LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Mark 12:30 NIV
Word for the Month is LOVE!
Love - how apropos for that to be our word of the month...since at this writing we’ve just returned from attending the funeral of one of my best friends of nearly 40 years, who lost a very short battle with cancer. Donnie left a wife, 13 year old daughter and 10 year old son. Even through all the hurt, sorrow and the inevitable question of “why” - one can clearly see the love and the hand of God written all over this. Yes we saw Christian love expressed to the family in so many ways, and even to us as dear friends - but more importantly we saw God’s loving hand in the events leading up to this man’s passing, including the way he lived his life. He truly loved life and those around him.
He experienced many of the evils of this world first hand, yet went out of his way to make sure others were protected from them. He strived to ensure everyone had a pleasurable and joyous experience, no matter what the setting. Was a storyteller, who always insisted upon all aspects of the story being told with extreme accuracy. He studied intently, as well as had a great appreciation of nature and the rhythm of God’s creation. He was humble and had no real desire for material things; friends, fellowship and youth development were more important. His status was unimportant, but your status was of utmost importance!
Pretty much an excellent description of God’s love - He protects us from things, most of which we’re unaware. He wants the best of us in all situations, yet is always there to prop us up when things don’t go as planned. The real truth is in His story. His creation, an awesome display of His love for us, is here for us to enjoy. Jesus left His place in Heaven to come down and live humbly among us, to experience firsthand what each of us does daily. And then Jesus gave His life for us, that’s why He came! True love!
Cherish all those who God has so richly blessed you with...thank Him daily for those blessings called friends! And be sure and share His love story as you’ve experienced it, with them by the way you live.
De Colores!
Look forward to seeing you at the Gathering on February 5th!
Doug Shepherd
2011 E’town Emmaus Community Lay Director
Reunion Groups
“Day Four Book – The Pilgrim’s Continued Journey”
Once we have returned to our everyday world after a Walk, it does not take long todiscover that it is pretty tough to go it alone. Contact with supportive Christians keeps us in touch with God’s power and love. The Reunion Group is a way to “persevere” together in the life of grace.
The Group Reunion Cards guide each weekly meeting with questions concerning the “fourth day” journey. Sharing moments of the past week helps focus our hearts on when we felt the closest to Christ,
when we responded to God’s call to be a disciple, and when we did not. Members discuss their plans for the upcoming week. Prayer concerns and praises are shared – even if they are “unspoken”. ….God knows.
Reunion Groups also make “agape” items for the upcoming walks, and pray about sponsorship and new pilgrims.
Is God tugging at your heart to visit a Reunion Group? Maybe visit more than one? Think about it. Pray about it. Please let me know if I can be of any help.
Patricia Morgan Dile - Reunion Groups Coordinator
R- Real. Get Real with God
E- Everyone/Every Week
U- Unity
N- Need Support? Accountability?
I- Individual Relationship with Christ
O- Open to God and Others
N- New Year/New Start!
Board Happenings
Your E’town Emmaus Board of Directors had a full agenda at their January meeting - the following is a brief overview of actions taken.
∙Peggy Salmon re-elected as Board Secretary, Steve Hart re-elected as Treasurer.
∙The following members were appointed to a committee to review the E’town Emmaus By-laws and previous minutes in an effort to make sure all Board policies are reflected in current materials. Chuck Darland, Peggy Salmon, Sabrina Brock and Sarah Hart.
∙Approved an In house audit committee of Johnny Scott - chair, Bobby Smith and Steve Hart.
∙E’town Emmaus owned sound equipment will now be securely stored between walks at Grace Heartland Church. If you have borrowed and not yet returned any Emmaus sound equipment, please contact Greg Bolton or Arnel Megino. We still have some unaccounted for equipment.
∙In an effort to decrease escalating postage fees, we’re asking those Community members that have email, to consider receiving the monthly Emmaus newsletter in electronic format. Forms will be made available at all Gatherings for you to select the preferred manner in which you’d like to receive the newsletter. Or you can email Larry Holthouser at with your preference.
Sponsorship
“The Most Important Job in our Emmaus Community”
Has God laid someone’s name on your heart to offer the gift of Emmaus to this spring? If so, have you prayed about it? Have you made that initial contact? Do you have a current application form to share with them? What about your reunion group, is anyone sponsoring someone on this spring’s walk(s)?
Quality sponsorship is how we continue this experience we call Emmaus...are you doing your part to build the community and strengthen our churches through passionate Christian leadership?
Please get your applications to our registrar, Colleen Bagley, as soon as possible so our spring Walk Teams can properly prepare for the pilgrims. “Ditto” for Chrysalis Butterflies!
Prayer Time
COUNTRY—LEADERS—WORLD—CHURCHES
∙Our Country, Leaders, Churches, World
∙Military Service Men and Women
∙“Duke” 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division stationed at Fort Knox recently deployed to Afghanistan
∙“Darkhorse” 3rd Battalion 5th Marines serving in Afghanistan
∙Nicaraguan Emmaus Community
∙Emmaus & Chrysalis Families, Sponsorship, Reunion Groups
∙Emmaus Lay Directors (Spring 2011)
Kevin Oldham (Men’s Walk #118)
Carolyn Cox (Women’s Walk #119)
∙Chrysalis #47 Lay Directors
Kelly Sherrard (Girls)
Cunigan (Boys)
∙Chrysalis YAC #2 Lay Directors
Amanda Drane (Girls)
Carl Stoltzfus (Guys)
∙The congregation of Younger’s Creek Baptist Church
∙The Lost
Mark Your Calendars
SaturdayFebruary 5th / Board Meeting
Gathering – “Love” / 5:00 PM
7:00 PM / Memorial UMC
Saturday
February 19th / Chrysalis 47
Sendoff / 9:30 AM / Campground
Sunday
February 20th / Chrysalis 47
Candlelight / 8:00 PM / Memorial UMC
Monday
February 21st / Chrysalis 47
Closing / 5:00 PM / Campground
Saturday
March 5th / Board Meeting
Gathering – “Your” / TBA
7:00 PM / Memorial UMC
Thursday
March 10th / Men’s Walk 118
Sendoff / 7:00 PM / Campground
Saturday
March 12th / Men’s Walk 118
Candlelight / 8:00 PM / Memorial UMC
Mark Your Calendars
SundayMarch 13th / Men’s Walk 118
Closing / 5:00 PM / Campground
Thursday
March 17th / Women’s Walk 119
Sendoff / 7:00 PM / Campground
Saturday
March 19th / Women’s Walk 119
Candlelight / 8:00 PM / Memorial UMC
Sunday
March 20th / Women’s Walk 119
Closing / 5:00 PM / Campground
Saturday
April 2nd / Board Meeting
Gathering – “Lord” / TBD
7:00 PM / Memorial UMC
Saturday
May 7th / Board Meeting
Gathering
Chysalis Leads
Open Mic / TDB
7:00 PM / Memorial UMC
May
21st – 23rd / YAC 2 / Campground