Emmaus Ministries Renewing Christian Disciples and Strengthening Local Churches
Your church can become a vital congregation –a new kind of community in which people of all generations are growing in grace, becoming one in the Spirit, and are involved in God’s transformative work–
by partnering with The Upper Room Emmaus Ministries.
Dear Friends and Ministry Partners, We invite you to explore the Emmaus Ministries of The Upper Room. We encourage you to consider how these programs can strengthen your congregation and make it a more vital and impactful presence in your area. Your church can become a community in which people of all generations are growing in grace, becoming one in the Spirit, and getting involved in God’s transformative work. Each Emmaus Ministry of The Upper Room provides participants—from specific age groups or life stages—a spiritual formation experience in the form of a single multiday retreat or scheduled sessions over a set period of time. Building on local church disciple-making efforts, these programs renew Christian disciples and strengthen local churches. Participants experience agape love and come away with a better understanding of what it means to be the hands and feet of Christ. Each Emmaus Ministry differs in structure and setting to meet the unique needs of a specific age range or life stage: • Discovery Weekend for middle schoolers • Chrysalis for high schoolers (grades 10–12) • Journey to the Table for young adults • The Walk to Emmaus for adults • Face to Face for older adults (age 60 and above) As you explore this booklet, be sure to gather your thoughts and questions. In the coming days and weeks, leaders from the _______________ Emmaus Ministries Community will follow up with you. We will be happy to share more information and answer any questions you have. We look forward to partnering with you to renew your church members, energize them to be more active Christian disciples, and strengthen and amplify your church for ministry. Yours in Christ’s service, _______________________ Chairperson, Outreach Committee _______________________ Emmaus Ministries Community
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Disciple-Making System Becoming a vital congregation means making disciples of Jesus Christ. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, it involves introducing persons to Christ, fostering their growth in Christ, and providing them with the opportunities to serve and share Christ. Becoming a vital congregation means making followers of Christ who through their worship, devotion, and acts of compassion and justice are transforming the world around them.
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Disciple-Making System As it was the case in the early church (Acts 2:40-47), local churches today continue to organize themselves for the task. They are developing and fine-tuning their disciple-making system.
The Upper Room Emmaus Ministries’ offerings are tools for local churches’ disciple-making system.
Emmaus Ministries
Service opportunies
Prayer meetings
Mission trips Bible studies
Preaching
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Discovery Weekend
Journey to the Table
Walk to Emmaus
Face to Face
Where does it happen? In the local church
Outside the local church
In a self-selected community
In an Emmaus Ministries community
In a local church, a retirement community, a senior center
With whom?
Familiar church family
Familiar and new peers and adults
Familiar and new peers
Familiar and new peers
Familiar and new peers
Spiritual Formation
Grounding in faith and community
Portable, ongoing spiritual formation
Searching well
Deepening of relationship with God and others
Experiencing God’s love through a loving community
Outcomes
- Community around younger youth
- Foundation of faith
- Engaging depth of faith as adults
- Understanding the meaning of life and one’s place in the world
- Making sense of one’s life story
- Intergenerational discipleship - Older youth leadership
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Chrysalis
- Community of peers - Trying spiritual practices - Growing spiritual leadership
- Peer-experience sharing - Trying spiritual practices
- Determining values and priorities - Taking responsibility for the personal spiritual journey
- Finding new purpose - Sharing one’s life story
Programs The Walk to Emmaus ............................................................ 8–11 Face to Face ......................................................................... 12–13 Chrysalis ............................................................................... 14-15 Discovery .............................................................................. 16-17 Journey to the Table ............................................................. 18-19
THE WALK TO EMMAUS Overview The Walk to Emmaus develops Christian disciples and leaders by inspiring, challenging, and equipping active adult church members for Christian action in their homes, churches, workplaces, and communities. It also benefits less active members who are seeking to renew a relationship with God, grow spiritually, or discover firmer foundations for their lives. Through The Walk to Emmaus, as they seek to become healthy and vital congregations, local churches have both a means of growing disciples and a tool for developing leaders for their disciple-making systems. The program begins with a 72-hour short course in Christianity that is wrapped in prayer and signs of sacrificial service. It continues for the rest of participants’ lives with follow-up groups that, along with the local church’s robust offerings, contribute to participants’ ongoing growth in grace.
Walk to Emmaus
What to Expect During the 72-hour Event “The Walk to Emmaus provides an environment where the Holy Spirit transforms lives and builds Christian community.” During the 72-hour event, as participants spend time focusing on God’s love in an environment of grace, they experience divine love in overwhelming ways. They experience deep changes and gain new insight into how Christian love in action can change the world. This happens as they: • Learn – Clergy and laity on the event team give fifteen talks on the themes of God’s grace, disciplines of Christian discipleship, and what it means to be the church. • Reflect – Each presentation or talk is followed by a moment of silent reflection. • Discuss – After silent reflection the table group discusses the talk and responds creatively. • Worship – Services of worship are daily, thematic, and are designed especially for the Emmaus Walk. • Share in Holy Communion – As a means of experiencing God’s grace, Holy Communion is celebrated daily.
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Walk to Emmaus
Following the 72-hour Event “The purpose of the Walk to Emmaus is achieved in the days, months, and years following the 72-hour experience.” Following a Walk to Emmaus event, participants return to their local churches with an invitation to persevere in grace by participating in the local church’s offerings to its members and ministries to the world. As participants become more involved with their church’s offerings and ministries, they have opportunities to witness to the impact of The Walk to Emmaus on their lives, share their experience, and invite and sponsor other church members and leaders to participate in a Walk. Following the event, participants also meet weekly for an hour in small groups. Using the group reunion card, they: • review their walk with Christ through the practices of piety, study, and service • reflect on the ways they have experienced Christ’s presence and calls to action • share plans for living out their discipleship in the week ahead • celebrate the grace of God in each person’s life • reinforce each person’s commitment to living in union with Christ and maintaining contact with other Christians desiring to grow in grace. As part of their ongoing growth in commitment to be involved in the ministries of their local church, participants may also be invited by the local Emmaus Ministries community to be part of an event team through which they have the opportunity to minister to other pilgrims.
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The Walk to Emmaus is offered by local Emmaus Ministries communities throughout the USA and around the world. In each community, clergy and laity from various local churches work together to offer this life-changing experience in Christian community.
Walk to Emmaus
Partnering with the Emmaus Ministries
If your church is already involved with The Walk to Emmaus, we would like to further strengthen this working relationship. If no one from your church has had the opportunity to be a pilgrim on a Walk to Emmaus, we will be happy to share more information with you and begin a partnership by sponsoring the first four participants from your church. In any case, the Emmaus Ministries Outreach Committee members who sent you this packet will be reaching out to you. Thank you for prayerfully considering how The Walk to Emmaus might assist you in developing a vital congregation with renewed disciples who are involved in the church’s ministries to its community and to the world. For more information on The Walk to Emmaus, visit our website: Emmaus.UpperRoom.org.
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FACE TO FACE Overview Face to Face is an adaptation of The Walk to Emmaus that is crafted to meet the needs of older adults. The program provides older adults with an opportunity to rediscover Christ’s presence in their lives, gain fresh understanding of God’s transforming grace, form friendships that foster their faith following the initial event, and better understand the responsibility of living a Christian lifestyle. Led by clergy and lay leaders, Face to Face strengthens and renews participants and bolsters the spiritual life of the families and congregations of which they are a part.
What to Expect During the Event The program invites men and women of all Christian denominations to experience Jesus Christ through a 4-, 6-, or 8-session journey during which subjects such as discipleship, mission, grief, and end of life are covered. The highly flexible schedule allows participants the freedom to engage in, among other activities, structured Bible study and prayer in a church setting or other community space.
Following the Event Following a Face to Face event, participants return to their local churches with an invitation to persevere in grace through participation in the local church’s offerings to its members and ministries to the world. As participants become involved with their local church’s offerings and ministries, they have opportunities to witness to the impact of Face to Face on their lives, share their experience, and encourage other church members and leaders.
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Partnering with the Emmaus Ministries Face to Face began offering Encounters in Emmaus Ministries communities across the United States in 2015. Since then, a growing number of communities around the world have offered Face to Face to older adults.
Face to Face
If your church is already involved with Face to Face, we would like to further strengthen this working relationship. If no one from your church has had the opportunity to be part of a Face to Face Encounter, we would like to share more information with you and begin a transformative partnership with your church by inviting four of your senior adult members to be part of the next Encounter in your area. In any case, the Emmaus Ministries Outreach Committee members who sent you this packet will be reaching out to you. Thank you for prayerfully considering how Face to Face might assist you in developing a healthy congregation with renewed disciples who are involved in your church’s ministries to its community and to the world. For more information on Face to Face, visit our website: FacetoFace.UpperRoom.org.
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CHRYSALIS “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
Overview Chrysalis is designed for high school youth ages 15 to 18. At this age, young people are making major decisions about religion, lifestyle, vocation, and lifelong relationships. Chrysalis challenges them to grow not only in mind and body but also in spirit and faith. The Chrysalis weekend events, referred to as Flights, are offered separately for girls and boys to allow youth freedom to explore their relationship with God without worrying about how they may appear to the other gender. It provides an opportunity outside their local congregations or youth groups to grow in their faith alongside their peers. The butterfly provides the central image and metaphor of the Chrysalis experience. An ancient Christian symbol of Christ’s death and resurrection, the butterfly illustrates one model of the spiritual journey: caterpillar, cocoon (chrysalis), and butterfly. To become what it is meant to be, the caterpillar essentially dies as it goes through a metamorphosis in the chrysalis until it finally becomes a butterfly and breaks out of the chrysalis. Similarly, our Christian transformation involves dying with Christ to our old self through faith in God’s accepting love, rising with Christ to a new life motivated by hope in God’s promises, and going forth with Christ in love to joyfully share Christ’s ministry of reconciliation and love with an alienated world.
What to Expect On a Chrysalis weekend, high school youth will sing, reflect, pray, worship, learn, share Holy Communion, participate in small groups, experience God’s grace in community and in the world, and understand Christian love in action. Discussions center around 15 talks given by clergy and youth and adult laity. These talks present the theme of God’s grace, how that grace comes alive in the Christian community, and how it is expressed in the world. Youth will also discover how grace is real in their lives, how to live a life of grace, and how to share that grace with others.
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Following the Weekend After the weekend, participants are invited to have a closer walk with Christ for the rest of their lives; this is called Next Steps. Those who attend a Chrysalis weekend are encouraged to • expand their own spiritual lives through worship, study, and active participation in their local church • become more active disciples of Christ in service to the world To nurture this process of discipleship, the Chrysalis movement offers specific opportunities. First, groups of four to six people meet weekly to reflect on their spiritual journey and encourage one another in accountable discipleship. Second, there are monthly community gatherings where Chrysalis participants meet for fellowship, worship, and instruction. Third, community members are regularly informed of the support needs of upcoming Chrysalis weekends and other opportunities for servant leadership.
Partnering with Your Church Chrysalis
Chrysalis is an intentional time outside their home church for high school youth to grow in their own faith formation, try spiritual practices, and return to the church better prepared for leadership roles. The Chrysalis community exists to offer this experience to youth in local churches and to offer the youth a larger community of their peers in which they can continue their spiritual journey. For more information on Chrysalis, visit our website: Chrysalis.UpperRoom.org.
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DISCOVERY Helping Middle School Youth Experience God’s Love Empowering High School Youth to Become Leaders Engaging Every Generation in Life-Changing Ministry
Overview Discovery Weekend is a spiritual formation retreat for middle school youth that engages high school youth in leadership. Held in the local church, Discovery invites the entire church family to live out the baptismal promise to create a community of love and forgiveness. In this environment, middle school youth are encouraged to strengthen their faith with foundational Christian teachings and experiences. Discovery Weekend is for the entire church family. Middle school youth, no matter where they are on their faith journey, are invited to attend. High school youth lead small groups and worship. Parents share gifts of love, presence, and prayer. Youth leaders provide overall leadership, direction, and supervision of the weekend. Church parishioners serve on the Discovery team. Sunday school classes and small groups provide prayer support, meals, and snacks. Clergy help with teaching; provide spiritual guidance; and, with parental involvement, celebrate baptism.
Theme Manuals Three Discovery Weekend theme manuals are available to choose from, allowing a church to cycle through three years of material and offer a different meaningful experience for middle schoolers each year. Each manual includes a recommended schedule; churches can customize the weekend to fit their needs. The manuals are Discover God’s Love Through the Church, Discover God’s Love Through Scripture, and Discover God’s Love Through Everyday Life.
What to Expect Worship Singing, praising, and worshiping as one body Engagement Skits, short videos, and meaningful talks about faith and God Love Congregational care and love Fun Free time, serious time, and fun time Fellowship Mentoring, small-group sharing, Bible reading, and prayer
Following the Weekend After a Discovery Weekend, middle school participants feel a deepened sense of belonging at their church home, and high school leaders are better equipped for leadership in various ministry areas. Many churches also see a renewed investment and engagement of adult volunteers in youth ministry.
Partnering with the Emmaus Ministries Discovery
Your church holds its own Discovery Weekend. It can become a cornerstone event on your church calendar that brings the entire congregation together for an experience of God’s love. If you have people in your church who have already participated in an Emmaus Ministries event, they can be some of your best leaders for Discovery Weekend. After your first Discovery Weekend, adults or high school youth who were involved may be ready for the next steps in their faith formation. Leaders in your church can be in conversation with them to know when they are ready to attend The Walk to Emmaus or Chrysalis. For more information on Discovery Weekend, visit our website: Discovery.UpperRoom.org.
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JOURNEY TO THE TABLE Overview Journey to the Table is a spiritual formation experience for young adults offered by The Upper Room. It allows participants to explore faith through authentic teaching and fosters open discussion through which participants can build relationships with a community of peers. Journey to the Table can be used as a weekend retreat, a curriculum for up to 7 sessions, or adapted for weekly/ monthly gatherings. Through teaching, reflection, and discussion on identity, relationships, Christian action, and more, it guides participants to explore their own story, their faith journey, scripture, and how they might use their experience and passions to transform their homes, schools, places of work, and communities.
What to Expect What happens during the Journey to the Table event? • A series of 10 talks that build on one another • Small-group discussions after each talk • Several worship services with times of prayer, Communion, and individual times of reflection and discernment
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Following the Event After participating in a Journey to the Table event, young adults will have connections with your church through the team members who served on the event. These young adults will be better able to have faith-based conversations with others from the Journey to the Table event and be inspired to act on their faith. Churches typically see an increase in the number of young adults participating in small groups after Journey to the Table.
Partnering with the Emmaus Ministries Your church can hold its own Journey to the Table event. This can become a catalyst experience for college students and young adults to engage with your faith community. People in your church who have participated in The Walk to Emmaus or Chrysalis can be helpful to have on the Journey to the Table team. They understand this style of event and can provide help with the schedule. For more information on Journey to the Table, visit our website: Journey.UpperRoom.org.
Journey to the Table
“As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them.” Luke 24:15 (NIV) Emmaus Ministries exist to inspire, challenge, and equip the local church members for Christian action in their homes, churches, communities and places of work. Building on local church disciple-making efforts, these programs renew Christian disciples and strengthen local churches. Each Emmaus Ministry—The Walk to Emmaus, Chrysalis, Face to Face, Journey to the Table, and Discovery Weekend—provides participants a spiritual formation experience in the form of a single multiday retreat or scheduled sessions over a set period of time. Your church can become a vital congregation—a faith community in which people of all generations are growing in grace, becoming one in the Spirit, and are involved in God’s transformative work—by partnering with the Emmaus Ministries of The Upper Room.
About The Upper Room Inviting people to create daily life with God The Upper Room is a global ministry dedicated to supporting the spiritual life of Christians seeking to know and experience God more fully. From its beginnings in 1935 as a daily devotional guide, The Upper Room has grown to include publications, programs, prayer support, and other resources to help believers of all ages and denominations move to a deeper level of faith and service.
1908 Grand Avenue Nashville, TN 37212 UpperRoom.org
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