Oconee River Basin Walk to Emmaus Community
Serving Baldwin, Greene, Morgan and Putnam Counties in Georgia
Details you need to know about Walk #20:
March 14-17, 2019
Lay Director – Ann Maddox
Spiritual Director – Rev Mike Morgan
Send Off: Swords UMC, Thursday at 7pm
Candlelight: Grace Bible Church at 8pm, Pilgrims arrive at 9:15pm
Closing: Collinswood, Sunday at 4pm
Swords UMC – 1401 Swords Rd, Buckhead, GA 30625
Collinswood – 1180 Fraction Bottom Rd, Buckhead, GA 30625
Grace Bible Church – 4890 Buckhead Rd, Buckhead, GA 30625
MEN’S WALK #19
MARCH 7-10, 2019
WOMEN’S WALK #20
MARCH 14-17, 2019
The Walks will be held at Collinswood of Aldersgate in Buckhead, GA
WEEKEND LAY DIRECTORS NAMED FOR 2019 WALKS
SCOTT WEBB HAS BEEN NAMED AS THE WEEKEND LAY DIRECTOR FOR WALK #19
ANN MADDOX HAS BEEN NAMED AS THE WEEKEND LAY DIRECTOR FOR WALK #20
SCOTT AND ANN ARE THE FIRST OF THE OCONEE RIVER BASIN WALK TO EMMAUS PILGRIMS TO BECOME WEEKEND LAY DIRECTORS. OUR COMMUNITY HAS COME FULL CIRCLE WITH THEIR SELECTION AND SERVICE.
2016 Newsletters
ORBEC January Newsletter 2016
ORBEC Newsletter March 2016
ORBEC Newsletter July 2016
ORBEC Newsletter September 2016
2015 Newsletters
ORBEC Newsletter November 2015
ORBEC Newsletter September 2015
ORBEC NewsletterMarch 2015 (1)
2014 Newsletters
ORBEC Newsletter Nov-Dec 2014
Community Building Through Sponsorship
An example of good sponsorship is most apparent in the way that a pilgrim
is led by his/her sponsor to approach the Fourth Day…as they are encouraged to participate in the Gatherings, reunion groups. perhaps even to serve on a Walk and become a sponsor. Such was the sponsorship of Pilgrims for the 2016 Walk to Emmaus weekends.
Many who were “pilgrims” on Walks 13 and 14 have attended Gatherings,
joining in as community members to eat, fellowship, and worship together…
many have also joined existing reunion groups, as well as helped to form new ones…
and many have already signed up to serve on the next Walks. The Fourth Day activities of new members help to build the Community and help to ensure success in future Walks.
“Success” on the Walk to Emmaus begins and ends with appropriate sponsorship. Though team selection, training and community participation are essential components of a Walk To Emmaus weekend, they have meaning only as they relate to the experience of the pilgrims.
The sponsorship process begins when a sponsor prayerfully asks God to lay on his/her heart the name of someone who might be interested in attending,
then thoughtfully talks with that person to explain the Walk To Emmaus and answer questions.
Potential pilgrims should be encouraged, but not feel forced, to consider attending the Walk. Once they have said, “Yes” to the experience, sponsors stay in close touch as they walk with them through the process of application submission and making plans for themselves and their families for the Walk weekend.
The weekend is a benchmark, a point on the timeline of our Christian walks.
What makes Emmaus different from most “retreats” is that it keeps on going.
It designs a pathway for us to follow to become more Christ-like, and to encourage us on the journey.
The example of good sponsorship is most apparent in the way that a pilgrim
is led by his/her sponsor to approach the Fourth Day…as they are encouraged to participate in the Gatherings, reunion groups…perhaps even to serve on a Walk and become a sponsor.
Sponsorship does not end, but continues when a sponsor passes on to his/her pilgrim the baton of giving the gift of Emmaus. It is never too early to begin to pray for God to nudge us towards potential pilgrims, and to begin to plant seeds of interest in their hearts and minds.
De Colores. Flo Douglas, Lay Director, Walk #14
The ORBEC Prayer Vigil still has openings just waiting for you to sign up to wrap Walks #13 & #14 in constant and consistent prayer over the next two weekends. Currently the Men’s Walk Prayer Vigil has openings for 73 prayers for the Pilgrims, the team, the staff of Rock Eagle and the families of those serving and attending . The Women’s Walk currently has 94 openings. Please sign up now.
De Colores SC
On the Walk to Emmaus the love of God for his children is demonstrated in many ways. From the initial “welcome” to the Walk Weekend to the final “closing” of the weekend activities the presence of God’s love is undeniable. In the Emmaus Walk this love is called Agape.
Agape is the Greek word for love at its ultimate. Agape love is not like a brotherly love or a love between a husband and a wife. It is the most self-sacrificing love that there is. This type of love is the love that God has for His own children. Agape love is that which is always associated with the love of God.
There are many uses of Agape when speaking of God’s love in the Bible such as: John 4:8 “Anyone who does not love (agape) does not know God, because God is love (agape).” Romans 5:5 “and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love (agape) has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
The Blessings of Sponsorship
Sponsoring a Pilgrim is a win, win situation.. The Pilgrim certainly wins as he or she gets to walk closer with our Lord and Savior. The Sponsor wins, too, as there is no better feeling than having helped someone to strengthen their faith.
It is never too soon to think about sponsoring a Pilgrim on the Walk to Emmaus. We need to prayerfully consider the sponsorship of someone we care about, someone we want to have what we gained on our Walk to Emmaus; Someone we want to have that wonderful feeling we felt as we walked closer to Jesus; Someone who we will have helped to have a joyous, richer Christ-filled life. Do Pass It On!
De Colores
Clif Smith, Board Sponsorship Servant
Source: About Sponsorship
Oconee River Basin Walk to Emmaus Community 