4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 NIV

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31 NIV

Word of the Month: CHANGE

Well at this writing it’s “Black Friday”, the day after Thanksgiving...how interesting, yesterday we humbly were grateful for all we’d been given, and today we’re lining up and fighting others to get more stuff, all of which we don’t really need!?!? Thought the Friday before Easter was a little more “black”, and most of our thoughts that day evidently were on things we thought we really didn’t need - wrong again! Some things in life just never change, especially the most important thing – JESUS!

As we once again begin our journey to the Cross with His birth this Christmas season, join me in focusing more on the “Real Reason for the Season” by pressing into Him that truly is ALL we need! Help others build a stronger relationship with Him - start at home, in your reunion group or small group, then move into your church, workplace and later your community. Make 2012 a year of change in your Walk and that of others!

And speaking of Thanksgiving, there certainly is a lot to be thankful for this year in the Elizabethtown Emmaus Community! Over 150 men and women participated in the Emmaus Walks, REC (Residents Encounter Christ) once again impacted 31 men at Northpoint Correctional Facility, E’town Emmaus members also served on the REC team in Nicaragua, Chrysalis 48 had an over capacity crowd and started a spring flight waiting list, the number of clergy pilgrims was up considerably, had the first full men’s walk in many years, financially the Community’s events more than covered expenses, and 133 area youth became Butterflies via the two Chrysalis and YAC #2 (Young Adult Chrysalis) events held this year. Plus your Board of Directors held a retreat and developed five major areas of focus for the coming year. They also revised the Walk Team manuals, and the Community Policy and Guidelines, which is on-going.

Special thanks to the following for being obedient and leading others in the Emmaus and Chrysalis events this year as Lay Directors: Kelly Sherrard and Matt Cunigan (C47), Kevin Oldham (M118), Carolyn Cox (W119), Carl Stoltzfus and Amanda Drane (Y2), Bruce Seymour (R17), Larry Holthouser (M120), Rhonda Baumfalk (W121), Todd Davis and Andrea Bennett (C48). Prayers and blessings to those who have agreed to be our Lay Directors in the spring of 2012: Tom Crittenden (M122), Mitzi Lynch (W123), Todd Brown and Colleen Bagley (C49), and Rick Dye (R18).

Also would like to recognize those Board members who are completing their terms at the end of the year for their service and wisdom: Sabrina Brock, Tom Crittenden, Pat Dile, Steve Hart and Bobby Smith.

To say the least this has been an awesome and very special year serving with my friend, pastor, mentor, and our Community Spiritual Director. Jeff Noel. He has truly served and lead this Community spiritually in so many ways this past year including: serving as Spiritual Director for Walk 118, providing counsel and wisdom to the Board of Directors, dissecting our Scripture focus each month at Gatherings, sharing insight and guidance to a men’s reunion group weekly, pastoring and offering counsel to those in need/crisis in the Community, continually encouraging other Emmaus clergy, publicly giving credence to the Walk to Emmaus so others have the option and opportunity to experience it, and certainly for reinforcing the importance of prayer in everything we do in Emmaus and life, as well as leading us in it. Jeff Noel, you’re one-of-a-kind in Christ, and that truth has been a tremendous blessing to the Elizabethtown Emmaus Community! Thanks brother!

Thanks to you also Elizabethtown Emmaus Community for all you’ve done this past year, in years past and for your continued work in the future! Your efforts are what made possible the list of successes found earlier in this newsletter. It has been an honor and blessing to serve as Community Lay Director, hopefully we’re leaving things a little better in His eyes!

But as our word of the month so aptly states, it’s a time for “change”. Beginning January 1, 2012 there will be five new board members serving and leading the Emmaus Community for the next three years. Those individuals are: Tracy Arflin, Rhoda Baumfalk, Carolyn Cox, Kevin Oldham, and Mark Riordan. Please keep these folks along with the rest of the Board in your prayers as they tackle the task of giving monthly direction to the affairs of the local Emmaus community.

And Sarah Hart will begin serving as Community Lay Director in January as well. Please keep her and her family in your prayers as she begins her year serving the Lord in this exciting and challenging role. Thank you in advance for supporting her as enthusiastically as you have me during the past year. Leading an organization this large and this active is a tremendous and very time consuming task, so please keep her and your Board lifted up in prayer and be willing to serve along with them when asked.

A few final reminders as we close out 2011: Two things that are certain: Change will happen and Jesus is All! If you still need a Christmas gift for your Christian and non-Christian friends get them a copy of Not A Fan by Kyle Idleman (teaching minister at Southeast Christian), and a commitment that they’ll at least read the prologue...it could have eternal consequences! Our next Gathering is December 3rd, 7:00 PM at Memorial United Methodist Church. Thanks again for a very special 2011!

Merry Christmas! Look forward to seeing you at the Gathering.

DeColores!

Doug Shepherd, 2011 E’town Community Lay Director

Walk 108, Table of Matthew

Historical Items Needed:

The Elizabethtown Emmaus Community, as part of its historical records, has a book containing the pictures and rosters of each of the Walks held since the Community’s inception. The Men’s Walk book is missing several pictures and Walk rosters. If you have a copy of the picture or roster from any of the following Men’s Walks would you please get those to Larry Holthouser ( or 270-369-0233) so he can make a copy of them. He will return your originals to you. Thanks in advance for helping out! Men’s Walks that we’re missing: 50 through 60, 64 through 94, 100 and 102.

Selection Process for Walk Lay Director:

Several have asked recently: “How are Walk Lay Directors Selected?” Here’s theprocess that is followed according to the Elizabethtown Emmaus Community By-laws and Policy.

The Community Lay Director appoints a committee consisting of three past Walk Lay Directors (three men to select the next men’s and three women to select the next women’s Lay Director). The Community Lay Director provides them with a current list of those who appear to have met the criteria for Lay Director which is as follows: Must have given a talk as Assistant Table

Leader, must have worked on an Agape team, must

have served as an Assistant Lay Director and must be an active member of a reunion/accountability group (all four are requirements). Also to be considered in the selection process is whether they are active in the Emmaus Community and consider their Walk number, go back to those who have persevered.

The three past Lay Directors meet and with prayer and discussion submit a list of three names to the Community Lay Director to call as to their willingness to serve as Lay Director. The names shall be given in #1, #2, and #3 order, and the potential Lay Directors should be contacted in that order until someone agrees to serve. Care should be given not to use the same past Lay Directors over and over to serve on the Lay Director Selection Committee.

And that’s the process. Then comes the Selection of the Team process that we discussed last month.

Prayer Time

COUNTRY—LEADERS—WORLD—CHURCHES

  • Upcoming Chrysalis 48 - Lay Directors, Sponsors, Butterflies and Teams
  • 2012 Elizabethtown Emmaus Board and Leadership
  • Sponsors and pilgrims for Walks 122 and 123
  • Deployed Military Service Men and Women
  • Those in your Reunion Group and those not in an Emmaus Reunion Group
  • Those that have experienced the loss of a loved one this past year
  • The Spiritually Lost this Christmas Season
  • Nicaraguan and Northpoint REC Community
  • Spring 2012 Walk and Flight Lay Directors

Mark Your Calendars

Saturday
December 3rd / Board Meeting
Gathering / 5:00 PM
7:00 PM / Memorial UMC
Memorial UMC
Saturday
January 7th / Board Meeting
Gathering / TBD
7:00 PM / Memorial UMC
Memorial UMC
Saturday
February 4th / Board Meeting
Gathering / TBD
7:00 PM / Memorial UMC
Memorial UMC
February
18th - 20th / Chrysalis 49
March
8th - 11th / Men’s Walk 122
March
15th - 18th / Women’s Walk 123