Dear Emmaus Brothers and Sisters,

Happy New Year, and I hope this finds you well!

I wanted to give you some updates on Emmaus community news and some changes we’ve made.  I’ve marked some of the key points for you in capital letters and bold print.

1. I am including a calendar of 2023 Emmaus events (See Events Calendar) for your use.  Please print yourself a copy so you can refer to it for “coming attractions.”

• Our NEXT GATHERING is on January 23 at Burnet FUMC.  The meal will be in the Family Life Building at 6 p.m., with service in the sanctuary at 7 p.m.
• Please NOTE that we are moving to a SINGLE community gathering each month for this year.  Many of our gatherings this past year have been well attended, but others have not.  We are hopeful that moving to ONE meeting per month will allow people to plan ahead to attend.  We will continue to vary the location between Burnet and Marble Falls, with Liberty Hill and Bee Creek in Spicewood also taking a turn.
• We will also get back to asking for REUNION GROUPS to volunteer to set up and clean up at each gathering so that responsibility can be shared.  Kim Russell and Mary Gonzalez will serve as the Gathering Coordinators this year so please be ready to jump in and help them.

2. The Board met last night for the first time since the approval of the new community by-laws.  The Board Chair for 2023 will be Bob Munsey.  Bob will do an amazing job in that position and will continue the momentum our community has begun to build.  He will also continue to have the support of a hard-working and dedicated Board.
3. The Men’s Walk 2023 is scheduled for April 20-23 with Russell Cochran serving as Lay Director.  The conference room team is set and will be meeting for the first time this Saturday, January 14.  They also have team meetings set for:

• February 11 – breakfast and lunch provided by Sisters By Grace Reunion Group.
• March 11 – Need groups to do breakfast, lunch
• April 1 – Need groups to do breakfast, lunch 

Please let Russell know if you’d like to help with one or more of the meals.

**Please get your pilgrim applications for the Men’s Walk turned in as soon as possible – either to Russell or JoAnn Dilworth or mailed to the address shown on the application.  Please be sure applications are fully filled out and signed and are accompanied by payment.

**If you are interested in serving on the Servant Team, please get your           application to JoAnn as soon as possible.   Even if you’ve served on a team previously, we are asking for updated applications so please get those submitted. 

Most importantly, please be in prayer for the Men’s Walk 2023 to touch lives.

4. The Women’s Walk 2023 is scheduled for October 26-29, 2023.  The newly selected Lay Director for Women’s Walk 2023 will be Gay Cochran.  Even though our focus now is on the Men’s Walk, it’s never too early to be praying about serving on one of the teams or sponsoring a pilgrim for the walk.

This will be my final communication as your Community Lay Director, so I just want to tell you again what a blessed experience this has been.  I appreciate this community so much!  The qualities of faith, service and love are never more obvious than when we are preparing for a Walk – so much work and SO MUCH JOY!  Thank you for your spirit and your servants’ hearts and for allowing me to serve beside you!

De Colores,

JoAnn Dilworth, Outgoing Community Lay Director

Heartland of Texas Emmaus Community

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope this letter finds you well, filled with faith and anxious to serve the Lord.  As we come out of the Covid-19 pandemic, I have been working to develop a plan to bring the Community back together in a manner that complies with CDC Guidelines and renews our spiritual enthusiasm.  Over the last few months, I have sought and obtained input from a number of individuals, a few ad hoc committees and of course, our Board of Directors.  On Monday of this week, I met with the Board to seek approval of this plan, set a schedule of Gatherings and consider postponement of Walks 2020 (Men) and 2021 (Women).  I am pleased to report the results of our meeting and a plan for the Community going forward.

First, we agreed that we must resume our Gatherings in order to rekindle our Community spirit (see the schedule below), resume 4^th Day group meetings, develop Walk teams and identify pilgrims.  Second, we agreed to postpone the Walks until Mar 24-27, 2022 (Men) and Sep 22-25, 2022 (Women).  The change in dates will give us ample time to identify teams, assemble Agape, and ensure we are prepared logistically.

Here’s the schedule of Gatherings.

Our service to God remains our greatest commandment.  Trust in Him.  He has control of all that is happening.  Remain vigilant in his service, reach out to those who need help, a kind word, or a favor.  His greatest commandments call on us to Love Him and to Love One Another.  He is with us, ALWAYS!

De Colores

Tom Ruiz

Community Lay Director

Heartland of Texas Emmaus Community

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope this letter finds you well.  A few weeks ago, I wrote to let you know that we cannot safely conduct a Walk with the inherent requirement of bunking in the same dormitory for three days and nights.  To that end, I convened the Board of Directors to discuss the need to postpone the Men’s and Women’s Walks.  The Board agreed by a vote of 8-0 to postpone the Men’s Walk until September 16-19, 2021 and to postpone the Women’s Walk 2021 until October 21-24, 2021

I am writing today to inform you of a slight change in the scheduled dates for the Women’s Walk.  We have been asked by our good friends at Eagle’s Wings, if we would change the date of our Women’s Walk 2021 by moving it forward by one week from October 21-24 to October 14-17.  It seems that we were being given the 21-24 date based on the preference on one of the retreat center’s customers who had reserved those two weekends. Once they made their choice of October 14-17, we were offered the weekend of October 21-24.  That said their other customer has encountered a serious conflict and has asked if we can switch weekends with them.

The good people of Eagle’s Wings have been working extremely well with us as we continue to postpone our Walk.  Likewise, they have been gracious in helping us to set our annual calendar for several years past and future.  Making this slight change in our schedule to hold the Women’s Walk 2021 on October 14-17 is of great benefit to all parties, the other group, the Eagle’s Wings Retreat Center and our own Community.  In support of the request, I polled the Board for their approval to change the dates.  The measure carried by a vote of 8-0.

Our service to God remains our greatest commandment.  Exercising flexibility is a great way to serve our Lord.  It also benefits everyone concerned.

May the peace and love of our Lord be with you all during the days to come.  As ever, I remain your humble servant.

De Colores,

Tom Ruiz

Community Lay Director

Heartland of Texas Emmaus Community