EMMAUS

CHRYSALIS

COMMUNITY

BETHLEHEM
COMMUNITY

CAMP CENTENARY

GATHERINGS

WALKS

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Dear Jim and Big Bend Emmaus, brother and sisters in Christ Jesus

I want to thank your community for the opportunity to both visit the community and train the community of Christ, Big Bend Emmaus.

It was a blessing and honor to take part in this gift called Emmaus.

Let the following be edification and teaching to the fruits you are all producing.

The community has a very loving and warm friendly spirit. The community is very teachable and had a great attitude to everything that was explained.

Overall, very few things require follow up or areas of concern. As a matter of fact, there is only one issue I would appreciate us to have further communication.

This is the issue of Chrysalis. I should tell you this is an area many communities need attention.

Chrysalis needs to be a priority to ALL Emmaus communities. It should be walking hand and hand with the Emmaus community. We as boards not only should walk hand in hand with Chrysalis, but should let it walk in front of us, helping guide it from behind, like a parent enabling a child to learn and grow.  Too often we let the Chrysalis communities on there own with little help from there big brother Emmaus. Please make Chrysalis the number one outreach with your board.  I would suggest a meeting of the two boards to find ways to make Chrysalis grow.  If you would like any specific instruction or help please feel free to call or contact me directly.

Your community has done a great job getting in line with the model and I would like to commend the board on making this happen.  Sometimes boards feel like the Upper Room is the Emmaus police or acting as the Wizard of Oz speaking from a model only curtain, but the Upper Room acts as a Godly steward of this gift of the Holy Spirit called Emmaus.  The Upper Room wants to make every effort that Emmaus is the same EVERYWHERE.  You are doing an excellent job making that happen.

As far as other issues are concerned here are some issues we discussed.

The WEB site.

Since your community is spread over a long distance and 3 states, one of the first avenues of communication is the WEB site.  I would make every effort you can to create the best web site possible.  It maybe the only contact pilgrims have with Big Bend.  Also people who would want to go on the Walk may check the site before signing.  This is now our culture. Look at other communities web sites and contact them for help.  I am sure with 1500 members somebody will answer Gods call.  Also I would make it a point to send out E Blasts from your community.  It is a constant way to stay in touch with everyone.

Reunion Groups

This is the build blocks of communities.  The Emmaus communities that have strong reunion groups have strong communities.  As we discussed this is a very important board position and one of high accountability.  Every effort should be made to make this a HIGH priority. The board rep should have a team of people supporting the effort.

What separates Emmaus from other events or retreats are reunion groups. Its accountability to others and one self.  Without reunion groups, Emmaus becomes a one time walk event.

Sponsorship

We spent time on sponsorship and talked about the role of a good sponsor.  Good sponsorship requires quality pilgrims ready to go into church leadership.  This should be taught and trained as often as possible. Also remember a good sponsor follows up the pilgrim into a reunion group. Once again, use your gathering to teach the community as best as possible. Good sponsorship keeps communities very healthy.

Point person for every church

Your community has a difficult task in reaching all of its pilgrims over a wide distance.  Please consider having point persons at every church so there is a local contact. I would make the point person list available to all so everyone has a closer point of reference someone within there own community of faith or city.  This also allows for smaller events to take place at the local church. I would have a board rep oversee the point person task and assign a job description to this ministry.

Who should listen to the team talks?

I understand that because of the uniqueness of your community the inside and outside team come to the retreat site for training and have listened to the talks in the past.  I also understand that since there are already at the site it really should not make a difference in the overall effect.  This is probably true however I would request that the outside team has there own spiritual training so they to can bond with the people they will be serving with. While this does not pose a huge problem and in keeping with Emmaus tradition, out of love please keep the inside and outside teams separate.  Thank you for this. It keeps us all doing the same thing so Emmaus does not very from community to community.

Team Selection

As we discussed you have worked toward the model as far as team selection is concerned.  Excellent!  Keep up the good work.  It keeps clicks from building and keeps the leadership as a good witness and standing with community.  It also ensures team selection from the whole community.

Well that’s it.  You have a great community.  A Five Star rating from me, for whatever that is worth. I really enjoyed my visit and really really enjoyed the sloppy Joes.  I would come back just for them. I hope at the end of the day you all realize the gift you are to the community of Christ and the excellent work you are all doing.  Thank you for allowing me into your community home.  I was very blessed to be a part of Big Bend Emmaus.  Your brother in Christ, in humility I remain,

 

Michael Sullivan