On the Right Path The News let ter of the South ern Mary land Emmaus Com mu nity

1st Quarter 2016 Walk In the Light Vol ume 16 Is sue 1

Sponsorship – The lifeblood of our Community

My name is Sarah Ogilby and I am your new AssistantCommunity Lay Director. I attend First Saints CommunityChurch in Leonardtown MD, went on my walk on the SouthGeorgia Walk # 56 in Valdosta GA in March 2004 and sat at thetable of Rebecca (clap). Some brief history so you can knowwho I am and my passions for Emmaus. I was transferred toWilmington Delaware two weeks after completing my Walk in2004 but my sponsor gave me great advice. Get involved in the Emmaus community. It will help keep you strong in your faithjourney. And she was correct. And because I was sotransformed by my commitment to serving our Lord, I becamepassionate about praying for people I thought were or whowould be strong leaders in my church. In other words, Ibecame passionate about sponsorship – Good sponsorship.

Remember your walk – remember the Christian Action talk. “Send me” Lord was the message. Can you imagine, for just amoment, how wonderful this world would be if everyonesubscribed to that philosophy? Surely, there’s a whole lot ofdarkness in this world, but we can make a difference lovingONE person at a time as we go fishing, carrying out the GreatCommission. And that Commission is to love everyone and tomake disciples.

The whole purpose of the Walk to Emmaus is to build up theBody of Christ by building up leaders within our churches andcommunities (in other words make disciples). You can helpsomeone become renewed and reinvigorated in serving ourLord (loving them). If the Lord has put someone on your heart, I encourage you to prayerfully consider sponsoring; it’s thelifeblood of our community and together we can make a

Southern Maryland

Emmaus

Gathering

February 20, 2016Potluck at 5:00 p.m.

Gathering at 6:00 p.m.

at Good Shepherd UMC305 Smallwood Drive

Waldorf, Maryland 20602

Childcare Pro videdBring Friends, Fam ily,

Neighbors. Everyone Welcome!

.

See Lifeblood page 4

2

2016 Walks - West River

Men's Walk #53 April 7 - 10 Women's Walk #54 April 14 - 17

Men's Walk # 55 October 13 - 16 Women's Walk #56 October 20 - 23

Make plans to at tend the com mu nity events for each walk:Thurs day - Spon sor’s Hour - 7:00 p.m. Sat ur day - Can dle light - 8:00 p.m.

Sunday - Closing - 4:00 p.m.

Sign up to pray forour walks (and oth ers)

on line at:www.3dayol.org

Pil grim and Team Ap pli ca tions and this news let ter may be down loaded from theweb at http://www.southernmarylandemmaus.com/

CLICK on “Doc u ments, Lists and News let ters”

Mailing Address for Southern Maryland EmmausP.O. Box 343

White Plains, MD 20695

Upcoming Events of the Southern Maryland Emmaus Community

February 20 - Gathering, Good Shepherd UMC - God Loves You MoreMarch 19 - Gathering - Spring has SprungApril 9 - Walk #53 Candlelight at 8pm April 10 - Walk #53 Closing at 4pmApril 16 - Walk #54 Candlelight at 8pm April 17 - Walk #54 Closing at 8pm Note: All Gatherings will be at Good Shepherd UMC - Waldorf

4th Day Sem i nars

Sem i nars are held in the spring and in the fall fol low ing the men’s and women’s walks. The next sem i nar date willbe April 23, 2016 at 4:00 pm at Good Shepherd UMC. At ten dance at a Fourth Day Sem i nar is re quired in or der tospon sor pilgrims, and is highly rec om mended for those who wish to team.

3

On the Right PathDead line for next is sue is May 10, 2016. The pre ferred method of sub mis sion is asan MSWord doc u ment file or a WordPerfect file (.rtf file also ac cept able) sent via-e-mail to the fol low ing ad dress: dbrennan6@verizon.net. Very short ar ti cles or notes may besent in the body of the e-mail mes sage. Please send your com ments andrec om men da tions as well to the ed i tor, Dan Brennan, at the e-mail ad dress above.

"On the Right Path" is pub lished by the South ern Mary land Emmaus Com mu nity. Dan Brennan Ed i tor.

Observations From an Overworked Editor

...and the Lord said,“Let there beSnow.”

I’ve checked anddouble checkedmultiple versions of

the Bible, and for the life of me, I can’t seem to find thestatement above anywhere in the description of theCreation. Light, check; water; check; sky, check; livingcreatures, check; and so forth. But nothing was eversaid about 17” of powdery white stuff in my driveway. Yet, there it was, on Sunday morning no less.

I hastily surveyed the emergency equipment shelf in our garage, and discovered two slightly bent shovels, a pairof old gloves, and a sticky note reminder from last yearto purchase a snow blower. Our salt supply consistedof a half box of Morton’s table salt (wasn’t even theiodized kind.)

I then checked my birth records, confirmed my age, anddetermined that 9 out of 10 doctors would recommendthat I not attempt any sort of snow removal (the 10thdoctor turned out to be a chiropractor.) I’m sorry to saythat both Pat and I are at that age where we wouldprefer not to turn up on the the six-o-clock news as asnow related heart attack statistic.

In vain we looked out the window hoping to see a legionof strong, enthusiastic teenagers looking to make somequick money. The silence was deafening. Apparently,all of the young, strong, teen types were curled up ontheir couches catching up on FaceBook. I had wine,cheese, summer sausage, and plenty of frozen pizza,and so wasn’t terribly worried, but I did have concerns

about being able to get out of the neighborhood beforethe spring thaw.

We watched again from the window while a plowstacked an additional 6 inches of snow in front of ourdriveway as it cleared the street. It almost seemed to be mocking us as it made its way past our door. Ourintrepid dog, Darby, needing immediate relief, gave mywife an excuse to grab one of the damaged shovels inorder to create a small space for him to use. And that’swhen the power of God’s people made itself known tous.

Our neighbor to the right and our neighbor across thestreet, almost in unison, came to our rescue with theirsnow blowers. Without being asked and unwilling toaccept any reward, they had us free of our icy prison inwhat seemed like no time. It may have seemed a smallthing to them, but for us it was a great gift. We wereblessed by their selflessness, and humbled by theirservanthood. Hebrews 13:16 sums it up: .Do notneglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. God bless all those whostepped up during this recent storm.

And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m looking for myConsumer Reports issue on snow blowers.

4

Southern Maryland Emmaus - Leadership & Service

Re sources on Our Web Site Visit http://www.southernmarylandemmaus.com for these and other com mu nity re sources:

• Southern Maryland Emmaus Leadership Roster & Board of

Directors

• Southern Maryland Emmaus Prayer Points of Contact

(PPOC)

On The Right Path

This is the newsletter of the Southern Maryland Emmaus Community. It is published quarterly, available on lineat our website:www.southernmarylandemmaus.com

The link to the newsletter is emailed to community members through PPOCs. If you do not have a PPOC, contactJan Drass at jdrass@maranatha.net

South ern Mary land Emmaus isaf fil i ated with the In ter na tionalEmmaus Move ment of The Up perRoom, Nash ville, Tn. Emmaus is apro gram of fer ing of the Upper RoomInternational Walk to Emmaus Office. Our pur pose is to in spire, chal lenge,and equip church mem bers forChris tian Ac tion.

Prayer Co or di na tor

Jan Drassjdrass@maranatha.net

difference one person at a time. When you realize thegift someone gave you it is natural to want to pass thaton.

Your Board will be meeting soon to discuss ideas forinspiring sponsorship in our community. If you would beinterested in working on this project, please let meknow. You can email me at sogilby123@gmail.com.

May the grace and peace of our Lord be with you. DeColores.

Sarah Ogilby

ACLD

Lifeblood from page 1

5

Southern Maryland Emmaus Community

Reunion & Accountability Groups

The Reunion Group Coordinator, Priscilla Rollins (parollins@verizon.net), would like tohear about any active Groups in Southern Maryland. If you are having difficulty finding aReunion Group, contact Priscilla Rollins. Experience the Fourth Day feeling.

Bethel UMC, Up per Marlboro Co-ed - monthly fourth Tuesday - 6:00 p.m.

Bowie UMC - Old Town Bowie Co-ed - 1st, 3rd, 4th Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.

Cal vary UMC, Wal dorf Men Tues day - 7:00 p.m. Women Wednesday - 5:30 p.m. at Panera Bread in summer; at Calvary during the school year

First UMC, Lau rel Men Saturday - 7:00 a.m. Women Sat ur day - 8:30 a.m.

First Saints UMC, Leonardtown Women Thursday 5:00 p.m. Coffee Quarter contact Sheila Hanson or Connie Wells

Good Shep herd UMC, Wal dorf Co-Ed Mon day 6:00 p.m. at restaurants call Linda Ford 301-645-6408 Men Wednesday 6:30 p.m. Women Monday 7:30 p.m. Women Tuesday 7:30 p.m. (not at church call 301-645-5370 for directions) Women Wednesday 6:30 p.m. Women Tuesday 8:45 a.m. (not at church call 301-645-5370 for directions) Women Thursday 6:00 p.m.

La Plata UMC, La Plata Women Thursday 5:30 p.m. at Panera Bread Men Tuesday 6:00 p.m. at the church

Lexington Park UMC, Lexington Park Co-ed Tues day 7:30 a.m. Bob Evans Restaurant Co-ed Thurs day 11:30 a.m. (home setting)

Linthicum Heights UMC, Linthicum Heights Co-Ed Saturday 8:30 a.m.

Liv ing Springs Chris tian Fel low ship, Bowie Co-ed Tues day 6:00 p.m.

Na val Air Sta tion, Patuxent River Men Wednes days 11:30 a.m.

Nichols-Bethel UMC, Odenton Co-Ed Wednesday 6:30 p.m.

Olivet UMC, Lusby Co-Ed Monthly on first S unday 12:15 p.m. at Olivet UMC Good News Center

Pisgah UMC, La Plata Women Wednesday 6:30 p.m. for information contact Patti Flesher 301-743-2271

St. Paul UMC, Lusby Women Monday 7:00 p.m. Old Fellowship Hall Men Monday 7:00 p.m. Old Fellowship Hall Mixed Monday 7 or 8 p.m. contact Rich & Mary UIrey 410-326-6446 or Everett Baker 410-326-6234

Shiloh UMC, Bryans Road Co-ed Tues days 6:30 p.m.

Wa ters Me mo rial UMC, St. Leon ard Pastors House Tuesday 1:00 p.m.

6

The Tale of Two Reunion Groups

“The group reunion is one of the chief values of theEmmaus movement- one of the greatest treasures theWalk to Emmaus contains.” This quote comes from thebooklet Day Four: A Pilgrim’s Journey. Does it ring truefor you? Is your reunion group the most important group you could belong to? Is your reunion group helping youto stay accountable and persevere in the life of grace,allowing you to keep what you gained on your Walkalive? Does your reunion group help you to continueyour pursuit of a life lived wholly in the grace of God? Ifyour answers are yes, you are experiencing the one ofthe greatest treasures of Emmaus!

There are a number of reuniongroups that meet locally each week.Some are listed on the website, andon page 5 in this newsletter. Wouldn’t it be a great experience to“visit” a reunion group that you arenot attending? Well, this month, Ihave virtually visited 2 reuniongroups of which I am not a member. And I would like to share my visit with you!

First stop, Nichols-Bethel UMC.Barry Oren tells me that he was thefirst from his church to attend theWalk to Emmaus. Barry told me thathe initially started a reunion group with his sponsors,Bob Abel and Skip Briggs. Bob and Skip had beenmeeting informally for quite a while and on the returntrip from Barry’s walk they decided to begin meeting onSaturday mornings. That group grew as they foundothers in their respective churches who had walked inother areas of the country.

The Nichols-Bethel reunion group followed a similarpath as Barry sponsored several men and women andseveral others in the church were found who hadwalked in different areas of the country. Originally theywere all meeting at Linthicum Heights, but as the groupgrew, they realized that they should follow the model of6-10 members and the Nichols-Bethel reunion groupwas born! They meet on Wednesday evenings so thatmembers could attend the Nichols-Bethel reuniongroup and/or the Linthicum Heights group onSaturdays. Both groups meet with one another so it ismore likely to have people with busy schedules attend.

Here’s what Barry tells me that a Wednesday eveningat reunion group looks like: “we meet in our church cafeon Wednesday evenings at 6:30 and we typically have5-7 folks in attendance. We also welcome the folksfrom Linthicum Heights. For our meetings, we try tofollow the ‘Group Reunion card’: opening in prayer,discussing and comparing our prayers, devotions, etc.We always go over our closest moments to God as wellas our furthest moments from God. We have a gut-level honest group (actually both groups are and both groups follow a similar format.) We strive to be supportive andencouraging throughout our discussions. We also liftprayers for one another, or for others brought up during

our discussions and then we closein prayer together.”

In addition to the Wednesdayevening meetings, this reuniongroup is active in various areasincluding Sunday worship,Volunteer in Mission (VIM) trips, theChesapeake Bay Workcamp, theirchurch’s Thursday MorningWorkgroup where they do repairsaround the church (or as they didlast week working on a member’shome). They also host EmmausOpen Houses, where they invitepotential Pilgrims to learn more

about Emmaus. They have refreshments available,view the video from the Upper Room and then open upfor discussions about what the Walk meant to them.Questions are encouraged and brochures andapplications are ready for their guests. Barry told me,“We also have a scholarship program for helpingsponsor Pilgrims. We have a basket available at eachreunion group meeting for any donations. About onceeach quarter we deposit the funds in an account to beused for Pilgrim’s walks. We have a sponsor of recordfor each Pilgrim, but realistically we sponsor andsupport folks as a group.”

Barry sees the main benefit of his reunion group asaccountability and affirmation. He said, “Thru thenormal course of our meetings we hold one anotheraccountable for staying on course for our Fourth Day.Just as important, we have a sense for one another’sneeds and we’re able to affirm one another and ourvarious efforts.” Well said.

7

Help Us Make Our Newsletter the Best That It Can Be

We hope you enjoy each issue of "On the Right Path", and we try to make it asinteresting and informative as possible. You can help. Let us know what you likeabout the publication and what you would suggest to make it even more relevant toyour Fourth Day in the Emmaus Community.

Please send your comments, suggestions and other thoughts to Dan at:webmaster@southernmarylandemmaus.org

Next stop, The Coffee Quarter in Lexington Park! Icaught up with Sheila Hanson who started this reuniongroup with Shelley Wilson In 2007, at a gathering rightafter Walk #26! Sheila, a founding member, continuesto attend, and from that humble beginning, the reuniongroup has grown to 10 ladies and they meet everyThursday evening. Some of the ladies in the group (amixture of Emmaus and non-Emmaus participants fromdifferent local churches, and with a wide age range)meet around 5:00pm for fellowship and reunion groupdiscussion. Like Barry’s group, they follow the “GroupReunion Card”. At 6:45pm, the remaining ladies comefor a Bible study until approximately 8pm.

Also similar to Barry’s reunion group, this group hasbeen the “hands and feet of Christ” with activities insupporting WARM (Wrapping Hands Around Many)with meals and fellowship for the homeless in the colder months, providing lunches for Emmaus team meetings,making Agape for Walks, helping put togetherbackpacks and supplies for the start of school at a localmiddle school, supporting Angel Tree with gifts anddeliveries, and providing ActionPack clothes andblankets for Persecuted Christians overseas. “We dohave a ‘habit’ of volunteering our group for activities,”Sheila told me!

Sheila sees the main benefit of the group for her hasbeen “the sisterhood and the support of these ladies in

my journey to be the hands and feet of Christ. Theseladies are invaluable in keeping me accountable,encouraged, and grounded as I grow in Christ. We pray for each other, we share scripture and devotions, weask for each other’s help, and we ask for discernment. The strength and trust of these ladies is priceless!”

A huge thanks to Barry and Sheila for taking the time togive me an inside view of their reunion groups andshare their experiences with all of us! I hope you wereblessed and inspired by these two groups which areliving examples of the greatest treasure of Emmaus!Next issue I hope to “visit” two more reunion groups!And you’ll hear all about it!

8

The Gift of Sponsorship

spon•sor n. 1. a person who vouches for, isresponsible for, or supports a person or thing. 4. aperson who makes a pledge or promise on behalf ofanother.

The Walk to Emmaus is designed in a way that youcannot be a pilgrim on a weekend without having asponsor. I think if you took a minute to reflect on yourlife-changing experience as a pilgrim, some of yourthoughts and memories would likely focus on yoursponsor. As I thought more about the concept ofsponsorship, I decided that I would ask a fewcommunity members who have served as sponsors toreflect on the experience, and share some thoughtsand ideas with us. I am thrilled to be able to pass on toyou some thoughts, wisdom, and inspiration from JudyLindley, Patti Flesher and Linda Horty.

To start off, I asked each of these ladies why they havechosen to sponsor pilgrims.

Judy told me that it is because “I believe in theprinciples of Emmaus, but more importantly, I believe in a God of love. I want to share that God with everyone Imeet. Although the Emmaus experience is personalto and different for each pilgrim, the reality is that Godwill meet people where they are and His love will beshown gloriously on the weekend. I never questionwhether God will bless anyone who walks. I know Hewill.”

Patti saw her walk as a “phenomenal gift from God andmy sponsor.” She went on to say that it is a “wonderfulprivilege to be able to sponsor others on the walk toEmmaus so that they can experience the love of Christthrough the community. Sponsoring a pilgrim is aboutgiving back, paying it forward and being a disciple ofChrist.”

For Linda, sponsorship was another way she couldshare the joy and blessing of attending a Walk toEmmaus. She shared that after her Walk, she knewshe wanted to serve on a weekend team but, “I hadn’treally considered sponsoring until I was Treasurer onthe Board of Directors, and I attended Sponsor’s Houras part of the responsibilities of that position. Being part of the prayers and communion with the Sponsors asthat Walk started on Thursday evening showed me yetanother vantage point of how God works through theEmmaus experience, and my heart was opened tobecome a part of that side as well.”

Wow. Can you get a feel for the heart of these ladies?The second question I asked was how has God usedthe gift of sponsorship in the lives of the pilgrims youhave sponsored.

Judy told me that over the years of being involved inEmmaus the most common statements she has heardfrom the men and women she has sponsored is thatthey “really didn’t understand how much God lovedthem or they didn’t feel worthy of God’s love. Thepeople I have sponsored were already wonderfulChristian disciples, but I firmly believe that each andevery one has gained a deeper and more personalrelationship with God, and a new joy in a life of grace.”

For Patti, God has used the gift of sponsorship in thelives of the ladies she has sponsored to “encouragethem to be disciples where they are, to be involved inthe accountability group on a regular basis, toparticipate in Agape events our accountability groupholds, to prayerfully consider when a discipleshipopportunity presents itself. At least one has served asan “Agape–Ninja” (her title for serving as a member ofthe Agape Team on the weekend), all have participated in writing encouraging letters to pilgrims and teammembers and all are looking forward to the upcomingwalks and the candle-light service.” Patti told me thatshe views the gift of sponsorship continuing “intotomorrow and the rest of our Fourth Days- the impacthas been and will continue to be a guiding light in ourlives.”

Similarly, Linda told me that one of the ladies shesponsored has served on several weekend teams, andhas sponsored a pilgrim as well. A pilgrim shesponsored on Walk #52 this past fall, speaks of theweekend as an experience she will treasure always.Linda also shared: “Another woman (and her husband,both of whom were sponsored by a group of us from my church), moved out of the area shortly after their Walks; they are both pastors and were re-assigned to serve atanother church. But I know they were excited about the

See Sponsorship page 14

9

Like Us on Facebook!

Did you know that South ern Mary land Emmaus has a Facebook page? Facebook is apop u lar free so cial net work ing website that al lows reg is tered us ers to cre ate pro files,up load pho tos and video, send mes sages and keep in touch with friends, fam ily andcol leagues, mak ing it a great net work ing tool. The Wall, which is es sen tially a vir tualbul le tin board, pro vides a great way for us to be able to com mu ni cate and share in for -ma tion about events with our “friends”! Pho tos can be up loaded from the desk top or di -rectly from a smartphone camera as well.

Board of Directors Meeting Highlights

The Board meets monthly, and here are the highlights from meetings inDecember and January:

Reports are provided by each member of the Board on his/her area ofresponsibility.

The Registrar reported that applications are needed for both men andwomen’s walks in Spring.

The Board welcomed 6 new Board members in January: Lauren Cahill, Gordon Piscacek, Steve “Moose”Planders, Jim Risley, Priscilla Rollins and Sarah Ogilby. Board officers were elected, and other positions filled. There was a training time with individual Board members turning over jobs to new Board members. A new rosteris available on line as well as in this newsletter. We all thank the outgoing Board members for their faithful service: Angie Barnes, Mike Blizzard, Pat Dawson, Bob Evans, Cheryl Merkle, Dawn Townsend, and Rich Ulrey.

Don Geller Jr. will no longer be able to serve as Assistant Community Spiritual Director. Ken Valentine, ourCommunity Spiritual Director, is in the process of identifying someone to take on the Assistant role.

As outgoing Community Lay Director, Pat Brennan provided Board members with a reflection on 2015accomplishments, including Board training sessions, team selection process, monthly gatherings, accountabilityfor calendar dates and timelines, and overall teamwork, to name a few!

Board is discussing holding Open House events for potential pilgrims in 2016.

The Community Lay Director has received confirmation that Southern Maryland Emmaus will be sponsoring anUpper Room Regional Training event at Bethel-Nichols UMC on July 22 (Clergy training) and 23 (Laity training),2016. All Board and community members, as well as clergy, are encouraged to plan to participate. More detailswill follow.

Did you know: The board meets monthly before the gatherings. A complete list of all board members is on theback page of this newsletter. Let those folks know if you have issues you believe the board should be discussing.

Board Notes

10

More Walk #52 Pilgrims Respond:

The last issue of the newsletter included an articlehighlighting the Walk and Fourth Day experience of five pilgrims. I heard such positive feedback fromcommunity members, that I decided to send anotheremail to additional pilgrims of Southern Maryland Walk#52. Again, I was blessed to read their emails, andwanted to share their thoughts and experiences withthe members of the community who supported the team and pilgrims of #52!

First up, Annie London. Here’s how she introducedherself: “Annie London- I worship at Emory UMC (a.k.a.The Emory Fellowship), Washington, DC. Walked onWalk #52 and I sat at the table of Esther (clap).” Inanswer to the first question “What did the weekendmean to you?” Annie told me that the week-end waspowerful and overwhelming. She said: “Powerful in that God had to “purge” and remove the brokenness that Icame with that week-end. I was broken over the recentdeath of one of my younger brothers. In addition, I wasbeset by work and church trials and tribulations. I wasable to allow God in the beauty of His holiness to walkwith me through those issues. Because of that, Hehealed me and gave me a new resolve to keep movingahead toward the destiny He had already ordained formy life. Being out of my natural environment—free ofeveryday responsibilities and free from all technologyhelped me to focus on God who then showed meHimself through those issues. I came and purposed inmy heart to allow God to do what only He could do formy life. For me, it was all about God and His agape(love) being poured into my spirit and Him taking firstplace in my life. I came away knowing God totally formyself—it was not so much of what I heard as it waswhat I experienced…. Agape love helped to transformmy life.”

I also heard from Lois Shaffer. Lois said; “To me, theweekend meant I was immersed in Christianity…… sort of like “boot camp” for Christians.”

In answer to the question “How is your Fourth Daygoing?” Annie told me that she is part of a new groupthat is planning to serve senior adults in the Waldorf/LaPlata communities who are on the cusp of transitioningfrom this earthly life to God’s kingdom. She said “I amsure that senior adults would be comforted by God’sWord through Bible study and prayer… and Christianswho care for them with the agape (love) of JesusChrist.” In addition, Annie told me that the ReunionGroup Card reminds her constantly of spiritualdisciplines (study life, prayer life, and my life in action)that will help her to grow. She says it this way: “Thiscard has been a life-saver for me as I keep it in my Bibleand use it in my own daily devotions. I continue to lookforward to our monthly group reunions with a purpose to grow and put into action agape (love).”

Lois is also active in a reunion group that meets weeklyon Saturdays (at a different church than her homechurch).

The last question asked was about how your life isdifferent since Walk #52. Lois told me that being closerto Christ was her goal for the Emmaus walk, as well asknowing what God’s plan is for her retirement years. “Ibelieve that God is sending me many opportunities,”she told me. Well, I could not resist asking her to sharea little more on what kind of opportunities God had senther way. She told me “mostly little things”, such as amission trip to the Henderson Settlement ( through herchurch) which is planned this summer, working in asoup kitchen in Baltimore, participating in a prayershawl ministry, and spending more time with hergranddaughters since my daughter went back to work. She is also praying about some other possibilitiesincluding “beginning a Stephens Ministry, and joining achorus who sings to dying patients in a hospice setting. I’ve found you really need to pray about these things,because if not, you can get in over your head. There are many opportunities out there for retired folks.” Yes,there are! And it sounds like God is at work in big waysin Lois’ life!

Annie told me that since being at Walk #52 she has“become bolder in my witness. I am also teachingGod’s Word with more zeal, my prayer life and study ismore firmly rooted. I continue to find strength through

See Walk page 14

11

The 2016 Walk to Emmaus Cov e nant

Each year, each lo cal Walk to Emmaus Com mu nity must sign a cov e nant agree ment with

the Up per Room In ter na tional Emmaus Of fice.

Quiz time!

What does the lo cal Emmaus Com mu nity agree to do? (check all that you think are cor rect)

• Ensure that all Board members and Weekend Conference Room Teams are active participants in a

Group Reunion or accountability group

• Conduct programs and events in accordance with Emmaus materials such as the Upper Room

Handbook on Emmaus

• Keep denominational leaders, other church officials and the Emmaus office informed about activities

• To cooperate with all requests for information on programs and activities

• To have an elected governing body that will conduct its business in accordance with the Emmaus office

guidelines and in a manner that honors Christ and the His church

• To actively support International Walk to Emmaus communities through financial contributions to “The

Gift” program

• To send each member of the Board of Directors to at least one leadership development event, in

accordance with the Upper Room Handbook on Emmaus.

What does the Emmaus Of fice agree to do? (check all that you think are cor rect)

• To commit to upholding the Local Community in prayer

• To maintain regular communication with the leadership of the local community

• To make Emmaus materials available to the local community, as well as guidance, consultation,

interpretive materials on Emmaus

• To develop and support the Local Community in the fulfillment of Emmaus vision and mission.

If you cir cled all the an swers to both ques tions, you scored 100% on the quiz. But this list is only a par tial list of re -

spon si bil i ties that the Lo cal Com mu nity and Up per Room Of fice agree on! There are ac tu ally 21 items listed that

the Lo cal Com mu nity agrees to and 8 for the Up per Room. For a full list of re spon si bil i ties, see the full cov e nant

doc u ment on the Up per Room website at this ad dress: www.emmaus.upperroom.org/news/244.

Some of you may be won der ing why such an agree ment is needed or why it is im por tant. To start with, The Walk

to Emmaus is a copy righted pro gram of Up per Room Min is tries. As such, the Up per Room pro vides over sight

and sets pol icy, stan dards and pro vides de tailed in for ma tion and re sources for the gov ern ing of lo cal com mu ni -

ties, the Walk to Emmaus move ment, and Emmaus week end ac tiv i ties. Lo cal com mu ni ties who wish to be part of

the Emmaus move ment must agree to ad here and up hold stan dards, pol i cies and guide lines for all as pects of the

Emmaus pro gram. In sign ing the cov e nant agree ment, the lo cal com mu nity has the writ ten per mis sion of the Up -

per Room to use the term Walk to Emmaus, and use the copy righted ma te ri als to con duct Week end ac tiv i ties.

With out this agree ment, we would not have per mis sion to of fer the Walk to Emmaus.

So, to sum it up, the cov e nant agree ment is es sen tial to our ex is tence as a lo cal Emmaus com mu nity! The Board

of Di rec tors takes this cov e nant agree ment very se ri ously, and so should ev ery one in the com mu nity. It is the rea -

son why week ends must ad here to the ex act pro ce dures out lined in the Up per Room Hand book on Emmaus,

The Di rec tor’s Man ual, Team Man ual, and Three-Day Sched ule. When ques tions arise, all of us should be go ing

back to these Up per Room pro gram ma te ri als and doc u ments to seek an an swer that is in ac cor dance with Up -

per Room pol icy and di rec tives. This is the only way that we can be true to our agree ment with the Up per Room.

12

shin

ing

ali

gh

to

n

Co

mm

un

ity

Ev

en

ts Event

Is YOUR church hosting an event that might be of interest to theEmmaus Community? Send your announcements well in advance towebmaster@southernmarylandemmaus.com.

Information Update Form available at

www.southernmarylandemmaus.com

6th Annual Talent Show

La Plata United Methodist Church invites you to its 6th AnnualTalentFest. Saturday, March 5 is the date and 7:00 p.m. is thestart time in our Fellowship Hall. In addition to the talent, therewill be food and beverages for sale. Admission to the show isfree, but there will be a dessert auction prior to the show to raisefunds for the Appalachian Service Project.

This is a family friendly event featuring talent from all agegroups. Come on out and enjoy the fun.

You can be sure you'll see a lot of your Emmaus friends performing. You won't want tomiss it.

Contact Pat Brennan for more information at patbrennan@prodigy.net.

13

Walks they shared, and were interested in serving on aweekend team; I know they are serving God’s childrenin many heartfelt and passionate ways.”

As a follow-up question, I asked how God had used thegift of sponsorship in each of their lives. It is certainlyone thing for God to use that gift to bless the person you sponsor, but I found that each of these ladies identifiedand shared the ways that God had taken thatsponsorship gift and used it in their personal lives aswell!

Judy finds that in her life, Emmaus has never “stoppedgiving.” Here’s the story she shared with me: “I wascalled to help the homeless and the needy right at thetime when I was looking forward to retirement. After 12years of doing my best to answer the call, myunderstanding of how to trust and count on God hasgrown immensely, and I know that the end result will beglorious. I have fewer reservations about taking thefirst step on a new path, and I can attest that every time I have felt tired or perhaps ineffective over the years,God has given me new energy which carried methrough and new light to show me the path. I think whathas changed for me in the responsibilities that I have isthat I no longer stress out about the things I do becauseI simply trust that God is in charge. That step was a BigStep for me.” Can I get an Amen to that???

Patti told me that she was seeking something greaterfor her relationship with God. Her Walk to Emmausgave her “direction, opened doors and encouraged mein priorities, study and action. My sponsorship allowedme to grow in my church by offering monthly children’slessons in church, starting a bi-weekly youth SundaySchool, leading the youth in hosting achurch/community carnival, and serving in the role ofYouth Director at our church. I’ve been active in biblestudy and accountability group meetings and inteaming for Southern Maryland Emmaus. Theseopportunities are what I was seeking through God andHe provided those opportunities!”

For Linda, sponsoring is another way to directlyparticipate in a Walk, and “nothing lights up my spiritlike participating in a Walk to Emmaus! I always feel‘closest to Christ’ during a Walk weekend, and it always renews my commitment to ‘pass it on’.” Amen!!

Since these ladies obviously have had a lot ofexperience being sponsors, and having had suchpositive experiences, I next asked them to tell us what,

in their opinion, was the most important way to prepare to be a good sponsor.

Judy felt that the most valuable first step is to know theperson well and genuinely care about the person youare considering sponsoring, and to pray. “Prayer forthat person accomplishes several things: 1) youbecome intimately involved with yourpilgrim’s well-being; 2) thinking about your pilgrimbecomes more of a priority; and 3) you’ve asked God to intervene with your pilgrim’s decision making process.What more could anyone ask for? As a general rule, the process of asking someone to Walk takes months andthe decision for them to actually go takes monthsto years. Over the years, only three out of the manypeople I have sponsored have actuallysaid yes immediately.” This seems like an importantpoint as we cannot rush God’s timing and the timeneeded for a potential pilgrim to be ready to say “yes” to God.

Patti stressed the importance of prayer and moreprayer. “Being a sponsor is so rewarding, any time wesponsor we want to seek out God and His guidanceensuring that He leads us to sponsorship and that Histiming (imagine a bell ringing) is our timing.”

And continuing with the same theme, Linda said, “Nosurprise answer here..."prayer, prayer, and moreprayer". God is in control of every facet, every moment,before, during, and after each Walk, and we seek Hisguidance and follow His lead.”

Lastly, I asked each of these ladies to share anawesome/remarkable sponsorship story with us.

Judy told me “The remarkable story I can share is thatin every case, with every pilgrim, relationships change. Whether things have been strained or comfortable athome or a spouse has become more appreciative ormore understanding—relationships change. Whethera person has been less sure of God, totally sure of God, or just beginning to trust God—relationshipschange. Whether the stress of a person’s life has been wearing on that person or priorities havebeen perfect—relationships change. With the changeof relationships comes joy and that joy is visible andlasting.”

Patti wanted to share that the most wonderful thingabout being a sponsor is being at the candle light

Sponsorship from page 8

See Sponsorship Page 14

14

service and watching the pilgrims and team memberswalk by and look into your eyes as you hold your candlehigh for them to see and sing the “Jesus, Jesus” song. “Some say that the eyes are a reflection of the soul andif you’ve ever experienced the outpouring of lovethrough the pilgrims and team member’s eyes as theywalk past the community, then you’ve seen Jesus’ love.It is alive and well!!”

Here’s what Linda shared: “When your Pilgrim—andthe others— have felt bathed in the deep, personal andextravagant love God has for them...when you heartheir testimonies and see their joy and excitement atClosing...when you’ve listened to their stories at the“debriefing” dinner on the way home...you know Godhas done more of His awesome and remarkable work.Having an opportunity to share in that work is a prettyamazing blessing.” Can I get an Amen to that?

In conclusion, Judy shared this with me: “If you havenever sponsored or have wanted to but have beenreluctant, you should pray about any and all questionsyou have about the possibility. If you haven’t attendeda sponsorship training (fourth day seminar), go to one.

You can read a book about sponsorship sold at everygathering. If you haven’t been as involved ingatherings, come to a gathering. Many questions youmay have will be answered. If you questionwhether you will be a good sponsor, the best you cando is learn all you need to know, pray about it, intend tobe a good sponsor and try it. With prayer, reading, andtraining you can be confident about your ability to dowhat is necessary to help a new pilgrim. I recommendsponsoring because God counts on all of us to do ourpart, but being a sponsor is rewarding in so manyways, sponsoring is also part of my faith journey. Ilearn and grow with every pilgrim I sponsor. Fromsponsoring I have learned to thank God daily for theopportunities He has given me to serve.”

A heartfelt thank you to Judy, Patti and Linda for sharing these awesome words of encouragement, wisdom, and excitement, and for these servants’ hearts seeking toshare the love and transforming power of God withothers through the gift of sponsorship.

God’s revelation as I study and pray daily. I daily findquiet time with him. Trials and tribulations do not seemto bother me as much in that I do not focus too much onthe problem but on the one who can solve any problem. I also allowed God to use those situations to grow me. Ihave become more confident in sharing not only theGospel of Christ, but in living a lifestyle that allow othersto see the Christ in me.”

She also mentioned that her husband has noticed andtold her how much she has grown and changed. Heindicated that he was so proud of “my spiritual growththrough grief and the problems that confronted me as Iprepared for the Walk.” In addition, he said “you were a go-getter before, but now you have greater zeal inpursing the will of God even in your on-going trials.” Annie concluded: “When one’s help-meet (husband)sees the difference, then it is a testimony to the greatwork that The Walk to Emmaus presents to theparticipants so that God’s agape (love) and grace canbe experienced. God now visits me through visionsand dreams again. For a while that had been lostbecause of being ‘busy’ instead of being ‘quiet’ to hearand see Him in my life.”

Wow. Two more amazing testimonies! I hope you areas blessed I am to read how God used Walk #52 to draw these ladies into a deeper relationship with Him and theways that He is working in their lives!! Thank you toAnnie and Lois for sharing these testimonies with us!May God continue to draw you closer on each of yourFourth Days!

- Jan Drass

Walk from page 10

Sponsorship from page 13

15

My name is Con nie Wells; I at tend First Saints Com mu -

nity Church, Cal i for nia Cam pus. I walked on SME #28

and sat at the ta ble of Na omi (clap).

WAR ROOM: Prayer Is a Pow er ful Weapon

by Chris Fabry

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the doorand pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then yourFather, who sees what is done in secret, will rewardyou.” Matthew 6:6 (NIV)

What an amazing book; I read it during the recent snowstorm. This book is such a wakeup call for us asChristians. Praying is a powerful weapon and we don’tseem to tap into that power. This book made me see the flaws in my own prayer life and encouraged me to startwhat I’m calling - purposeful prayer.

WAR ROOM isn’t a “self-help” or “this is the way to getGod to move” book. It is a fictional story as far as I know. It’s just such a wonderfully inspiring story. I like how it

doesn’t portray Christians as “perfect and having it alltogether” ‘cause we all know that isn’t reality. The bookcharacters make it clear that it is through a relationshipwith Jesus that things can change in your life. Grace isshown throughout the story.

When I think of my Fourth Day I think of the incredibleprayer warriors that God put in my life. Various timessince I walked in 2008 I have called upon these womenof God to storm the gates of heaven on behave of aloved one/family member. Just recently I emailed aprayer request to these ladies and by just sending theemail I instantly felt like everything was going to be OK. It was as if God said “You are not in this alone!”

I can’t wait to share this book with everyone I know.Read this book and then give your copy to a friend. Ifyou are in a small group or want to get a small groupgoing, questions are in the back of the book to aid inyour discussions. Let’s start a prayer revival! Happyreading!

P.S. At the board meeting mid-January, Jan Drass(Communications Chairman) reminded everyone thatNewsletter articles were due by the end of January. Thank goodness for Amazon Prime and mycommitment to submit a book review each quarter. Another great book I probably wouldn’t have read if itweren’t for Emmaus : - )

Thinking of Teaming?

Is God calling you to serve on an Emmaus Walk team? If so, go towww.southernmarylandemmaus.com and print out a team application. Fill it out andhave your pastor sign it. Mail it to Southern Maryland Emmaus, P.O. Box 343, WhitePlains MD 20695.

“Walk in the Light” - South ern Mary land EmmausVisit us on the web at www.southernmarylandemmaus.com

"Were not our hearts burn ing within us while He wasspeak ing to us on the road, while He was ex plain ing

the Scrip tures to us?”

Luke 24:32

In for ma tion on the South ern Mary land Walk to Emmaus, as well aspil grim and team ap pli ca tions may be found on our website:

www.southernmarylandemmaus.com

Southern Maryland EmmausP.O. Box 343

White Plains, MD 20695

Southern Maryland Emmaus Board of Directors 2015

Community Lay Director/Chair - Dale Merkle

Assistant Community Lay Director/Facilities/Sponsorship - Sarah Ogilby

Past Community Lay Director - Pat Brennan

Treasurer - Susan Cunningham

Secretary/Historian - Lee Campbell

Community Spiritual Dir. - Ken Valentine

Agape Coordinator - Steve Planders

Assistant Agape Coordinator - Jim Risley

Team Selection - Connie Wells

Assistant Team Selection - Lauren Cahill

Community Events Coordinator/Fourth Day Coordinator - Margaret Kolbe

Asst. Comm. Events/Reunion Groups - Priscilla Rollins

Registrar/Pilgrim Selection - Ellen Bertelsen

Assistant Registrar - Gordon Piscacek

Communications/Directory - Jan Drass

Music Director - Bud Campbell