Good-bye 2015 and HELLO 2016! January 2016 Newsletter Big Country Emmaus Community meets the 1st Tuesday of each month. The next Emmaus Community will be Tuesday, January 5, at Highland Church of Christ, 425 Highland St. Babe Chick Orientation begins at 6:00pm. Praise and Worship at 6:30pm. Childcare is provided for ages 9 and under. We want to welcome all new pilgrims and those who've not experienced community in the Big Country! Let's start our 2016 rockin'! A Note From Your 2016 Community Lay Director: The Big Country Emmaus Board of Directors has elected me as your 2016 Community Lay Director. When asked if I would serve if elected, there was no hesitation, because I consider all of us the hands, feet and voice of Christ. When asked by Christians to help, I feel the request came directly from GOD. I have said no to GOD many times over the years. The consequences sometimes were minimal, sometimes not. What I learned on Walk #86 - the Best Walk Ever - was that I have never been in control, God has, he has pursued me, caught me, cared for me, directed me, loved me and died for me. How can you say
"NO" to someone who has done so much for you? So now I say yes when God asks and I have never regretted this decision. I look forward to 2016 for our community. God has selected 324 pilgrims to touch this year, maybe more. God has selected another 325+ community members to touch this year also as they work these Walks. Some will feel Gods touch as a slight tap on the shoulder. Others will feel a hard slap, and there will be some that will be knocked off their feet. 324 people that have no idea what God has planned, just for them and the only thing standing in their way of feeling the touch of God is YOU. All of you made a commitment to God and it written on the cross that was placed around your neck - "GOD IS COUNTING ON YOU". God will place someone in your path continually, someone that desperately needs the touch of God. Someone that needs new direction and maybe even someone that will spend an eternity without ever knowing him, without YOU, being the hands, feet, voice and heart of God. Some say - I have never seen God and he has never spoke to me. I say, God speaks to you every day; all you have to do is listen. God is going to tell you about someone that he wants to touch. He could tell you today, tomorrow or maybe even next week - but God will talk to you and place this special person that he has planned to touch this year on your path. All you have to do is ask them. Aren't you glad someone asked you? Remember, Remember, Remember - "GOD IS COUNTING ON YOU". Tim Rice McClarty A Note From Your 2016 Community Spiritual Director: As I sit and ponder the beginning of a new year, I am reminded that we get a new day every day in Jesus. Where else can we find that? No matter what we have done, are doing, or will do, we get a new day in Him. As your Community Spiritual Director for the second time, I am humbled at this calling. This Community has been so important to me since I went on my Walk in 1999. The last Walk of the Century. New Century and new Walk for me. I have had the honor to serve on many Emmaus Walk Teams and Chrysalis Flights and Journeys. Met some life long friends
on them. You are each so special to me. What I desire each day is that we as a Community love the Lord our God with all our heats and our neighbors as ourselves. That we put each other ahead of ourself and that our speech will be seasoned with His words. Also that our desires will only be His desires. Let us walk into this new year with fresh resolve. Can't wait to see all your smiling faces. Because of Him, Trula Charlene {Squeaky} Walker, Community Spiritual Director 2016 RUSH (Re-Uniting Servants' Hearts) YOUNG ADULTS: You will break off from the larger community to have your own jam session with pizza, short testimonies, and a time of getting to visit with your friends from your flights. Please come and join the fun! Chrysalis Corner: Dear Big Country Emmaus Family, God has chosen to stretch me some more and I have very humbly agreed to serve as the Chrysalis Community Lay Director for 2016. My name is Rich Blazier; I went on Walk 147, sat at the table of Matthew, and am a servant at Beltway Park. I was blessed to spend 4 Birthdays in a row on a Walk - first as a Pilgrim and 3 years as a team member. My involvement with Chrysalis started in 2008, when I was asked to pull the Chrysalis trailer out and back for the Girls and Boys Chrysalis for 2 weekends in a row. I sponsored my 2 sons, my daughter In- law and another young lady, and ended up making 8 trips in 11 days to Lueders that year and
was hooked on Chrysalis. The friendships that I made those 2 weekends by helping unload those trailers, setting up camp, and then reloading those trailers, have blessed me to this day. Since that first small beginning in serving the Big Country Emmaus Community, God has been stretching me beyond anything I ever thought I was capable of. When I was first asked to Emcee Candlelight, and to give a Talk, I was scared to death, and really wanted to say no to both, but I didn't. I never felt so close to God as the first times I spoke with a microphone in front of the Community. As John Randolph and I jokingly say, I had to overcome my "Micro-Phobia", with God's help. Each time I spoke, God gave me enough confidence; enough to accept the Lay Director position on Chrysalis 59. I am writing this letter to encourage you to take that first small step in serving the Big Country Emmaus and let God stretch you. July 2016 sounds like a long ways away, but we have a lot of work to do between now and then, and we need your help. First of all, pray for Chrysalis 62 and 63 and the Lay Directors Mandy McLean and Ryan Clift, and for the Chrysalis Board. Second, we need Caterpillars (Chrysalis for Pilgrims). Please consider combining your resources with others to lessen the financial burden on each of you. Finally, we need new Community Members to serve as team members during the busy summer. If you want to know more about Chrysalis, and how you can help the Chrysalis Community, please contact me or another Chrysalis Board member. Our contact information is available on the website in the "Chrysalis Corner". I try to be at every Community meeting the first Tuesday of the month, and am always ready to talk about Chrysalis with you, and to make a new friend. May God Bless Each of you in 2016, Rich Blazier Chrysalis Community Lay Director Psalms 46-10 "Be still and know that I am God" Greetings and a happy new year to all, I am excited to say that I will be serving on the Chrysalis board this year as Spiritual Director. It's been a number of years since I have served in this capacity and I look forward to the privilege of serving again. A lot has changed as the last time I was on this board we were having six events a year instead of two. It's always a joy to be a positive influence on the young people of today. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions that might apply to Chrysalis. I look forward to the input of others. Ernie McLean
** At some point God needs His people to simply say "Yes". -Christine Caine ** 2016 Walk Dates #209 01/21-24 Todd Yaddow #210 02/18-21 Cathy Evans #211 03/10-13 Terry St. Pierre #212 04/14-17 Brenda Stremmel #213 08/18-21 Phillip Robinson #214 09/15-18 Cameo Harvey #215 10/13-16 Scott Warren #216 11/10-13 Glenda Riley Walk Team #209 (as of Dec 20) Joe Almanza Jim Deberry David Thomas Fernando Alaniz Mark Hewitt Britt Thornhill John Baker Zack Hewitt Abe Walzer Brad Banner Jeff Hogue Todd Yaddow Jaycee Barbee Fred Bilbo Gary Bone Jeff Brown Greg Clemmer Cory Cochran Jimmy Craft Terry Craft John T. Honey Keith Jenkins Tim McClarty Jeff Schnoor David Scott Chad Sipe Ron Smith Robbie Stephens
Pilgrims for Walk # 209 (as of Dec 20) Clancy Denis Sean Early Cade Foster Darrell Morrison Darrel Hodge Kent Strain Please consider sponsorship on one of the upcoming walks...sponsorship is a blessing as you are able to walk out 4th days with people hand in hand and see the fruit of your investment. 2016 Emmaus Board Chairs Community Lay Director/Camp Liaison: Tim McClarty - 325-698-3860 Community Spiritual Director: Squeaky Walker - 829-4520 Asst. Community Lay Director: Ron Smith - 668-1598 Past Community Lay Director: Tina Warren - 439-0362 Secretary: Kathy Walker - 829-7180 Treasurer/Sponsor's Hour: Sondra Cox - 665-1982 Outside Candlelight: David Steph - 370-6130 Babe Chick: Patcy Kreeger - 676-3394 Community Agape: Tina Warren - 439-0362 Candlelight (inside): Jennifer Clark 665-4127 Music: Sammy Alcala - 668-0321 Allen Young - 325-668-6755 Training: Pat Hart - 660-6621 Prayer Room: Tim McClarty - 660-7352 Team Selection: Ron Smith- 668-1598 Jennifer Clark - 665-4127 Lori Frymire - 669-1014 Registration/Scholarship: Tim McClarty - 325-698-3860 Squeaky Walker - 829-4520 Welcoming Committee: Rodney Ritter - 864-5127 Clergy: Terry Davis - 668-4473 Clergy: Bo Whitaker - 665-1521 Chrysalis Community Lay Director: Rich Blazier - 518-2799
Chrysalis Spiritual Director: Ernie McLean - 669-4213 Emmaus Registrar: Sue Casteix - 660-6801 Chrysalis Registrar: Colleen Rud - 725-7963 Kairos Contacts: Dick & Betty Burgess-673-7854 Big Country Emmaus Website: Mandy McLean - 665-5569 Newsletter & Database: Mandy McLean-665-5569