Cross 

 Point

MONTHLY GATHERINGS (7:00 p.m.) (Board meeting at 5:00 p.m.)				WALKS
May 10		Asbury Methodist Church, Ardmore		Men’s Walk #71		09/25/08-09/28/08
June 12		TBA		Women’s Walk #72		10/02/08-10/05/08

Our Fourth Day meetings in Ada, Ardmore, and Durant were the best attended in years. I attended the one in Ardmore. And since we don't have Gatherings during Walk months (two times a year), it was great to see everyone, especially those who had just completed their Walks. The Ardmore meeting had a full contingent of sponsors and pilgrims who had gathered to form or join a Reunion Group. Pilgrims, and even some sponsors, found what they were looking for.

At the Fourth Day meeting I mentioned several characteristics of an effective Emmaus Reunion Group. In the days following, several sponsors have come up to me and mentioned that fact that their Reunion Group doesn't exactly follow the service sheet structure. Some don't follow it at all. Is that OK?

While there is a great amount of flexibility in how you conduct your Reunion Group meeting, there are certain aspects that must be adhered to. If you bypass the basic structure, you are really inviting disaster. Most certainly, people will either stop coming or they will find themselves not being held accountable. The session could very easily turn into a "gossip" session or a session where members talk about the latest ballgame or grandchild or just "catching up." And, lastly, it may become an Emmaus Reunion Group in name only.

If you are not spending time with the Lord in daily devotions, you can certainly "skip over" that by not doing the "Piety, Study, and Action" section in your Reunion Group sharing. If you don't have a "Closest to Christ," there's no one to put your feet to the fire when you don't cover it. If you can't remember a "Failure in your call to Discipleship," there's certainly no one who can lovingly hold you accountable.

There are times when someone in my Reunion Group will come in jolted from a hard experience during the week. We allow time for that person to share, abbreviate the remainder of our time together by sharing our "Closest to Christ," and then adjourn after our "Prayer of Thanksgiving."

If you want what you got on your Walk to be perpetuated, an effective Reunion Group can greatly facilitate that. I find that my Reunion Group holds me accountable in my walk with God, but only if we follow the service sheet structure and we honestly share what's going on in our Christian lives. I like what many have said about the Emmaus model, "If it ain't broke, don't try to fix it."

De Colores
Dan Patman, Community Spiritual Director
Cross Point Emmaus Walk #1
Table of Mark

Thank you to all who served on these last two walks. Everyone was blessed by your servanthood and I'm sure you were blessed in return. Thank you everyone for your many acts of agape. Many lives were changed during the weekends. What can be greater than the love God has for us?

Chris McDowell and Shawna Carnahan have been commissioned as the fall lay directors. It's never to early to pray about whom to sponsor. But, do be prayerful. Please consider volunteering to help. Volunteer apps are due May 15. Even if you can't help the entire weekend, turn in an application and indicate when you are available. It takes many hands and feet put on a walk.

May God bless you on all of your fourth days.
Vicki Swigert

Emmuas Community,
I would like to say thanks for picking me for walk #69. I know the Lord was with me all the way. With the Lord and your prayers we had a great walk. It was one of the best walk I have every worked. I saw the Holy Spirit working in the conference room and in chapel. These men gave up so much over the weekend I know their lives are going to change. I also would like to thank everyone that served on the team inside and out. With out you it wouldn’t be possible. But it wasn’t our walk it was the Lord working through all of us.
And hope walk #71 and #72 are that much better. So may God Bless you and your family. Once again thank you.

Dale Monkres
Lay Director- Walk #71
DeColores

I had made a commitment at Emmaus to get my Christian Action plan started at home. To be a disciple to the world, you must start at home. I have a 6 year old daughter and I wanted to spend more time being a disciple at home with her and her father. On Sunday night after my return from the Walk as I was tucking her in bed and saying good night she asked me, "Momma can we pray?" Of course I caught my breathe and said "You bet." Then as we were holding hands and beginning to pray she asks, "Would daddy pray with us?" Again, "you bet" and I went to get her dad and we stood at her bed holding hands saying a good night prayer. Now every night she and I have shared a bible story and as a family said our bedtime prayer.
Isn't God awesome!!!!!!

Melinda Laird,
Crosspoint Walk to Emmaus, #70

We need churches to volunteer to host our monthly gatherings and board meetings on the second Saturday of each month. Please make arrangements to host one soon!
Contact Rev. Paul Reed, FUMC, Ringling, OK , (580) 662-2266

2008 Cross Point Emmaus Board of Directors

“…(I was) in prison and you visited me….I tell you, whenever you did this for one of the least important of these followers of mine, you did it for me!” Matthew 25: 36 & 40
Kairos is the branch of the Walk to Emmaus that brings the walk into our prisons. For information:

kairosoklahoma.org

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OUR NEXT GATHERING IS AT ASBURY CHURCH, ARDMORE, OK, May 10, 2008, AT 7:00 P.M. Make it a priority to stay connected to your brothers and sisters in Christ! Come to the gatherings and bring a friend!