Cross Point Walks to Emmaus #71 & #72 have just completed! And, I want to thank Chris McDowell and Shawna Carnahan, lay directors of the respective Walks, for a tremendous effort. I also want to thank team members and sponsors. Without this kind of yeoman effort, persons going beyond the call of duty, persons extending themselves in the service of Christ, showing agape-type love to every pilgrim and team member would not be possible. It was obvious that many gave themselves in sacrificial kinds of ways, so that others could see the hands and feet of Christ at work.
I've discovered that sacrificial love is seen by those persons who think they need it most, as well as by those who think they need it least. By the power of the Holy Spirit, pilgrims and team members alike recognize that the sacrificial service is not unlike that of our Lord. Jesus offers agape-type love, unconditional love to everyone. That's what pilgrims and team members saw on the Walks. Once one has experienced unconditional love on the Walk to Emmaus, he or she wants to share that same love with others.
The Walk to Emmaus provides at least two ways of sharing agape-type, unconditional love for others--friends, family members, co-workers, fellow church members, neighbors, associates, even casual acquaintances.
The first way to share is simply work on the Walk. You can work behind the scenes with snack agape or table agape, or in the kitchen, or as a team assistant, or as a cabin steward/hostess. It may be that you want to work in the conference room on the music team, or as a table leader, or as an assistant table leader and give a talk. Usually one works behinds the scenes before he or she works in the conference room. But it's a way to give back to Christ and to others, a way to say "thank you," a way to share that same agape love that has been shared with you.
Men's Walk #73 is on April 16-19, 2009. Women's Walk #74 is on April 23-26, 2009. If you did not get a volunteer application form during the last Walk (they were included in the manila envelopes), and it may be that you were not on Walks #71 or #72-- Anyway, you can download a volunteer application form at www.crosspointemmaus.org under forms. Return your form to the appropriately designed person by November 1. We need you.
The second way to share on a Walk is simply to sponsor someone. Begin to think even now who you are going to sponsor on the next set of Walks. If what you experienced has merit, if it made a Christian difference in your own life, if your sponsor helped you to take another step on down the road with the Savior, then you can do the same for someone else. Again, if you didn't get an application and sponsors form in your manila envelop you can download both the application form and sponsors form (front and back of one page) at www.crosspointemmaus.org.
If you have difficulty downloading or locating any of the forms, simply contact me at 580-223-5390 x308 and I'll mail them to you. We simply can't stay in business as an Emmaus community without your efforts--working on the Walks and sponsoring someone. I hope and pray that you'll seriously consider "giving back." It's a way to re-experience your Walk.
DeColores,
Dan Patman
Cross Point Emmaus Walk #1
Table of Mark
