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DON'T MISS
OUT,
REMEMBER THESE DATES
FOR 2004
14 Feb Gathering
T'murra Uniting, 6-9pm
Theme: Prayer
SD: Peter Francis
4th Day Speaker: TBA
13 Mar Gathering
T'murra Uniting, 6-9pm
29 Apr - 2 May
Men's Walk #98
Candlelighting: 1 May
Closing: 2 May
13 - 16 May
Women's Walk #99
Candlelighting: 15 May
Closing: 16 May
5 June Gathering
Tmurra Uniting
New Pilgrims 5 - 6 pm
All community 6 - 9 pm
10 July Gathering
14 Aug Gathering
11Sep Gathering
23 - 26 Sept
Men's Walk #100
Candlelighting: 25 Sep
Closing: 26 Sep
7 - 10 Oct
Ladies Walk #101
Candlelighting: 9 Oct
Closing: 10 Oct
13 Nov Pre-gathering
and Gathering
11 Dec Gathering
Emmaus monthly gatherings are open to all.
If you have been on Emmaus and your family have not –
bring them along for supper, communion and fellowship with
us!
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Message from the
Community Spiritual Director:
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Firstly, let me welcome Betty Snelling back to Chair the Board and thank Rob
Williams who relinquished this position after serving his 3-year term in
October. Thank you both for your service to Emmaus.
It never fails to amaze me that no matter how often I go on team them is always
something that inspires me afresh. At the November Alarga weekend one of the
talks had this ending:
"We don't have to be successful, we just have to be faithful."
After the challenges our Community has had this year this struck me as being
pertinent indeed, reminding me to look for the challenges ahead rather than the
difficulties of the past.
We began the year by checking the new Emmaus Handbook against our practices.
From this has come the Welcome to new pilgrims after the Walks and a new
assessment on how Gatherings are conducted. We had to postpone two Walks and
deal with the ramifications that followed from that. We've been able to
encourage partners and family to come to Gatherings and Reunion groups. We've
had to assess every aspect of the Board's responsibilities to see where things
can be improved.
With a new team selection process in place for 2004 I look forward to the
development of leaders who will find faithfulness in serving and be capable of
rising to the challenges of the future wherever God is calling them. For me
this means developing a team of Spiros who can look more closely at our role
in Emmaus, and continuing to assess if Emmaus should be introduced to Fiji in
the near future.
One of the challenges ahead is to interpret the joy of Christmas faith to a
world of increased secularism and fundamentalist terrorism. But, then again,
we are not about success, only faithfulness. God bless you and your families
during this Christmas season and may the joy of Jesus' birth rest easily in
your hearts and minds this Christmas and throughout the year to come.
De Colores
Brian Jago
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Message from the
Community Lay Director
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A special welcome to all new pilgrims from Alarga Walk #97. Please keep in
touch with Emmaus by coming to monthly Gatherings, Candlelighting and Closing
ceremonies, and absorb the mighty work of the Holy Spirit. Thank you to the
Emmaus community for all your acts of agape for Alarga, they made the weekend
very special for both pilgrims and team.
A special thank you to the retiring board members for serving the Sydney Emmaus
Community so willingly: Kerry McCarthy, Lis Harvey, and our past Lay Director
Rob Williams. Blessings to you as you find new ventures to fill the gap and may
God use you and bless you in the future.
To our new board members Margaret Duckworth, Peter Francis, Vicki Harding and
Elva Harris, welcome, may you too be blessed as you serve Our Lord.
Are you in a Reunion Group? Do you feel inundated with meetings, and you are
feeling you just do NOT want to go to another meeting? Then let me ask you just
one question: Are the groups decision making groups? If the answer is Yes, I
encourage you to link up to a group that will bring a totally new meaning to
"meetings". The Emmaus Reunion Group for many is the highlight of
their week, and Is one of the greatest treasures the Walk to Emmaus has to
offer. It is a means of persevering in the life of grace so that the things
that were valuable to you during the Emmaus weekend will not be lost now that
you have resumed to your life in the world.
One walk ends and now we are preparing for Walks #98 and #99, led by Tom Knox
and Karen Meredith. I ask you to join together in praying for guidance as they
call together the teams for these walks. Pray for guidance for sponsoring, be
wise in your decision making, pray for the pilgrims who will be attending these
walks that they will be enthusiastic and open to the work of the Holy Spirit.
While in an attitude of prayer, pray for your church remembering your church is
your primary Christian community. The Emmaus activities are meant to supplement
and enliven, never to replace your local church.
De Colores
Betty Snelling
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