WHAT HAPPENS AT EMMAUS?--The "Walk to Emmaus" is a 72-hour experience. The weekend begins on Thursday evening and ends Sunday evening. At Emmaus you will spend three busy but very enjoyable days, usually at a retreat center. You will live and study together in singing, prayer, worship and discussion. Discussions center around fifteen talks given by laity and clergy. These talks present the theme of God's grace, and how that grace comes alive in the Christian community and expresses itself in the world. You'll also discover how grace is real in your life, and how you can live in the life of grace, bringing grace to others. You will have the opportunity to participate in the daily celebration of Holy Communion, and to begin to understand more fully the presence of Christ in His body of believers. You will experience God's grace personally through the prayers and acts of service of a living support community.
WHAT HAPPENS AFTER EMMAUS?--One of the primary strengths of Emmaus is the follow-up. Your weekend lasts only three days, but you are invited to build on it for the rest of your life. Those who attend a "Walk to Emmaus" are encouraged to do two things following their weekend:
Expand their own spiritual lives through study and congregational participation;
Become more active disciples of Christ in the world through their churches.
To nurture this process of discipleship, the Emmaus movement offers specific opportunities. First, reunion groups of four to six people meet weekly to reflect on their quest for spiritual growth and encourage one another in the discipleship. Second, there will be monthly meetings called "Community Gatherings." All people in a particular Emmaus community or area are invited for fellowship, worship, and informal instruction. Third, through a newsletter, members become aware of support needs for upcoming Walks to Emmaus and there are opportunities to work during future weekends in a variety of ways.
PURPOSE OF EMMAUS--The focus of Emmaus is God as known in Jesus Christ and how that finds expression in the local church. The objective of Emmaus is to inspire, challenge, and equip local church members for Christian action in their homes, churches, and places of work. Emmaus lifts up a way for our grace-filled life to be lived and shared with others.
Agape
