Registrations are still being taken for

Transcription

1 Our Plans or God s Plans? Volume 23 No. 9 Western New York Walk to Emmaus & Chrysalis September 2013 Registrations are still being taken for Men s Walk #45 at Springville UMC DEADLINE SEPTEMBER 14th (must be received by Registrars by deadline) There is so much to do in order to prepare for Walk #45 Pray for team members, pilgrims, kitchen crew, sponsors Sign up to help out: kitchen crew, passing out candles, out of conference room team, agape letters, placemats, napkins,. Praise God for the opportunity to serve!! 30 DAYS LEFT FROM THE SEPTEMBER RAINBOW DEADLINE UNTIL THE MEN S REGISTRATION DEADLINE FOR MEN S REGISTRATION FOR WALK #45! That s right! Just 30 more days to get those registrations to the Registrars and have the men s names go out in the Rainbow Connection. Some are already in, but there s room for lots more. MEN S WALK: OCTOBER REGISTRATION DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 14 WOMEN S WALK: OCT. 31 NOV. 3 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: OCTOBER 10 If you have any questions, please contact Will and Carolyn Rickman, Registrars, at wcdric@frontiernet.net or Thank you. Deadline for October Rainbow Connection September 15 1

2 MEN'S WESTERN NEW YORK WALK TO EMMAUS #45 TEAM (Talks to be noted in next month s Rainbow Connection) Randy Walker- Lay Director Rev. Abel Roy- Clergy Rev. Beth Kotteman- Clergy Rev. Ron Sellers- Clergy Rev. David McKinney- Clergy Keith Grinnell - Assistant Lay Director Agape Bob Laurie - Assistant Lay Director Chapel Rich Wheeler Assistant Lay Director Bell Ringer Jim Keiper- Board Rep. Dennis Weil- Log Darrell Rublee- Log Bob Fathergill- Musician John Trowbridge- Musician Bud Vredenburg- Brian Keesler- Bob Fisher- Chris Pahl- Brian Lothridge- Mike Quesenberry- Bruce Peterson- Ron Mullen- Joe Wesley- Tadd Grimes- Bert Dohl- Table Leader Table Leader Table Leader Table Leader Table Leader Table Leader Assistant Table Leader Assistant Table Leader Assistant Table Leader Assistant Table Leader Assistant Table Leader Men s Teaming Dates & Locations: 9/27 & 9/28 - Springville Please keep the team in prayer during their teamings. If you are able to help with meal preparation, serving and/or clean up during teamings please contact Bill & Geniece. Fall Walks to be held at Springville UMC MEN S WALK: October Registration deadline: September 14 WOMEN S WALK: October 31 November 3 Registration deadline: October 10 Reunion: November 16 Submit completed registrations or questions regarding the registration process should be directed to the Registrars Will & Carolyn Rickman (see page 7 for their contact information) 2

3 Lora Keiper traveling to Nashville! Lora Keiper has accepted an invitation to serve as a Regional Lay Member to the Emmaus International Advisory Committee where she will represent the WNY Walk to Emmaus Community. The International Advisory Committee meets annually in Nashville, Tennessee. This year the meeting will take place October The weekend is formatted similar to that of an Emmaus weekend, with a theme, talks and discussions among table groups. Time is allotted for discussions among the many Emmaus communities that will be represented where concerns and suggestions can be shared and brought back to their communities. You can read more in the June issue of the Rainbow Connection. Expenses for travel are to be expected. If you would like to offer financial support for Lora s trip to Nashville, you may send a check to the Emmaus Treasurers, Duane and Anita Domes. (Address below). Please make check payable to WNY Walk to Emmaus and note in the memo area of your check Lora s Nashville Trip. The WNY Emmaus Community congratulates Lora and is honored to have her represent us as she serves as Regional Lay Member. We are confident and appreciative of your support and prayers for her. Thank you. De Colores! Duane and Anita Domes Treasurers WNY Walk to Emmaus 9579 Creek Road Springville NY

4 WOMEN'S WESTERN NEW YORK WALK TO EMMAUS #45 TEAM Lay Director Jessica White Spiritual Director Pastor Stan Scoville Asst SD Pastor Doug Childress Asst SD TBD Asst SD Pastor Sandy Stoica ALD Agape Kathy Wessel ALD Bell Ringer Janice McKinney ALD Chapel - Char Smith Logistics Paulette Albone Logistics Nancy Carroll Table Leader Sandy Andrews Table Leader Carol Goodwin Table Leader Karen Ingle Table Leader Holly Roush Table Leader Mary Kay Williams Table Leader Kathie Woika Asst Table Leader Carol Bell Asst Table Leader Tammy Dionisio Asst Table Leader Marge Domres Asst Table Leader Mary Ann Knaus Asst Table Leader Barabara Siebert Asst Table Leader Diane Thurlow Board Rep - Musician - Musician- Pat Blakeman Bonnie Hall Becky Fox Women s Teaming Dates & Locations: 9/6 & 9/7 - Attica 10/18 & 10/19 - Springville 4

5 Gathering Schedules, Times, Locations, & Leader Contact Information Alexander: Alexander UMC - 3rd Saturday of month 7 p.m. - Meeting (Child care as needed) Bob Neamon rneamon@gmail.com Buffalo: New Hope UMC 2846 Seneca St., West Seneca - 3rd Saturday of the month 9:30 a.m.- Meeting Pat Corsette prcorsette@verizon.net Enchanted Mountain (Olean): Christ UMC lounge 1st Wednesday of the month 7-8:30 p.m. - Meeting Mike or Jan Mortimer *** mortimer50@verizon.net Hamburg/Buffalo Southtowns: Hamburg UMC 116 Union St., Parlor - 3rd Tuesday of the month 7 p.m. - Meeting Jerry & Caroline Schneggenburger eyemann@roadrunner.com Kendall: Kendall UMC, 1808 Kendall Road - 2nd Friday of the month; 6:30 p.m. - Meeting Bob & Trudy Slocum rslocum678@aol.com Medina/Millville: Millville UMC - Second Friday of the month 7 p.m. - Meeting Jesse & Cheryl Babcock cbabcock002@rochester.rr.com Napoli: Little Valley UMC - 4th Monday of the month 7 p.m. - Meeting Bill & Geniece Perkins billperkins1951@yahoo.com Six Emmaus/Chrysalis: Middleport UMC 6 Park Ave. (at South Vernon) - 2nd Sunday of the month; 6PM Stephen & Pat Morse pamorse1@rochester.rr.com Springville: Springville UMC - 3rd Saturday of month 9:30 a.m. - Meeting Duane & Anita Domes himmiesmom@aol.com West Bank: Greece UMC - 2nd Saturday of the month 8:30 a.m. - Continental breakfast 9 a.m. - Meeting (Call ahead for child care) Sonia Ingle - Child care contact Will & Carolyn Rickman wcdric@frontiernet.net Friday August 16 Friday September 20 Emmaus Board Meeting at Trinity UMC 7:00 PM Monday September 9* Chrysalis Board Meeting Batavia 1st UMC 7PM *2nd Month due to Labor Day All are welcome Open to community members Unsure of community events? Follow community events on Twitter!!! Find us Not on Twitter??? Go to twitter.com to create an account & to sign up to follow Community events & updates!! Please notify Barb Swanson at or bms4him@rochester.rr.com. If you have moved, changed phone number or address. If you have moved to college, graduated from college, OR if you have a name change (gotten married?) 5

6 WNY Emmaus Board of Directors * correction since last month Greetings from the Musicians Corner Blessed are those who dwell in thy house, ever singing thy praise! Psalm 84:4 It may have been a pavilion and not a house, but we were blessed and we did sing thy praise. Thank you to all those that shared their music and voices at this years Picnic. As always, the food and fellowship were awesome. I know we are not to covet our neighbor s things, but I do have to admit I have Smoker envy. If you were there you know what I mean. Musician s get your pilgrims registered for the fall walks and prep your instruments to support the weekends. God Bless, DeColores and Fly with Christ, Dan Benjamin Music Chair Term Position Name Phone Comm. Lay Dir. Jim & Lora Keiper (585) wnyemmaus@wildblue.net 2015 Spiritual Director Rick Koch (716) ministerrx@aol.com th Day Mike Quesenberry (716) DaQuiz57@aol.com 2015 Library Allen & Alethia Keiper (585) akeiper@rochester.rr.com 2015 Newsletter Barbara Swanson (585) bms4him@rochester.rr.com 2015 Supplies Jeff & Char Smith (585) jsmith24@rochester.rr.com csmith72@rochester.rr.com 2015 Community Ron & Alice Alsworth (585) rgalsworth@aol.com 2013 Clergy Joan Zimmerman pastorjzimm@aol.com 2013 Kitchen Bill & Geniece Perkins (716) billperkins1951@yahoo.com 2013 Music Dan Benjamin (585) dbenjamin003@stny.rr.com 2013 Secretary Kathy Wessel (585) wessel.kathy@gmail.com 2013 Treasurer Duane & Anita Domes (716) himmiesmom@aol.com 2014 Agape Rich & Nancy Preston (716) rnpreston@hotmail.com 2014 Clergy Renee Engels (716) pastor_renee@yahoo.com 2014 Evangelism Vern & Judy Heiler (716) jv.heiler@verizon.net 2014 Facilities Bob & Trudie Slocum (585) rslocum678@aol.com 2014 Registration Will & Carolyn Rickman (585) wcdric@frontiernet.net 2014 Team Selection Rose Caldwell (716) * rgscaldwell@msn.com 2013 Chrysalis Kathy Weil (585) kadew1973@gmail.com 6

7 CHRYSALIS Board of Directors * correction since last month From God s Holy Word. May He be glorified in its reading. May He speak to us through it. Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the might man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight. Jeremiah 9:23-24 KJV Term Position Name Phone Lay Director Kathy Weil (585) kadew1973@gmail.com 2014 Agape Suzanne Perry (585) wnyagape@gmail.com 2014 Spiritual Director Steve & Laura Calos (585) scalos@frontiernet.net (585) lcalos@frontiernet.net 2013 Clergy Sue Russell (585) asjrussell@hughes.net 2015 Community Bob & Deanna Laurie (716) dbblaurie@verizon.net 2015 Evangelism Laurie Manzer (585) lmanzer@rochester.rr.com* Asst Evangelism Sonia/Karen Ingle (585) * karenlingle8488@yahoo.com 2013 Library Frank White (585) uncleferter@msn.com 2015 Newsletter Barbara Swanson (585) bms4him@rochester.rr.com 2014 Supplies Marty Goodenbery (585) mzgoodenbery@yahoo.com 2015 Registration Erich/Vickie Jones (585) EVJones4u@yahoo.com 2014 Kitchen Zina Goodenbery (585) mzgoodenbery@yahoo.com 2013 Next Steps Mary Trowbridge (585) jtmtst@rochester.rr.com 2014 Treasurer Chris Collins (585) ccollin9@rochester.rr.com 2015 Team Selection Rose Caldwell (716) rgscaldwell@msn.com* 2014 Secretary Jessica White (716) jdgirl25@yahoo.com 2013 Facilities Natalie Diedrich (585) Nataliec2@yahoo.com 2015 Music To be announced in January 2014 Emmaus LD Jim & Lora Keiper (585) wnyemmaus@wildblue.net 2015 Clergy Mary Rublee (585) mrublee@rochester.rr.com* 7

8 Prepare Ye the Way of the LORD I hear that line, and it starts a song in my head, from the show, Godspell! But really, it s more than just a song from a lively, entertaining show; it s our mission here on earth!! And, I might add, our mission as participants in Chrysalis and Emmaus. What we do, as we work towards a Flight or Walk weekend, is preparing the way of the LORD. And if we look closely, those preparations involve many, many details that are very time sensitive. The Chrysalis Board works as the Emmaus Board does, meeting every month, considering all the preparations needed to line up and put into place for an upcoming Flight. We have to look at lists of possible names for weekend Team leaders and Team members, look at locations appropriate for a weekend, look at dates to hold the weekends, look at lists of supplies needed to use on the weekends, and look at registrations as they (hopefully!) come in, etc, etc. And if time gets away from us during these preparations? Then we have to shift gears, re-group and start over. That s where we are with Chrysalis preparations. Part of our biggest problem is finding the right time of year to hold the Flights. Our youth are busy all year long, and have many interests and obligations pulling them in many directions. During the school months they have sports, exams, proms, youth gatherings, sometimes jobs, and oh, let s include academics! Traditionally we have been holding the Flights over holiday weekends in January and February, thinking it would be easier for students not to miss a day of school. But January and February in WNY is not always a pleasant time of year, and this can make it scary at the least! Plus we have found students have to give up something else, like basketball play-offs or swimming sectionals! We also feel that holding the Flights at a church is not necessarily a great draw to the kids. Yes, it works, but are there other options that would be more appealing? With these two thoughts in mind, we are going to offer something new in Our deposit has already been made at UMC Camp Asbury for the Boys Flight, July We are working on the details of the Girls Flight, which usually precedes the Boys. We are tentatively looking at Memorial Day weekend, at potential alternative locations. Please keep this all in mind, and watch here, or on Facebook for updates. WHY? Because just like with Emmaus, sponsorship is key to a successful weekend! No matter what preparations we have done in advance, if we don t have the registrations coming in, it is all for naught! Under the guidance of our Evangelism Chairperson, Laurie Manzer, we can send representatives from Chrysalis to speak to your church or youth group about our Flights. Please call or her if you are interested. ( or lmanzer@rochester.rr.com) Thank you for all your support and prayers! Our youth are certainly worth all the efforts, and this thing called Chrysalis is just one more way to strengthen for their future walk with Christ! Prepare ye the way of the LORD!!! Fly with Christ! Kathy Weil, WNY Chrysalis Community Lay Director. 8

9 Our Plans or God s Plans? Each Augus our family along with Jim s parents and brother s family all meet together at the same B & B at the Jersey shore. Something all of us look forward to all year long time at the Beach. This particular year I was struck by all the traditions we have built into our vacation. Mom and Dad Keiper always leave several days before the rest of us staying in Pennsylvania the first night. The day after they left we got a phone call at 3:00 AM with Mom telling us that Dad had been taken to the hospital with chest pains. So with that phone call our plans began to change. One tradition we have is a stop at one of my college friend s home in Quakertown on the way to the shore. One quick phone call and the visit is cancelled. We switch plans to go see Dad and Mom at the hospital in Lewisburg, PA. Saturday morning comes and we leave by 4:30 AM, praying before the car moves (two more traditions). We get to the hospital and find Dad a bit groggy and Mom very glad to see us. Mom tells us about the woman she met in the family waiting room whose husband was having tests also. This woman, a stranger whose own husband was seriously ill, prayed with Mom, over Dad and her. All seemed well or at least okay with Dad and Mom so we continued on our journey. Two hours into our four hour trip to our hotel we sit for 45 minutes on the expressway due to an accident. We re all getting tired and looking forward to relaxing at the hotel and swimming. We are finally within miles of the hotel when we realize there is something wrong with our van. It smells hot and there is smoke coming from the front left tire. Our front brake has locked on us. Thank God for AAA and a wonderful Tow truck driver. He made sure our van was taken to a garage that was opened on Sunday so we could hopefully continue our trip and he drove us to our hotel. The Manager at the hotel was very gracious and let us check- out at 2:00 PM on Sunday, instead of the 11:00AM as usual. Jim and Julia took a hair raising very expensive taxi ride to get the van at the garage. So we were finally on our way, six hours later than our plans. We got to the shore by 4:30 PM, parked the van at the B&B and ran to the restaurant Jim s brother and family and their cousin were waiting for us for supper. Our plans for the next day, Monday RELAX. The trip so far had been a bit stressful. Sunday night Mom called and said that Dad was struggling a bit, but to not worry. So Monday morning we did a fun tradition miniature golf. As we were walking back to the B&B for lunch, Mom called saying that Dad was not doing well at all, had another heart attack. We knew we had to get back to them. It was decided that Jim would rent a car and drive back to Lewisburg, PA to be with Mom and Dad. We found it wasn t easy to rent a car one way, late on a Monday afternoon. The rest of us would stay in New Jersey until further notice. We got a number of prayer chains going to cover our Dad and Mom. So, the kids and I followed through with our usual vacation traditions (half heartily, was weird doing things without Jim with us) while Jim was with his parents. Thankfully Dad s health turned around after he was transferred to another hospital. We left the shore on Friday to meet up with Jim and his parents in Pennsylvania. What a change in Dad! It was so great to see him perky and talking to us like usual. He was able to go home on Saturday, five days after we were wondering if he was going to still be with us. What happened to all of our plans? We certainly didn t plan on being separated from each other during our annual family vacation. Dad would have had his heart attacks no matter where he was and God planned it so he would be near a world re-known hospital to save his life. God placed Doctors and Nurses that were excellent and compassionate. Who placed that woman in that waiting room to pray with Mom? Our car troubles God took care of that too. We may make our plans, but God could have a totally different plan for us. All those people who touched our lives, God used to encourage us and assist us. I guess what we re trying to say is that we all need to be able to let go of our plans and let God take over. We need to follow His lead, be the one who offers prayer for a stranger. Be the one to show compassion or step out of our comfort zone. In other words be Jesus with skin on to those who cross our path daily. We thank all who prayed for Dad and Mom and the rest of us during this time in our lives. Prayer is a powerful tool we all can use. Keep on praying for the WNY Board members, our Western New York Emmaus community and the upcoming Fall Walk DeColores, Jim and Lora Keiper WNY Community Lay Directors 9

10 AGAPE Planning for the Fall Walks is in progress. The teams have been picked. Now is the time to start praying for the team and about who YOU will be sponsoring. With the number of members we have, we should be able to have full Walks every time. Have you decided who you will sponsor. Start thinking about agape for the up-coming walks! Again, pray for the team as it develops and throughout the coming months. Pray without ceasing! 72 Hour Prayer Vigil Remember your walk and seeing the posted prayer vigil. There were so many people praying for you and your fellow pilgrims and the team. Just 30 minutes to devote to the new pilgrims and the team members over their weekend will show that you truly care. Sign-up now to get a convenient time. Currently only about one-third of the time slots have been taken time is running out. Men s Walk #45 Prayer Vigil Sign in Women s Walk #45 Prayer Vigil Sign in De Colores Rich and Nancy Preston, Agape Chairs Happy Summer to the Emmaus Community! I hope everyone is enjoying their summer, it has been a little cool, but the nights have been great for sleeping! It was great to see so many turn out for the picnic, on a slightly less than picnicky day. Cool, overcast and a few sprinkles, but the hardy crowd that turned out had a good time. Fun, singing, fellowship, and special thanks goes out to Ron Tills and his crew who brought their huge, pull-behind grill, and cooked all the burgers, dogs, and sausage. Of course, I had too many! If you were unable to attend, try to make plans to be there next year! The Fall Walks will be upon us soon, followed by the Reunion, hope to see everyone there. And, one last bit of business, this year s Christmas Party will be hosted by the Kendall Gathering, stay tuned for more details! De Colores! Mike Quesenberry Fourth Day Chair 10

11 Left blank intentionally for the sake of copying for printed version for distribution via US Mail. Editor 11

12 Deadline for October Rainbow Connection is September 15 B. Swanson 40 Newcomb Dr. Hilton, NY