the unexpected gift of encountering God in the silence, and celebrate with joy as you arrive in the Cathedral. Space is limited. Registration is due October 1.

Gracious God, you are ever near to me; grant me a sure sense of your presence, that, knowing the gift of your steadfast love, I may share it freely with all whom I encounter; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.