Florida Crown Emmaus Newsletter
| A Gateway to Christ |
June 2018 |
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Can you believe that summer is here? The days are hot and humid with thunder storms in the afternoon. During the winter months we longed for these days and now that they are here, we wish for cooler weather. I have found that as the weather gets hotter our tempers tend to get shorter. To help us with that, we are going to reflect on the Life of Piety talk. You remember this one, right? It is the talk where we are reminded that we have to give our hearts to God. The whole thing, we can't give God our hearts sometimes and not others. If we are going to live the Christian life, we have to give our hearts to God 100% of the time, even when we don't feel like it.
In our relationship with God, we will get out of it what we put into it. If we aren't serious about this relationship, we won't grow closer to God. We have to spend time with God in order to have strong relationship with him. Here are 6 devotional practices I wrote down from my weekend. Some I do daily, but others are less frequent.
- Prayer
- Searching the scriptures
- Meditation - focused listening to God
- Worship
- Communion
- Spiritual direction
Jesus reflected his relationship with God in all areas of his life. Sometimes we feel we don't have to put in as much effort into our relationship with God as Jesus did. I don't understand that. I am guilty of it, but I don't understand why I don't try to spend as much time with God as I should. Over the next few months, evaluate how you are doing with the devotional practices and strengthen areas that need it and remember to give your whole heart to God.
DeColores
Fly with Christ
Pastor Steve
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Sponsorship: A Gift of Love - A Gift of Service
In my last article I wrote about sponsorship being the most important job of all. In this article I will attempt to explain why. The Walk to Emmaus takes a different approach to recruitment than many church-related efforts. Usually you have a small group of leaders trying to recruit a number of volunteers for a specific ministry area such as VBS, ushering, or communion servers. Emmaus uses a one-on-one method that is more consistent with the movement's message: sponsorship.
Emmaus Community members want to share the gift of their experience with others; sponsorship provides a caring, disciplined way to do so, enabling God's gift of grace to be passed on. The fact that the Emmaus experience passes from person to person reflects the relational nature of God and the manner in which God purposefully reaches out to people through people. Sponsors help make the Emmaus experience an act of sacrificial love from beginning to end.
Just like on the weekend, developing this relationship takes on many practical forms. Being a Sponsor is certainly a lot more than filling out the form but filling out the forms with your Pilgrim can certainly enhance the relationship. Does the Pilgrim have any medical issues? Do they take any medications? Remember the Pilgrim will not have a watch so the Team members will be responsible for reminding them when to take medication. Do they have any special dietary needs - diabetic, vegetarian, food allergies, etc.? The cooking crew does a wonderful job of providing nutritious and filling meals but they but they cannot meet special requirements if they do not know about them in advance. Once the form is complete, take it for the Pastor's signature. This will give you an opportunity to talk to the Pastor about Emmaus if they are not already familiar with it. After the Pilgrim's form is complete, the Sponsor has their own form to complete. The form also comes with a statement of the Sponsor's responsibilities. Please read this and prayerfully consider all that is entailed. Once the forms are all complete, send them both to the Registrar to ensure they arrive together.
Talk to your Pilgrim about the upcoming weekend. Go through the general format of the weekend. Answer all questions. There are no secrets. Tell them what they will need to bring. Provide a packing list if needed. Remember bed clothes and bath items. There have been some instances of Pilgrims arriving without them. Fortunately, Team members brought extras. Also let your Pilgrim know what not to bring - computers, phone, electronics. Explain about the cloistered environment but assure them that there is an emergency contact number and that they will be contacted if there is an emergency at home while they are gone. Also assure them that you will be checking on their family to ensure that non-emergency needs are met as well. I remember how touched one Pilgrim was when their Sponsor came all the way out to camp to get house keys when the Pilgrim's spouse had gotten locked out of their house.
Now that your Pilgrim is properly prepared, it's time to make sure they make it to Send-Off on time. Many people take their Pilgrim out for dinner prior to Send-Off. Treat them like the honored guest they are. Sit with them during the ceremony and cheer them as they board the bus. If you have not been a Sponsor before, you may not realize that there is a special ceremony after the bus leaves called "Sponsor's Hour." During this ceremony, Sponsors (and others) pray over the Pilgrim's crosses before they are taken out to camp. This is a deeply moving ceremony for all who are involved.
While your Pilgrim is on their weekend you are not allowed to serve in the dining room, but you are allowed to serve behind the scenes. This would include helping in the kitchen, with the Outside Team and praying in the Chapel and at home. Candlelight and Closing are the times when Sponsors are visible during the weekend but their presence can be felt through their prayers and service behind the scenes. Attend the Fourth Day Gathering and its associated Sponsor's training with your Pilgrim. It is the Sponsor's responsibility to find a Reunion Group for their Pilgrim.
This is how the Emmaus Community grows-not by simply encouraging others to attend a weekend but by the person-to-person relationship between Sponsor and Pilgrim. Sponsorship has been likened to being a godparent. A godparent helps with their charge's spiritual life. This gift of love and service we call Sponsorship is one way the spirit of Emmaus is maintained and spread.
DeColores!
Bill Adams
Assistant Community Lay Director
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Highlights from the Board
First, we wish to extend our sincere thanks to the Florida Crown Chrysalis community for their generous love offering. It will be put to good use for the benefit of the community as a whole. We pray God's blessings to all who made this possible.
Next, the Fourth Day Family Fun Day event is just around the corner.
Mark your calendar for June 16, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. at Luther Springs. Be sure that you RSVP to Kathy if you are planning to attend . Also that evening, remember to join us at Wesconnett UMC for the June Gathering/Rush.
A quick reminder: there is NOT a Gathering/Rush for the community as a whole in July. We encourage individual church communities to gather together for a time of fellowship and celebration instead.
It is summer. It's a time to relax, take a break from the "normal routine", travel, spend time with family, but most importantly, to enjoy ourselves.
Likewise, it is a time for your Florida Crown Emmaus Board to look forward to the events of the fall. Foremost on the calendar are Men's and Women's Walks #80 and Chrysalis/Journey Flight #35. Additionally, it is the time when the faces of our board members change - yes, we will be holding elections for the Communications, Kitchen and Music coordinators as well as the Registrar.
With those events in mind, please make it a priority to:
1) Submit your volunteer forms to work (or help) on the Walks and Flight.
2) Submit completed applications for those you wish to sponsor. Remember, space is limited, so get those in quickly to be assured a spot.
3) Prayerfully consider serving on the Board. If you have questions, contact any Board member for more information. Names for the election MUST be submitted to Bill Adams or Kathy Scott no later than October 4. Contact information is available elsewhere in this newsletter.
Please keep all Fourth Day community members in your prayers, as well as those you have elected to oversee the operations of our community. As we were each reminded at the end of our Walk (or Flight), Christ IS counting on YOU! Alone we often stumble and fall, but when we stand together in faith, we are STRONG!
DeColores and Fly with Christ Brothers and Sisters in Christ!
Kathy Scott
FCE Community Lay Director
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SEEKING PILGRIMS FOR WALK #80
Do you remember the joy and love you felt overwhelming you during your walk? Don't you want to share God's love with others? The way to do that is to sponsor someone on the Walk to Emmaus.
The goal of the Emmaus Board is to see every walk filled to capacity! That's 28 men and 28 women. This number has been established due to the limitations of the facilities we are currently using. The decision deadline for our next Walk is September 3, 2018. At this time we have 0 men and 2 women. We need at least 20 for each walk. You have an opportunity to register online or to print the applications and mail them to me. Don't procrastinate! God is depending on us to take action. God will lay someone on your heart and it is up to us to do the next steps.
God puts all kinds of opportunities in your life to share about the Walk to Emmaus. Look for these opportunities to share the Walk to Emmaus.
Please remember that for the application to be complete, I must have the completed Pilgrim's application, the sponsor application and a deposit of $25.00. You may mail a check to me at the address below. Make checks payable to FLORIDA CROWN EMMAUS (FCE).
I look forward to serving you,
Verna Fields, Registrar
4956 Red Pine Court,
Jacksonville, FL 32210
904-771-7450
Agape Coordinator
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Our Emmaus Walk 80 is the last one that I will be serving as the kitchen coordinator. So
many people joyfully served in the kitchen and dining room during this time. Thank you and God bless you; you made it all happen. A special thank you and my sincere gratitude to Mari Anne Peeples and Debbie Jacobs for their loyal service, seriously I could not have done it without you. If you are interested in making new friends, serving our Lord, and serving with a community of Christians then consider volunteering as the kitchen coordinator. I am happy to discuss the duties and responsibilities with you; some of which are: purchasing food and supplies for the Walks, coordinating teams to serve and serving on the Emmaus Board. Many folks have served in this position and their diligence and attention to detail has provided instructions and suggestions for this position. The manual spells out the steps to ensure success. I am available by phone 904-491-4900 home 904-583-1344 cell and by e-mail
ailenew@comcast.net
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I am looking forward to hearing from you, Ailene Wood
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One of the most important way to serve the Emmaus Community is as the Communication Board Member. The Communication Representative is responsible for the following:
Sending out the Monthly Newsletter
Sending out E-Blasts about upcoming events
Maintaining the Website
Maintaining the Constant Contact Database
Preparing the Weekend Books for each Weekend
If you have computer skills and are interested in serving the Emmaus Community, consider serving as the Communication Board Representative. If you have questions about this position please contact me.
Richard Jacobs
Communications
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| Emmaus Newsletter Check with all of your Emmaus friends to ensure that they're getting the newsletter. If they aren't, encourage them to go to the website to sign up, text EMMAUS to 22828 for a signup prompt, or send a note to fcecomm@gmail.comto get their email address added. There are several ways and we want our Community to stay informed! |
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Board of Directors List
Community Lay Director - Kathy Scott (904) 612-4361
Asst. Community Lay Director - Bill Adams (904) 771-4268
Community Spiritual Director -
Rev Steve Painter (904) 553-3250
Community Spiritual Director -
Rev. Dave Preston 904-616-6817
Treasurer - Celeste Willis 208-0965
Men's Team Selection -Steve Babine 904-910-1973
Women's Team Selection -
Barbara Rowe (904) 642-5995
Secretary - Hugh Fletcher (904) 223-4744
Registrar - Verna Fields 771-7450
Agape, Prayer Vigil - Tracy Crissman (904) 534-3356
Gatherings -
Kelli Langley-
904-307-8361
Kitchen Coordinator- Aileen Wood (904) 491-4900
Physical Arrangements - Mike Oakes
(904) 434-7444
Music - Joe Alexander (904) 221-5791
Communications Director - Richard Jacobs (904) 742-5151
Reunion Groups - Paul Frendahl (904) 509-6650
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Chrysalis? WHAT????
It's Friday morning of a "Chrysalis Flight" and you are on campus, watching as the "caterpillars" arrive. You see it on their faces, some showing restrained excitement, some looking about timidly, some with looks of doubt, perhaps some may show signs of resignation or even rebellion. Did someone "make" them come? You wonder what each young person's story is. What is their life like? What brought them here?
It's Friday evening and you are serving a meal or assisting with a special event. It's only been a few hours since "Send-off". Again you survey the group. Do you see any changes on their faces? Is it your imagination, or do you see a few more smiles?
Saturday evening and once more you have the opportunity to assist and support the Flight. You are certain now - you hear genuine laughter and singing. Smiles come easily to the participants and the team. Fatigue may show around the edges of some eyes, but nothing suppresses the vibrant life emanating from all.
Sunday afternoon arrives. It's time for all to go home. Before camp dismantles the beautiful Butterflies have the opportunity to share with the community just what the weekend meant to them and what they are going to do about it. You listen. Hot tears sting your eyes and you feel your throat constrict with emotion. You recognize that God was at work these last three days. You realize, yes, not just one, but many lives were changed.
This is Chrysalis.
Liz Starkey
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| ABOUT THE WALK TO EMMAUS The Mission: Empowering Leaders to be the hands and feet of Christ
The Vision: Fourth Day Leaders Embodying Jesus Christ
"I continue to dream and pray about a revival of holiness in our day that moves forth in mission and creates authentic community in which each person can be unleashed through the empowerment of the Spirit to fulfill God's creational intentions." -- Unknown
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| Florida Crown Emmaus PO Box 351588 Jacksonville, FL 32235 flcrownemmaus.com
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2018 Dates and Locations.
June 16 - Wesconnett UMC
August 18 - Middleburg UMC
September 15 - 1st UMC of Interlachen
October 20 - Orange Park UMC
November 17 - Mandarin UMC
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Florida Crown Emmaus
www.floridacrownemmaus.com
Jacksonville, Florida 32235
Communications
904-382-7323 |
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