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 | Upcoming Emmaus Events
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April 7th - 10th
Women's Walk 231
Sabine Creek
Spring Gathering & DEC Annual Meeting
Royse City UMC
6:00 p.m.
June 23rd - 26th
Men's Walk 232
Camp Copass For more details on DEC's newest Walk location go online:
There are spots open for Pilgrim's to be sponsored on these weekends.
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and
Kairos of Texas
Inside & Outside
If you know any woman who would benefit from Kairos Outside, please contact KONT by email |
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Women's Walk #231
April 7th - 10th
Sabine Creek Ranch
The Community is invited to attend: Send-off which starts at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Candlelight begins at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday. Closing will start around 4:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Please arrive no earlier than 7:15 for Candlelight
and 3:30 for Closing. Thank you!
There are spaces available for Pilgrims to attend. If you would like to sponsor someone for this Walk, applications are available on the Dallas Emmaus Community website.
Let's keep the Pilgrims, their Sponsors, Team members and all of their families lifted in prayer as each prepare for the weekend. Also available on the DEC website is the online Prayer Vigil which supplements (but does not replace) the paper Prayer Vigil passed around at Candlelights and other DEC events for signature. Both Prayer Vigils are posted during Walks for Pilgrims to see who has been praying for them. |
Dallas Emmaus Community
Spring Gathering & Annual Meeting
April 9th at 6:00 p.m. @ Royse City UMC
Click here for details
8:00 p.m. at Sabine Creek Ranch
Worship, Holy Communion, Walk 231 Candlelight Service
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Message from the Community Lay Director
Dallas Chrysalis
Recently, you may have heard the Dallas Chrysalis Community will be "Restarting". The last few years, the Dallas Chrysalis Community (DCC) has struggled with having enough Caterpillars to fill their Flights. Many have been cancelled. The struggles of the Dallas Chrysalis Community have caused us, the Dallas Emmaus Community, to backup and reassess where the DCC is headed and how we will get there. Chrysalis has a bit different dynamic than Emmaus, as there is only a small amount of time available to today's high schoolers for activities outside of school, family and church. Time demands on all of us can be tricky, but especially high school and college aged young people. This coupled with other elements that play into any Chrysalis weekend and you can see the challenge.
The Dallas Emmaus Community Board of Directors feels having a strong, viable Chrysalis Community is important. Personally speaking, one of my daughters went on her flight and it has shaped her faith to this day. I always thank God for providing Chrysalis as a vehicle for young adults to enhance their faith journey. Just like the Emmaus weekend, it is a very dynamic experience.
 We, the Dallas Emmaus Board in conjunction with the Chrysalis Board, have reached out to The Upper Room for help to get the program back on the right path and they have responded. What this "Restart" means is that we will begin all over again in our Chrysalis efforts with the help of The Upper Room. This "Restart" will take about 18 months before the next Dallas Chrysalis flight, as we work together to lay a strong foundation for all future endeavors. Initially, we will have a meeting in the next 30 days or so and we will need strong support from those involved in Emmaus to participate in Chrysalis as well.
Watch your email for meeting details which will be released in the next week or so. We will need a minimum of 75 people at the initial Saturday meeting. This is a call to action for all of us in the Dallas Emmaus Community. We need everyone to pray for God's Will in this endeavor. We also need each of you to consider becoming a part of the solution for the NEW Dallas Chrysalis Community.
De Colores
Will Dunn
Community Lay Director
Table of Luke
Walk # 171
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 Dallas Emmaus Board of Directors Elections are in progress and YOUR VOTE COUNTS! The deadline to vote is : March 31st
To vote, please visit www.dallasemaus.org and utlize the interactive PDF ballot which can be either emailed to laydirector@dallasemmaus.org or mailed directly to the Community at:
Dallas Emmaus Community
P.O. Box 2361
Rockwall, Texas 759087
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Message from the Community Spiritual Director
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Romans 12:9-10
There is a story about a man that walked past a used book store and saw a book in the window that with this title, "How to Hug". Being the romantic that he was, he thought this was a very intriguing title, so he went in to buy the book. Much to his surprise, he discovered that it was the third volume of an encyclopedia and covered the subjects "How" to "Hug".
When I read that story, I was reminded of how we too are sometimes surprised at what we find when we go into some churches. We enter expecting to see the evidence of sincere love, but many times, even though they sing songs like "They will know we are Christians by our love", what we sometimes find instead of a demonstration of love is rejection. Because God loves us, He sent us Jesus. Jesus while He was on earth was a perfect illustration of love. Even while dying on the cross, he demonstrated the power of love. He looked at the crowd and said, "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." I believe that many people today still "know not what they do" when they refuse to love and to forgive. Love is the foundation of our lives as Christians and we should inmate Christ by demonstrating sincere love toward our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
So what does love have to do with being a Christian? Paul says that we should have a sincere attitude about love. The Greek definition of this passage would say, "Let love be without hypocrisy." The RSV translates it, "Let love be genuine." The Phillip's translation says, "Let us have no imitation Christian love." The Message translation says, "Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it." The more you read the scriptures, the more this topic of the love is expressed and the need for love is stressed. In 1 Timothy 1:5, Paul writes Timothy and says, "The end of our endeavor is love." Peter says in 1 Peter 4:8, "Above all love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." So, what's love got to do with it? I would say it has everything to do with everything good!
I would like to challenge you to look at your Christian walk and to ask yourself a few questions. Does your love matches up with the sincere love that is described in Romans 12:9-13? If so, then the next question is how have you demonstrated that love lately? If not, then the next question is what must change in your life in order for you to be known as a person who demonstrates a sincere love!? Only you can answer that question.
My hope for you today is that you would develop a Christian attitude that not only sings "They will know we are Christians by our love", but one that would reveal the reality of sincere love! I pray that your life will become a demonstration of a love that emphasizes the sincere love of God who loves us so much that He sent His Son to die that we might live.
De Colores,
Rev. Ella McDonald
Community Spiritual Director
Walk # 55
July 1995
Table of Esther
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Message from the Dallas Emmaus Comunity Board
Communion Experience
The Walk to Emmaus experience has been multi-faceted for me. The friendships that have been kindled are some of my most valued treasures and the service where I have been led is most rewarding. The one Emmaus experience that always is first and foremost for me is communion.
Communion has always been an important part of my worship experience. The feeling of nearness to Christ is overwhelming. To think that Christ was willing to sacrifice himself so that an insignificant sinner like me could have eternal life is mind-boggling. And this in addition to God's grace that is so generously given.
Yes, there is no doubt that communion is an integral part of my worship. What makes communion at an Emmaus gathering so unique is the fact that everyone who is at that service is of a like mind. All are focused on the presentation of the communion elements. Absent is the feeling received in some other venues that some, if not many, of those participating are thinking more about golf tee time, grocery shopping, work, home projects, or a myriad of other distractions. The oneness of the Emmaus Community is something that is felt by all.
Another aspect of an Emmaus communion service is the excellent and meaningful homily given by the clergy. These homilies are always scripturally based and give us excellent preparation to receive the sacrament. And they not only give you something upon which to ponder at that time, but also give you something about which to dwell for several days.
The third leg of the Emmaus communion service that completes the experience is the singing throughout the service. Participating in other communion services I have difficulty not singing some of the responses. And who doesn't receive an additional boost from singing the Lord's Prayer with our arms around each other's shoulders.
To attempt to explain to someone who has not experienced an Emmaus communion service is difficult, at best, but most probably is not possible. As the song so eloquently says, "Surely, the presence of the Lord is in this place." My desire is for all of the Dallas Emmaus Community to receive as much from the communion services as I do.
Harry Park
DEC Metro Committee Chair
Walk # 163
Table of John
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Dear Emmaus Community,
March 24-27, 2011 The Association of Professional Chaplains will be meeting in Dallas at the Hyatt Regency DFW. The title of this year's conference is Chaplaincy: Deep in the Heart. We would like to extend the welcome to one and all in the Emmaus Community to join us in this wonderful experience to:
- Celebrate our diverse and growing community of professional chaplains
- Hone our professional skill through education in professional standards, best practices and current research
- Become inspired to renew our spirits, refresh our minds and enrich our practice
For more information please go the Association of Professional Chaplains website. DeColores, Rev. Gina L. Biddle, BS, MA, BCC Chaplain Chaplain Services Department UTSouthwestern Medical Center 5909 Harry Hines Boulevard. Dallas, TX 75390-9235. Office: 214-645-1155 Direct: 214-645-1166 gina.biddle@utsouthwestern.edu
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 You can easily donate money to the Dallas Emmaus Community at any time by clicking here. PayPal is a secured donations system which directly deposits all funds into the Dallas Emmaus Community account. This is a great way to make payment for a pilgrim you are sponsoring or to keep the cost affordable for others who may not otherwise have means to sponsor a friend or loved one. |
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Help Wanted
 Working on a Fourth Day Team is a rewarding way to participate in the Emmaus weekend as as the hands and feet of Christ, and the easiest way to stay connected with the Community. To sign up, email the 4th Day Director for the walk you want to serve on. |
DEC on FB! Select  to be updated on the latest news and events including Candlelights, potlucks, prayer requests and more. "Share" or "suggest" the page to your friends so they can stay easily connected to the Dallas Emmaus Community too. IMPORTANT TO NOTE: You do not have to be on Facebook to see what's going on... click here to see what's it is all about. Email Melinda O'Brien with any questions.
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Looking for an opportunity to serve in a powerful ministry? Visit Kairos of Texas online to find out about the units and areas of ministiries near you.
Kairos is a prison ministry whose success is dependent on the community of faith support in providing agape such as prayer chain signatures, cookies, and financial donations. If you are interested in knowing more about how you can participate, or to find out how to attend a Kairos closing, email the editors for information.
"... whatever you did for the least of my brothers, you did for me."
~ Matthew 24:40
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Contact Information
214-502-4072
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