Note: A printable PDF of the following is also available here.
Southern New England Emmaus
Summer Newsletter 2017
Greetings everyone!
It’s summertime in Southern New England as thoughts turn to hikes in the mountains, walks on the beaches, spectacular fireworks displays, gorgeous sunsets, and smores on the campfire. We are certainly blessed in New England to witness the constant evolution and beauty that seasonal changes bring to this unique part of the world.
Similarly, the SNE Emmaus Community continues its own cyclical rotation as we look back fondly at past seasons while looking forward to the future plans and possibilities that God has in store for His beloved Community.
At this point, a bit of an introduction is likely in order as your new Community Co-Lay Directors. Yet before doing so, we’d like to first acknowledge and thank those whose paths preceded us as the “rudders” of God’s SNE Emmaus “ship” that first set sail a few decades ago. Because while the concept of anonymous servanthood is an important principle of Emmaus, our local ship would frankly have never set sail, taken on pilgrim passengers, or survived occasional headwinds without the efforts of past leadership teams comprised of Directors, Boards, Committees, and Weekend Teams of which so many of you have been a part. As such, we’d like to extend our appreciation for the guidance of Bill and Ellie Dykstra, Gary and Donna Schuyler, Doug and Liane Osborne, Dean and Barbara Fortin, and – most recently – Glenn and Donna Moody, as well as all the support teams that served under their guidance. You are all truly servants of our loving God.
We’d now like to formally introduce ourselves as Don & Debra Miller from SNE Emmaus Walks #67 and #68 respectively (tables of Matthew and Hannah). It was about a year ago when the SNE Board of Directors asked us whether we’d consider taking the next turn at the helm, and while we had been highly active on multiple Community fronts over the past seven years and passionate about God’s wonderful tool called the Walk to Emmaus, we frankly felt that others were better suited, experienced, and connected with the Community than we were. We also knew – through our efforts on the Board and having served on multiple weekend teams – that the Community was at a bit of a crossroads in terms of an aging and shrinking demographic which was resulting in fewer support hands, an increasing occurrence of canceled weekends, and similar challenges. Yet through discernment, prayer, and an incredible outpouring of Community love and encouragement, we accepted the task with the underlying premise that it was God who would remain in charge of the SNE “ship”, and that we would simply try our best to work alongside all of you to steer as called.
There is no doubt that our Community is facing some opposing headwinds as we enter the next turn, which may be reflective of a larger declining Christian focus, emphasis, and attention span that has been evident in parts of the Northern U.S. and Europe. Yet where there is great challenge, we believe there is even greater opportunity, and it is with this premise that we firmly believe that God has an incredible plan for His SNE Emmaus Community to return to its prosperous roots in a way where His mission will be heightened and His power and glory will be evident to all.
As we look at our current Community, we see clear evidence of God’s hand at work. For example, we see an incredible core of committed servants, an increased strategic emphasis on Gatherings, Fourth Day, and various outreach tools including Facebook, the creation of a “Vision Team”, enhanced website and online weekend registration processes (in progress), and a welcoming of various administrative changes designed to more closely mirror the national Emmaus model and spread the load more equally to all, including shifting the responsibility of Weekend preparation, team trainings, and execution from the Community Lay Directors to alternating Weekend Lay Directors. All of this is good.
Yet as we cast our eyes on the horizon and future course, we ask for your help over the summer and fall to fortify our Community “hull”. To help accomplish this, and in light of the cancelled Spring weekends, the SNE Board has chosen to focus the next several months on strengthening our Community in such a way where the next set of Pilgrim weekends – currently scheduled for Spring 2018 – will result in greater team economies while providing an even greater glory to God. It is in this spirit that we are excited to announce a one-day SNE Community “Mega-Gathering” which will be held on Saturday October 28th at Cathedral Camp that will include opportunities for expanded fellowship with members from past walks, education and insight on multiple Emmaus fronts, and much, much more. For those requiring transportation to and from the event, please let us know and we’ll help make the necessary arrangements. We’ll also be providing more information on this event – along with a planned Spring “Revival” event that will include expanded outreach efforts – in the near future.
Finally, as we look ahead, we’ll be aligning with many other Emmaus communities in fully migrating our newsletter and communication to electronic distribution via a combination of email, website, and Facebook messaging. Doing so will save us the growing cost of postage, time, and more. As such, and as it is important that everyone remain connected, please email us at sneemmaus@gmail.com, or write to SNE Emmaus at our new address of P.O. Box 166 Barrington RI 02806 if you absolutely require that a hard copy be mailed to you via regular mail.
We apologize for the length of our initial message, yet felt it was important to share in great detail current perspectives, challenges, and plans. Most importantly, we thank and Praise God to be working alongside such a loving group of God’s servants, and look forward to the opportunities and outcomes that He has in store for this corner of His world.
De Colores!
Don & Debra Miller
EMMAUS MEGA GATHERING
Save the Date!
Saturday, October 28, 2017 – 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Camp Cathedral
167 Middleboro Rd., East Freetown, MA
Please join us for a special day of learning, renewal, fellowship, community building, and worship in a most beautiful setting. Included will be breakout sessions on Effective Sponsorship, Team Building, Group Reunions and Accountability of our 4th Day. Lunch will be provided, and we’ll close with a special candlelight worship service. Please RSVP to sneemmaus@gmail.com or call 508-394-4189.
Watch your email for the day’s schedule!
Upcoming Walks
March 15-18, 2018, Men’s Walk #82
March 22-25. 2018, Women’s Walk #82
October 18-21, 2018, Men’s Walk #83
October 25-28, 2018, Women’s Walk #83
All to be held at Cathedral Camp, E. Freetown, MA
NO MORE SNAIL MAIL!
Please note in an effort to save cost, processing time, and a few trees, SNE Emmaus is joining with other Emmaus communities in moving to full electronic distribution of newsletters, weekend pilgrim lists, and other communication via Email and Facebook. So please provide you email address to sneemmaus@gmail.com. If you are unable to access email and still require a hard copy, please drop us a note at SNE Emmaus, P.O. Box 166, Barrington, RI 02806, or call us at 508-394-4189. NOTE OUR NEW ADDRESS!
Did you know that your Board of Directors prays for the health and future of the SNE Emmaus Community and the world that it serves between 7:45am and 8:00am every Sunday? We encourage you to join us!
When: July 29, 2017, 12:00-6:00 PM
Where: West Hill Park, West Hill Road, Uxbridge,
MA (GPS 42.11194, -71.60333 or 42°6’43″N, 71°36’12″W) – Take State Route 146 to the Whitinsville exit. Go straight through Whitinsville to Route 122. Turn right and continue to East Hartford Avenue. Turn left and follow brown Army Corps direction signs.
What to Bring:
*Whatever you want for the grill (and rolls if appropriate)
*something to share (chips, salad, etc. – with serving utensils if needed)
*swimsuit etc. for the nearby pond (if you want to swim)
*a friend!
What is provided:
Basic condiments (ketchup, mustard, and relish), Water, Paper products and plastic ware
There are grills there – we will bring charcoal
Restroom facilities nearby
Cost: $5 per carload (There will be a free-will offering to defray costs for this and other community events)
Calling All Musicians and Vocalists
Many of you play or sing in your home churches. Please consider joining our Music Team and assisting Chairperson Doug Osbourne to enhance our musical offerings during gatherings and future weekends. We are looking to broaden our scope beyond our traditional SNE Emmaus songbook by adding some contemporary music to our repertoire. For more info please contact us at 508-394-4189 or via email sneemmaus@gmail.com.
DATES FOR YOUR CALENDAR!
July 29, 2017 – Cookout, 12:00-6:00 West Hill Park, West Hill Rd., Uxbridge, MA
September 30, 2017 –Regional Gathering, 12:00-3:00, Newton UMC, 430 Walnut Street, Newtonville, MA 02460
October 28, 2017 – Mega Gathering and Training, 10:00-5:00, Cathedral Camp, 167 Middleboro Rd., East Freetown, MA
December 2, 2017 – Christmas Party, 12:00-3:00, Wesley UMC, 55 Woodland St., Lincoln, RI 02865
March 15-18, 2018 – Men’s Walk #82,
March 22-25, 2018 – Women’s Walk #82, Cathedral Camp, 167 Middleboro Rd., East Freetown, MA
SPRING 2018 REVIVAL PLANNING
Planning has begun for a special SNE Emmaus community revival event to be held the Spring of 2018 that will include special speakers, music, and expanded outreach to all of Southern New England. Look for more information on this special event in the near future!
OPENING FOR REGISTRAR
The job of Registrar is an important one. The Registrar is responsible for collecting and reviewing all applications submitted for Walks, as well as collecting deposits and final balances from all pilgrims and team members attending a weekend. The Registrar need not be a board member, but proximity to the camp is a plus. Registrar is on site during arrival of pilgrims for their Walk to manage check-in. If interested please contact us at 508-394-4189 or sneemmaus@gmail.com.