1/15 Nashville Emmaus Newsletter

Bi-Monthly Newsletter of the Nashville Emmaus Community

January 2015

Searching – Struggling Let me share a story I heard a few years back and again lately.

Some years ago in the North, a little girl went out and got lost in the woods. It was bitterly cold and snowing. Hundreds of people searched all over the forest area, desperate in their efforts to find her.

Time was important and they knew she couldn’t survive long in the weather. They searched for hours with no luck. Finally, searchers came up with the idea of joining hands and walking together through the forest in a line.

They tried it and in less than fifteen minutes she was found. It was too late. She had died from the cold. In the hush of that moment, someone said, “Why oh why didn’t we join hands sooner?”

This past year, when conflict and trouble came to our “house”, we (the Board) began walking around in different directions trying to find the solution to conflicts and concerns. Colossians 3: 15 (The Message) reads ‘let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing.’

We realized we were not in tune with each other while searching for solutions. It changed when we began walking together, holding hands with each other and finding the solutions. We are going into 2015 with the restart of Gatherings; working on better communication with each other and the community; reaching out to you to form committees to help us; beginning again the trainings that have not been offered for the last few years to help us all understand the different aspects of Emmaus and the weekends and we have become more intentional in helping with the Fourth Day through a Reunion Group database.

We are looking forward to an exciting 2015 and walking hand in hand with you.

De Colores and Fly with Christ, Edna Vaughan Community Lay Director

Welcome New Board Members Laity

Clergy

Wilda Street David Chavis Lisa Hobbs Carla Snodgrass Cathy Wedekind Doug Ball

Bill Owens Sandra Griggs

At the December Board meeting, Edna Vaughan was elected to serve as Community Lay Director for 2015 and Allen Weller was elected Community Spiritual Director for 2015. Areas of service for the 2015 Board will be set at the January 2015 Board meeting.

In This Issue

While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and began walking with them...

Luke 24:15

Accountability/Reuinion Groups .........................................2 Who Do You Say I Am? ...........................................................3 Welcome New Pilgrims .............................................................3 Up Coming Events.......................................................................4 Chrysalis ............................................................................................4 4th Day..............................................................................................4 Gathering #2 ..................................................................................5 Nashville Emmaus Board .........................................................5 Face to Face.....................................................................................5 Elections ............................................................................................6

In God’s Time In Emmaus, when it comes to time, we regularly refer to God’s time meaning it will happen when God wants it to. This does not mean we sit back and wait for God to call “time”. Rather we go about our given tasks to the best of our ability leaving the final outcome in God’s care. Time and time again were amazed at how good God’s timing is.

God’s time does not apply just to Emmaus activities. It figures in everything we do as I was reminded of recently. Back in 2010 I was on the Communications Committee at my church. The Committee took note of how the communications environment was changing and that we needed new capabilities in the church staff to keep up with the communications demands of the 21st Century.

So the Committee prepared a job description to meet that need and presented it to Staff Parish Relations Committee whose job it is to implement such changes.

One might think the Communications Committee was setting up the SPRC for a messy job of making staff changes, but that was not the case. The message to SPRC was that this was where the church needed to go. They

did not need to act on it now, but take note and look to God’s timing for the next step.

Fast forward to 2014 and the church has a staff member retiring creating the opportunity to add a new resource with the needed skills. Church committees are not noted for long-range planning but God handles that well. One of the people involved in the current job search remembered the work done in 2010 and that work became the foundation of the job description for the new hire.

Back in 2010 the Communications Committee only knew new staff capabilities were needed. They had no idea if or when it might be implemented. In truth, that part of the plan was not for Communications to be concerned about. We needed to be patient and have faith that God would take care of the next steps in his own timing which he has done and done very well.

Have you noticed God’s timing at work in your life?

Peter Cassidy

Something New and Looking for Your Help!

We have been advised by the International Emmaus office that we can have a 4th ALD for AV purposes on our Walks. This position is a conference room team member and would attend all team meetings and stay at the facility for the weekend as other conference room team members do. They would run the power points and help with other AV needs. We are starting a database of persons who would like to be called for this purpose.

If you are interested, please call me at 615-758-0366 or 615-516-2439 or email evaughan@tds.net

Chrysalis The dates are set for the winter flights. The Girl’s Flight will be January 17-19, 2015 and the Boy’s Flight a month later on February 14-16, 2015. Both will be held at Fellowship UMC in Murfreesboro.

Face To Face

Our Board continues to look for a few more lay and clergy members. Let me know if you are interested.

The dates for the 2015 Encounter are May 6, 7, 13, 14 at Hilldale UMC in Clarksville. We appreciate the Community support in encouraging pilgrims to attend.

Fly with Christ, Randy Williams Nashville Chrysalis Community Lay Director

What’s Happening in Your 4th Day? We all remember our own Emmaus experience and what it meant to us personally. We held that cross at Closing and answered the questions about what the Walk meant to us and what we are going to do about it.

Others can benefit from our stories of what happened next.

They are witness to God’s work in our lives and an inspiration to others as they persevere in life’s challenges. If you would like to submit your story for consideration, please email it to the Candlelight Editor at News@NashvilleEmmaus.org

Face to Face is looking for some kind people to make banners for us. It would be so great to have our very own, some we could fold because as we move around we have to pack everything in boxes. If you can do this, please contact Pat Mishler at pmish5@comcast.net or 615-406-1367.

Accountability/Reunion Groups Emmaus Walks and Face To Face Encounters are about our 4th days and Next days. We urge you to be involved with an accountability group (also called reunion groups) to encourage and support you during your 4th day journey. As a community we want to assist in your search for an existing group to join, find new members for your existing group or start a new group. Therefore, your Emmaus Board is asking for your assistance in this effort by completing the following survey. This information will be used to match requests for groups by location, gender, etc. You can download and mail this form or complete it online at www.nashvilleemmaus.org/Reunion_Groups/ Your participation is truly appreciated as we endeavor to support our community members not only on the Emmaus Weekends but every day of our lives as followers of Jesus.

DeColores.

Gathering February 7, McMinnville Our next community gathering is scheduled for February 7th at 6:00pm at Christ United Methodist Church in McMinnville. The address is 200 Chapel Drive, McMinnville.

It will be covered dish. Come and enjoy fellowship with your Emmaus friends!!!! (More details later.)

If your Emmaus Group is interested in hosting a gathering, please contact: Jeanne Bell jonbell0213@gmail.com

Emmaus Walks Men’s April 9-12, 2015 Women’s April 23-26, 2015 Men’s October 1-4, 2015 Women’s October 15-18, 2015

Chrysalis Flights Girl’s Flight January 17-19, 2015, Fellowship UMC, Murfreesboro Boy’s Flight February 14-16, 1015, Fellowship UMC, Murfreesboro

Face To Face Encounter May 6, 7, 13, 14 2015 • Hilldale UMC Clarksville Check the Community website for the latest schedule

2015 Nashville Emmaus Board of Directors Executive Leadership Edna Vaughan - Chair/Community Lay Director Vice-Chair/Assist. Community Lay Director (Elected at Jan. Board Meeting) Secretary (Elected at Jan. Board Meeting) Treasurer (Elected at Jan. Board Meeting) Lay Board Members Doug Ball Jeannie Bell David Chavis Sandie Glover Steve Grayson Lisa Hobbs Carla Hunt Nancy LaSuer Hugh Mason Jane Melrose Pat Mishler John Nance Bill Nelson Carla Snodgrass Wilda Street Sam Trott Cathy Wedekind Clergy Allen Weller - Community Spiritual Director Jon Bell Sandra Griggs Lloyd Mabry Bill Owens Ex-Officio Randy Williams - Chrysalis For More Info on Board Members and their areas of service, or to email a Board Member visit NashvilleEmmaus.org/About_Us/