newsletter
November 2012
LWE Walk #4 Dates
Men’s: Feb 7-10, 2013
Women’s: Feb 21-24, 2013
The walks will again be held at the
Christian Church Center in Silver Springs, Florida
Team Leadership
The Board and Team Selection Committee have been working diligently to select individuals to serve as Leadership for Walk #4. The board and the entire community
thanks these individuals for their acceptance of the responsibilities they will undertake while working both inside and outside the conference room during Walk #4
and for their commitment to the advancement of our Emmaus community. Those
individuals are as follows:
Men’s Walk #4
Lay Director – Ed Garvin
Assistant Lay Directors – Darrell Krause, Bill Lindberg, and Brian Myers
Board Representative – Jeff Bloomquist
Spiritual Director – Alan Jefferson, Ocala West UMC
Assistant Spiritual Director – Laurie Vidal, Faith Presbyterian Church, Gainesville
Outside Coordinator – Kendall Croley
Assistant Outside Coordinator – Steve Caton
Musicians – Joe Fielding and Scott Dupree
Team Members – Jim Abbott (Clergy), Norman Adcox, Mike DaRoza,
Bob Edmunds, Susan Gray (Clergy), John Grindle, Fred Hammond, Jim McGrath,
Paul Miller, Brad Nimmo, Fred Ramirez, Dick Scheaffer, Steve Shelley,
Bob Wannall (Clergy), and Bob Wright
Women’s Walk #4
Lay Director – Louise Krause
Assistant Lay Directors – Donna Miller, Monica Lindberg, and Sharon Fielding
Board Representative – TJ Frasier
Spiritual Director –Will Clark, First UMC of Williston
Assistant Spiritual Director –
Outside Coordinator – Vonnie Peabody
Assistant Outside Coordinator – Pam White
Musician – Nan Gordon
Team Members – Judy Mollet, Tami Jungklaus, Lois Tappen, Linda Callahan,
Jeanine Christian, Jane Fuller, Julia Soto, Phyllis Potter, and Mildred Stalnaker,
Gloria Adcox, Ann Scroggie and one team member is still needed
Sponsorship…
It has its privileges.
Although I have not been involved in the Living
Waters Emmaus of Florida community for very
long, I walked and was in another community before
moving to Florida. It seemed that at every closing
there were several people that were so uplifted by
their experience that they said they were going to
invite “everyone” they knew to participate in this experience. However, it seems that every walk, in both
communities, has problems filling up with pilgrims,
even when many people are willing, indeed anxious,
to put on the Walk for them.
So what is the problem?
In the first few hours or days after a walk we want
everyone in the world to feel the unconditional love
of God that we felt. However, not everyone is in the
same spiritual place at any one time. Your sponsor
carefully and prayerfully considered whether you
were a good candidate for a Walk at the time you
were asked. This was confirmed by your willingness
to agree, and even God clearing your calendar of
situations that would require your time during the
weekend. It was no accident or coincidence that
you were present at your particular Walk. Now it
is time for you to consider whom God wants you to
Sponsor. Be sure to start with asking God who he
wants you to sponsor for the upcoming walk, not
the other way around.
Remember that the Walk is to strengthen the local church by developing Christian disciples and
leaders. It is only one part of the Christian life. The
Emmaus experience is not for everyone, and not necessarily for every Christian.
Who is NOT a good candidate for
sponsorship?
The Walk to Emmaus is not to be a confrontational
or uncomfortable experience. We all know people
who have to dominate every conversation, and/or
will not consider viewpoints other than theirs. The
Walk would not be a positive experience for them,
and they may be disruptive to those around them.
You also do not want to sponsor someone to “fix
their problem”, fill up the weekend, or to reproduce
your own religious experience.
Who IS a good candidate
for sponsorship?
First of all people who are members and are already
serving in the church. Look for people who give
prayerful and fair consideration to ideas; people who
listen more than they speak; and are well respected
within the church. If these people attend and have a
positive experience they will make it much easier to
sponsor others in that church.
Next consider people who are in the church behind
the scenes, acting as servants. People in these categories may appreciate a time when they are not required
to do anything, to have time with the Lord, and let
others serve them for a change.
Finally, there may be people in the church who are
seeking a service role. This weekend may solidify in
their minds where God wants them to use their gifts.
Now that you have identified a few people, exactly
how is the best way to ask them? For one thing married couples should always be invited at the same time.
If one partner has attended a Walk, and the other has
not, the experience may become a divisive influence
in a marriage. On the other hand, if both have participated, the experience can indirectly increase the
spiritual bond of the marriage.
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I have found sharing my Emmaus experience with
people will help me “test” who may be interested in
such a weekend. To follow up with a lunch or dinner
with them (and spouse) will give everyone time to further explain and explore if the Walk is something they
would consider. I like to have some literature available
for them to take home, and, of course, an application
for them to hopefully fill out before they leave!
Remember that sponsorship does not stop here! There
are a series of yes and no questions on your sponsor
application for you to consider. If you are unable to
say yes to these talk to someone else about sponsoring,
or being a co-sponsor for this person.
I think perhaps most important, is to follow up with
the pilgrim after the walk. Help them get into a
reunion group and offer to take them to the next few
fellowships. Talk to them about how they might use
their Emmaus experience in their church and other
ministries where God has called them.
And once again, begin praying for who God may want
you to sponsor for the next walk!
By Judy Mollet
Community Sponsorship Coordinator
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H E L P WA N T E D ! !
Musicians
Do you have the ability to play a musical instrument?
The Team Selection Committee is seeking a female
musician to serve during LWE Women’s Walk #4.
If you are interested, please fill out a team application which can be found on our website at
www.livingwateremmausfl.org as soon as possible.
November Gathering
Saturday, November 10th
6:00 pm
Welsey United Methodist Church
Assisting Outside Coordinators
826 NW 23rd Avenue, Gainesville, FL
Covered dish event!
39th Ave
Dates and Locations
of 2012/2013 Gatherings
New Board Members
31
st
Av
e
441
23rd Ave
25
Blvd
6th Street
16th Ave
34th Street
75
26
16th
13th Street
23rd Ave
DEC. 1st - TUMC in Gainesville
JAN. – OPEN
FEB. – Candle Light Services
Men’s to be held on 2/9/13
Women’s to be held 2/23/13
at the Christian Church Conference Center
in Silver Springs
MAR. 3rd - Trinity UMC in Gainesville
222
43rd Street
We need help on Friday, Feb. 22 and Sunday, Feb.
24. Anyone interested in assisting the outside
coordinators during LWE Women’s Walk #4 please
contact Vonnie Peabody at: vpeabody@cox.net
o r call (352) 376-5584.
Newberry Rd
r Rd
he
Arc
Each year the Living Water Emmaus Community
Board of Directors elects a new class of members to
serve on the board. Each board member serves a
three year term. Our newest class of members will
begin serving the Living Waters Emmaus Community in January 2013. Please welcome and show your
appreciation for the following new members:
Gloria Adcox
Judy Mollet
Jeff Bloomquist
Mike DaRoza
Nick Koeningstein
At this time the board would also like to announce
and welcome Pastor David Averill, who will begin
serving the Living Waters Emmaus Community as
Assistant Community Spiritual Director in January
2013. Pastor Averill currently serves as the Associate
Pastor at First UMC in Gainesville.
CONTACT US!
Margaret Myers, Lay Director • mcmyers@windstream.net
Linda Bryant, Newsletter Editor • lbryantk@bellsouth.net
livingwateremmausfl.org