On the Right Path The News let ter of the South ern Mary land Emmaus Com mu nity

3rd Quarter 2016 Walk In the Light Volume 16 Issue 3

Preparing to Elect New Board Members

A Nominating Committee for the Southern Maryland Board ofDirectors is formed every year by summer. This committee ismade up of outgoing Board members and has already startedthe process of working to prepare a list of community memberswhose names will be placed on a ballot for an election to selectBoard members whose three year term on the Board ofDirectors will start on January 1, 2017.

As a community member, you may submit the name(s) of laycommunity members that you would like to be considered toserve on the Board of Directors for Southern MarylandEmmaus. Community nominations should be made in writing to one of the members of the Nominating Committee

(Connie Wells conniewells@md.metrocast.net; Pat Brennan patbrennan@prodigy.net Bud and Lee Campbell budlekel@comcast.net.)

no later than September 24.

In case you are wondering who might be a good candidate toserve on the Board, I did a little research in the EmmausLibrary, and consulted the booklet by Richard A. Gilmore titled“The Board of Directors.” Having yearly elections for a third ofthe Board is a good thing since it allows broad representation of the community while maintaining continuity since only a third ofthe Board changes each year (p. 16). So, having Boardmembers who represent all of our area and diversity is reallyimportant. Emmaus Board members are expected to actresponsibly, and conduct their duties faithfully, sincerely and ina cooperative manner (p. 20), be loyal, and honorconfidentiality (p. 21). In addition, they are expected to attendthe Board meetings, which are held on the third Saturday ofevery month, prior to the monthly gathering. It is important that

Southern Maryland

Emmaus

Gathering

"Homecoming"

September 17, 2016Potluck at 5:00 p.m.

Gathering at 6:00 p.m.

at Good Shepherd UMC305 Smallwood Drive

Waldorf, Maryland 20602

Bring Friends, Fam ily,Neighbors. Everyone Welcome!

.

See Election page 14

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2017 Walks - West River

Men's Walk #55 April 27 - 30 Women's Walk #56 May 4 - 7

Make plans to at tend the com mu nity events for each walk:Thurs day - Spon sor’s Hour - 7:00 p.m. Sat ur day - Can dle light - 8:00 p.m.

Sunday - Closing - 4:00 p.m.

Sign up to pray forour walks (and oth ers)

on line at:www.3dayol.org

Pil grim and Team Ap pli ca tions and this news let ter may be down loaded from theweb at http://www.southernmarylandemmaus.com/

CLICK on “Doc u ments, Lists and News let ters”

Mailing Address for Southern Maryland EmmausP.O. Box 343

White Plains, MD 20695

Upcoming Events of the Southern Maryland Emmaus Community

September 17: Gathering, Good Shepherd UMC - Homecoming come early and pick up your yearbook.

October 15: Gathering Good Shepherd UMC - Clergy Appreciation

November 19: For What Are You Thankful?

Note: All Gatherings will be at Good Shepherd UMC - Waldorf4th Day Sem i nars

Sem i nars are held in the spring fol low ing the men’s and women’s walks. The next sem i nar date will be announced in a future issue. At ten dance at a Fourth Day Sem i nar is re quired in or der to spon sor pilgrims, and is highlyrec om mended for those who wish to team.

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On the Right PathDead line for next is sue is November 15, 2016. The pre ferred method of sub mis sionis as an MSWord doc u ment file or a WordPerfect file (.rtf file also ac cept able) sentvia-e-mail to the fol low ing ad dress: dbrennan6@verizon.net. Very short ar ti cles ornotes may be sent in the body of the e-mail mes sage. Please send your com mentsand rec om men da tions as well to the ed i tor, Dan Brennan, at the e-mail ad dress above.

"On the Right Path" is pub lished by the South ern Mary land Emmaus Com mu nity. Dan Brennan Ed i tor.

Emmaus Shorts

Quadrupedal Therapy

The lyrics of a James Taylor1971 hit song might have beenwritten to pay homage to anunlikely recipient, our dog,Darby.

When you’re down and trou bled and you need ahelp ing handand noth ing, whoa, noth ing is go ing right…

...You just call out my name, and you know whereever I amI’ll come run ning to see you again.

You see, Darby is a certified Therapy Dog. TherapyDogs should not be confused with Service Dogs.Therapy Dogs visit hospitals, schools, hospices andother institutions to aid in psychological or physicaltherapy. These dogs are taught to accept petting andsocialize with other people while they’re on duty. Service Dogs are individually trained to perform tasks or do work to mitigate their handlers’ disabilities andshould never be petted while on duty.

Darby and his escort, my wife Pat, are members of anorganization called Pets on Wheels. Both of themdelight in helping to ease the loneliness and despairthat can sometimes arise for people confined to nursinghomes or hospitals. Many of these people have had toleave a beloved pet of their own behind, and it’s hard tooverstate the sense of joy they experience when theyreceive a visit from a loving canine. Properly traineddogs with just the right temperament are able to calmnervous or anxious patients, or bring those who havewithdrawn back to community with others for at least a

brief time. Therapy dogs like Darby have a naturalability to sense when we need their healing touch, andtheir love is given freely and without condition.

The words of James Taylor’s song might also havebeen written to remind us of the peace and comfort ofour eternal friend, Jesus Christ. In John 14: 27 Jesussays: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not yourhearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” We justneed to call out His name, and He will be there.

And now, if you’ll excuse me, there’s a wonderful littledog in need of some serious petting

- Dan Brennan.

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Southern Maryland Emmaus - Leadership & Service

Re sources on Our Web Site

Visit http://www.southernmarylandemmaus.com for these and other com mu nity re sources:

• Southern Maryland Emmaus Leadership Roster & Board of

Directors

• Southern Maryland Emmaus Prayer Points of Contact

(PPOC)

On The Right Path

This is the newsletter of the Southern Maryland Emmaus Community. It is published quarterly, available on lineat our website:www.southernmarylandemmaus.com

The link to the newsletter is emailed to community members through PPOCs. If you do not have a PPOC, contactJan Drass at jdrass@maranatha.net

South ern Mary land Emmaus isaf fil i ated with the In ter na tionalEmmaus Move ment of The Up perRoom, Nash ville, Tn. Emmaus is apro gram of fer ing of the Upper RoomInternational Walk to Emmaus Office. Our pur pose is to in spire, chal lenge,and equip church mem bers forChris tian Ac tion.

Prayer Co or di na tor

Jan Drassjdrass@maranatha.net

Operation Christmas Child!

Each fall you have an opportunity to pack a shoebox that can change a child’s life!Operation Christmas Child is a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse. Shoeboxes aredistributed to children all over the world along with an opportunity to be part of adiscipleship training class to learn about Jesus! It’s simple. It’s fun- you can do it withyour family too! Here are the 5 steps:

• Find a shoebox

• Decide- is it for a girl or boy?

• Decide- what age? 2-4, 5-9 or 10-13

• Fill the shoebox with gifts- school supplies, toys, hygiene items, stuffed animal, hair ribbons, etc

• Pray for the child who will get your box

• Get a tracking label and pay $7 for shipping

Drop off your shoebox during National Collection Week November 14-21. For more information and to find yourdrop off location, go to https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/pack-a-shoe-box/

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Southern Maryland Emmaus Community

Reunion & Accountability Groups

The Reunion Group Coordinator, Priscilla Rollins (parollins@verizon.net), would like tohear about any active Groups in Southern Maryland. If you are having difficulty finding aReunion Group, contact Priscilla Rollins. Experience the Fourth Day feeling.

Bethel UMC, Up per Marlboro Co-ed - monthly fourth Tuesday - 6:00 p.m.

Bowie UMC - Old Town Bowie Co-ed - 1st, 3rd, 4th Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.

Cal vary UMC, Wal dorf Women Wednesday - 5:30 p.m. at Panera Bread in summer; at Calvary during the school year

First UMC, Lau rel Men Saturday - 7:00 a.m. Women Sat ur day - 8:30 a.m.

First Saints UMC, Leonardtown Women Thursday 5:00 p.m. (home setting) contact Sheila Hanson or Connie Wells

Good Shep herd UMC, Wal dorf Co-Ed Mon day 6:00 p.m. at restaurants call Linda Ford 301-645-6408 Men Wednesday 6:30 p.m. Women Monday 7:30 p.m. Women Tuesday 7:30 p.m. (not at church call 301-645-5370 for directions) Women Wednesday 6:30 p.m. Women Tuesday 8:45 a.m. (not at church call 301-645-5370 for directions) Women Thursday 6:00 p.m.

Grace Notes Thursdays, 3:00 p.m. Contact Pam Grace 301-475-3446

La Plata UMC, La Plata Women Thursday 6:00 p.m. at Panera Bread Men Tuesday 6:00 p.m. at the church

Lexington Park UMC, Lexington Park Co-ed Tues day 7:30 a.m. Bob Evans Restaurant Co-ed Thurs day 11:30 a.m. (home setting)

Linthicum Heights UMC, Linthicum Heights Co-Ed Saturday 8:30 a.m.

Liv ing Springs Chris tian Fel low ship, Bowie Co-ed Tues day 6:00 p.m.

Na val Air Sta tion, Patuxent River Men Wednes days 11:30 a.m.

Nichols-Bethel UMC, Odenton Co-Ed Wednesday 6:30 p.m.

Olivet UMC, Lusby Co-Ed 2nd Sunday of the month 12:15 p.m. at Olivet UMC Good News Center

Pisgah UMC, La Plata Women Wednesday 6:30 p.m. for information contact Patti Flesher 301-743-2271

St. Paul UMC, Lusby Women Monday 7:00 p.m. Old Fellowship Hall Men Monday 7:00 p.m. Old Fellowship Hall Mixed Monday 7 or 8 p.m. contact Rich & Mary UIrey 410-326-6446 or Everett Baker 410-326-6234

Shiloh UMC, Bryans Road Co-ed Tues days 6:30 p.m.

Wa ters Me mo rial UMC, St. Leon ard Pastors House Tuesday 1:00 p.m.

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Volunteers Share About their Time at the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference

You may remember reading a bit in the last newsletterabout Southern Maryland Emmaus hosting a displaytable and mini-gathering with Communion at the Annual Conference at the Washington Marriott Wardman Parkback in June. A number of community membersvolunteered their time to serve at the table or at thegathering. I asked each of them to share theirexperience with me so I could pass it on to you, reader!

Most of the volunteers served at the display table,including Connie Wells, Susan Cunningham, SheilaHanson, and Dan Brennan. In response to the firstquestion I asked, “What did you like best about theexperience? “Connie told me that she loved theopportunity to visit with so many Emmaus folks the shedoesn’t see that often and “meeting new people I couldshare Emmaus with.” On a personal note, she addedthat she really loved her road trip with Sheila Hanson as these two ladies carpooled together to the conference.Susan also enjoyed meeting new people, especially agroup of ladies from West Virginia Emmaus who helped lead singing at the mini-gathering- more on that later!Dan also mentioned that he enjoyed meeting andtalking with those attending the conference whostopped by our display. He shared materials we hadand provided information on our community.

Sheila Hanson also volunteered to serve at the table,and she told me that she loved making colorful buttonswith the words ‘Ask me about Emmaus’. These weregiven to the volunteers at the table as well as manyconference attendees to help spread the word aboutEmmaus. Sheila told me that she also answeredquestions when people stopped by, kept track of whostopped by, got lunch for volunteers at display table,visited with neighboring displays, fellowshipped withfellow volunteers and neighbors, and packed up at theend. And she chauffeured Connie.

I asked each of the volunteers to share a story aboutsomeone they met and talked with at the table. Dan had the opportunity to talk with a pastor from Puerto Ricowho had recently moved to the Washington area. Shewas a member of an Emmaus community in PuertoRico and wanted to connect with Emmaus communities in this area. Dan told me that he “shared informationabout Southern Maryland Emmaus and passed hercontact information along to our leadership. She wasenthusiastic about the Emmaus program andanxious to promote it within her new church

home.” Connie met someone from our Emmauscommunity and “was able catch up on each other’s lives and we committed to pray for each other. My FourthDay is all about the prayer warriors in my life. God hassurrounded me with people who storm the gates ofheaven on my behalf- God is GOOD!” Susan sharedthat she met a young clergy intern that wanted to attenda Walk to Emmaus weekend. She also met a Pastorfrom a small church who wanted to get hercongregation interested in Emmaus. Sheila told me that she enjoyed the humor and laughter of the neighboringtable, as well their love for Jesus and how they shareand pass it on. For those of you who did not visit ourtable, we were located next to the United MethodistMen’s table. They were such great neighbors, and weenjoyed seeing one of our Emmaus communitymembers at that table, Cef Epps who walked onSouthern Maryland Emmaus #53.

Anyone from the community is welcome to help out atthe display table that we host at the Annual Conference. All four of the volunteers who shared their experienceswith you in the article for enthusiastic about theirexperience and wanting to have many more people tobe part of it next year! Susan said, “It is a greatopportunity to share your passion for the love, faith andspiritual experiences of Emmaus with others!” Dan saidsomething very similar, “It’s a great opportunity to share your passion for Emmaus with others who might beencouraged to join us. It’s a simple, non-stressful wayto spread the word about Emmaus and particularlyabout our community. Connie agreed, and told me “Itwas an AWESOME experience and opportunity toshare the Emmaus experience with others. It amazesme that we have so many people in our churches whohave never heard of Emmaus. God is counting on us toget the word out on this incredible, life changingexperience!" Well said - and all three are in totalagreement on this! Connie also added a benefit tovolunteering at this event- Christmas shopping at theCokesbury table! Yes, it’s true- the Cokesbury sectionwas steps away from our display table and was veryadequately stocked for all your shopping needs!

Sheila told me that is was “a great time to fellowshipwith our community volunteers in an atmosphere ofrelaxation and fun… to hear the stories of others that

See Conference page 8

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Is YOUR church hosting an event that might be of interest to theEmmaus Community? Send your announcements well in advance towebmaster@southernmarylandemmaus.com.

Great Pumpkin Festival Returns to La Plata

It's almost time for the 5th Annual Great Pumpkin Festival at LaPlata United Methodist Church. Once again pumpkins will dotthe front landscape of the church as we open our doors and ourhearts to the community. As always, proceeds from thepumpkin sales will go to a local charity. Why buy from retailstores when you can get the best pumpkins in Charles County(locally grown) and help support your neighbors at the sametime?

October 8 is Festival Day at the patch with entertainment, food, boxed dinnersprepared by Outback Steakhouse, face painting, moon bounce, pumpkin decorating,stories, photos and much, much more. All free except for food purchases. TheChick-fil-A Cow will be stopping by so bring the kids and have a day of fun tackling our straw bale mini maze. See you in the patch. For more information go towww.laplataumc.org and click on the pumpkin logo.

Upcoming Monthly Gatherings for Remainder of 2016

Sep tem ber 17- Home com ing!

In vite a fel low pil grim, ta ble mem ber, team mem ber you served with, or your re union group to at tend thisspe cial gath er ing! A re vised and up dated South ern Mary land Emmaus Year book (“An nual”) will be avail -able. Wear your “school” col ors and bring a tail gat ing dish to share at the pot luck!

October 15- Southern Maryland Emmaus Clergy Appreciation

In vite your pas tor, and pas tors from your Walk to join us at this spe cial gath er ing of ap pre ci a tion andthanks! Bring a fa vor ite fall dish to share at the potluck.

No vem ber 19- For What are You Thank ful????

In vite a friend, neigh bor, fam ily mem ber to join us as we cel e brate in thanks! Bring a fa vor ite fall dish toshare at the pot luck!

No Gath er ing in De cem ber - Merry Christ mas

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My name is Connie Wells; I attend First SaintsCommunity Church, California Campus. I walked onSME #28 and sat at the table of Naomi (clap). The book I read this quarter is Permission Granted by

Margot Starbuck.

Ordained as a Presbyterian pastor, and wife of a former pastor, Margot Starbuck had a hunch that authenticlove for those who’ve traditionally been marginalized by the Church looked very different than theplacard-waving Christians in the media spotlight. Shewanted to catch a glimpse of the kind of grace thatwould actually be received by those in bars, strip clubs,

a tent community, and at drag queen bingo. Scouringthe Gospels for the Jesus who felt as uncomfortable asshe did around disreputable sinners, Margot wassurprised to find no record of him there. And though she set out searching for a warm and fuzzy kind of ‘love’;she ended up encountering the person of Jesus in away she’d not known him before.

Permission Granted is apassionate and liberating call tobelievers to truly love sinners asJesus does. With wit and clarityof insight, Margot shows readers that there are no “specialsinners” who are worse or moredeserving of contempt andjudgment than others, andchallenges us all to a radical

acceptance of sinners.

stopped by to learn more or to remember times of pastinvolvement. Oh and seeing past pastors.”

Lastly, I wanted to mention that we did reserve a roomfor a mini-gathering and Communion this year to try andgather conference attendees who had had a Fourth Day experience. We gave out invitations at our table, andtried to get the word out through daily conferenceannouncements as well. Ken Valentine graciouslyagreed to take the lead on this, and we are grateful toJim Risley who stepped in to provide music. Although itwas a small group for the mini gathering, Susan told me“we had music and a nice service that was shared withother Emmaus communities and some in attendancewho had not walked yet.” We are already thinking about

how we can improve our marketing and communicationfor this event next year!

A special thank you to all who volunteered, and to thosein the community who stopped by our display table!That was such a special part of our time at theconference! I think is safe to say that everyone agrees-we met a lot of new friends! And we have contacted lotsof people who are interested in participating on a Walkto Emmaus weekend- many of them will be the firstones to walk in their churches. Please pray for us as wetry to develop a plan for how best to sponsor andsupport these new potential pilgrims from our localarea!

Conference from page 6

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The Board meets monthly, and here are the highlightsfrom meetings in June and August (there was no Boardmeeting in July due to the Upper Room RegionalTraining event on July 22-23, 2016):

At each Board meeting, the Board has reviewed thenumber of pilgrim applications received. To date, weare still short of the minimum number of pilgrims (20)that will be required for a walk.

Three Board members have informed the Board thatthey will not be able to complete their term of service:Sarah Ogilby, Lauren Cahill and Steve Plander. EllenBertelsen was nominated for the position of AssistantCommunity Lay Director to fill one of these openpositions. Kathy Slagle agreed to join the Board to fillone of the vacancies. The Board is currently seekingcommunity members to fill the remaining vacancies.

Southern Maryland Emmaus hosted an Upper RoomRegional Training event at Bethel-Nichols UMC on July22 (Clergy training) and 23 (Laity training), 2016.

Southern Maryland Emmaus hosted a display table atthe Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference on June1-4, 2016. With the assistance of communityvolunteers, the table was well-staffed and manyconference attendees stopped by to get information. Atotal of 21 people filled out contact cards. Of these,many people who are interested in attending a Walk toEmmaus weekend as a pilgrim attend churches withoutan Emmaus presence. The Board will be discussinghow best to support these new pilgrims and help themto bring Emmaus into their churches. In addition,several contacts with clergy who have attended a Walkto Emmaus in the past were made.

Southern Maryland Emmaus hosted a mini-gatheringand communion on Thursday June 2, 12:45-1:45 pmduring the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference.

All Fourth Day Community members (Emmaus, TresDias, Cursillo, etc ) were invited to participate.

Board Representative Reports from Walks #53 and #54 were presented and discussed.

A Nominating Committee was formed of Boardmembers whose terms will be ending this year,including Connie Wells, Bud Campbell, Lee Campbelland Pat Brennan. They will be working to identifycommunity members whose names will be placed on aballot to be voted on in the Fall for a Board term of 3years starting in January 2017.

Ken Valentine, our Community Spiritual Director, andRuth Dixon received training at the Regional UpperRoom Training Event on Face to Face, a new programfor adults 60 and older. The Board will be learning moreabout this program and the possibility of offering it in our community in the future.

Board Notes

It’s Still Your 4th Day

Regardless of when we experienced our ownpersonal Walk to Emmaus, it’s important toremember that it is still our 4th Day. Each of usshould think back to our weekends, and our 4th DaySeminar, and try to remember how we felt duringthat period. Are we still excited about Christ? Arewe still yearning to do His work? Have we followedthrough on the promises and dreams we shared with the community at the closing of our weekend?

It helps when we share. It helps when we can hearand read about how others are using their 4th Day. Why not take a moment to write a short note that can be shared with your brothers and sisters whichdescribes your walk today. It can even help to hearabout our struggles and challenges as we strive tobe more like Christ in our daily lives.

As Editor of the newsletter, I would love to shareyour stories with the community. Page 12 tells youhow to get the stories to me or to Jan Drass ourCommunications person.

De Colores, The Editor

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Like Us on Facebook!

Did you know that South ern Mary land Emmaus has a Facebook page? Facebook is apop u lar free so cial net work ing website that al lows reg is tered us ers to cre ate pro files,up load pho tos and video, send mes sages and keep in touch with friends, fam ily andcol leagues, mak ing it a great net work ing tool. The Wall, which is es sen tially a vir tualbul le tin board, pro vides a great way for us to be able to com mu ni cate and share in for -ma tion about events with our “friends”! Pho tos can be up loaded from the desk top or di -rectly from a smartphone camera as well.

Sharing your Emmaus Story!

At the recent Upper Room Emmaus Regional Trainingevent, we were told about a great new way to sharewhat your Emmaus experience meant to you! Everyone is encouraged to share their Emmaus story with theUpper Room in a video clip. How cool is that? It’s prettyeasy, and here are the specifics and tips for sharingyour story:

• Keep it short. Practice until your story is about

1-2 minutes.

• Talk about yourself. Use “I” statements and tell

about what was most meaningful to you on your

weekend.

• Tell about something that changed in your life

as a result of your Emmaus walk.

• Don’t just talk about Emmaus- talk about you!

• Check your resolution on your smart phone or

tablet- best quality is 1080p (1920x1080). The

minimum resolution for a decent quality video is

720p.

• Stabilize your phone or tablet on a tripod or

steady surface.

• Turn your device on “landscape” not “portrait”

mode.

• Pay attention to what else is in view and what

noises are around you. Use a simple,

uncluttered background and a quiet space for

best results.

• Speak slowly and clearly. Talk to the camera

like a friend.

• Pause for a few seconds before you start

speaking. Pause between main ideas. And

pause for a few seconds before turning the

camera off. Pauses are helpful for the editing

team.

Share your video file using Dropbox, Google Drive orMicrosift OneDrive. Do not send it via text or email.Another option is to put it on a disk, or USB drive.

When you have your video footage in Dropbox, GoogleDrive or OneDrive, share the link withkdickinson@upperroom.org

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Regional Emmaus Upper Room Training

On July 22 and 23, 2016, Southern Maryland Emmaushosted a Regional Upper Room Training Event forclergy (July 22) and laypersons (July 23). A hugethanks to Pat Brennan who has been working onplanning, logistics, and registration for the event sincethe spring! A total of 6 Emmaus communitiesparticipated in training. Southern Maryland Emmauswas well-represented with 3 clergy attending trainingon Friday, and 12 community members attending onSaturday. I asked a number of these folks a fewquestions about their experience… and wanted toshare some of their thoughts and insights with you!

First question I asked was “What were some of themost important things you learned in training thatcaused you to think differently about something inEmmaus?” Margaret Kolbe (current Board member)told me that she heard that we are doing a lot of thingsright.

Barry Oren who provided music and tech support forthe event, and told me that he learned that we’re not the only community having issues reaching pilgrims in aconsistent manner to assure that we have enough for aWalk. There was a lot of information presented on thetopics of the Board of Directors, Fourth Day, Behind theScenes, and the Clergy-Laity Partnership, and lots ofopportunity for discussion and questions as well.I heard some great ideas for monthly gatherings!

I asked Margaret and Barry what they were planning todo differently as a result of this training. Margaret said.“I think we need to stay as close to the model as wecan.” Barry told me that Nichols-Bethel will be reaching

out to more local churches (directly to pastors) andoffering an Emmaus Open Houses in two ways. Theycan join us at our Open House or we can offer an OpenHouse at their church. For those of you who are notaware, Nichols Bethel UMC has hosted Open Houseformat informational sessions for potential pilgrims.They include an Upper Room video, an opportunity forquestions and answers and some fellowship time.

There will be future opportunities to attend RegionalUpper Room training, so I asked both Margaret andBarry about whether they would encourage othercommunity members to attend. Margaret said “By going to the training, you will get a better understanding ofhow and my things are done in the Emmauscommunity.” Barry felt that it was important for allcommunity members to get involved, and this type oftraining could help you! He said “There are manyopportunities to give back, the way your sponsors andpredecessors gave forward for you. 5) Get involved -there are many opportunities to give back the way yoursponsors and predecessors paid it forward for you”

A huge thanks to Barry for providing music andtechnical support for the training event, and to Margaret who planned, organized and served meals, snacks anddrinks throughout the day! In the coming months, wewill be sharing more with you about a new Upper Roomprogram “Face to Face.” Ken Valentine and Ruth Dixonattending training on this program on Friday July 22,and will be sharing the details of the program withBoard members in the coming months.

SYTYCT

No, it's not the next great re al ity televison dance show, but it cer tainly could show case the re mark able tal entspos sessed by the mem bers of the South ern Mary land Emmaus Com mu nity. That's right, it's the lat est edi tionof So You Think You Can Team.

Un like it's pop u lar tele vi sion coun ter parts, there are no judges, and no real au di tions. All that is re quired is aser vant's spirit, and com ple tion of your own Walk to Emmaus. It is true, you will go through ex ten sive train ing,and you'll be come fast friends with your broth ers and sis ters as you learn more about how the week ends arecon ducted. And while you may not get a mir ror ball tro phy or a cham pi on ship ti tle, you will re ceive bless ingsfar in ex cess of your ex pec ta tions.

Team applications can be found on the South ern Mary land Emmaus website: www.somdemmaus.org. Re mem ber, you must have at tended a 4th Day Sem i nar in or der to team.

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Information Update Form available at

www.southernmarylandemmaus.com

How to Sub mit an Ar ti cle to On The Path

As the ed i tor of On The Path, noth ing gives me greater plea sure than to re ceive the sup port of com mu nitymem bers through the sub mis sion of ar ti cles and other ma te rial for pub li ca tion. Not only does it save mefrom hav ing to find ways to fill empty space, but it re sults in a much more in ter est ing and timely pub li ca tionfor our mem bers.

So, to en cour age you to sub mit your thoughts and to help me keep my san ity, I wanted to share with you afew DO’s and DON”Ts to con sider when pre par ing your ar ti cle for sub mis sion.

Thanks to all who help to make this a truly com mu nity pub li ca tion. Dan Brennan - Editor

. DO

• Use a word processor to write your document

• Submit the article as an attachment to an

e-mail message to: dbrennan6@verizon.net

or to jdrass2@comcast.net

• Submit your article by the due date listed in

each newsletter issue

• Proofread your article for spelling and

grammar

DON”T

• Use fancy or special fonts, formatting, tables,

or other embellishments. They will be lost

when your file is imported into the page

layout program used for the newsletter, and

will create additional work for the editor.

• Avoid typing the text of your article into your

e-mail message unless it is very brief. This

requires additional formatting on the receiving

end.

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Spring Walks are Taking Shape… Already!

The Team Selection Committee Chairperson, ConnieWells, provided a timeline for the Board in August, andwe wanted to share the process and timeline for theSpring Walks with the community. It seems like theseWalks are a long way off, but the process of preparingfor a Walk begins 8 months before. That means at theSeptember Board meeting, the Board will vote on theWeekend Lay Directors (for the men’s and women’sWalks). The Board Representative and WeekendSpiritual Director will also be chosen. Following this theTeam Selection Committee will be busy preparing a listof potential team members for approval by the Board(at the November Board meeting) before the WeekendLay Directors begin calling the people on the list. Thatbeing said, if you have not yet submitted a teamapplication and would like to serve, please do so as quickly as possible! Team applications are availableon the Southern Maryland Emmaus website athttp://www.southernmarylandemmaus.com/documents.html

Team meetings for the Spring Walks are due to start inFebruary. Weekend Lay Directors will set the specificdates, location, and times, and this information will becommunicated to all team members well in advance ofthe team meetings.

That brings us to pilgrims! Although there a severalapplications on file for both men and women, there aremore pilgrim applications needed for the Spring Walks.The first time the number of pilgrim applications willcount is February 18. At that time, we will need to haveenough applications to ensure that there will be 20pilgrims on the men’s and women’s walk. This meansthat we need more than 20 applications since allpotential pilgrims may not be able to attend that specific Walk, and several who plan to attend may need to dropout at the last minute. Our goal is to have additionalapplications in hand to fill these vacancies.

It is not too early to prayerfully consider who God iscalling you to sponsor. Have you attended a Fourth Day Seminar? If yes, you can sponsor a pilgrim. If you arewondering about who to sponsor, here are a fewsuggestions to consider:

The person you know who is already on a pilgrimage,willing to grow and move forward in their journey offaith.

The person should have a Christian passion. Thepilgrim knows God can make and has made adifference in their life.

The person isn’t so consumed by life’s circumstancesthat they are unable to give full attention to themessage and experience of Emmaus.

These types of people should be considered forpotential pilgrims:

• church leaders (pastors and laypersons) who willbring new vision, commitment, and understanding back to their congregations and who need the renewal andgrace Emmaus channels;

• dependable church members who are the quietbackbone of the church;

• less active members who need their awareness ofgrace rekindled and their commitments renewed;

• Christians who are hungry for “something more” andwho want to grow spiritually;

• Respected laypersons and clergypersons whoseparticipation, support, and leadership will encourageothers to attend the Walk and will build a sound,balanced leadership base for the movement in thecommunity; and

• members of diverse congregations, denominations,and ethnic groups.

Need more information? Contact Gordon Piscacek(Assistant Registrar) at gp18@verizon.net

Need a pilgrim application?Go to:http://southernmarylandemmaus.com/documents.html

Need to know who to sponsor? Pray! God will directyou! Your prayers are also appreciated for each step ofthe process of preparing for the Spring Walks.

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Board members are present at meetings to make surethat business can be conducted with a quorum present. Other duties of Board members include: 1) to keepinformed of Emmaus related issues and what ishappening in their local community; 2) participating indiscussions, voting and supporting Board decisions;and 3) make independent judgments about what is best for the Board (p. 20-21).

Each Board member is assigned a “job” like Secretaryor Treasurer, or a chairperson of a committee with aspecific focus, like Events Coordination,Communications, Team Selection, or Music, to name afew. There are job descriptions for each, and you will be trained! Many of you have had the experience of

serving on one of these committees, so you know thatthe Board member as the chairperson sets the direction and guides the committee, but many hands are neededto get things done well.

Do you know someone in your circle of influence whowould be a great potential Board member in ourcommunity? Prayer is key to identifying the right person to serve a Board member. Would you consider prayingfor this process that we would have excellentcandidates on the ballot and potential new Boardmembers who will serve faithfully, with a spirit ofcooperation and charity? If you have any questions,would like more information, or have someone in mindto nominate, please contact the members of theNominating Committee.

Election from page 1

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Thinking of Teaming?

NOW is the time to sub mit your team ap pli ca tion! We will be form ing the spring 2017 teams early thisfall and need YOU. When you sub mit an ap pli ca tion it isn’t for a par tic u lar walk but ONLY in di cat ingthat you be lieve God has called you to serve on a team, and you have a de sire to serve our com mu -nity in this ca pac ity. If you are se lected for a team and called to serve on a walk, you will be asked toup date your ap pli ca tion on file if any thing has changed since you orig i nally sub mit ted it (church, pas -tor, re union group, etc.). Those with team ap pli ca tions on file will be given pri or ity dur ing team se lec -tion.

The Board of Di rec tors re cently passed a new pol icy that team ap pli ca tions will be kept on file for 3years. How ever, once you serve on a team, a new ap pli ca tion will need to be sub mit ted.

Team ap pli ca tions are avail able at the monthly gath er ings or at our website,www.southernmarylandemmaus.com Com pleted ap pli ca tions can be mailed to South ern Mary landEmmaus, P.O. Box 343, White Plains, MD 20695, or given to Con nie Wells, Team Se lec tion Chair,or Kathy Slagle, As sis tant Team Se lec tion.

GOD is counting on YOU!

Sponsors Needed!

In June, Southern Maryland Emmaus hosted a display table at theBaltimore-Washington Annual Conference. Our excellent volunteers spokewith many conference attendees over 3 days, and many told us that they wereinterested in attending a Walk to Emmaus, and filled out contact cards.Virtually all of these potential pilgrims come from churches with no currentEmmaus presence- they will be the first ones to walk at their church. Becauseof this, they are in need of sponsors from our community.

This is a great opportunity for us! And them! We are in need of pilgrims for our Spring 2017 Walks, and we havealready available people who are interested in attending an Emmaus walk! If you were not at the Augustgathering, Pat Brennan shared her recent experience sponsoring a pilgrim under similar circumstances- she didnot know the person she was sponsoring. Pat shared some tips and suggestions for making the process worksmoothly- here they are:

• Set up a time and meet with the potential pilgrim (and their spouse if married)

• Make sure they understand the basics about the Walk

• Answer questions/fill out the application

• Talk with their pastor, and get the application signed

• Make a list of people to contact for personal letters (the spouse, pastor, friend in church could be helpful

here)

• Be prepared to do all the things you would usually do- like transporting the pilgrim to the Walk, etc!

There are 14 lay persons and 4 clergy who are interested in attending a Walk to Emmaus from contacts made atthe Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference. Prayerfully consider whether you, your reunion group, or you anda friend could team up and sponsor one of these new pilgrims. Our goal is to have a sponsor for each of theseinterested pilgrims by October. Christ is counting on you! Please contact Jan Drass (jdrass2@comcast.net) if you can help.

“Walk in the Light” - South ern Mary land EmmausVisit us on the web at www.southernmarylandemmaus.com

"Were not our hearts burn ing within us while He wasspeak ing to us on the road, while He was ex plain ing

the Scrip tures to us?”

Luke 24:32

In for ma tion on the South ern Mary land Walk to Emmaus, as well aspil grim and team ap pli ca tions may be found on our website:

www.southernmarylandemmaus.com

Southern Maryland EmmausP.O. Box 343

White Plains, MD 20695

Southern Maryland Emmaus Board of Directors 2015

Community Lay Director/Chair - Dale Merkle

Assistant Community Lay Director/Facilities/Sponsorship - Ellen Bertelsen

Past Community Lay Director - Pat Brennan

Treasurer - Susan Cunningham

Secretary/Historian - Lee Campbell

Community Spiritual Director. - Ken Valentine

Agape Coordinator - Jim Risley

Team Selection - Connie Wells

Assistant Team Selection - Kathy Slagle

Community Events Coordinator/Fourth Day Coordinator - Margaret Kolbe

Asst. Comm. Events/Reunion Groups - Priscilla Rollins

Registrar/Pilgrim Selection - Ellen Bertelsen

Assistant Registrar - Gordon Piscacek

Communications/Directory - Jan Drass

Music Director - Bud Campbell