Brazos Valley Emmaus Community Newsletter

Transcription

1 Brazos Valley Emmaus Community Newsletter De Colores, April 2012 Volume 21, Number 1 Community News by Judith M. Ball Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. From the Lay Director: Welcome to new members to the community from Walks 87 and 88. We pray that the Brazos Valley Emmaus Community will be a support and a blessing to you on your Fourth Day. On behalf of the Board and the Community, I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to Andrew Perry and Stephanie Ashlock for their service as lay directors for the walks and a sincere thank you to all of the team members who served on the walks. We appreciate the unique gifts that you brought to the walks and shared with the pilgrims. One of the most important aspects of a successful Fourth Day is to be a part of a reunion group/accountability group. You can find a list of current groups at: It is always possible to start a new group too! Please use our websites to keep up with everything in our community. The general website for information about the community, including dates & locations for gatherings is Remember the online data management system, includes all the records for the community. This is the place to find contact information for community members and the Board of Directors. The next walks are Men's Emmaus Walk #89 on Sept 27-30, 2012 and Women's Emmaus Walk #90 on Oct 18-21, WD Smith will serve as lay director for Walk 89 and Brenda Boedeker will serve as lay director for Walk 90. Consideration for team selection is already underway, so please apply immediately if you would like to work. The Emmaus model strives to staff each team with approximately one-third new conference room team members, one-third second-or third-time team members and one-third veterans. We hope new community members from Walks will apply! You can sign up online at or contact Deborah Hildebrand by at debhildebrand@verizon.net or by phone at I wish you much joy in knowing the Lord is with us always during this day and every fourth day. David said about him: I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with you in your presence. -Acts 2:25-28 (NIV) DeColores! Wendy Wendy Manuel Walk 69, Table of Martha

2 Board Member Covenant Agreement: Lay Director: Wendy Manuel, (512) Spiritual Director: Cherry Moore, (979) Assistant Lay Director: Jerry Coffman, (512) Treasurer: Doug Summerour, (979) Secretary: Deanie Gold, (979) Team Selection: Deborah Hildebrand, (979) Nominations: Deanie Gold, (979) Reunion Groups/4 th Day: Swen Crone (936) Registrar: Joddie Carlile, (979) Welcoming/Closing: Dee Perry, (979) Agape: Molly Garwood, (936) Music/Entertainment: Dale Timian, (979) Training: Deanie Gold, (979) Newsletter: Judith Ball (979) Logistics, Transportation, Facility set-up/ breakdown: David Worden (979) Literature & Supplies: Cindy Van Deventer (979) Sponsor Hour/Candlelight: Mark Dziobala (979) Gatherings: Swen Crone (936) Prayer Chapel/Prayer Vigils: Marie Mickey (979) Kitchen Coordinator: Doug Summerour, (979) Communication: Mark Dziobala, (979) Technology: Jerry Coffman, (512) Each year the Board of Directors signs a covenant agreement with the Upper Room International Emmaus Office. By signing the Covenant, the board agrees to conduct the Emmaus program in a manner that is faithful to the Upper Room Emmaus Model. The full signed agreement can be downloaded by community members from Some of the agreement items are: 1. To have a local governing body elected by persons in the community. 2. To carry out the three-phase method of Emmaus in accordance with the most recent Upper Room Handbook on Emmaus. The three-phase method includes pre-event phase (communication about and preparation of teams), event phase (separate three-day events for men and women) and post-event phase (group reunions, monthly gatherings and leadership development). 3. All members of the community board of directors and all weekend conference room members are active participants in a reunion group. 4. Emmaus invites interdenominational, interracial and international participation and fosters a spirit of Christian acceptance and unity, fostering in activities openness to diversity and mainstream theological balance reflective of Upper Room Ministries. If you have any questions about this agreement, please contact any of the BVEC board members. A complete list of the board members is at Hullabaloo is our Annual fund raiser where there is both a live and silent auction-come witness a bidding war in person-even better yet-get in there yourself! There are usually a lot of Christian items, rooster things and beautiful handmade pieces of varying sorts and prices. Great items donated from all over our community! If you have a local artisan that has a special talent, try to get an item donated or purchase it yourself to bring to Hullabaloo and donate to the auction! This year already includes a fishing trip out of Corpus Christi and a family golfing weekend at Hilltop Lakes! However, we need more items so be on the lookout! 2

3 90% of the proceeds from Hullabaloo goes to pilgrim scholarships for those that need them, so finances are not a roadblock if a pilgrim wants to go on a walk, Hullabaloo also provides funds for purchasing supplies for and during the walks, and covering fees for the community. This is usually the largest gathering of the year. We of course will have an Emmaus covered dish meal and that great Emmaus Worship Experience! Again, mark your calendars for the first Saturday in August, August 4, where we will meet at Christ United Methodist Church in College Station at 5 pm to have a great time together in fellowship, good food, fun and FUNdraising! Brazos Valley Emmaus is now on FaceBook. Check us out as we move into the realm of Social Media. If you are on Facebook, search for Brazos Valley Emmaus Community. We are being careful who can join the group so you may be asked to identify yourself by name and table if we can't determine who you are from your Facebook ID. The Facebook group currently has 144 members, join us to help keep in touch with the community. Jerry Coffman, technology@bvemmaus.org Contribute to the Newsletter! From Judy First share you fourth day experiences. We are adding a NEW section to the newsletter to include fourth day experiences from the community. This is for new and old members alike. Don t be shy your blessings to jball@cvm.tamu.edu and tell us how living your Fourth Day you h continues to grow your relationship to Christ and enhance living as a faithful disciple. Just jot down your thoughts and forward them to me (communications@bvemmaus.org or jball@cvm.tamu.edu) for inclusion in the BVEC Newsletter. We will select from our members input to be included in each newsletter. Second tips for the Emmaus walk. If you have a tip that could help a sponsor, worker or community member, please be sure to send it to jball@cvm.tamu.edu for inclusion in our new section of the newsletter called If you are new to the community, be sure to sign in to our online system and verify your information. Send an to Jerry Coffman at technology@bvemmaus.org and he will get you entered into the system. There's too much visiting while [candlelight] services are being conducted. We should consider services as being underway from the time the musicians began playing until formally closed. During the period there should no side chatter period, and especially during Communion. One reason I enjoy these services so much is the opportunity to sing with gusto knowing there's a lot of folks just like me who really get into it. The only way one can visit is by trying to speak above the singing. All this does is create confusion to say nothing about the disrespect it conveys. -Letter from community member. The purpose of Candlelight is to move the pilgrims to a deeper realization of God s love and to demonstrate the support of a Christian community. It is not to create a mountaintop experience for its own sake. Candle light prepares the way for the time of personal prayer and recommitment that follows upon the Emmaus 3

4 community s departure. -The Upper Room Emmaus Manual. As community lay director, I have received numerous complaints about the talking that goes on during the community worship service prior to the candlelight ceremony for the pilgrims. Please remember that it is not about us. It s about praising God and our Lord Jesus Christ. It is about preparing for the pilgrims. So chat as we gather and see each other. When worship begins, let s all join in joyful noise singing together not talking with one another. Thank you and DeColores! Wendy Kitchen Corner From Doug First of all, a big THANK YOU to everyone that worked the Kitchen on #87 and #88. If you didn't, and you don't know, we're in charge of manning the kitchen. The camp provides the lead cook, Rob Meyer, but we provide the workers. All you have to do is show up and take directions. If you've never done it, it's a fun and easy way to show your love if you only have a limited amount of time available. It counts as service on the outside time, so it's a great way to get your feet wet. Some folks like to sign up and come as a group, but we always need singles as well. SHIFTS: Number of slots: Thursday 3-6 PM 3 Friday 7-10 AM 4 11 AM-2 PM PM 4 Saturday 7-10 AM 4 11 AM-2 PM PM 5 Sunday 7-10 AM 4 11 AM-2 PM 4 36 people needed for each walk If you want to work multiple shifts, up to the whole weekend, it may be possible. You'll be part of the outside team, and the cost will be $125 or $40 per night. Thursday is good if you like to see the "send off", Saturday night is good if you are going to Candlelight, and Sunday is good if you are going to Closing. Any other questions, call or me at summerour3@me to sign up. doug Remember: Sponsors cannot volunteer (useful hints to make the walks better) Sponsorship includes speaking to spouses, praying and being present for sendoff, candlelight and closing. From Swen Cronewhen When contributing bottle water, purchase the kind with screw tops rather than the squeeze top. The squeeze tops tend to be noisy during a talk. From Molly Garwood When attending gatherings, bring only your best recipes! From Molly Garwood Bring your pilgrim to the walk on time (before 7 PM) so the send off can be on time. From Mendy Manual Don t forget the pilgrim s letters they mean so much. From Judy Ball 4

5 Hello from Your Treasurer: Our Operating Account is in great shape. This is mainly due to your generosity at Candlelight and Gatherings. However, Sponsorship is key, as a cancelled Walk costs around $2500. Shirt and book sales are just done as a service to the Community and are actually a bit of a money loser. Although the final tally isn't in, I expect the Scholarship Fund will have somewhere around $3500 remaining after the Women's Walk. This will be enough to cover one Walk, but probably not two. The good news is we have a Hullabaloo before our next Walk. Ninety percent of what is raised goes to the Scholarship Fund, with the remaining ten to the Operating Fund. You can support the Hullabaloo by donating items and/or bidding on items (just don't bid on the fishing trip). The cost of the Walk is $125. Scholarships are available to anyone in need, pilgrims or team members. We would ask that you would first look to other avenues for financial help, including your reunion group, church, Sunday school, etc. We don't want money to be the reason why someone doesn't attend, but we also feel that there needs to be some commitment on the part of the Pilgrim. We can't know everyone's circumstance, so we rely on good sponsorship here. Bottom line is, we'll work with you to make sure we get the right amount of help where it's needed and the Hullaballoo money is there to be used. The books are always open to anyone who wants to see them. If you have any questions, feel free to call me. Doug Summerour, Treasurer Remember: The Community Would Like To Hear From You Share your Fourth Day experience here Tell us how living your Fourth Day you have continued to grow in relationship to Christ and to live as a faithful disciple. Jot down your thoughts and forward to me (communications@bvemmaus.org) for inclusion in the BVEC Newsletter. We will select from our members input to be included in each newsletter. DeColores, Jerry Coffman, Walk 60 Table of Peter 5

6 From the Upper Room: Emmaus Reading List: We recommend the following books to nurture your fourth day journey. The books are divided into subject based on the talks given at an Emmaus weekend. Priority The Christ Centered Woman by Kimberly Dunnam Reisman The Cost of Living by Arundhati Roy A Wakeful Faith by J. Marshall Jenkins Prevenient Grace Genesis of Grace by John Indermark Remembering Your Story by Richard Lyon Morgan Discerning God's Will Together by Danny E. Morris & Charles M. Olsen Priesthood of All Believers Praying Together by Martha Graybeal Rowlett (Out of Print. Available from Amazon) Workbook of Intercessory Prayer by Maxie Dunnam Yearning for God by Margaret Ann Crain & Jack Seymour (Out of Print. Available from Amazon. Mother Roots by Helen Pearson Justifying Grace People of Integrity by William Morgan (Available from Amazon.) Becoming Alive in Christ by Maxie Dunnam Leading a Life with God by Daniel Wolpert Life in Piety The Abundance Book by John Randolph Price (Available from Amazon) Upper Room Disciplines Invitation to Presence by Wendy Miller (Out of print. Available from Amazon.) Go Preach! by Jack Gilbert Talking in the Dark by Steve Harper Grow Through Study Mother Roots by Helen Pearson Reading with Deeper Eyes by Will Willimon (Out of Print. Available from Amazon) Sabbath Time by Tilden Edwards (Out of Print. Available from Amazon) Means of Grace Devotional Life in the Wesleyan Tradition by Steve Harper Syncopated Grace by Linda J. & Dwight W. Vogel (Out of Print. Available from Amazon.) Conflict and Communion by Thomas Porter Obstacles of Grace Wrestling with Grace by Robert Corin Morris Workbook on the Seven Deadly Sins by Maxie Dunnam & Kimberly Reisman Discipleship Praying in the Wesleyan Spirit by Paul Wesley Chilcote Keeping Company with the Saints by Maxie Dunnam Transforming Evangelism by Henry H. Knight III & Douglas F. Powe Jr. Changing Our World A Mile in My Shoes by Trevor Hudson Stretch out your Hand by Tilda Norberg, Robert D. Webber Way to Live by Dorothy Bass, Don C. Richter Sanctifying Grace As if the Heart Mattered by Gregory S. Clapper Creating a Life with God by Daniel Wolpert A Hard Fought Hope by William R. Long & Glandion W. Carney (Out of Print. Available from Amazon.) Body of Christ Accountable Discipleship by Steven W. Manskar Under Her Wings by Kathy Bence (Out of Print. Available from Amazon.) Kindred Souls by Stephanie Ford Perseverance Patterned by Grace by Daniel T. Benedict Accountable Discipleship by Steven W. Manskar To Walk in Integrity by Stephen V. Doughty Fourth Day Companions In Christ by Gerrit Scott Dawson, Adele J. Gonzà lez, E. Glenn Hinson, Rueben P. Job, Marjorie J. Thompson, Wendy M. Wright Discovering Community by Stephen V. Doughty (Out of Print. Available from Amazon.) Love Never Ends by Robert and Jeanette Lauer Remembering Your Story by Richard Lyon Morgan The Jesus Priorities by Christopher D. Maricle Get Real by Derek Mau Christian Action Climbing the Sycamore Tree by Ann Hagmann Do What You Have the Power to Do by Helen Bruch Pearson Kindred Souls by Stephanie Ford Transforming Ventures by Jane Ives 6

7 BVEC PO Box College Station, TX We re on the Web! 7