From the Desk of the Lay Director – October 2015

Hello Community,

Frank McClelland2We, as a board, have been talking over the last few months about the state of our Community, and while there are a lot of good things going on we feel like it can be better…that we can do better at honoring God. Over the last couple of years or so we have had to cancel Walks and Chrysalis Journeys. We no longer have Chrysalis Flights because the interest was so low. We used to have 150 to 200 people at Community meetings.

Don’t misunderstand. It is not about the Walk to Emmaus by itself. The same conditions exist in many of our churches as well. Attendance is down in many churches and apathy and a lack of commitment seem to be “normal”. The main purpose of the Emmaus movement is to encourage and develop church leadership. The better we do with sponsorship, reunion group participation, discipleship, and most of all prayer, the better we can serve our churches and the people in them.

We are going to meet on Saturday, October 3rd, at 1:30 PM in the gym at Oakwood UMC, 2215 58th Street, Lubbock to discuss vision and action plans…and pray. This is not just for those on the Board of Directors. This is for anyone who is interested in seeing the Holy Spirit show up and guide us to what He has in mind for our community.

This meeting will take four or five hours and this won’t be the last one. Your prayers are needed. Your vision is needed. Your presence is needed. There will be more about this meeting at Community on October 1st.

De Colores,
Frank McLelland

From the Desk of the Lay Director – September 2015

Frank McClelland2Hello Everyone!

I hope and pray that you have had a great summer! The seasons are changing, school has started, football is about to start again. The only thing we can count on staying the same is our Lord. He doesn’t change. He loves each of us as much today as last week, or last month, or last year. That’s a very good thing.

We will have the September Community meeting at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church again. It will start on Thursday, September 3rd, right after Send-off for the Young Women’s Chrysalis Journey. Send-off will be at 6:45 or 7:00. Please bring food as always. Instead of eating together, we will share it with the caterpillars and team of the Journey. Don’t forget to come to Candlelight Saturday night at 8:00 at St. Joseph’s. If you have never experienced a Chrysalis Communion service, you will be blessed.

But that’s not all! There will be a Young Men’s Chrysalis Journey two weeks later starting September 17th. Come support them. They need caterpillars for both Journeys and it won’t cost them (or you if you sponsor any, unless you are lead to donate) anything.

But that’s not all! There is a Men’s Walk the week after that, starting September 24th. They also need pilgrims.

Please bless a young, college age woman or young, college age man or adult man by sponsoring them for a Chrysalis or Walk. Christ can change their life on that weekend!

But that’s not all! We were sent an email from a Community in Australia asking to help fill their prayer vigil slots. If you are led to do so, click on the link in the email below and you can sign up. When you think about it, it’s pretty cool to be praying with folks halfway around the world for Jesus to bless a group of pilgrims.

Dear Friends in Christ,

As Coordinators of the 72 Hour Prayer Vigil,  we are contacting you on behalf of the South East Queensland Chrysalis Community Girl’s Flight #61/Boy’s Flight #62 to be held from 25-27 September 2015.

At this stage we have many prayer slots available to be filled. Our time zone is GMT +10 hours. Could you please ask your Community to help us by inviting them to visit the The Prayer Vigil and it should pop up and you can select a time slot (the ones with the blue ‘sign-up’ box) and fill in the details.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us on smlarcombe@gmail.com
Thank you so much for your support. May God bless you greatly as you serve Him in this way.

De colores,
Paul, Stephanie and Damian Larcombe.
(Larcombe Family)

But that’s not all! Just kidding – that’s all. See you at Send-off!

De Colores,
Frank McLelland

From the Desk of the Lay Director – August 2015

Frank McClelland2Greetings Brothers and Sisters!

This is just a quick note to remind everyone that Women’s Walk #134 starts tomorrow night at Mercy Center.  Instead of the meal before Community, we are going to Send-off at 6:30 and then across the street to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church for Community at 7:00.  The food you were going to bring for the meal before Community will make great food agape for the Walk, so bring it anyway. 

Candlelight starts at 8:00 Saturday night at St. Joseph’s…let’s fill the place up!  Closing is at 4:00 Sunday afternoon.  Come here and see how the Lord shows up this weekend.

De Colores,

Frank McLelland

James 1:22  “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”

From the Desk of the Lay Director – July 2015

Frank McClelland2Hello to the Llano Community and others who might read our newsletter,

I hope and pray that you are well.  If you read or watch or listen to the news reports that we are bombarded with, you might want to just lay down and quit!  Don’t!  We have much to celebrate and be thankful for. 

First and foremost, Jesus is our Savior and He is alive and with us in the middle of all of this junk!  After that, it’s just details.  We celebrate the Fourth of July as our nation’s Independence Day and that still has meaning for many, as it should.  I pray for safety and joy if you are traveling this weekend.  Before you go, come to Community tonight.  We are going to celebrate and worship Jesus.

We should have a bunch of new babe chicks there from Women’s Walk #133.  I know we say this after every Walk and we shouldn’t be surprised, but God showed off at that Walk!  The testimonies of the pilgrims at Closing was proof.  Let’s show them how to celebrate in our Fourth Days.

Community will be held at Broadway Church of Christ.  The address is 1924 Broadway St., Lubbock.  We will start our time together by eating at 6:30 and then go into the sanctuary for worship and fellowship at 7:00.  I look forward to seeing you tonight.

De Colores,

Frank McLelland

“Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is our strength.”  Nehemiah 8:10

From the Desk of the Lay Director – June 2015

Hello Friends,

Frank McClelland2It is that time again. The June Community Gathering is just a few days away. Please come. You will enjoy good food, great worship, and fantastic fellowship…kinda like on a Walk. We will also pray over the team that is working on the June Women’s Walk, which starts June 18th.

Before I forget, I want to thank the folks from Aldersgate UMC for hosting us at the last minute last month. You guys always go above and beyond! Thank you! This month we will be meeting at Lubbock Dream Center/Talkington Life Center which is located at 1111 30th Street in Lubbock.

As we go about our extremely busy lives, let us try to remember how we were able to put the world aside for three days and attend a Walk to Emmaus. I can’t speak for anyone but myself when I say that those three days were some of the most important of my life. The Lord has an inexhaustible supply of love, grace, and mercy that He wants to bless your friend, your sister, your mother, your wife with. Let Him show Himself to your friend or family member on a Walk. There are still spaces available on the June Walk.

1 John 5:5 says, “Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

De Colores,
Frank