Foothills Flame - Georgia Foothills Walk to Emmaus

 Foothills Flame April 2012 Volume 11, Issue 3 April 2012 Welcome, New Members, to the Georgia Foothills Community! Evan Bass Jan Huckaby Jessica Bass Robin Huckaby Deb Bonnette Julia Hunt Kasey Brady Jennifer Hutchinson Lew Crosley John Hutchinson Sue Crosley Lee McWilliams Amanda Crowe Margo Mitcham Jimmy Dale Carol Muller Barbara Davis Ken Muller Della DeHart Laurel Mullinax Oliver DeHart Renee Nix Dale Dickie Michelle Noffsinger Heather Dickie Scott Peterman Charlie Dohring Dawn Pierce Linda Dohring Catherine Rivenbark Kent Easterday Leland Smith Jimmy Fulcher Rob Stewart Mary Garner Celestine Thomas Kelsey Troha Walk 21 Follow-­‐up Gathering! Friday, April 13 7:30 p.m. Flowery Branch UMC 5212 Spring Street Flowery Branch, GA 30542 Come ready to enjoy 4th day stories DRIVING DIRECTIONS: From I-­‐985, take the Spout Springs Road exit Coming from the north, turn right on Spout Springs Road Coming from the south, turn left on Spout Springs Road Integer Turn right onto Atlanta Highway Turn left onto Spring Street .03
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Issue [#]: [Issue Date] The story is familiar. Most of us have heard it over and over again since
childhood. It's a story worth re-living until it becomes a very part of our
being that with each breath we become first hand witnesses to His love
and His passion.
.Etiam
The crowd was growing; word of Lazarus resurrection traveled fast and
everyone wanted a look at the man who spoke him out of his grave.
Riding a donkey colt, a sign of His peaceful entry, Jesus knew every face in that assemblage.
There were those whom He had healed, lepers with clean skin, many He had fed, children,
religious leaders, some laughing, some weeping, and all shouting.
A roar of noise so loud those who gathered could not distinguish one word from the other but Jesus
clearly heard each: “King of fools,” “Lunatic,” “Imposter,” “Fool,” and on and on. The
heartbreaking epithets seemed to drown out the good.
One might say that “Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me.” But I
submit to you that they do hurt and hurt deeply. Name calling is not innocent; titles stay with us.
Even today we hear the painful, unspeakable names people have given to our precious Savior.
Harsh painful words of slander become the sticks and stones of our lips.
Jesus came in love and peace and He commanded His followers to do the same. That day, Jesus'
supporters were expecting Him to wage war against Rome and take on an earthly crown. Instead
Jesus paused His entry (Luke 19:41-44) and began to weep.
Jesus said: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. If someone smites you on
the cheek, turn to him the other also.” Those who had missed the nitty-gritty of His ministry must
have thought, “Well, those are beautiful words, but surely He doesn't mean Rome? He doesn't
expect us to love Rome? Only a lunatic would command you to love Rome. We can't love Rome!”
But that is exactly what He was saying: “Love even Rome – because Rome with her mighty army
has seen the power of the sword. But Rome has not seen the power of love. Show them love!”
The nation of Israel had the opportunity to show Rome something new and different. But because
they didn't understand Jesus, He wept over them; He knew the opportunity would be taken away
and they would never have it again.
As sad and uncomfortable as the events of the following days are to those who love Him, they hold
a mysterious beauty. At Jesus' death He offered His body and blood in exchange for the sticks and
stones of the sinner. Remember we could never have the joy and blessing of Easter until we
experience the awful splinters of the cross.
DeColores!
Vikki McVay
2 Issue [#]: [Issue Date] Women's Walk 21 When I ran into Pat Duncan in May of 2011, and she asked me to be Lay Director for Women’s Walk#21, I said there was no way I could do it. Well, God has proven that He definitely equips those He calls, because there W AS no way I could do it, but He could do it through me, if I let Him. I have grown so m uch in my walk with Him as a result of trusting Him and saying yes. It was obvious that God had His hand on the Walk, the Team, and the Pilgrims from day 1. First of all, He blessed me with the most amazing team! We were under attack from the beginning, and the Walks almost didn't happen because of one obstacle after another. But God was bigger than all of that! Because of the fervent prayers of this Community, the W alks went on, and we could feel the presence of the Spirit in every aspect from start to finish! When I prayed about what scripture to use for the front of the manuals, the one God gave me was one of my favorites…”Yet this I call to m ind and therefore I have HOPE: because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” (Lam 3:21-­‐
23) I wanted the picture for the front to connect somehow to this scripture, and God took me to a picture of a sunrise that I had recently taken on a trip to Myrtle Beach. Amazingly, the theme of “HOPE” seemed to be the thread that ran through the Walk…with the team, the pilgrims, the talks, and even with me. I had no way of knowing that at the time, b ut God knew. He is bigger than all our fears, doubts, and disappointments. He is truly the God of HOPE. There is no way I can express what being the LD for this Walk has meant to me…I am forever changed. Thank you, GFWTE Community for all your prayers and support. It could never have happened without all of you! Monica Goodspeed Lay Director, Walk #21 You Are -­‐-­‐ "Welcome" As I have contemplated the writing of this note of welcome I have been musing about exactly what that means. The word “Welcome” is often heard as a salutation that indicates that a person is happily received. It also is used to say that the giver of a gift was glad to be been able to give. I believe that we as a Board do send this greeting with our hearts full of joy that your heard the call of our Father and responded to that call to be with Him during your recent weekend walk. We are also very glad to have been a small part in helping to have you receive the gift. The community of the Georgia Foothills Walk to Emmaus is delighted that you have joined each of us on our path. One of the evidences of your weekend time with God is that indeed the applications of those special moments await you in this world, which by now I know you have found just as you left it on Thursday afternoon. We as your community have come along side you in your life’s walk in prayer and support and we will remain. Please daily continue to seek to recognize our RISEN SAVIOR in each of your fourth days. Please know that you are “Welcome, Indeed.” Be Greatly Blessed, Pat Duncan, Community Lay Director 3 Issue [#]: [Issue Date] Men's Walk 21 All I can say is Wow! What an awesome Walk we had in the company of our Lord. From the very beginning the prayers of this faithful community were evident, and the presence of the Holy Spirit was undeniable. No matter how many obstacles were put in place, God was there with a solution even before we were aware that there was a concern. God was working to build his All Star team of servants to perfectly meet the needs of the Pilgrims that he was calling right up until the day before the Walk. The Pilgrims and Team were served meals and provided with loving examples of Agape love throughout the weekend, and every concern and need was met instantly and with the loving smile and caring heart of one of God’s wonderful servants. The Pilgrims seemed to arrive in an attitude of surrender and worship from the very first night, and that atmosphere just continued to build and deepen throughout the weekend. Though our numbers were fewer than normal, you would never have known it to hear them sing! The sheer joy of listening to those men sing in earnest praise to our Lord and Savior was so moving, I found myself standing in awe of their voices thinking that this is what the angelic choirs (at least the bass and tenor sections) must sound like. Their enthusiasm with the Chicken song and the way they approached the Chicken dance with total abandon from the very first day definitely said……they were hungry and willing to look silly to eat. We even had the opportunity to chase a few rabbits over the weekend! Throughout the 15 talks there was a theme of openness and willingness to share that was truly amazing to watch as a group of strangers became closer than a family with a group dynamic of acceptance and forgiveness by the team and pilgrims alike. It was mentioned by one of the team early in the weekend that God had provided a P ilgrim for every talk and a talk for every Pilgrim, but he also provided just the right faithful vessels to deliver each of those messages in an open and very “real” way. As usual many of the Pilgrims (and team) did not want to leave by Sunday afternoon, but God has a plan and purpose for each and every one of them in their Fourth Days, and he will use them in mighty and powerful ways as they return to their homes and communities recharged, rejuvenated, and renewed in the Spirit. It was an unbelievable honor, privilege, and blessing to serve as a member of this W alk 21 team, and I want to thank everyone in this community for their loving support throughout the preparation and the weekend. I would like to thank each area for their service and commitment to these Pilgrims. The Conference Room Team for their commitment and organization to ensure that the weekend flow was flawless. The Music Team for leading us in wonderful praise and worship. The Room Servants for making our cabins feel like home. The Agape Team for providing such wonderful snacks, and making sure that we wanted for nothing. The Chapel Team for doing such a wonderful job of creating an atmosphere of worship and praise. The Kitchen for their loving service, fun loving demeanor, and smiling faces, and the Support Coordinators for their attention to detail to ensure every area had what they needed throughout the weekend. I was able to learn again what it means to be an obedient servant following God’s will and plan, and once he got me out of his way, what an awesome show he put on! I can’t wait to see what he has in store for Walk 22! DeColores, Tom Frier Calling all Reunion Groups! Tell us who you are! New Community members want to know where to find a Reunion Group. Please tell us your Group's name, congregations represented, meeting place and time, and contact information. You may send this to Ed Dickens at [email protected]. 4 Issue [#]: Issue DCate] The W[ork ontinues.... Attention Pilgrims and Team from Walks 20 & 21 Come to 4DC 4th Day Crossroad is a time of fellowship as we break bread together and have the opportunity to explore Sponsorship and Team Service in preparation for our roles as members of Georgia Foothills W alk to Emmaus. It provides an opportunity to ask questions, find out m ore about what takes place behind the scenes to make a W alk "happen,"and allos you to fulfill the charge to be an informed member of the Emmaus movement. Board of Directors
Pat Duncan ('13)
Chair/Lay Director
Charlie Green (Clergy '13)
Community Spiritual Director
Tom Frier ('12)
Ut Sed Est Music/72 Prayer Vigil
Judy Harrison ('12)
Registrar/Prayer Ministry
4DC will be Saturday, April 21 at 6:30 p.m. at Gainesville First UMC! The board recommends that you join us for 4DC before you sponsor or work a Team. If you can attend, please RSVP by e-­‐mail to [email protected] or call 706-­‐973-­‐9924 so we can plan on enough food for the meal! Bruce Townsend ('12)
Kitchen Coordinator
DeColores, John Bisson ('13)
Ed Dickens (Clergy '12)
Communications
Treasurer
Pastor David Bost Is your church in our directory? Go to http://www.gfwte.com and pull down the Resources & Links menu. If your church is not on the list, send the information to Ed Dickens at [email protected]. Glenda Bullard ('13)
Gathering Coordinator
Tom Jackson '13)
Set Up/Take Down
Mark Walls ('13)
Team Selection
Successful Behind-the-Scenes Cleanup
David Bost (Clergy '13)
Following these past Walks #21 I MUST thank the Walk #21 Team,
the volunteers and the GFWTE Community for all their help in the
set-up and take-down. It could only have been a little better had I
remembered the cross from the cross ceremony and all the
decorations from the prayer room (out-of-site, out-of-mind) at the
end of take-down. I was so (1) physically tired, (2) excited about
how well things were going, and (3) giddy about finishing with the
chapel (the last "stuff" to be loaded) I simply forgot. Still in all, I
managed to make it home afterwards three hours earlier than last
fall!!! Now plans and preparations begin for Walks #22 so mark
your calendars. I would especially love to have all the Walkers, or
Emmaens, or ex-Pilgrims from Walk #21 to come and join us for
set-up and take-down then. See a little of what goes on "behind the
scenes." Thanks again GFWTE!
Tom Jackson
Training
Maecenas purus Vikki McVay (Clergy '13)
Historian
Keith Futch ('14)
Agape Coordinator
Ragin Hause ('14)
Send-Off/ Candlelight/
Closing/Sponsor's Hour
Robert Mayo ('14)
Literature/Chrysalis
Clair McDonald ('14)
Secretary
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