Pilgrims for Emmaus Walks

Lay Director – Ricky Long

Pilgrim                                    Home Town                 Sponsor

Clay Dyess                            Columbia                     Paige Dyess

Larry Gamblin                       Gulfport                       Elijah Mitchell

Jeremy Gill                             Wiggins                       Heath Williams

John Jacobs                            Ocean Springs             Elijah Mitchell

Fred Lambert                         Tylertown                    Jim Johnson

Jamey May                           Tylertown                    Jimmy May

Raymond Saucier                   Columbia                     James Fulcher

Elvis Smith                             Columbia                     Rita Smith

Howard Williams                   Columbia                     James Fulcher

Justin Foster                          Meadville                    Ricky Long

To the South MS Emmaus Community:

I want to welcome all of our new members, the pilgrims who attended recent Walks, and those that have recently moved into our area and have become involved in our Emmaus Community.  May God continue to bless each of you and remain present in your 4^th days.

Our Emmaus Community continues to grow and reach new people, and for that I am grateful to our Father.  Many of you have volunteered to work our upcoming Walks, which is a huge commitment, but one that is filled with love, friendship, and blessings.  For me, spending 72 hours with friends who have chosen to spend their time, energy, and money to serve our Lord so that someone they may not ever meet can experience God’s Love speaks volumes about the South MS Emmaus Community.

But our Community is so much more then those people who “work the walks”.  Our Community is made up of many different people who do what they can to serve the Lord.  Some are prayer warriors, some are cooks (who make all the great snacks), some are actors (who perform in the skits), some offer an ear to listen to a talk being prepared by a speaker, some attend the community gatherings, and some sponsor pilgrims.

God has given all of us talents and gifts.  The South Ms Emmaus Community is a very special place to express those talents and gifts . . . and to discover new ones.  When it is done in honor of our Lord it will be Blessed and we will be Blessed. 

So as we prepare for the 2010 Walks, I want to encourage each of you to serve the Lord in ways that you may have never thought you could have served Him.  Maybe it is agreeing to work a committee that you didn’t think you were talented enough for, or give that talk which you do not feel qualified to give, or simply committing to pray like never before that the pilgrims of 2010 will experience God’s Love in ways we could never imagine.

We can do all things though our Lord, we just need Faith.  So my prayer for each of you is that you will open your mind, heart, and soul to listen to our Lord.  Learn what new talents and gifts God has in store for you over the new year.  Use those gifts to serve Him.

In His Name,

Nicole Lampton

As we turn our attention to the year of our Lord 2010, there is change in the air, and change can certainly be a good thing. That is, in fact, a major component of our Christian walk, being changed by the Love and Grace of God as we seek His will in our lives. As the South Mississippi Emmaus Community moves into 2010 we do so with a new Community Spiritual Director. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve you in that capacity for the last two years. I have seen the Community grow in size and experience as God has blessed our efforts. Your new Community Spiritual Director is Rev. Bill Sanford. You are blessed to have his dedication and leadership.

While I will no longer the Community Spiritual trust that I will still be active in the community. In fact, I am the Spiritual Director for Walk 16, and am looking forward to seeing God in action on that walk. Know that all of you remain in my prayers. Know that God will surely continue to bless you faithful efforts to follow His will and serve each other. You are a part of a great Community, one destined to grow.

As always I encourage each of you to continue to support the walks, whether or not you are sponsoring a pilgrim. It is easy to decide not to put forth the effort, but it is a bigger blessing to take the time to go to Candlelight and Closing. And don’t forget to keep both upcoming walks in your prayers. Servants will serve, lives will be transformed, brokenness will be mended, sickness will be healed, and our Lord and Savior will be glorified.

Grace and Peace,

Roger Puhr

Greetings to everyone in the South Mississippi Emmaus Community.  My prayer is for SMWTE to join God in his work in the year 2010.  Four Walks are scheduled & team formation is well under way. 

Economic times have been better . . . innumerable charities---all worthy---ask for financial support daily.  Most of us must prioritize our charitable giving.  Prayerfully it is hoped you will feel moved to support your Emmaus Community financially.  SMWTE is classified as a 501(c)3 organization by the IRS & is tax exempt.  All your donations will be tax deductible.  Our sole purpose is to present a short course in Christianity & in so doing raise up & strengthen local church leaders.  All funds are dispersed to that end.  As God would move you in a step of faith, please consider supporting South Ms. Emmaus this year. 

One may consider honoring a loved one with a contribution or a memorable may be given in a loved one`s name. 

Contributions can be made to Emmaus through:

               Jim Johnson, Special Asst. to Treas.

                92 Claude Smith Road

                Tylertown MS 39667

 IHS

Bo Gabbert/Board Treasurer

Dear Sisters/Brothers in Christ,

We have been studying “Who God Is” during our weekly Sunday sermons and our pastor gave us one today that was certainly meant for me.  He went on to say that first, we must find out who God is.  We know that God is and was before the foundation of the world and this morning we read the scripture Hebrews 1:1-3 which states “…Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his (God’s) being sustaining all things by his powerful word….” NIV    We know that the Emmaus 72-hour event is ‘re-presenting’ Christ in a new way to some.  Others, it is a renewal and refreshing of getting to know our God.  We only have to study the life of Jesus in the gospels to know the Father.

Our pastor went on to share an astonishing statistic which is the New Testament speaks of Jesus as Savior 24 times, but mentions him 655 times as Lord.  Therefore, we can assume that God must desire a relationship with his creations at least 27:1 ratio.  Isn’t that an AWESOME thing, that our God would desire a relationship with us?   

God’s SMWE #16 team has been selected and we are praying and preparing for His visit during the Walk.  I must ask the community to bathe us in prayer as well since the pilgrims are on a journey that is unlike any other they travel; remembering that we all were pilgrims once and someone prayed for us. 

With great anticipation, I am humbled by serving as the next Lay Director for Walk #16.  I know that the Lord has great things in store for God’s choice of pilgrims.  By the way, we always need pilgrims and I look forward to creating a waiting list. 

Tina Wilson