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 | Upcoming Emmaus Events
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February 21st - 24th
Men's Walk 244
Mt. Lebanon
March 7th - 10th
Women's Walk 245
Sabine Creek
June 20th - 23rd
Women's Walk 246
Camp Copass
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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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Men's Walk #244
February 21st - 24th
Women's Walk #245 September 13th - 16th
The Community is encouraged to attend the following events:
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 be careful not to arrive earlier than 7:15 p.m.
for the Candlelight services on Saturday.
The online Prayer Vigil 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. Please follow the links above to sign both Walks' online Prayer Vigil.
As you begin to contemplate what the New Year will bring,
please prayerfully consider if you are being called to sponsor
a friend or member of your congregation.
"The aim of sponsorship is to build up the body of Christ."
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A Message from the Community Board
Several weeks ago while serving on a men's walk I developed several health issues with symptoms of a heart attack. A few of the team members came in and insisted that I go to the hospital to have the problem checked out. "I do not want to go", I said. "I have too much to do, I need to be here to do my part."
The team members insisted so I went to the hospital reluctantly. Within 10 minutes of arriving I was wired up to machines, stuck with needles, and x-rayed. The doctor said I would be there over night. That's when I started thinking about what had just taken place. In just a couple of hours I had gone from having lunch on the walk to lying on my back in a hospital room. I looked at my phone and I had over 50 emails; it seems I was being prayed for by everyone, people I knew and a lot of who I did not know. Then some of my Emmaus brothers and sisters dropped by to see how I was doing. I believe the Holy Spirit knew I needed to be lifted up and I was. After things quieted down I had time to think and reflect on what was going on in my life.
 My thoughts kept going to the Body Of Christ talk and to the Greek word KOINONIA and how the grace filled Body of Christ, the fellowship of Christian believers came together to pray and support my family and me in a time of need. As Christians we are many parts but we come together as one, the Body of Christ. We all will go through times of joy and happiness but there will also be times of adversities and heartaches and in both cases we must know that God is in sovereign control. There are countless examples of God being in control in the bible such as Job and Joseph and the adversities they had in their life. 1 Peter 5:7 says "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." God does care for his people, you and me and that can bring comfort to each of us. The following verse (author is unknown) I read in a book titled Transforming Grace by Jerry Bridges Lord, I am willing To receive what You give, To lack what You withhold, To relinquish what You take,
To suffer what You inflict,
To be what You require.
We should feel truly humbled to be part of the Body of Christ, being loved and surrounded by the Holy Spirit that sends His love and caring to each of us.
De Colores, Jimmy Weaver DEC Supplies Chair Walk #165 Table of Luke |
A Message from the Community Spiritual Director
The story is told of a poor couple in Ireland who received from their wealthy son in America two tickets on a luxury ocean liner to travel from Ireland to America to visit him. The couple packed their meager belongings and resources and boarded the boat. The trip took seven days. The poor couple sat in their room for the whole trip eating hard bread, roasted potatoes and drinking sparingly from a jug of water they had carried on board with them. They did not realize and did not see the luxurious buffets and meals that were provided for all passengers on the ship. They missed the entertainment and relaxation offered to all who were sailing on the vessel. They lived out of the poverty of their own resources and missed feasting on the lavish gifts so readily provided for them.
 This Thanksgiving may we open our eyes and hearts to the bounty that God provides for us every day of our lives and feast on the blessings of God. Let's move out of the poverty of our own self limiting expectations and embrace the possibilities God has lavished upon us.
Rev. Milton Guttierrez
Assistant Community Spiritual Director
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Message from the Community Communications Chair
The Last Hours...
... of the 72 hour Walk to Emmaus, you awake to the sound of beautiful voices singing. What a nice way to be awoken after the previous evening and seeing a peek at Heaven.
 On the last day of my walk, I was tired, happy, a bit hoarse (from singing) and close to my table sisters. We had been together for about 65 hours now - 65 hours of talking, sharing, laughing, crying, singing and praying. Each of us was on our own spiritual journey. We didn't start out together and we probably were not at the same spot at the end of the weekend.....but we did experience the weekend together as a table of sisters. We learned about God's amazing love and Grace.
And how powerful it is.
During the course of the 72 hours we learned to give God our minds, hearts, and body. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control weren't just words...they were and are a way to live our lives...from now on - every 4th day.
Saying, "It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon." Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
- Luke 24: 34-35
Let's all share the love of Christ - in all our 4th Days!
OH..The places we can go....with Christ!
De Colores,
Ruth Dunn
Community Communications Chair
Walk #178
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A Message from the Community Lay Director
I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God's power.
- 1 Corinthians 2:3-5
The second weekend of October I had the privilege of serving as Lay Director for Walk 242 at Sabine Creek Ranch. We had glorious weather every day except Saturday afternoon, when the predicted rain arrived. It started with a light drizzle, then got stronger until we heard the sound of hard rain on the metal roof of the conference room. It would quit, and then start again, getting louder and louder, as if there was someone beating the roof with a sledge hammer. My mind turned to Candlelight which would occur in a few hours and I began to wonder if the rain would ever quit. It started, then stopped, then started again as the hour grew inexorably closer to Candlelight. I began to become very concerned, believing it would never stop. Would I be the only Lay Director in the history of Emmaus to have a Walk with no one showing up for Candlelight as the storms raged? I became fretful and angry, focusing on how it would impact me and the pilgrims entrusted to our care. Do you hear the "I" in all that?
As you know, the day was Saturday. Not only do we have Candlelight that evening, but also Dying Moments Communion that afternoon. If you recall, in that service you give up something and put it in a basket, turning it over to God. Ironically enough, I had given up pride and lack of trust. God taught the Lay Director an object lesson that night. Not only did the members of the Dallas Emmaus Community show up despite the rain, but were there in force for C andlelight. As usual, the pilgrims were blown away. I shared that emotion but also felt a sense of shame for not trusting Him to provide both better weather and also the many servants to demonstrate unconditional love to the pilgrims.
As a fallible person, I will continue to fall short in my faith on occasion, but I pledge to continue to give up those things that separate me from God and put them into the basket, literally and figuratively, until they go away. Our God is an awesome God and deserves no less, as do we. Will you join me in giving up those thoughts and behaviors that separate us from His love and prohibit us from experiencing the true love and grace He so abundantly provides?
De Colores, Chuck Rohre Community Lay Director Walk #186 Table of Paul |
TECHNICALLY INCLINED VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
The Dallas Emmaus Community needs a group of technically inclined women and men to serve the Community on a relatively short-term and in some cases, long-term basis.
For the short term, we need volunteers to assist in designing how we want our community database to function and to automate as many functions as possible, to include on-line registration, tuition payments and report generation capacity such as Walk lists, 4th day lists, etc. Individuals with knowledge of and practical experience with database administration software and their applications are particularly sought. The effort will also include the examination of utilization of a vendor and/or purchase of new software. This commitment will last 3 to 6 months, depending upon the frequency of meetings and needed follow-up.
A volunteer or volunteers are also needed to serve for the long term as the Community Database Administrator. Terry Hershberger, who has served us admirably in this role for many years, is stepping down as soon as his replacement is identified and trained. Many thanks to Terry for his work to revitalize the database and keep it up to date. This individual or individuals should be well versed in computer technology and database administration, have a flexible schedule, attention to detail and be self motivated.
If you have an interest in either role (or both) please e-mail Chuck Rohre (communications@dallasemmaus.org), Community Communications Chair, or Anna Clemons (laydirector@dallasemmaus.org), Community Lay Director, to indicate your interest. Contact Chuck on his mobile phone 972.839.0884 for questions.
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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 is on FB
Next time you are on Facebook, search the Dallas Emmaus Community, then select the "Like" button 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. As of November 2012 there are 489 likes!
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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