Greater Scioto Valley Emmaus

May, 2005 Volume 11, Issue 5

Leadership Training Session

Saturday, May 21st, 2005

9:00 a.m.— 4:00 p.m.

(Registration begins at 8:00; praise singing at 8:30)

Trinity United Methodist Church

24 S Mulberry Street

Chillicothe, Ohio 45601

Join us for an exciting, informative day all about Emmaus! Re-live some of your own weekend with fellowship, communion, lunch, praise and prayer. Plan on learning about the background of Emmaus, how to serve the community, how to serve on a team, and lots more!

This experience is open to anyone who has participated in an Emmaus Walk, Chrysalis Flight, or Cursillo.

Want to be involved in the leadership team in the future? You are strongly encouraged to attend this session. Sponsoring someone for the first or fortieth time? This is an awesome opportunity to learn your responsibilities.

THERE WILL BE NO MONTHLY GATHERING—INSTEAD, PLAN ON ‘GATHERING’ WITH US ON SATURDAY, MAY 21^ST! REGISTRATION WILL BEGIN AT 8:00 A.M., PRAISE SINGING WILL BEGIN AT 8:30 A.M. AND OUR REGIONAL DIRECTOR, CATHI EBERLY, WILL BEGIN SPEAKING AT 9:00 A.M.

Each Emmaus Community is required to conduct a Regional Training session every three years under the guidelines of The Upper Room. This community has been in existence since 1994 and we have never conducted a training session.

Reservations are encouraged, lunch is included —

Contact Diana Hall at 740-335-4361 or via e-mail: rdj_hall@ameritech.net

by May 15th

to reserve your spot.

From Our Chairperson . . .

The view from here…

Come, Holy Spirit!

I have a passion for amateur meteorology. I am fascinated by the forces that interact to create weather, and the art of forecasting, especially during the severe storm season. The greatest thrill, though, is getting to see my forecast models play out in real weather events. As a licensed amateur radio operator and certified weather spotter (a.k.a. Storm-Chaser), I join with other spotters to become the eyes and ears for the National Weather Service when severe weather threatens.

One powerful, yet invisible component of weather events is wind. Early in our training, we learn that wind is simply the movement of air as it moves from an area of higher pressure to an adjacent area of lower pressure. A practical example of this would be the “whoosh” of air when you open a vacuum-sealed food jar. Air outside the jar (high pressure area) rushes in to the jar (low pressure area), thereby filling the void and equalizing the pressures.

Jesus often taught His followers using simple and practical examples of the day. While He was physically on earth, His followers could see Him, hear Him, and watch and learn by example. Jesus, knowing His end was near, began to share with them about His death and resurrection that was to come. Jesus promised He would send them the Spirit and Acts 2 tells of how the Holy Spirit came with the sound of a mighty, rushing wind to comfort, empower, and guide them. Those who would follow Him later would come and serve, based not on having experienced the physical Jesus, but on faith, through the power of the Spirit (John 14:12).

On May 15^th, the Church will celebrate Pentecost Sunday, the remembrance of when God sent the Holy Spirit to us. I was thinking of how much this coming is like the forces that create the physical wind I spoke of earlier. The Holy Spirit rushes from a place of magnificent highness (God’s presence), into an area of intense lowness (our fallen world), with the sound of a mighty wind. Just as the spring winds come, blowing away the trash of winter, drying the fields in preparation for planting good seed, and pollinating the flowers of the field, so too the Spirit comes, preparing and equipping us to bear fruit as we follow and serve the Risen Christ.

Fourteen times during the Emmaus walk weekend, at gatherings, and the beginning of each share group, we ask the Holy Spirit to come and fill us. Whether we face the winds of life’s storms or the gentle breeze of spring, may we be reminded of His presence and always invite Him to come.

Kevin

Comments from Our Community Spiritual Director

Calling all Clergy!

Romans 10:14-15 ¹⁴How shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? ¹⁵And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!     

A minister was approached by a member of his congregation and was told, “That was a wonderful sermon! You keep getting better every week.” The minister replied, “I have not changed and my messages have not changed. Could it be that your hearing has changed?”     The purpose of Emmaus is to glorify God and develop leadership within the local church. The best promotional testimonial that the community could possibly receive is for those who have experienced Emmaus to have their hearts opened to hear what they could do within their local church.

One of my goals this year as community spiritual director is to expand the clergy roster. Perhaps your pastor has been good at recruiting church members for various activities. Perhaps your pastor has just transferred in our area and was active in another Emmaus Community. We would like to welcome these individuals into GSVE Community and also into service.    

This is an opportunity for you to encourage your pastor and your pastor's opportunity to bless the community with his/her gifts and talents. The only requirement is that he/she has experienced the walk to Emmaus as a pilgrim.    

As a pastor, I know it can be very uplifting to talk to different groups. If you know of clergy that would like to serve the community please let me know the person's name and phone or e-mail. Please send this information to me at philandwanda@hotmail.com.

In His Service, Phil Howard 

Donations Still Needed

Thank you to all who have made a contribution towards the Computer Fund. We are getting closer to realizing our dream of having a central location for all of the community’s data. The Greater Scioto Valley Emmaus Board is still seeking monetary donations to fund the purchase of a computer to maintain the community database and other pertinent information for the Board and for walk weekends. The computer will be purchased only if the funds are secured through your donations. Please consider this endeavor. If you choose to make a donation, please make your check payable to GSVE Computer Fund, c/o Trinity UMC, 24 S Mulberry Street, Chillicothe, Ohio 45601.

OPPORTUNITIES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

DON’T FORGET TO SIGN UP TO SERVE THE WOMEN OF WALK #34. SINCE THERE WILL BE NO GATHERING, YOU MAY SIGN UP ON THE WEBSITE AT www.gsvemmaus.org OR YOU MAY CONTACT THE FOLLOWING REPRESENTATIVES:

KITCHEN: DALE STEVENS (740-426-6574) OR

TOM DISHONG (740-596-4353)

HOUSEKEEPING: DENISE KERN (740-993-2710)

PRAYER VIGIL: DENISE KIGER (740-335-0016) OR

DENISE KERN (740-993-2710)

DATES TO REMEMBER

Monthly Gatherings are held the Third Thursday of each month. There will be no gathering in May, instead there will be the Leadership Training Session on Saturday, May 21st at Trinity United Methodist Church. Plan on attending and bring a friend!

Leadership Training / Monthly Gathering

Saturday, May 21st, 9:00—4:00

Women’s Walk #34

June 9-12, 2005

Men’s Walk #24

September 8-11, 2005

Women’s Walk #35

October 13-16, 2005

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE FOR THE ONLINE PRAYER VIGIL AND KITCHEN AND HOUSEKEEPING VOLUNTEER SIGN UP SHEETS FOR WOMEN’S WALK #34

www.gsvemmaus.org

Board Highlights

Each board position has specific responsibilities to fulfill during the year. This section of the newsletter will highlight positions and inform the community of what is done during the course of their assignment.

Good Shepherd

As the Good Shepherd of the Greater Scioto Valley Community it is my responsibility to update existing Share Groups in order to better assist new Emmaus members integrate into this vital ongoing Emmaus component. Also, to assist new members of the Community to establish a share group or be incorporated into an existing one and to keep listings of individuals who have been through an Emmaus Weekend.

Currently, I am in the process of updating the Share Group listings. I need your help!! Please send or email to me:

1. Name of Share Group 2. Where it meets

3. Day of meeting 4. Time of meeting

5. Contact person name, address & phone number

DeColores,

Sandy Blakeman

4221 Brookside Drive

New Boston, Ohio 45662-5127

740.456.4433 sanlee@adelphia.net

Greetings from Hotel Trinity Kitchen

Serving the pilgrims through the preparation and serving of meals is the task assigned to the kitchen coordinators.

This would not be possible without the help of the community volunteers. Each meal requires at least 10-12 persons to prepare and serve that meal. If we don’t have enough helpers, we struggle to get the meal prepared and served on time. And then there is clean up afterward.

This past walk (Men’s Walk # 23), we were short of help at several meals. Thursday afternoon we had only three people to get ready for the evening meal. Friday breakfast and lunch were short handed. Saturday dinner needed more people. Sunday lunch had only 5 people to prepare, serve and clean up the kitchen.

I know some times are difficult for those who work, but remember your walk? Someone made time to serve YOU, now is your opportunity to serve others. You can sign up to help at gatherings or on line by visiting the GSVE web site. Just remember, if you sign up SHOW UP.

Another item to address is participating in Sister Act or other skits. While we encourage you to sign up for the kitchen, and or the Sister Act, we ask that you do one or the other. It is not possible to have several helpers leave the kitchen at a time when we need everyone to serve and clean up.

If it’s been a while since you served in the kitchen, please sign up. We promise not to work you too hard, the fellowship is great, and the retirement is out of this world!!

Dale Stevens, Tom Dishong