Golden Isles Walk to Emmaus

One of the most misunderstood topics in Emmaus is Team Selection. This subject is well covered in the Handbook beginning on page 21, but as usual, there are underlying principles between the lines that may just make more sense than written rhetoric.

First of all, good intentional team selection builds leadership, not only in the Emmaus community but more importantly, in the church. The principle of “Progression of Servanthood” has a very distinct method to its madness. Remember, we don’t earn the right to progress in Emmaus, we learn it. Serving behind-the-scenes first, then entering the conference room at the table community slowly at first, helps us all to understand the dynamics of listening as well as the sharing of ideas.

Second, you can’t develop leadership of a community unless the community has a chance to serve in this progressive way. We have literally hundreds of community members who have never served in the conference room, many of whom deserve the opportunity to do so. This is the reason Team Selection MUST wisely use the experience information supplied by the registrar (or whoever keeps the experience records) and make its decisions for teaming with the health of the community in mind.

Third, the recycling of the same folks through the conference room does absolutely nothing for those who desire to serve there but never get called. The recycling of past leaders and other frequent team members will quench the spirit of servants willing to serve but never asked. Please do not rob willing servants the chance to give of themselves!

Fourth, the community should own the community. The Board provides governance and leadership; the team guides the pilgrims on a weekend; but the community must own itself in order to support and maintain a healthy spirit level. The original reason for three year Board terms was to provide more opportunity to the community members to serve and prevent a few from holding too much control over the community.

Lastly, the Team Selection Committee is composed of only two Board members: the chair of the Team Selection Committee and the Community Spiritual Director. The rest of the committee is made up of the chosen walk Lay Directors and as many community members at large as deemed necessary to adequately represent the community in the wise selection of team members.

Remember! Walk Lay Directors do not choose their own teams! They simply call the persons Team Selection has chosen until they achieve the team God has selected. Walk Lay Directors do not choose their Walk Spiritual Directors. These two leadership positions are always Board chosen at the same Board meeting. Walk Lay Directors are not charged with the responsibility of selecting the Support Coordinator, the Board Representative, or any of the Support Servants who work behind-the-scenes. This, too, is the work of the Board. Board members should not perform all the behind-the-scenes functions themselves but ask community members at large to do them—-again so the community will have ownership of the community as well as having the opportunity for personal sacrifice.

The more community people we involve in the walks, the healthier the community will be, and I’ll bet you will be surprised at how much easier it will be to get volunteers for your needs in the future.

Try it, you’ll like it!!!

Scoofer Jordan
S/E Regional Rep.

The following message is part of an effort to establish and strengthen communication throughout the Emmaus community and is offered in the spirit of cooperation and charity.

Have you ever examined what we do on an Emmaus Walk and why we do it? How many times have you heard, “what we do, we do for the pilgrims”? This is easy to say, but can become very difficult to remain faithful to. I have often said to folks, “This is a wonderful movement, except for the people”. Many of you know me well enough that I am at the top of that list of “people”. Because of our humanness, we are weak and seek much in life that is self-serving. We really don’t mean to be this way, but truthfully we are.

The originators of the Walk To Emmaus worked diligently to structure each part in such a way that each added to the previous part and enhanced the whole. In every case the objective was to bring the pilgrim closer to Jesus, all the while glorifying God. With prayerful discernment, wisdom, and inspiration from the Holy Spirit, our movement was birthed; not only in fact, but also with written guidelines to help us learn in the present, teach for the future, and maintain the quality assurance necessary for consistency through the years.

So what is my responsibility in all of this? Why am I required to dot “i’s” and cross”t’s” to the tune of a handbook full of “rules”? Recently a short list of Core Elements was established so every community could know exactly which elements of the walk were to be performed without compromise. What would Emmaus look like in a few years if every community did what was right in their own eyes? We have wonderful creative people all through Emmaus that can develop innovative new ways to put on walks, but again, where will we be in a short period of time?

I bought into this program just as it was intended many years ago. This is why I do what I do. I believe Emmaus is worthy of more than I am capable of in training communities to simply accept what the originators set down for us over 30 years ago. What right do I have to impose my changes on the Walk format? After all, this is a copyrighted program of the Upper Room, not one owned by my community or yours.

As I have signed my Letter of Agreement in past years, I was very much aware of the covenantal relationship with the Upper Room. I also was very much aware of the personal conviction I was under if I signed it and had no intentions of doing what the agreement said.

How about you and your community, are you on track with the core elements or maybe doing things the way you always have done them, regardless of their correctness?

If there is anything I can help you with, please let me know for I am both

Scoofer Jordan
S/E Regional Rep.

The following message is part of an effort to establish and strengthen communication throughout the Emmaus community and is offered in the spirit of cooperation and charity.

There is at least one aspect of Walk to Emmaus that is often overlooked or misunderstood. This is one of the most rewarding parts of not only Emmaus but also other events in life that we can ever experience. It is called Anonymous Servanthood.

What this term means to you may very well be different from my own definition, but if performed as a true act of agape, our blessings will be very much the same. I chose to use the term “true agape” because that is exactly what anonymous servanthood is. Have you ever thought about what you do on an Emmaus weekend and why you do it? 1 Corinthians 10:31 tells us whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, give God the glory. This means everything we do whether in the conference room or working as a Support Servant behind-the-scenes, our efforts are to bring glory to God, not a special focus on ourselves. None of us would set out to do this intentionally, but it happens. The reason for this little note of wisdom is to alert you to this fact: sometimes we all like a round of applause, a drum roll, a 21 gun salute, the sound of our voice, or our names in print. When it does happen, be sure you do all you can to redirect the credit to God. He is the only one worthy of praise!

John 3:30 says it all! I must decrease so He can increase. My anonymous service can only be a form of true agape if it remains unconditional; unconditional because it is supposed to be a gift of love from God. Once I put my name and/or face on the gift, it becomes conditional, and I will most likely receive the praise thereby usurping God’s glory.

Think about it!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERY ONE OF YOU!!!!
Scoofer Jordan
S/E Regional Rep.