From the Desk of the Lay Director – Sep 2016

Sheila Kirby“It’s beginning to rain, hear the voice of my father-
He’s saying who so ever will, come and drink of my water-
He’s promised to pour his spirit out, on your sons and your daughters-
If your thirsty and dry, look up to the sky, it’s beginning to rain!”

That old Christian song comes to mind on this beautiful end-of-summer day. I pray you’ve all had a great summer and now as it ends and it’s back-to-school time and for many back to Emmaus time, my prayer is you look up to the sky and take in the Father’s love for you. In John 4:14 Jesus said, “but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” That’s the verse I want to claim over our Llano Estacado Emmaus Community. As I listen to the rain on our roof, I know if we look to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and follow where HIS Spirit leads we’ll continue to prosper and grow.

Several met last year and put together a Top Level Improvement Priority plan for the Llano Estacado that the Board of Directors has approved and is fully dedicated to. Please forgive my longer letter this month but it’s important we communicate this plan to you.

The first priority is a process to teach, train and invite people to be active in small groups. You hear us constantly pushing reunion groups because we feel that a small group, whether a reunion group with our community or a small group at your church is very important. I love my reunion group and can’t begin to tell you how much it means to have a group to pray with and to be accountable to as we do life together. If you have not joined a group please do so right away. A list of reunion groups is available on the website at llanoemmaus.org or you may want to go back and reconnect with a couple of men or women from your Walk to Emmaus and start your own.

The second action is to develop a communication plan to increase awareness about the Llano Estacado Emmaus Community. It is our goal to have 12 full Emmaus Walks and 8 full Chrysalis’s a year. Is this a hefty goal, yes it is…is it obtainable you bet! It has been awesome to watch God at work over the past couple of years. Let’s not limit what HE can do. Our numbers have increased and if that trend continues we can look forward to meeting our goal.

The third action is to develop a process to communicate the vision and to support the Chrysalis Community. We can do this by being a part of Chrysalis, supporting them in all they do. These guys and gals are our future. The difficulties we see daily are multiplying and the next generation needs to be given the proper tools to face them with Jesus as their rock and their shield. What better way to do that than to have them experience HIS love and grace on a Chrysalis Weekend. If you feel called to support this very vital ministry please seek out Kim Smith or anyone on the Chrysalis Board to help you get plugged in.

So what can you do? Stay involved. This week on September 1, we meet in Slaton. Be at Mercy Center at 7:00 for send-off of the next Young Women’s Journey. Yvonne Alred and her team are excited to get started so please be there to help them kick it off. Following, at 7:15 we will meet at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church for our monthly Community gathering. Be back for Candlelight Saturday, September 3 at 8:00 and then again for closing Sunday, September 4 at 4:00 all at the church. On September 15, Greg Schilling’s Young Men’s Journey send-off is at 7:00 at Mercy Center with Candlelight at 8:00, September 17 and closing at 4:00 on September 18 both at St. Joseph’s.

Last but never least on September 30-October 2 Kairos Outside #12 will be happening with Kathy Stephenson’s leadership. Please come out and support the ladies on their weekend at the Walk-in-love ceremony on Saturday night on the Holy Spirit Patio of Mercy Center and on Sunday at the closing ceremony back on the patio. If you’ve never attended either of the Kairos Outside activities please do. You will never forget it and be as blessed by these beautiful women as you are by blessing them.

As I finish this long letter, still enjoying that pitter patter on our roof as Jesus shows his great love for us and our land, I pray you are blessed beyond measure and that I get to see you soon as we gather together for this month’s activities.

DeColores,
Sheila Kirby