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April 2006 Newsletter

From Your Spiritual Director

Greetings in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

     Prayer is a gift from God to God’s children.  There are various kinds of prayer.  According to Richard Foster’s book, Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home, there are at least twenty-one ways to approach prayer. 

     Sometimes I have difficulty deciding between vanilla and chocolate ice cream.  Too many choices can be confusing. What’s a person to do?  I particularly like the instruction of The Right Reverend Dom John Chapman who said, “Pray as you can and not as you can’t.”

      I guess the contemporary sound byte for what Chapman means would be, “Just do it.”  One of my favorite authors, Anne Lamont, is a salty person whose spirituality comes from the depths of her life’s experiences,  In her book, Traveling Mercies, she writes indirectly, yet poignantly about prayer.  Lamott says, “It's funny. I always imagined when I was a kid that adults had some kind of inner toolbox, full of shiny tools: the saw of discernment, the hammer of wisdom, the sandpaper of patience. But then when I grew up, I found that life handed you these rusty, bent, old tools - friendships, prayer, conscience, honesty - and said, Do the best you can with these, they will have to do. And mostly, against all odds, they're enough.”

     That’s the way prayer is- against all odds, God comes on time and in time when we empty ourselves of all pretense and open our hearts to receive the grace of divine intimacy.

     Peace, 
     Bryan

Lay Director’s Corner

     As we celebrate the renewal of Easter and the promise of new life in Christ, we are reminded of the faithful servanthood that makes the Walk to Emmaus the ministry it is.  God’s unconditional love continues to be experienced  by  others through your many acts of selfless service and gifts of agape.  What a blessing each one of you is to the Heart of Carolina Community!

     There is a wonderful opportunity for those of you who are interested in knowing more about the Walk to Emmaus and getting to know persons from other Emmaus and Chrysalis communities.  Please join us for the Emmaus Celebration in Virginia Beach , June 9 – 10.  It will be held at the Virginia Beach United Methodist Church .  Information can be found on the Upper Room Emmaus Website or through the contact person:  Nancy Clark, njclark04@cox.net, 757.407.8387. Workshops will be led by international Emmaus and Chrysalis leaders and focus on topics that can give us insight and strategies for our work in HOC.  In addition, there will be lots of music, worship, and other events.  Let us know if you decide to attend.

     DeColores,
     David & Lee Heathcoat
     HOC Community Lay Directors

From the Editors-R&R Tracks

     Greetings in Christ!

     Spring time is a time of renewal, planning, and "straightening out" at our house.  We try to look at spring the same way as God-a time of rebirth, refreshment, and reordering in our world.

     Our God is one of order and organization.  We would do well to follow this example in our own household!  But that's why many of us have the ritual of spring cleaning-so that we can put our homes in order and get rid of the garbage and the clutter.  Sometimes, however, we forget to get rid of the garbage and the clutter in our everyday lives.  And herein lies a problem.  Wouldn't it be better if we did this every day of the year, to keep the clutter of our lives under control constantly?  We would probably have fewer instances of discipleship denied.  Our houses would stay a lot neater as well!

     With the promise of the Risen Christ on Easter morning, spring is a good time for us to reflect and reorganize ourselves in our spiritual lives, our relationships, and our everyday routines.

     Our challenge to the brothers and sisters of this wonderful community of faith (and ourselves as well) is to make every day a time of spring cleaning-keep the garbage cleaned out and keep everything fresh and new.

     Also, may we all try to be examples for one another, especially to those new pilgrims to whom we welcome into the Heart of Carolina Emmaus Community.

     Grace and Peace,
     Rusty & Renee Rains

 Donations for Walk Book Table

     You, as members of the HOC Community, have made this special gift of agape possible.  If you have good used or new books that are appropriate for the Agape Book Table (inspirational, study etc.) like the ones on the Book Table on Saturday morning, bring them to Send-off, Closing, or Gatherings and place them in the red crate.  At Short Journey, the crate will be in the Agape Room.

      If you have questions, please call Danny & Faye Cress at 919.552.0713.

Luggage and Transportation 
     During a walk weekend, reunion groups and individuals are always needed to assist on 
Thursday evening and Sunday afternoon with luggage.  This is a great way for your reunion group to offer behind the scenes help.

       Also, if your church has a van that you are authorized to drive, van drivers are needed to assist in the apostolic hour on Saturday evening.  This is just another wonderful way to offer behind the scenes service.

       If you would like to help, please contact Jim & Ruthie Borrell at 910.692.9597 to sign up for a future walk.

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Chrysalis News

     Any individuals or groups that would be willing to sponsor a youth on a Chrysalis Flight or Journey (no more than once a year)  please fill   out  a Scholarship Form (available at gatherings) and mail to: HoC Chrysalis Registrar, c/o Frank & Ann White, 2004 Buckskin Dr. , Clayton , NC 27520 or you can e-mail the information to:   frankwhite2@nc.rr.com

Prayer Chapel and 72 Hour Prayer Vigil

       Ephesians 6:18 (NIV)  And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

     The Heart of Carolina Emmaus Walks are bathed in prayer. Even before you decided to go on the Walk to Emmaus, people were praying for you. Now that you have been on the Walk, you know how much it meant to you to learn that the entire 72 hours of your Walk, people were praying for you.  You are encouraged to sign up at Gatherings or contact one of us by email to select a time to pray for upcoming Walks. (Deb Murphy qofe@earthlink.net or Ray Murphy ray.murphy@earthlink.net) 

     The Conference Room team for each Walk is also bathed in prayer. There are two ways you can pray. 1) Before each speaker enters the conference room to give a talk, the speaker is joined by others to pray in the Prayer Chapel. If you want to be part of this wonderful experience, you will want to review the sign up sheet and make note of when the speaker is scheduled to speak. Be at Short Journey 15-20 minutes prior to the time listed on the sign up sheet.  2) If you are unable to be with the speaker in person, you may sign up to pray for that speaker before, during, and/or after they speak. You may sign up at Gatherings. Each speaker’s name and time is listed on the sign up sheet. The speakers will know that you are praying for them. This is a powerful way to be part of the Walk.

     You may sign up to co-ordinate the Prayer Chapel for a given Walk. This is a powerful experience. You will be a blessing and you will be blessed. Contact Deb or Ray Murphy if you are interested.  (Ray 919-697-0494)

Join the Clean-up Corps!

     PLEASE help us with clean-up for the upcoming walks.  It’s easy work and when we have plenty of help, it doesn’t take long!  Volunteers need to arrive at Short Journey at 2:30 PM on Sunday before closing starts.  If you are willing and able to help, please contact Buddy & Charlotte West at 919.469.3402.

     Once again, this is a wonderful way to give behind the scenes service during a walk weekend.

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Reunion Groups

     As you may have found during your walk weekend, it is easier living the Christian life when surrounded by supportive and loving believers.  Reunion Groups can help us keep in touch with fellow Christians and make us accountable in our daily walk with Christ.

     It’s through this intentional act of meeting with other believers that we can keep focused on continually giving our hearts, hands, and minds to God.

     Listed on the HOC website are the reunion groups in our community.  This list needs updating, therefore, please check to see if your listing is correct or if there is inaccurate information.  Contact the web-servant through the link on the website to request any changes.

     Please contact us if you have updated reunion group news.  If you need help finding or starting a group, contact us and we will assist you.

     Peace,
     Rusty & Renee Rains

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Snack Room and Kitchen

          Remember the great food and snacks you enjoyed during your walk?  Well, it takes many of us to provide this during each walk.  We need each of you to do your part!  What a great opportunity for reunion groups or individuals to serve behind the scenes!  If you feel led to sign-up to help serve a meal or work in the snack room, sign-up sheets will be available at all gatherings, closings, and follow-ups.  Also, you can contact Fred & Debbie Gossert at 919-844-4701 or e-mail debfredg@aol.com.

     Members of the Emmaus community are asked to supply the snacks for each of the walks.  We are asking the following churches to supply these items as needed:

Sponsors - Please bring a snack and a drink.   We are especially in need of more fruit, vegetable trays, and homemade baked goods.  Be advised that cash donations are welcome if you don’t have time to shop or bake.  We can use the funds to purchase snacks as needed. 

    Heart of Carolina Gatherings are a wonderful opportunity for worship, fellowship, and the renewal of friendships.

     Gatherings take place on the 4^th Friday of every month (unless there is a Walk weekend) from 7:30 to 9:00 PM at White Plains United Methodist Church in Cary , NC .

     At every Heart of Carolina gathering, we have people working in front and behind the scenes.  In addition to the Moderator, 4^th Day Speaker, Clergy, and Music leaders, we have people helping with set-up/ clean-up, babysitters, and refreshments.

     It is a quick and easy way to serve the community and worship the Lord and we need your help!  You might even consider having the Emmaus Community from your church cover all the leadership roles for a gathering.

     To sign up to help, contact Randy & Alice Brunk at 919.387.2061.  Come and join the fun in worship and fellowship!

Team Selection 

     Please let us know if you are interested in sharing your musical gifts and talents with our Community.  As the team selection committee chairpersons, we need to know of those who can serve as music leaders and assistant music leaders on the Walks.  If you or someone you know are able and willing, please drop us an e-mail at mcgbs.aug72@earthlink.net.

     We’ll be sure to pass along your information to those who schedule Gatherings, Send-offs, and Candlelights (music leaders are needed at these functions as well.)  Also, please let us know if and when you have served on a Chrysalis flight or Kairos weekend.  Our team selection database does not include information on Chrysalis or Kairos service, yet we need to consider such service in team selection.

     Thanks for your willingness to serve, 
     Brian & Susan MeGuire

 Agape Reminder

     Agape that is brought for a walk should NOT have anyone’s personal name on it, but instead should be from a reunion group, “sister or brother in Christ” or it can be given anonymously.

     Agape that is distributed is done so as an act of love and is never done as an act to glorify oneself.  Also, please remember that due to the addition of the board representative to the 

team, your agape amounts in the future should include 61 pieces for each walk.

     Leftover Agape Procedure:  Agape is an opportunity for the community to show their love to our pilgrims.  We realize that a lot of time, money, and love go into each piece of Agape.

     On occasion, we have extra pieces of Agape left over.  We leave all extra pieces Agape out at closing for the reunion groups to retrieve them.  Extra agape has accumulated with assorted pieces which are not enough to distribute at another walk.  Our storage is limited and the extra Agape pieces have outgrown our storage boxes.  We are asking your help to make use of these love gifts.

     We are asking each reunion group to label their Agape with a contact name, telephone number, and walk number so that we can contact you to make arrangements to pick up the left over pieces.  If the extra Agape is not picked up by two walks past the walk number on the original Agape, it will be given to retirement homes, hospitals, shelters, or some other charitable organization.

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Sponsor Letters Made Simple!

     Agape letters are a very important part of every Emmaus Walk.  The following guide-lines should help sponsors as they collect letters for their pilgrim.

      Each pilgrim should receive 12 letters on Sunday afternoon.  These are the letters that the SPONSOR has asked family and friends to write.  After collecting the 12 letters, the sponsor should write Sponsor or S #1 through # 12 in the postage stamp area of the envelopes.  This will ensure that the main 12 letters are included in the packet.  All other letters received will be given to the sponsor to give to the pilgrim after closing.

     Non-sponsor letters are those written by church friends, team members, etc. that were not requested by the sponsor.  If the sponsor does not collect 12 letters, enough non-sponsor letters will be included in the packet to insure that each pilgrim gets 12 letters.

     During send-off and throughout the weekend, boxes marked sponsor and non-sponsor will be in the Agape room.  The boxes will also be at the church during the Apostolic Hour.  Please deposit your letters in the appropriate box.

     Everyone please note:  there are a lot of moms, dads, Uncle Mikes, and grandpas on each Walk, so make sure that the pilgrim’s first and last names are on each envelope.  If the recipient cannot be identified, there is no way to get the letter to the intended pilgrim.

     If you have any questions or are unsure about anything, please contact us.

     DeColores!
     Dave & Linda Amon 910.296.0416
    

     HOC Financial Aid (formerly known as Scholarships)

     Those of us who experienced God’s love in a powerful way on the Walk to Emmaus want everyone to have the opportunity to attend.  Lack of funds should never keep anyone from being able to participate.

     A few years ago, the Heart of Carolina received a generous contribution for our scholarship/ financial aid fund.  Due to MANY requests for financial assistance since this donation, the fund is almost completely depleted.

     If you are sponsoring a candidate, please ask for financial assistance ONLY if a financial need exists.  Some sponsors pay the entire cost of their pilgrim; many pay at least the application fee.  If you, as sponsor, are unable to do this, please check with your church since many churches have funds available for this purpose.

     Please consider donating to our Financial Aid Fund.  If you, as sponsor, received financial assistance when you went on your Walk, can you help someone else now?  Contributions can be made at our Gatherings, Apostolic Hours, Send-offs, and Closings or by mailing to our treasurer, Faye Cress at 919.552.0713.  We will also gladly accept donations mailed with applications.

     In Service,
     Len & Lynne Harris
     Registrars

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    An Important Reminder from our Registrars

     Sponsors:  Please make sure your pilgrims pay for their Walk!  Usually there is at least one person at send-off who has forgotten their checkbook.  They are asked to send the money when they get home, but sometimes the money is never received.   If you have sponsored a pilgrim lately who did not pay at send-off,  please make sure his/her fee has been handled!   If you aren’t sure they paid, ask them.  If you are one of those who have forgotten to take care of the charge, please send in your balance to our treasurer, Faye Cress, 6537 Wilshire Dr. , Fuquay-Varina , NC 27526 .

     Thanks so much for your attention to this matter.  We really want to keep our charges as reasonable as possible.  If there is a definite financial need for a scholarship, please determine this prior to the Walk.  Some sponsors pay the entire cost of their pilgrim; many pay at least the application fee.  If you, as sponsor, are unable to do this, please check with your Church, since many churches have funds available for this purpose.

     If you received a scholarship when you went on your Walk, can you help someone else now?  Contributions may be made at our gatherings, Apostolic Hours, send-offs, closings or by mailing to our treasurer.  We will also gladly accept donations mailed with applications

     In Service,
     Len & Lynne Harris
     Registrars

     Short, Clean, & Funny!

    Two old men had been best friends for years and they both lived to their early 90s when one of them fell deathly ill. 

       The man who was well went to visit his sick friend on his deathbed, and they were talking about their long friendship when the dying man's friend asks, "Listen, when you get to Heaven, can you do me a favor?  I've always wanted to know if there's baseball in Heaven.  Think you could send me a sign from Heaven telling me?"  His friend told him he would try his best, and then the man died peacefully.

     A couple of days later, the surviving man was sleeping when he heard his friend's voice coming from Heaven.  The departed friend's voice said, "I've got some good news and some bad news.  The good news is that there is baseball in heaven."   "So what's the bad news, old buddy?" the man asked.   "The bad news is that you're pitching next Wednesday!"

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    Snack Room Recipe

The Ultimate Trail Mix

      Mix all ingredients together in a large plastic bowl.  Store in gallon-size zip-lock bags to keep fresh.  This is a high-energy, delicious snack but fair warning-it's loaded with fat.  (so what else is new?!)

“They asked each other, were not our hearts burning within us while 
he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”