Green Country Walk to Emmaus

The Walk to Emmaus is a spiritual renewal program intended to strengthen the local church through the development of Christian disciples and leaders. The program's approach seriously considers the model of Christ's servanthood and encourages Christ's disciples to act in ways appropriate to being "a servant of all."

The Walk to Emmaus experience begins with a 72-hour short course in Christianity, comprised of fifteen talks by lay and clergy on the themes of God's grace, disciplines of Christian discipleship, and what it means to be the church. The course is wrapped in prayer and meditation, special times of worship and daily celebration of Holy Communion. The "Emmaus community," made up of those who have attended an Emmaus weekend, support the 72-hour experience with a prayer vigil, by preparing and serving meals, and other acts of love and self-giving. The Emmaus Walk typically begins Thursday evening and concludes Sunday evening. Men and women attend separate weekends.

During and after the three days, Emmaus leaders encourage participants to meet regularly in small groups. The members of the small groups challenge and support one another in faithful living. Participants seek to Christianize their environments of family, job, and community through the ministry of their congregations. The three-day Emmaus experience and follow-up groups strengthen and renew Christian people as disciples of Jesus Christ and as active members of the body of Christ in mission to the world.  --- from What Is Emmaus?  ©The Upper Room.

The walk to Emmaus is an adaptation of the Roman Catholic Cursillo (pronounced cur-SEE-o) Movement, which originated in Spain in 1949.  Cursillo de Cristianidad means "little course in Christianity."  The original Cursillo leaders designed the program to empower persons to transform their living and working environments into Christian environments.  During the 1960's and 1970's, the Episcopalians and Lutherans, along with several non-denomination groups, such as Tres Dias, began to offer Cursillo.  In 1978, The Upper Room of the General Board of Discipleship adapted the program for a primarily Protestant audience and began to offer it under the name The Upper Room Cursillo.  In 1981, The Upper Room made further adaptations and changed the name of the program to The Upper Room Walk to Emmaus.  In 1984, The Upper Room developed a youth expression of Emmaus called Chrysalis.

The above story provides the image for Emmaus, an Upper Room program that calls forth and renews Christian Discipleship.  Like its predecessor, Cursillo de Christiandad (Spanish for "short course in Christianity"), the Walk to Emmaus is a three-day experience which takes a New Testament look at Christianity as a lifestyle.  It is a highly structured weekend designed to strengthen and renew the faith of Christian people, and through them, their families, congregations and the world in which they live.  Emmaus is a combined effort of laity and clergy toward the renewal of the church.

The Walk to Emmaus is grounded theologically and institutionally in The Upper Room ministry unit of the General Board of Discipleship of the United Methodist Church.   However, The Walk to Emmaus is ecumenical.  This program invites and involves the participation of Christians of many denominations.  Emmaus in ecumenical -- not only because members of many denominations participate, but because Emmaus seeks to foster Christian unity and to reinforce the whole Christian community.  This is one of the great strengths and joys of the Emmaus movement.  The fact that Emmaus is ecumenical does not mean it is theologically indifferent.  On the contrary, The Walk of Emmaus is designed to communicate with confidence and depth, the essentials of the Christian life, while accentuating those features that Christians have traditionally held in common.  The Upper Room Walk to Emmaus is a tightly designed event that is conducted with discipline according to a manual that is universally standard.  Emmaus is offered only with the permission and under the guidelines of The Upper Room.  This ensures a proven format and a common experience that should be trustworthy from weekend to weekend wherever Emmaus is being offered. Each community is administered locally through its local Board of Directors.  The program is administered globally through the International Emmaus office in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

Emmaus is for the development of Christian leaders who:

• Wish to strengthen their spiritual lives  
• May have unanswered questions about prayer, study, and sharing their faith
• Understand that being a Christian involves responsibility
• Are willing to dedicate their everyday life to God in an ongoing manner
• Have positions of responsibility in the church and in the world

Emmaus is open to members of any denomination.

The Green Country Walk to Emmaus community is one of many communities across the United States and internationally.   Local Emmaus communities enter into a Covenant letter agreement each year with The Upper Room International Walk to Emmaus/Chrysalis Office.  By entering into this Covenant letter agreement, our community agrees to conduct our Emmaus program in accordance with the Upper Room Emmaus materials and to have an elected local governing body that will conduct its business in accordance with the Emmaus/Chrysalis Office guidelines and in a manner that honors Christ and His church.  

The Green County Walk to Emmaus community was formed in 1983 and held Walk #1 on October 6-9, 1983 and Walk #2 on October 20-23, 1983 at Christ United Methodist Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma.   Since 1983, a minimum of 2 sets of weekends per year have been held with over 5,000 people participating.  

The Green Country Board of Directors is the local body that governs the Green Country Emmaus community and oversees the walk weekends.   The slate of the current Board of Directors can be found on our website as well as an historical list of Board members that have served the Green Country community.

To get involved in Emmaus, you must be sponsored by someone who has already attended Emmaus.   If you don't know anyone who has been to Emmaus, use the Emmaus Finder & Community Map to locate an Emmaus community in your area. You may search for an Emmaus community by name or location. Once you have found a nearby community, contact one of the community's representatives and ask him or her to help you consider attending Emmaus and finding a sponsor.

First of all, welcome to the Green Country Walk to Emmaus community! We are glad you have found us on the web.    Our community holds monthly gatherings on the 2nd Saturday of each month. Our gatherings are held at local churches and begin with fellowship and snacks at 7:00 pm and worship beginning at 7:30 pm. This is a great place to meet new friends and find out more information about our community.

A monthly gathering is an opportunity for our community to gather for worship, communion and fellowship.  A typical format for our Green Country gatherings is to begin at 7:00 with fellowship and snacks and then move into the sanctuary or chapel for praise and worship, announcements, a 4th Day testimony, a meditation from clergy, and the sharing of Holy Communion. 

The Upper Room Handbook on Emmaus, Chapter 13, sets forth the objectives of a regular monthly gathering:  1) make visible the Christian community – persons of various churches and denominations who are united in pursuing transformation in the calling of “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (Eph. 4:5); 2) to encourage one another to continue our walk with the Lord and to persevere in grace through the practice of piety, study, and action; through membership in a group reunion; and through active participation in one’s own church; 3) to inspire one another to make profound changes in our own lives and in the environments in which we live; 4) to maintain relationships with other Emmaus pilgrims in order to build a vital community of persons to support future Walk to Emmaus weekends; and 5) to educate the Emmaus community in the Walk to Emmaus movements, weekends, and method for living in the Fourth Day  (excerpt from The Upper Room Handbook on Emmaus, Chapter 13).

Regular monthly gatherings (months in which a Walk is not taking place) of the Green Country Walk to Emmaus community are open to all members of the Emmaus community and their guests. Candlelight gatherings are closed events and limited to the Emmaus community and those who are previously attended a Walk to Emmaus, Chrysalis, Cursillo or other 4 Day weekend.

The minimum age to attend a Walk to Emmaus weekend is 18 years of age and they must have completed high school.

The Board of Directors signs an agreement with the Upper Room to follow faithfully the guidelines as published in the Handbook on Emmaus.   The Handbook states:  "Boards will ensure that no part of the 72-hour experience will be videotaped, electronically recorded, photographed, digitally recorded, or tape recorded. Talks will not be broadcast outside the conference room, electronically transmitted, videotaped, or photographed."  Due to the confidentiality pledged to the pilgrims, the only picture that is allowed is the conference room picture that is taken on Friday and distributed to the conference room members only.    In contrast, community-wide fellowship events may be photographed from time to time for newsletter and promotional purposes and these types of photos are not prohibited.

Contact the Literature board member under the Board of Directors on this website.

Contact the Registrar under the Board of Directors on this website. or complete the online request form by clicking here.  The replacement cost for a Name Tag is $7.50.

Contact the Registrar under the Board of Directors on this website.   The replacement cost for a cross is $7.00.  The lanyards are lovingly made by a Reunion Group and there is no cost for the lanyard.

Contact the Registrar under the Board of Directors on this website. The Walk # buttons are lovingly made by a Reunion Group and there is no cost.

I’d like to work behind the scenes during a weekend.  Am I obligated to stay at the church and sleep there for the entire duration of the walk?   Which volunteer positions stay at the church the entire duration? 

Great news that you’d like to work behind the scenes!   Traditionally, the only volunteers that stay the entire weekend and sleep at the church are the Lead Team Assistants. If there are available sleeping rooms and air mattresses, the Kitchen Manager, Dining Room Manager and those who may have a long distance to travel, are welcome to stay overnight.  

I’d like to make some table agape.   How many pieces do I make?   Where do I deliver it?   Can I put my name on it?  

For each set of walks, 65 pieces of identical agape is needed.   Agape can be taken to the Dining Room during the walk weekend.   Table agape is an expression of unconditional love; therefore, personal names are not attached, although Reunion Group or church names are acceptable.

Click Here to View Sponsorship Information

What happens if I have an emergency back home? Will I be notified and, if so, how?  You will receive a confirmation letter from the Registrar confirming your acceptance on a Green Country Walk to Emmaus weekend.  That letter will have the phone number for the church where the Walk will be held as well as the Registrar’s phone number.  You should provide these phone numbers to your family so that you can be reached in the event of an emergency.     If an emergency arises, your family should contact your Sponsor who will then make the appropriate contacts.

I have medication which I need to take at certain times of the day.  How will that be handled?   While you are invited entering into an Emmaus weekend to “leave the world behind for 72-hours,” we realize that there are certain things, such as taking medications, which require keeping track of time or looking at a watch or timepiece.  During the Walk registration process on Thursday evening, you may relay any information regarding the timing of medications to the lay director.   They will ensure that you are notified of the proper time in order that you may take your medication.

What if I forget something at home or need an extra blanket, etc.?    If you forget something for a weekend, notify the assistant lay directors for the weekend and they will contact your Sponsor so that arrangements can be made to receive any forgotten items.

Can I take some of my favorite foods/snacks with me?  Emmaus is known for its good food and snacks.   You will not need to bring food to the weekend.  You can let your Sponsor know if there is a favorite snack you’d like to have on the weekend. 

Because of my age and health issues, will I be able to rest?  Can I leave if I need to and return before the weekend is concluded?  The 72-hour Walk to Emmaus is a highly structured weekend with rest breaks built into each day of the schedule, with the exception of Sunday.     You should discuss any concerns with your Sponsor who can help you determine whether the 3-Day schedule is workable for you.   You would not be allowed to return home mid-point through the 3-Day schedule and then return to complete the weekend.

What type of clothing do I take - business casual or casual/comfortable?   Casual and comfortable clothing is suggested.