Bi-Monthly Newsletter of the Nashville Emmaus Community
March 2015
T M FJ It is a new year and we are looking forward to and preparing for two Emmaus weekends in April, a Face to Face Encounter in May and Chrysalis Flights in June. The Emmaus and Face to Face leaders are chosen and teams are being formed, possibly already completed and prayers are being lifted for Chrysalis. They are beginning the process of preparing for the weekends in the spirit of humility and servant hood. The same spirit modeled in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. (Luke 22:27) We have each experienced one of these weekends/or encounters and received the blessing of what it offered to us – exactly what we needed at that point in our lives if we thought we needed it or not. When we talk with other Emmaus pilgrims (we are called pilgrims because we are all on a journey of growing in Christ) about our experiences they know what we are talking about: a time of receiving freely given agape love and hospitality; of seeing the body of Christ before us and seeing what God has done in our lives. We can share what a certain talk meant to us, how it helped us and what a lasting impression it left on
us. These spiritual formation weekends/encounters are different for each of us, but the same. The Walk to Emmaus, Chrysalis and Face to Face are models put into place with much prayer and discernment. They were breathed into life by the Holy Spirit and they have given every one of us the same experience – allowing the indwelling spirit of the weekend to enrich us as we journey on with Christ. It allows us to continue to follow Jesus with a renewed spirit and deepened love of Christ. We have a model for spiritual formation and growth, we follow what Jesus Christ teaches us – so let’s Trust the Model and Follow Jesus. (Thanks Allen Weller for the slogan – Trust the Model Follow Jesus) Colossians 3:15-17 The Message
DeColores and Fly with Christ, Blessings and joy, Edna
Emmaus Walks
Chrysalis Flights
Men’s April 9-12, 2015 Women’s April 23-26, 2015 Men’s October 1-4, 2015 Women’s October 15-18, 2015
Girl’s Flight #105 June 6-8 Boys Flight #106 June 27-29
Check the Community website for the latest schedule
Emmaus Gathering Saturday May 2, 6pm Hamilton UMC
Face To Face Encounter May 6, 7, 13, 14 2015 • Hilldale UMC Clarksville
In This Issue
While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and began walking with them... Luke 24:15
Listening ............................................................................................2 Letter from the Board..................................................................3 What’s Cooking?...........................................................................3 AGAPE Love....................................................................................4 Gathering #3 ..................................................................................5 Face to Face.....................................................................................5 Kairos ..................................................................................................6 Praying Together ...........................................................................7 Board Members & Assignments...........................................8
Listening As I enter my 3rd and final year on the Nashville Emmaus Community Board I am thankful that the board is a dedicated and “listening” group of lay and clergy whose sole desire is to see the Emmaus community grow and thrive. What a blessing it was to work this past year with the clergy who were on the board! John Arnold and Betsy Hall, who rolled off the board in December, are dear friends and colleagues. They contributed much to the board’s refocusing efforts with the attempt we all made to keep one hand on the “pulse of the Holy Spirit” and the other hand on the “pulse of the Nashville Emmaus Community.” It is so special to be a part of a board that loves to celebrate successes, such as the walks held last year, but is also not afraid to admit to mistakes and take measures to work with God and the community to get in step with what God desires for our Emmaus community. John Arnold was an invaluable spiritual leader as the Community Spiritual Director. He worked hand in hand with everyone to really listen to what God was saying to us and then act on it. I do hope that everyone will go to the Nashville Emmaus Community website and
I do believe that the best motto our board and the Nashville Emmaus Community can operate under is, “Follow Christ and Trust the Model!” Because as we all know, the model for The Walk to Emmaus has been developed over the decades with much prayer and thought and with a hand on the “pulse of the Holy Spirit.” What a joy to continue to work this year with all the new and special Lay Persons on the Emmaus Board and with the clergy who are continuing—Loyd Mabry, Jon Bell, and Victor Perez and to welcome to the board the clergy you chose from the excellent candidates on the fall ballot: Sandra Griggs and Bill Owen. I know the clergy, including myself, and all on the Nashville Emmaus Board members are committed to “Follow Christ–Trust in the Model–and, Keep Our Hand on the Pulse of the Holy Spirit!” When we do this, the Nashville Emmaus Community will move forward and reach lives for Christ. S.D. Gordon once wrote, “In prayer, the ear is of first importance. It is of equal importance with the tongue, but the ear must be named first. We must listen to God.” Sometimes God speaks loudly and clearly but more often God speaks in a quiet voice which requires us to listen carefully. Your Nashville Emmaus Board is committed to listening carefully as God speaks to us. There are folks out there who, in the midst of the noise of life, are needing the “quiet listening of a 72 hour Emmaus Walk” and who are depending on you to invite them and, then, be the best sponsor you can be so they will have the opportunity that you and I have had of allowing God to speak to the silent corners of our quiet, willing heart. So let us all review the guidelines to refresh commit to “Follow Christ—Trust the Model—and, Keep yourself on just how important our Hand on the Pulse of the Holy Spirit” as we walk the role of the sponsor is in helping together on our Fourth Days! a pilgrim get the most out of a walk. Being an “understanding sponsor” De Colores! truly does fulfill what we all promised and what we were told at the end of our Emmaus walk when we received our Allen Weller, Emmaus Cross with these words, “Christ is counting on Nashville Emmaus Community Spiritual Director you” and we responded with “And I’m counting on Christ”.
Letter from Chrysalis Board of Directors Chrysalis and Emmaus Community Members, As some of you may be aware the Nashville Chrysalis Board of Directors has been going through a very difficult transition period. Last year we had several board members step down which left us with many vacancies. Those that have continued to serve on the board have worked prayerfully and diligently to continue with the work and service of the community. However, it has been challenging. The board has struggled to meet the needs of the community and as a result the ministry of Chrysalis has suffered. We have cancelled flights due to lack of clergy and team members. But we have also cancelled flights because we did not have enough caterpillars registered to attend the flights. In order for the Nashville Chrysalis community to thrive, we need your support. That can come in many ways. First and foremost we are in constant need of prayer. There is a lot of business that happens month to month – important decisions are made and those are not taken lightly. Also, we need your support in service. Each flight weekend requires a tremendous amount of support from team members and volunteers who are willing to serve. This includes laity and clergy. Finally, we need your help in recruiting caterpillars. This ministry is for young men and women who are searching for something and looking to be transformed. We are part of this Emmaus and Chrysalis community because we were all once pilgrims or caterpillars on a journey seeking Christ. We are all called to make disciples and what better way than to share this opportunity with the youth of your church. Below is a list of open board positions currently available on the Nashville Chrysalis Board. We would ask you all to prayerfully consider if there is an opportunity for you to serve our community in this capacity. Serving on the Board is a commitment and it takes time and dedication. But it can be rewarding if you are willing to serve.
What’s Cooking?
If you are not called to serve on the Board, perhaps it is serving as a team member or volunteering throughout the weekend. We are in constant need of lay directors, assistant lay directors, table leaders, youth leaders, agape volunteers, kitchen volunteers…you name it we need it. The Nashville Chrysalis community also needs the help of clergy. Our weekends cannot succeed without the support of clergy. If you are interested in serving and supporting the Nashville Chrysalis community in anyway please reach out Randy Williams, Community Lay Director, at rwilliams@covenantservicestn.com. You can join us at an upcoming board meeting or get more details on upcoming flights. The Nashville Chrysalis Board of Directors is transforming. Just like the caterpillars we serve, we will come out of this period stronger and more beautiful than when we began. But we cannot do it alone. We are asking for prayers and support. But we are also asking for patience. Flights are scheduled for this summer – Girls’ flight 105 is June 6-8 and Boys’ flight 106 is June 27-29. Help us to make these flights as successful as possible. You can find more information and registration forms online at www.nashvillechrysalis.org. Fly with Christ, The Nashville Chrysalis Board of Directors Open Chrysalis Board Positions: • Community Spiritual Director • Entertainment • 2nd Set-up/Take Down • Two Agape Coordinators • Webmaster • Youth Representative • Secretary
Come join us in the Emmaus Kitchen the weekend of April 10-12 and or April 24-26. Bill and Marilyn Burleigh are the Lay Directors for these walks. They are longtime members and leaders in the community. Working in the kitchen is a wonderful way to show agape love and support to them, the team and the pilgrims. Whether you consider yourself experienced in the kitchen or not, there is always something you can do from setting the table, cutting veggies, to preparing meals. It is a wonderful way to meet new people in the community. The weekend breakfast meal prep starts at 6:30am and is over by 8:30am on each day. Lunch meal prep begins at 10:30am and is generally completed by 12:30pm each day. Dinner prep begins at 3pm and is finished by 6pm to 6:30pm on Friday and Saturday. Whether you can give a few hours of your time or an entire day, I promise you will be welcomed and greatly enjoy your time there. Remember your walk and how much you appreciated those great meals? Please come and relive that experience from the “other side” of the table. DeColores, Carla Hunt
AGAPE Love Remember your Walk? Remember the agape gifts you received at meals? Remember the prayer chart and the feeling you had when you realized that people you didn’t even know were praying for you 24 hours a day for 3 solid days? Remember the feeling you had when you realized that God’s love for you was so big? How would you like to help someone else have the feeling of total unearned, unconditional love? As the Board Representative responsible for Agape during the Walk to Emmaus weekend, I am working toward establishing an “Agape Committee”. This committee would take the agape during the weekend to a new level to include: A Welcome Team Pillow Agape Decorating bathrooms (yes, bathrooms) Help with ordering and maintaining supplies Set-up assistance Helping with cleaning of bathrooms (yes, bathrooms…again) Developing new agape ideas If you have any ideas or would like more information on what is being done to expand the true agape love of the weekend, please contact me at 615-794-3945 (home) 615-812-2728 (cell) or e-mail at jjajkmel@aol.com. You can help make each Walk a memorable experience for new Pilgrims. DeColores, Jane Melrose
Gathering May2, Hamilton UMC The February gathering in McMinnville was attended by people from various areas of the Emmaus community. The food was delicious and abundant. The fellowship during the meal was a blessing, but our worship time was the highlight of the evening. The spirit stirred all that were in attendance. Come join our next gathering on May 2nd at Hamilton United Methodist Church and experience once again the true community of Emmaus. Covered dish dinner begins at 6 PM with worship and communion following. The address is 3105 Hamilton Church Rd., Antioch. The church is located on the corner of Hamilton Church Rd. and Murfreesboro Rd. So, mark May 2nd on your calendar! COME bring a covered dish to Hamilton UMC. Hope to see you there! De Colores! Jeanne Bell
FACE TO FACE #5 is coming to Clarksville, TN in May 2015 Face to Face is a new program from the Upper Room Ministries. It is built the same as the Walk to Emmaus model but designed especially for seniors age 60 and above who might have difficulty with the physical demands of a 72-hour retreat, yet haven’t already been on a Walk to Emmaus. Each Encounter (called “Encounter” instead of “Walk”) involves men and women together, but seperated by gender at the tables. This next FTF Encounter will be held at Hilldale UMC in Clarksville May 6, 7 & 13, 14 from 9:00 am - 3:30 pm each day. Please think about who you know, family, friends, also those who have lost a spouse...people you could sponsor. Face to Face doesn’t require sponsors, but it helps. Please spread the word about FTF, this is an amazing Emmaus experience that is rekindling the fire in our older adults. Who do you know who could use a big hug from Emmaus…a special time of grace and resting in the love of God? We need Table Agape and Snack Agape for each of the four days of the Encounter. Fee is $50 for ALL 4 days which includes materials, snacks and lunch.
Check out our website: www.nashvilleemmaus.org/Face_To_Face Please contact me if you would like to help. Pat Mishler: pmish5@comcast.net 615-406-1367. For applications for Encounter #5 contact Karen Lee: karen5517@att.net 931-647-2249. DeColores Pat
FOURTH DAY OPPORTUNITY “…I was in prison and you visited me” Matt. 25:36
All of us that have experienced the joy of knowing that God accepts us where we are; understand the importance of continuing in His service through our “Fourth Day” activities. Kairos Prison Ministry is one of those opportunities for us to live out our calling to visit those in prison. Although Kairos is not directly “an Emmaus program”, Emmaus is a critical part of the Kairos ministry. Kairos is an ecumenical ministry that takes the three day weekend we have all experienced through Emmaus, Chrysalis, Tres Dias, Cursillo, and other weekend programs and has built a three day weekend for those incarcerated in medium and maximum security institutions. Kairos is preparing for our third Weekend Ministry event at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, scheduled for May 14-17, 2015. After eight long years of working with Riverbend (RMSI) we were able to have our first two Weekends in 2014 with outstanding success. The format of the Weekend is the same as Emmaus but the focus is on God’s forgiveness in our lives using the talks and poster activities to share God’s grace. We are working on our team formation for the May Weekend and still have some opportunities available if you are interested in possibly joining us for this life changing experience. If you want more information on
how to become a team member, schedule a presentation for your church or civic organization or just have curiosity about what happens during a Kairos Weekend, please feel free to e-mail me at melrosejm@aol.com or call me at 615-794-3945 (home) or 615-504-2297 (cell). You can also check out the KPMI (Kairos Prison Ministry International) website at www.mykairos.org. Obviously, due to the nature of the event, it is gender specific so only men can serve as Inside Team Members at Riverbend. However, the first Kairos for the Tennessee Prison for Women (TPFW) is scheduled for October 29-Nov. 1, 2015. If you are a woman and are interested in serving as part of the Inside Team for TPFW please contact Lisa Smith at matatakidogo@icloud.com or 615-260-5783. Please remember there are plenty of outside support opportunities for those of opposite gender at these events, or for those that are not comfortable going inside DeColores, Jim Melrose Kairos Riverbend Outreach Coordinator Kairos Riverbend #3 Team Leader
Let us all Pray Together
Prayer is the aura of The Walk to Emmaus. Every part of the weekend is bathed in prayer, from the team selection, to the pilgrims, to the servants, to infinity. Amazing experiences happen during those 72 hours in response to prayer. Yet, it doesn’t end with the weekend. Prayer is powerful but so often we forget to watch for the answer to our prayers. We pray for healing and when the person isn’t healed, we wonder… was our prayer answered? We pray for success and when it doesn’t happen within the week, we wonder… was our prayer answered? We pray someone will achieve a particular something and when they don’t, we wonder… was our prayer answered? When we go humbly to God in prayer we need to remember we are asking as Jesus taught, “your will be done”. Healing may not come physically, but spiritually. Success as defined in our society may not be the success that is granted. The achievement desired may not be the achievement spiritually needed whereas another may occur. When we pray we are asking for God’s intervention as God sees fit. Prayer is powerful, it won’t always be answered in the way we want, but it will be answered, always. It is important that we think about what we pray for as prayer is a serious business.
Prayer is believing God is listening to you, that you are important to Him. Prayer is counting on a response, not knowing what that response will be. Prayer is trusting in love that our Father knows what is best. In prayer we give God permission to interact in our free will not as we want, but as He deems well. Prayer can be a part of every thought and action in our lives for it is our relationship to our Father who loves us or we can chose to live a life without prayer as we’ve been given the choice of having the greatest Mentor ever or struggling through life alone. After all we were granted free will. It is our individual choice where we allow God to interact with us. We so often go to Him in distress; shall we not also go to him in joy and in the mundane? So, I ask shall we all pray together as sisters and brothers in Christ for each other, for our families, friends and enemies, for the Emmaus Community, our community, state, country and for this world. Believing, Counting on, and Trusting God’s faithful, loving response. DeColores, Sandie Glover
Emmaus Board Members & Job Assignments: Name
Job Description
Ball, Doug
Dabball42@gmail.com
Set up/take down
Bell, Jeanne
jonbell0213@gmail.com
Prayer/Gathering
Bell, Jon
jonbell0213@gmail.com
Treasurer/ASD
Bill Owen, Rev.
revwowen@gmail.com
ASD
Chavis, John David
Johnchavis7@gmail.com
Team Selection
Glover, Sandie
sandie.glover@comcast.net
Co Chair/Prayer
Grayson, Steve
sdgrayson@vbhcs.org
Secretary
Griggs, Sandra, Rev
sandragriggs@comcast.net
ASD
Hunt, Carla
CF.Hunt@comast.net
Kitchen
Mabry, Loyd, Rev
loyd.mabry@gmail.com
ASD
Mason, Hughmason
hugh543@tds.netSat.
Entertainment
Melrose, Jane
jane.melrose@suntrust.com
Agape
Mishler, Pat
pmish5@comcast.net
Face 2 Face
Perez, Victor, Rev
visaperez@bellsouth.net
ASD
Snodgrass, Carla
carla@preventchildabuse.org
Registrar
Street, Wilda
wjstreet@att.net
Kitchen
Trott, Sam
Jtrott0409@gmail.com
Set Up/take down
Vaughan, Edna
evaughan@gbod.org and evaughan@tds.net
CLD
Wedekind, Cathy
cathy.wedekind@comcast.net
Newsletter/Com.
Weller, Allen, Rev
wellerrev@comcast.net
CSD
Williams, Randy
rwilliams@covenantservicesTN.com
CLD ChrysalisEx-officio
AV ALD volunteers are needed. More and more speakers on Weekends have requested the use power point presentations in their talks. With the many requests, The Upper Room Emmaus/Chrysalis office created a fourth ALD position whose only team work is to run the power points. If you have an interest in being put on our list of possible AV ALD, please let me know. This will not preclude you from other team positions. A notation that you have volunteered for this position will be made by your name for team selection purposes.
Database Manager needed. If you would like to help us and have an interest in learning the new database system for Nashville Emmaus, please let us know. You would be responsible for updating the information for our community. Get in touch with me at evaughan@tds.net. This would be an ex-officio position on the Board - reporting monthly any update information - regular meeting attendance is not required.