Will You Serve?

I’m often asked how the live-in team members for Emmaus weekends are selected. I think the majority of us would like to serve on a team, and for most, it is a wonderful experience. There are factors about serving on a team that should be considered. Just as we say that Emmaus is not for everyone in our churches, serving on a team is not for everyone who attends an Emmaus weekend.

First, it is mathematically impossible for everyone to be selected. Each weekend, there are about twice as many members of Emmaus community produced as would be required for a future team. The committee responsible for making up teams earnestly tries to see that everyone has a turn, but it must work within certain guidelines. One of the guidelines is that a team should have built-in experience. About half of the members should have previously served on one or more teams, and a few key leaders should have been on two or more teams.
Other important guidelines are that in order to serve on a live-in team, an individual must be a member of a share group and that share group must follow the service card. An effort is also made not to have too many team members from the same church.

In addition to the guidelines that the committee follows, there are factors you should consider. First, beyond the Spiritual Directors,
Lay Director, Associate Lay Directors, Music Director and Technical Director, people are not selected for specific jobs. No one has the authority to promise you a particular responsibility. Everyone must be willing to serve in whatever capacity is needed. If you accept a team assignment, you are making a commitment to be available
for a team meeting once each week for up to seven weeks before that weekend and the given weekend. Availability and sacrifice of time is the real requirement.

Finally, each of us must take into consideration the physical and emotional strains that are sometimes encountered while serving on a team. The joy of being on a team is there, but the work and strains are also. Team members are routinely the first up in the morning and the last to bed at night. Working under pressure is also routine. Everyone on a team must carry his or her full load and be ready, willing and able to share his or her faith and love with any and all others on the weekend - literally at any time.

The committee is on the lookout for people who are active in the community – attending gatherings and other Emmaus functions, and for those who are actively serving in the community – cooking, cleaning,
praying and caring for the pilgrims. The selection committee tries to seek broad input regarding potential candidates for team service. One of the new initiatives currently underway is identifying liaisons from each church represented in the Emmaus community. We will be seeking their input on potential team members from their respective
churches. Despite the best efforts of the committee, there are highly qualified and willing community members who want to serve on a team but are not called. If you or someone you know falls into this category, please contact our Leadership Chair, Annette Pagura (dapagura@insight.rr.com or 740-927-5771). Again, not all can or will be called, but we want to be sure all who are interested are considered.

The joy and the mountain top experiences are there, but so are the giving and the climbing. If you decide that being a team member is not for you, there are many other areas of service in Emmaus. Being on a team may or may not be the best way that you can serve - only you know this. Serving is a blessing, whether as a member of a live-in team or in some other capacity. You are needed!

God Bless!

Doug Theiss
Emmaus Board Chair

Sunday Closing
We need workers to help tear down Kirsh Hall and clean kitchen along with distributing the left over food for the 2 needed families. Al takes care of bringing the boxes and delivers the food to the families. Come for the closing and hear all the Testimonies, eat, and enjoy the laughter and blessings.

Welcome Buffet
If you have signed up to bring any of the items, that are used for the WELCOME BUFFET FOOD DONATIONS, please remember that they must be in the kitchen by 5:00pm the Thursday of the Walk. Please be sure to include your name on the items you have dropped off or you can check your name off that is usually hanging on the side of big chrome freezer in the kitchen. We would also like you to sign the poster board that will be hanging on the back of the Kitchen door. We will have it up by Wednesday afternoon so the ones that dropped their items off early can sign.
If for some reason that you can not bring the item that you signed up for, if you could give either one of us a call, that way we will know to we need to purchase any of the veggie’s or bake any of the cookies or brownies needed.

Sponsorship
“There is really no way to experience joy until you decide to take that leap and plunge into God’s hands just like a child jumping into a swimming pool.” Thomas Williams from his book Following Prince Caspian: Further Encounters with the Lion of Narnia.

Remember your Emmaus Walk? Remember being immersed in God’s unconditional love...now that was a joy swim. I loved swimming as a child. The best part of going to the pool was seeing my friends and spending an entire afternoon swimming, playing in the water and sunning ourselves. What would the Emmaus Community be without sharing God’s love with others, our friends. Make some new friends and bless current friends by sponsoring someone for an Emmaus walk.


Sponsorship Training

We began Sponsorship Training several years ago to help you as members of the Emmaus community better understand the sponsorship
process and to support you in your efforts to bring this amazing experience to as many believers as possible. This training has
been very effective in helping to better equip both sponsors and pilgrims to gain the most from their Emmaus experience.

Sponsorship Training is held every even month prior to that month's Gathering. (February, April, June, August, October and December)

The training is offered in the chapel at 6:30 pm prior to the gathering, and will last no longer than 45 minutes. This ensures that you will be finished in time to attend the gathering. Our next training class will be held on Tuesday, April 6, 2010 at 6:30 pm. If you have not attended training before or need a quick refresher, please join us that evening.

DeColores,
Barb Acker and Deb & Guy Harmon
Sponsorship Co-Chairpersons