Cross 

 Point

May 14 First United Methodist - Ardmore

June 11 TBD

July 9 United Methodist Church - Lone Grove

www.crosspointemmaus.org

Personal Agape

Personal agape comes in the form of personal letters to the pilgrims written by family members, friends, and sometimes members of the Emmaus community in general. Person agape letters are powerful evidence to each pilgrim that he or she is personally loved by those who know the pilgrim best. For some, the personal agape has the greatest impact of The Walk to Emmaus. Each sponsor quietly requests and collects eight to twelve letters for his or her pilgrim and delivers them to the agape coordinator of the Walk. The personal agape letters are delivered on Sunday afternoon after the packets have been reviewed.

If the sponsor receives more than twelve (Cross Point Community allows 15 letters), he or she will certainly include family letters in the twelve. All the letters above twelve (15) can be delivered as a Fourth-Day surprise.

Personal agape should not include personal gift items or bouquets of flowers that are given to one pilgrim but not to all.

That was the first thing I heard as I began to leave camp after the Women’s Walk #58. That was when I thought my duties, as lay director of Men’s Walk #57 would be over. I had been praying, planning, praying, and side stepping barriers and praying for months in preparation for these walks. God had spoken to me though song throughout the process. Laura and I had been meeting and praying together for much of the preparation. We both felt that these walks were joined in a special way. God blessed us with 20 couples and one brother-sister team. This confirmed to us that these walks were especially ONE. So after closing of Walk #57, someone asked if I was relieved. I replied that my work was halfway complete and that the second half was the following weekend.

Then, after Walk #58 Closing, there was that song on “The Power Station” speaking to me as clear as can be. There would not be any wondering if my Emmaus experience was over. God had put those lyrics into my ears and they went strait to my heart. No matter where you are in your fourth day. Whether you were just recently a pilgrim, a member of a recent team, or were a lay director 10-15 years ago, let me relay to you “it’s not the end, it’s only the beginning!” Every day is a new day in Christ.

Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

God Bless and De Colores

It is hard to put into words how incredible the past two walks were. We saw people’s lives changed and when they go into their churches, we will see the fruit of our labor. On Thursday night when the women arrived, they were not sure why God had called them there. By Sunday, their eyes were full of the light and love that Christ had revealed to them in a new magnificent way. In 2 Corinthians 4:6 we read, ‘For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of glory of God in the face of Christ.’ That sums up these walks. This road to Emmaus was filled with Love and we felt all the prayers of those who walked before us. Thank you for all your wonderful prayers.

The group of women on Walk #58 ministered to each other from the beginning. It was a beautiful sight. The team both inside and out came there for one reason, to be apart of God’s plan for these 35 women. They gave all they had to make every little detail just right. When I look back on Walks #57 and #58 one of the things God rewarded the most was the fact that Pete and I prayer together and talked every week. It became one walk on two weekends.

I must share my closest moment to Christ. Sunday at closing there was a thunderstorm. It was haling and thundering loud. Paula Pfau sang and Judy Maples signed My Redeemer. As Paula sang the words “I know my Redeemer lives let all creation testify,” thunder crashed and lighting lit the sky. Wow! That was a gift from God. I felt His presence and His love for all of us. Thank you again for letting me be a part of this wonderful ministry.

May God bless you all on your fourth day.

Most communities take sponsorship for granted; they assume that everyone knows the how and why of sponsorship. Unfortunately, often sponsorship is not discussed except in reference to the number of pilgrims signed up for a Walk or to a conflict over an issue like the husband/wife rule. The importance of an Emmaus community’s being educated about the value of good sponsorship cannot be overemphasized. The quality of sponsorship influences the pilgrim, the health of the Emmaus Movement, and the church affected by the movement.

First, good sponsorship is the first act of agape before a Walk ever begins; the experience of the Walk for a pilgrim really begins with how we handle sponsorship.

Second, good sponsorship under girds the whole weekend with sacrificial love on behalf of each pilgrim. Sponsors use discernment in recruiting pilgrims, embody the personal commitment of the community to each pilgrim, and provide personal acts of agape during the three days for the pilgrims. These acts of agape include prayer, agape letters, presence at candlelight and Closing, and follow-up.

Third, good sponsorship is the foundation for a healthy, effective Emmaus Movement that is fulfilling its true purpose: the development of Christian leaders and the renewal of the church in ministry. Wood and Roy write in Day Four: The Pilgrim’s continued Journey, “The strength of any Emmaus Community is a direct result of that community’s recruiting practices. If the community is committed to recruiting strong church leaders for the purpose of strengthening the local church, then the community will be a strong vital force in the renewal movement.”

Whom do we sponsor?
One’s awareness of and commitment to the purpose of Emmaus influences who is sponsored and how they are sponsored. Emmaus is for active Christians and members of churches whose own renewal will mean new energy, commitment, and vision in the church and everyday environments for Christ’s sake.

Emmaus is right for many people – but not for everyone. The religious background or emotional condition of some people may make Emmaus an improper discipleship tool for them. Other persons’ may be unsuitable choices for sponsorship to Emmaus because of the negative effect they might have on an Emmaus Weekend or the divisive influence they might bring to the church. Sponsorship requires sensitivity to these factors.

How do we sponsor?
Day four: The pilgrim’s continued Journey has an excellent chapter on “The Next Generation: Sponsorship,” which elaborates on these ten steps in sponsoring a prospective pilgrim:
1. Pray for the person’ openness to God’s call to discipleship, not for how to get him or her to go on the Walk.
2. Make an appointment with the person or couple for the purpose of discussing participation in Emmaus.
3. Extend an invitation. Take the attitude that you are giving the person a wonderful gift rather than that he or she needs to go.
4. Ask the person to make a commitment by filling out the registration form. If the person is married, speak with both partners and encourage an equal commitment by both.
5. Continue to pray for your prospective pilgrim.
6. Support the Walk through your prayers during the 72-Hour prayer Vigil & your presence at Send Off, Sponsors’ Hour, Candlelight, and Closing.
7. Encourage the pilgrim in his or her Fourth Day involvement. Give your friend an opportunity to talk through, and appropriate the experience.
8. Help the pilgrim reenter his or her church and consider ways to act out new commitment, and enthusiasm.
9. Inform the pilgrim of ways to serve the Emmaus community and future Walks.
10. Help the pilgrim sponsor others.

Adult Members: Steve Dyer* (Community Lay Director) 405-823-0571 or sdyer@dyerlawcenter.com; Tim Israel (Secretary/Team Selection) 580-799-0566; Mark Kent (Treasurer) 405-224-1610; Cally Southern (Registrar) 580-237-7210; Nancy Striegl (Kitchen) 405-375-5702; Steve Strong (Agape) 405-692-0591; Julie Zielinski (Hoots/Gatherings/4th Day) 405-947-7535; Jack Roper (Logistics) 405-603-6191; Barbara Wood* (Prayer) 580-226-3576. Youth Members: Robbie Dyer* (Internet); Keisha Wood* (Prayer); Anna Shipley (Kitchen); Nick Timmons (Hoots/Gatherings/4th Day); Kirk Israel (Team Selection); Michael Southern (Logistics); Sarah Ali; John Schneider; Jessica Wills, Katie Creed*. Clergy Members: Steve Byrd 405-631-8997; Nancy Hamilton 580-225-0964; Charles Watson 405-222-1637, Steve Taylor. *Denotes Cross Point Emmaus Representative.

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