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SPONSORSHIP
Information
for the
__________________________________
The Cross
Country Emmaus Community
does not offer scholarship aid at this time.
If scholarship aid is desired,
please check with your local Mini
Community.
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If you want to
sponsor a Pilgrim on a
Walk To Emmaus
Weekend,
please read this
page first.
All Sponsors should
read the entire page and
fully understand all
the responsibilities.
And, above all,
PRAY, PRAY, then
PRAY SOME MORE!!
This is not a
decision that should be taken lightly.
Your decisions and
actions, as a Sponsor,
will profoundly
affect a person’s
Spiritual walk and
their relationship
with the LORD.
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Responsibilities of,
and Hints for, Sponsors
Good sponsorship is
vital to the continuation of the Emmaus Movement. We are faced with the
challenge of educating pilgrims on the role and importance of good
sponsorship. It is the most important part of Emmaus. It is the first act
of agape before the "Walk" even begins.
The reason for sponsoring should not be "to get all my
friends to go," to fill up the weekend, to fix people's problems or to
reproduce one's own religious experience in someone else.
Our purpose should be to bring spiritual renewal to those
who will, in turn, bring a new life and vision back to their church, home,
workplace, and community.
Emmaus is right for many people, but
not for everyone! Possible candidates for Emmaus could be:
1. The backbone of the church, the quiet
"behind the scenes" folks.
2. Less active members who need their awareness of grace
rekindled and their commitment renewed.
3. Christians who are hungry for "something more"
and want to grow spiritually.
4. Church leaders (clergy and lay) who will bring new vision
and vitality back to the church and who need the renewal and to experience
the grace unique in Emmaus.
Some questionable sponsorship could be:
1. Non-Christians and persons without connections
to the church.
2. Persons undergoing emotional crisis (recent divorce or
severe grief) or who are psychological unstable.
3. A person who decides not to attend a walk after
being presented the opportunity.
Wise sponsorship is purposeful and prayerful.
After you have prayerfully selected
your pilgrim, here are some hints on preparing for the Walk and
responsibilities at the Walk's conclusion.
A. Take the application to your pilgrim and have him/her
fill it out in your presence answering any question he/she may want to ask.
Obtain the registration fee. Take the application to the pilgrim's pastor
for his/her signature and then mail it to the Emmaus Registrar (address on
the application).
B. After you have received confirmation of the pilgrim's
"Walk date," begin working on letters. Letters are an extremely
important part of the weekend, so spend some time to insure
your pilgrim has at least ten letters in your possession when you take them
for their weekend. Be sure to have the Pilgrim's first and last names on
the envelope - otherwise there is a chance of misdelivery. The letters from
family members should have 'Family' written on the envelope and other
envelopes should have 'Friend' written on the front. Some areas to search
for letters besides the spouse are Sunday School classes, work, family, or
other organizations the pilgrim may be involved in and your own church and
Emmaus Community.
C. Be sure your pilgrim knows that you will be delivering
and picking them up and remind them to bring the balance of the money owed
for their weekend.
D. Take your pilgrim to send-off if your community has this
activity. Make sure there will be a pastor present to send them prayerfully
on their weekend. Remind community members of send-off time, so they can
attend.
E. Secure agape from reunion groups, individuals
and local community. Sponsors are to provide 2 food items AND 2 gift items.
Food Agape can be eats and/or drinks. Gift Agape can be pillow and/or
wearable Agape.
Gift Agape should consist of 85 pieces each.
Mark the agape, i.e., how much there is, who it is from, and if
you have a preference when you want it delivered. Perhaps you would like it
delivered after a certain talk, in the dining room or agape to be put on
their pillow before bed, etc. This will help greatly with the agape
distribution during the weekend. Either give the agape to someone on the
team prior to the Walk or discreetly bring it with the pilgrim to the Walk.
Seek advice from a team member as to where the agape needs to be left.
REMEMBER! Agape represents God’s Love. We should literally drown
the Pilgrims in Agape! All tables and beds should covered
in Agape at all timesd!
F. Be sure to ask the pilgrim's pastor to write a letter and
notify the pilgrim's local church the week before the Walk so a notice can
be put in the newsletter and the pastor can lift them up during the Sunday
pastoral prayers if this is appropriate within your church.
G. Ask your pilgrim to read Luke 24 several times
before the walk.
H. Find out if your pilgrim needs a special diet or
medication regimen and pass this information onto the Lay Director.
I. Explain sleeping and bathing arrangements. Sleeping and
showers are very personal activities and pilgrims need to know how to
prepare for them. Also, explain some of the activities (wearing of agape,
table activities) that individuals will be performing and that they are
important even though the importance may not be revealed until a later
time. Some individuals are not always immediately comfortable with
performing skits, other table activities or wearing of agape, etc. Remind
the pilgrim of a need for an open mind and open heart.
J. Let the pilgrim know personal participation is expected
from the Walk's beginning until Closing on the last day.
K. Explain to the pilgrim there will be no contact with
their family or business except, of course, in an emergency.
L. Remind the pilgrim to leave at home the following: cell
phones, pagers, radios, clocks, lap tops and
cameras. You can ask them to leave their watch at home or leave it to the
Lay Director who asks that their watches be
taken off and put away on Thursday evening.
M. Tell the pilgrim how each weekend is unique
and that each person seems to find exactly what God wants that person to
experience. The pilgrim can look forward to gaining a new enthusiasm for
serving God.
N. Plan on three trips during the weekend your pilgrim
is on the Walk:
(1) Deliver the pilgrim on the first evening and attend
Sponsors' Hour after leaving the pilgrim;
(2) Candlelight at 8:00 PM on the last night of the walk;
(3) Closing at 4:00 PM on the last day of the walk.
O. Check on any Spouse left at home for the weekend, perhaps
inviting them for dinner on an evening during the Walk, with your pilgrim's
permission. Let them know your pilgrim arrived at the Walk and all is well.
P. Pray for your pilgrim, his/her family, the Lay and
Spiritual Directors, the team members, fellow pilgrims and all who will
share in your pilgrim's weekend.
Q. After closing on Sunday, offer to take your pilgrim to
eat on the way home. This gives them an opportunity to share the events of
the weekend.
R. Encourage your pilgrim to become active in a reunion
group and Community / Mini-Community immediately after their return. If
none are convenient for their schedule, encourage and help form a new
group. The Internet and local Communities /Mini-Communities are excellent
sources of reunion group activities.
S. Take or meet your pilgrim at the first Community
Gathering after their Walk. They need to become a vibrant part of their new
Community!
T. The ultimate reason for sponsoring a pilgrim for the
"Walk To Emmaus" is to strengthen and deepen that person's
relationship with Jesus and to create an enthusiastic disciple to do God's
work in his/her home, church and community. The
ultimate reason for YOUR wanting to sponsor someone is Christ's love and your wanting that same love for the prospective pilgrim.
Christ's love fills us up and we want to PASS IT ON!
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Your comments,
suggestions, and corrections are welcome.
Contact us Here!
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