Care Bexar Emmaus Community Leadership Information

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The original Cursillo movement was started by lay people. To this day, the various Cursillo programs, including Emmaus, are organized and run by lay people. Ordained clergy serve in giving spiritual direction but organization and administration is by volunteers from participating congregations. These offices expire May 31st of the year indicated. Descriptions of each position may be found below the chart. Terms expire May 31 of the year indicated

Lay Director  - Walter Prescher (Abiding Presence Lutheran Church)
The term of the lay director is a minimum of one year.  The lay director would normally have served as assistant lay director prior to their term as lay director.
Duties:  Preside at the Care Bexar Emmaus Fourth Day Group (FDG) gatherings and attend the semiannual San Antonio Joint Emmaus gatherings. Arrange for Assistant lay director to preside if unable to attend.   Relay to the Care Bexar FDG any news from the SWTX Conference and Upper Room Emmaus that impact the community.  Oversee the various officer/committee functions. Coordinate other activities as follows:

• Arrange for monthly Care Bexar gatherings at various churches in the community prior to the end of the calendar year
• Coordinate with the monthly host church Emmaus community at least one month in advance of the meeting.  That the host church is to provide Communion Elements, Fourth Day speaker, and refreshments at the gatherings.  Request several tables be set up for Agape and Prayer Vigil Letters.  If local church Emmaus community cannot provide music inform Care Bexar FDG music coordinator as soon as possible.
• Conduct Care Bexar Emmaus Officer meetings as needed.  One meeting that must be held is establishing officer nomination procedures for upcoming terms (suggest meeting be held in March to set up nomination schedule/procedures.)
• Member of Board of Directors that selects lay directors for Care Bexar FDG walks for the coming year
• Arrange with other San Antonio Emmaus FDG lay directors where and when joint meetings will be held.  Joint meetings, July and December, are usually held on the day the host FDG meets.  Currently, There are five active Emmaus communities in the San Antonio area, Care Bexar, Northwest, New Life, Blue Bonnet, and Brush Country.
• When taking office submit a list of the Care Bexar Board members, with addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses to the SWTX Emmaus Conference office and to the Upper Room Emmaus Office

Spiritual Directors - Rev. Glenn Alan Graham (Alamo Heights Christian)
The term of the spiritual director is a minimum of one year. The goal is to have three clergy identified for Spiritual Directors, one as the Fourth Day Group Spiritual Director and the other two as assistants.  One of the assistants would be identified as the Spiritual Director for the following year.
Duties: Provide spiritual direction for the Care Bexar Fourth Day Group.  Conduct the worship service at the monthly gatherings.  Arrange for substitute minister if unable to attend.  Other duties include:

• Attend meetings called by the Care Bexar FDG lay director

• Member of Board of Directors that selects lay directors for Care Bexar FDG walks for the coming year

• Member of the team selection committee.  (Board Rep will advise of time and place of team selection meetings)

• Conduct Candlelight Service at Care Bexar FDG walks if no other clergy is available

Assistant Lay Director - Lydia Ross (E.T. Dixon UMC)
The term of the assistant lay director is normally one year followed by a one year (minimum) term as lay director.
Duties:  Assist the lay director in duties as requested.  Preside, as lay director, when the current lay director is unable to attend a monthly meeting.   Attend monthly Care Bexar FDG gatherings.

• Member of Board of Directors that selects lay directors for Care Bexar FDG walks for the coming year

• The assistant lay director will act as recording secretary for the monthly gathering business meetings and for any called board meetings.

Emmaus Board Representative - Tom Troll (Bulverde UMC)
The term of the Emmaus Board Representative is three years.
Duties:  Member of the Southwest Texas Conference Emmaus Board.  Attends quarterly conference meetings.  Relays information back to the Care Bexar FDG of policy changes in the conference. Attend monthly Care Bexar FDG gatherings.  Other duties include:

• Submits requests to the SWTX Emmaus Conference for Care Bexar FDG walks and dates for the coming year

• Leads Board of Directors that selects lay directors for Care Bexar FDG walks for the coming year

• Heads the Team Selection Committee.  Advises other team selection members of team selection process.  Coordinates with team lay director(s) and team selection board members of time and place of meeting(s).

Treasurer - Sharon Garrison (Coker UMC)
The term of the treasurer is two years minimum.
Duties:   The treasurer will maintain the financial accounts of the Care Bexar Fourth Day Group and report the financial status of the Care Bexar FDG at the monthly meetings. Attend monthly Emmaus gatherings.  Other duties include:

• Deposit all funds collected for the Care Bexar Emmaus account

• Disperse funds as approved by the Care Bexar FDG such as scholarships for walk participants, operating expenses, or other approved request

• Submit FDG Financial report to SWTX Emmaus Conference annually

Team Selection - Lydia Ross (E.T. Dixon UMC), Glen Alan Graham (Alamo Heights Christian), Julie Mazel (Laurel Heights UMC), Sharon Garrison (Coker UMC), Sandy Prescher (Abiding Presence Lutheran Church), David Smith (Coker UMC),
The team is made up of the Board Rep, Spiritual Director, and at least six laypersons from the Care Bexar Fourth Day Group.  No more than one lay person from any one church.  The term of the team selection members will be three years.  Two members will be selected each year so that terms will overlap.
Duties:  Attend meetings as called by the Care Bexar Board Representative for the purpose of reviewing team members chosen by the walk lay director.  Each committee member is required to:

• Recommend individuals to the team Lay Director for consideration prior to the Team Selection meeting.

• Know their church Emmaus community very well and the overall Emmaus community to some degree so the team can fill in any vacancies that the team Lay Director may have.

• Insure the development of future lay directors by moving individuals through progressive team positions

Prayer Vigil Coordinator - Sandy Prescher (Abiding Presence Lutheran Church)
The term of the coordinator is recommended to be two years.
Duties:  Collect walk prayer vigil requests sent from other Emmaus communities and present them for signatures at the monthly Care Bexar Fourth Day Group meetings.  Ensure prayer vigil requests are returned in time for the walk. Attend monthly Emmaus gatherings.   

Agape Coordinator - John Kennell (Alamo Heights UMC)
The term of the agape coordinator is recommended to be two years.
Duties:  Solicit agape from other three day walk communities around the world for upcoming Care Bexar walks.  Package agape received for each Care Bexar FDG walk.  Provide agape from the Care Bexar FDG to various three-day walk communities around the world. Attend monthly Emmaus gatherings.

Kairos Coordinator - John Estes (Coker UMC)
The term of the Kairos coordinator is a minimum of one year.
Duties: Act as coordinator between the Kairos prison ministry and the Emmaus Care Bexar Fourth Day Group.  Request assistance for Kairos teams and weekends as needed. Attend monthly Emmaus gatherings.

Music Coordinator(s) - Richard Drady (Alamo Heights Christian), Joy Drady (Alamo Heights Christain)
The music coordinator is not an elected position and as such is of great value to the Care Bexar Fourth Day Group leadership.  A music team is an integral part of this ministry and serves a primary role in the worship service.
Duties: As needed, provides a music team for the monthly Care Bexar FDG meetings.  The host church of the Care Bexar FDG meeting will be given the opportunity to provide the music.  If they decline, the music team coordinator(s) will arrange for a music team at the service.

Chrysalis Board Representative -  Cheryl Focht (Coker UMC), Debra Foster (Bulverde UMC)
Chrysalis Youth Representative -  Justin Rocha (Coker UMC)
Chrysalis Team Selection -  <Vacant>
The requirements are three adults (over 25 years old) in rotating three-year terms and one youth (Under 21 years old) to serve as representatives to the San Antonio Chrysalis Board.  The term of the youth member will be one year. Additionally, one representative will serve on the Team Selection Committee for one year.
Duties: Represent the Care Bexar Fourth Day Group on the SWTX Conference Chrysalis board.  Participating in board decisions and participating in Chrysalis sanctioned events including training, flights, and hoots (gatherings).  Board members may be elected to offices such as those that make up the Care Bexar Emmaus board or serve on committees.

• Responsible for communicating with the Care Bexar Emmaus FDG with information regarding Chrysalis activities.

• Also responsible for providing the Chrysalis board with persons from the Care Bexar FDG who are interested in serving on flights. Attend monthly Emmaus gatherings.

Web Master - <Vacant>
The term of the web master is one year.
Duties:  Collect and post information on the Care Bexar Emmaus Community web site. Attend monthly Emmaus gatherings.

Updated August 1, 2007