|
SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION
If you have
attended an Emmaus Walk or similar event
and would like information about prayerfully sponsoring
a
Christian on an upcoming Emmaus Walk, please contact the
Heart of Carolina Emmaus community registrars:
Roy
& Paula Pittard
From
the Registrars:
The registration/application form for
the Walk to Emmaus changed in October, 2004, by the addition of a third
page. Please remember to enclose all three completed pages
of the form.
All registration forms should be mailed to us at: 311 28th St., Butner,
NC 27509
The Registration
Form (Application) and the Sponsor
Covenant Form are available in Word Format.
All three pages) must be completed and mailed to
the Heart of Carolinas Registrar.
According to the dictionary, a sponsor is one who takes
responsibility for another. SponsorSHIP is the act of your revisiting The Walk to Emmaus
experience with the person God has laid on your heart. It requires a lot of PRAYING. God
should decide whom we should sponsor and when. We simply need to remain attentive to God’s
leading and patiently wait for His answer.
GOOD SPONSORSHIP is vital to the Emmaus Movement, and it is
the most important job in Emmaus.
The sponsor has two considerations to make: whom to sponsor and whom
NOT to sponsor.
A key factor in your consideration is the comfort level of the pilgrim.
Unwise Sponsorship
-
Those persons who would find The Walk to Emmaus a
discomforting experience should not be pressed to attend. This
discomfort might extend to beliefs about God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit
that differ from the traditional Christian belief of the Holy Trinity.
The Walk to Emmaus it is not a place for theological or religious debate.
-
Some
Christian groups have specific dietary restrictions and Sabbath celebrations
that the Emmaus weekend experience cannot provide.
-
Do not sponsor persons who are not a member of a church.
-
Do not sponsor people involved in recent or
unresolved emotional distress; for example, the death of a loved one, family
breakup, divorce proceedings, work downsizing, job loss, and health problems.
(If you are unsure about this, please ask his/her pastor!) Those who are unable
to sit in the conference room chairs for several hours at a time, or have severe
medical problems should NOT attend.
-
Church Hoppers (those who join a church, find something
they don’t like, complain, then leave) would be an unwise choice. Many
always seem to have an axe to grind against the church, while others are looking
for a perfect church.
-
Soapboxers: People that use any forum to talk about
their favorite theme. They do not hear or want to hear other views, but are
very persuasive to sway others to their position.
-
Persons who decide not to make a Walk after being presented
the opportunity.
Wise Sponsorship
Initially, consider sponsoring those persons who are committed to living a life that
is pleasing to God, those who want to grow and increase their knowledge and understanding
of God and his will.
-
Church leaders (pastors and laypersons), those serving on
committees, outreach programs, anyone participating in the ministries of the
church.
-
Couples: Try to get them to go on the same set of walks or
back-to-back walks.
-
Single persons who are active in the church.
-
Less active members who need their awareness of grace
rekindled and their commitments renewed.
-
Christians who want to grow spiritually:
-
Members of diverse congregations, denominations,
and ethnic groups. Many times these people are just waiting to be asked to do
something.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SPONSOR
-
Spend concentrated time in prayer in an effort to discern
whom God wants you to sponsor. The overriding purpose of Emmaus is to
Christianize the environments such as the home, business, friendships, and
churches. The whole weekend experience leads pilgrims to desire a reordering of
priorities, to understand and experience God’s grace within a community of
believers, and to be drawn into deeper discipleship by the Holy Spirit.
-
Meet with the potential pilgrim and share with them some of the aspects
of the walk: This may be an appropriate point to address the issue of secrecy.
One of the worst mistakes made by those of us who have attended the Emmaus Walk
is to be too secretive about what happens on a Walk. The Upper Room Handbook on
Emmaus states “There is nothing secret about Emmaus.” When your
prospective pilgrim asks you a specific question, you should always give an
honest and truthful answer. Chances are they aren’t going to think to ask you
about Candlelight or Dying Moments, but if they do, you should not try to
deceive them. It would be better to tell them more than necessary than to be
too secretive.
-
Tell your pilgrim about the format of the weekend:
-
There will be fifteen talks, group discussions,
and time for fellowship. It’s fine to tell them about the type of
food served, communion, and the sleeping accommodations. They will be
with people they don’t know, but in a short time they’ll become a
close-knit community. This experience will demonstrate the love of
God and strong Christian fellowship. Hopefully, this will help to set
their minds at ease.
-
Also tell them about Reunion Groups and how they
can help to encourage them in further spiritual growth.
-
After you have answered all questions, give your prospect
an application. (Registration forms can be downloaded from the website). Be
sure to explain the application. If you have a pamphlet or book on Emmaus, give
this to your pilgrim.
-
We schedule based on the date registration forms are
received. We will send postcards (if more than three months before the walk)
and letters to both the pilgrim and sponsor within three months of the Walk.
Let us know if your pilgrim can or cannot go on the assigned walk. It is the
sponsor’s responsibility to advise the registrar of any changes such as change
of address, phone number or desire to attend the Walk.
-
Begin preparations to request the personal agape letters;
12 LETTERS are needed. Please be sure to get letters from family and
good friends. Please mark the letters with “SPONSOR” or “S.” If you
have more than 12, give the extra to the pilgrim after closing. Just be sure
the most important letters are in the initial 12 the pilgrim will be given on
Sunday. If you do not have 12 letters, people working behind the scenes (who
probably don’t know your pilgrim) will have to make up the difference.
-
A few days before The Walk event, contact your pilgrim as
a reminder about the upcoming Walk. Offer guidance about what to pack for the
weekend. There are guidelines in the letters sent to each pilgrim.
-
Get your pilgrim to sendoff by 7:00 p.m., and
assist with check in. Remain with your pilgrim through send-off,
introducing him or her to others. Remember to be sure the pilgrim has eaten
supper since no food is served Thursday night. Following send-off, the
sponsor is to attend sponsor’s hour. At this time you have the opportunity
to pray for your pilgrim and place their cross on the large cross.
-
Spend as much time as possible in prayer for your pilgrim.
Be a part of the 72-hour prayer vigil
-
During the 72 hours check on your pilgrim’s family to
provide necessary assistance
-
Attend the Saturday candlelight service and take any
additional agape letters you have collected. Insure they do not contain
gifts. Any letters containing gifts will NOT be given to the pilgrim.
-
Be at closing.
-
Go to the follow up meeting and assist him or her
in joining a reunion group.
-
Get the new member to a gathering and introduce
him/her to others in the Emmaus community.
-
Teach the new Emmaus member how to be a good sponsor and
be sure he/she understands the responsibilities of good sponsorship.
-
Tell the pilgrim how to serve the Emmaus community in
future Walks.
|
