ABOUT YOUR FOURTH DAYS: Reunion Groups
As you concluded your Walk to Emmaus weekend, you were introduced to the concept of the Fourth Day -- a symbol of the days of Christian pilgrimage that follow the three-day Emmaus experience. The Walk to Emmaus is a unique opportunity to reflect on one's faith journey and make a deeper commitment to Christ. In fact, "the whole reason for The Walk to Emmaus is to make you a more faithful disciple and active member in your church." (Bob Wood, Day Four) Thus, a Fourth Day Reunion Group is central to the Emmaus experience, as it extends your experience beyond the weekend and into life in the world.
In living your Fourth Days, you are encouraged to continue to grow in relationship with Christ and live as faithful disciples in all of life. An important and necessary foundation for faithful Christian living is a vital connection to the Christian community for support, guidance, and challenge.
PIETY: Giving our Hearts to Christ
The Emmaus group reunion is a small accountability group of two to six persons who have usually participated in the three-day Walk to Emmaus and who want to continue their pursuit of a life lived wholly in the grace of God. These small follow-up groups help pilgrims translate the message conveyed on the Walk to Emmaus weekend into a daily walk with Christ. With the regular support of a few faithful friends, the gift of God's love in Jesus Christ becomes a lifestyle of Christian discipleship through the threefold discipline of piety, study, and action.
Group reunions meet at regular times, usually weekly for an hour. The meeting consists of persons' sharing the stories of their walk with Christ during the past week.
Members listen to one another, celebrate the grace of God in each person's life, and reinforce each one's core commitment to living in union with Christ in all facets of daily life. Members express that reinforcement through gentle accountability, encouragement, and support of one's stated discipline and plans.
STUDY: Giving our Minds to Christ
A mature Christian is an informed Christian -- informed about the mind and heart of God by knowing scripture. A Christian knows about the world and its needs and works toward gaining the best insights on how to alleviate the hurting world's agonies. Human beings rise above the animal world of simple instincts when they become knowledgeable and use that knowledge to help build God's kingdom. Study, like piety, can be approached in an intentional, systematic way, resulting in a deeping of your relationship with God and an empowering of your Christian discipleship.
ACTION: Giving our Hands to Christ
Reunion groups provide a natural launching pad for mission in the community. Reunion groups are also a support base for acts of agape for Emmaus weekends. Shared engagement in service to others deepens friendships and opens up avenues for Christian action.
As valuable as group activities and a sense of common mission can be, Emmaus groups must remember that these efforts are "extracurricular." Always make time for the primary work of the group -- reviewing the service sheet and reflecting on Christ's presence and call.
The sole purpose of the Emmaus Movement is to strengthen disciples within the ministry of individual congregations. Emmaus is in partnership with the church to inspire its leaders to become more effective and intentional in their ministry. . . . Although the Walk to Emmaus is a unique and powerful instrument through which faithful people are renewed and inspired, it cannot provide the well-rounded programs such as education, evangelism, missions, and stewardship that are provided by an individual congregation. One way to act in Christ's service is to become involved in some facet of your church's ministries.
Here at our CCEC website, we would like
to be able to help those of you who are looking for a reunion
group, or an existing group who is looking for additional participants.
After all, that was the original intention of this site - - to
forward the mission of Emmaus, making stronger leaders in our
churches here in our community. This site is a tool that should
be able to do just that by putting Christians together to extend our Walk experience to living Christian lives in the real world with the help, love and support of a Fourth Day Reunion family. . .
If you do not have a reunion group and would like to join one or if your group is looking for additional members, please contact us through the webdirector link.
webdirector@ccec.cc
In His Service,
WebDirector
concho
country emmaus