New Life News – November 2007
(A monthly publication of the New Life Emmaus Community)
FOOD FOR THOUGHT – Please forward items that you feel might be appropriate for this section to Rakbuck@flash.net . This month’s Food for Thought is titled and was sent in by Neil Bys.
The story goes that some time ago a mother punished her five year old daughter for wasting a roll of expensive gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and she became even more upset when the child used the gold paper
to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.
Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift box to her mother the next morning and then said, "This is for you, Momma."
The mother was embarrassed by her earlier over reaction, but her anger flared again when she opened the box and found it was empty. She spoke to her daughter in a harsh manner.
"Don't you know, young lady, when you give someone a present there's supposed to be something inside the package? She had tears in her eyes and said, "Oh, Momma, it's not empty! I blew kisses into it until it was full."
The mother was crushed. She fell on her knees and put her arms around her little girl, and she begged her forgiveness for her thoughtless anger.
An accident took the life of the child only a short time later, and it is told that the mother kept that gold box by her bed for all the years of her life.
Whenever she was discouraged or faced difficult problems she would open the box and take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.
In a very real sense, each of us, as human beings, have been given a Golden box filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family, friends. There is no more precious possession anyone could hold.
NEXT GATHERING - The November Gathering will take place at 7:00 pm this coming Tuesday, November 20th at Rolling Oaks Christian Church. Directions: The church is located at 1604 and Nacogdoches Rd (Behind Wal-Mart). Please join us as we welcome the new community members from Walk 1401 and as we elect our slate of officers for 2008.
2008 GATHERING SCHEDULE:
January 15 St Andrew's UMC, 7222 Robinhood, S.A., TX 78209 210-824-2465
February 19 Bracken UMC, 20377 FM 2252, Bracken, TX 78266 830-606-6717
March 18 Northern Hills UMC, 3703 N Loop 1604, SA TX
April 15 Universal City UMC, 90 Winn, Universal City, TX 78148 210-659-5555
May 20 New Braunfels 1st UMC, 572 W San Antonio St, New Braunfels, TX 78130 830-625-4513
June 17 Alamo UMC, 4071 Foster, SA, TX 78244 210-661-6265
July Joint Gathering: TBA
August 19 Schertz UMC 3460 Roy Richard Dr (3009), Schertz, TX 78154
September 16 New Hope UMC, 10155 Old Cimarron Tr, Converse, TX 78109 210-658-1220
October 21 Bethany UMC, 4102 Eisenhauer, SA, TX 78218 210-655-5473
November 18 Rolling Oaks Christian, 7150 Stahl Rd, SA, TX 78247 210-654-1744
December (no gathering scheduled)
If your church/community is interested in joining the New Life Emmaus community for Northeast San Antonio, please contact the Lay Leaders to be added to the 2008 listing.
LOCAL CHURCH GATHERINGS:
We are posting the day & date of local church gatherings in the newsletter to invite others to come. Please update this information by replying to this newsletter if your church changes/cancels your meeting.
Local Gatherings scheduled:
Alamo UMC: 2nd Sunday of every month, 12:15 pm, pot luck.
First UMC New Braunfels: 4th Tuesday of every month, 7 pm.
Northern Hills UMC: Last Monday of every month, 7 pm.
Schertz UMC: 1st Tuesday of every month, 7 pm.
St Andrew's UMC: Fridays, quarterly.
Universal City UMC: 1st Sunday, every even month 7 pm – Next Gathering will be in February.
2008 WALK SCHEDULE:
Walk# Dates Lay Director Site
1445W Jul 10 – Jul 13 Mary Robertson Mt Wesley
1468M Oct 16 – 19 Rick Bernhardt Mt Wesley
WALK NEWS:
Walk 1401 – Walk 1401 was indeed the best Walk ever. On behalf of all the members of Walk 1401 I want to thank all who supported us through your prayers, your presence, your gifts, your service, and your witness. We are the Body of Christ.
DeColores
Gary Belcher, Lay Director
Walk 1445 – Team selection for Walk 1445 will take place at our 13 January 2008 Board meeting.
If you would like to be part of this team, please submit your applications as soon as possible. I will be carrying applications for the purpose of developing the team. Help me make it the best walk ever for these pilgrims!
Mary Robertson, Lay Director
830-609-7665
EMMAUS LEADERSHIP TRAINING: – New Life sponsored Emmaus Leadership Training Date: Saturday, February 9, 2008, at 8 am, until 3:00. There will be training for Lay Directors, board representatives and clergy to attend at the First UMC New Braunfels, in the church Assembly room. Please make your reservations through the Emmaus website link, go to Emmaus and Chrysalis Leadership Training to sign up (at no cost).
PURPOSE: Training Lay Directors, Board Reps and Spiritual Directors Leadership teams for the Walks to Emmaus. The ELTS (Emmaus Leadership Training) is required for all incoming Lay Directors, Board Reps
and Spiritual Directors. Lay Directors and Board Reps need to attend training with in 15 months of serving; Spiritual Directors need to attend training at least once every 3 years. However ELT is open to anyone interested in learning more about Emmaus Leadership. This is a great time for the Lay Directors, Board Reps, and Spiritual Directors to develop effective Communication and Leadership skills. The outside support coordinators are invited to attend as well. Training will be conducted by the Southwest Texas Conference Emmaus Lay Director and Spiritual Director or their appointees. What to bring: purple worship book, cross, name tag, Director Manuals for the LD, SD and Board Rep. If you don't have your books you will be able to purchase them at the training.
FROM THE NEW LIFE LAY DIRECTORS: It is an HONOR to serve...
As we approach New Life elections, Lenny and I are also approaching a changing of the guard, and an end of our leadership roles as Lay Leaders. We are grateful for having this opportunity!
Being lay leaders AND being two basically shy people has become a time of growth for us. After our individual walks to Emmaus, it was time for something more. It has been a privilege to step up and step out
in helping our Emmaus Fourth Day Group community maintain integrity and share the good news that Christ has brought to us through this pathway. We have received the blessing of friendship and sharing - and the greatest of these, love.
There were times of ups and downs, such as the time at Bethany UMC, when I stood up to the podium and became like Gulliver when it reached to my knees. The mike was on when I said, “I feel like a giant up here!” I didn’t know Lenny had stepped up on the higher platform behind me to bounce up higher than me - no, I thought people were laughing at me...
I think the biggest draw for me in coming to a New Life gathering, in hearing the music, seeing familiar faces, meeting new people, welcoming new pilgrims, was the opportunity to stand and hold up the flashlight, or the candle, and to be there to light the way for others. My heart wants to shout, “Come see Jesus, he’s here!” And
even though we are withdrawing from Lay Leadership for our community, by no means are we “done”. We will see you at the next gathering!
Now is not the time shy away from God’s call on your heart. Step up, step out in faith!
With grateful hearts,
Mary and Lenny Robertson
Calling All Future Lay Directors: – The New Life Board will be tentatively be selecting our Lay Directors for 2009 early in 2008. Additionally we will start to chart out potential Lay Directors for 2010 and 2011. If you have expressed an interest in being a future Lay Director, even if you are not sure about 2009, please make sure you get your Lay Director interest form turned in to our Board Rep no later than the end of January 2008. Forms can be downloaded from the New Life WEB Site at http://www.gbgm-umc.org/newlife-sanantonio/forms.htm
PRAYER REQUESTS – In order to provide timely response in this area, we request that you forward any prayer requests that you have by “reply” to this letter. Those requests will be sent out VIA immediate distribution to all members of the New Life e-mail chain. Please be in prayer for Ron and Barb Briney's great niece Caroline (2 years old)who was hit by a car and air lifted to S.A. Please keep her and her family and the doctors in your prayers. Her mother Jennifer was driving the car. Also Jeannine Bryant will have a heart cath procedure on Monday, November 19 at the N.E. Methodist Hospital at 5:30 A.M. Please keep Jeannine and her doctor - Dr. Keise in your prayers. Ben Freidel, FUMC, New Braunfels
PRAYER VIGILS – If you are a Prayer Vigil coordinator for your local church, don’t hesitate to reply to this email if you are having trouble filling your requests. We’ll put out an e-mail alert and get them filled ASAP.
NEW LIFE WEB SITE – Check it out at http://www.gbgm-umc.org/newlife-sanantonio .
CLOSING THOUGHTS – “Emmaus Walk” – written by Tiffany Niemietz who attended Walk 1007 and sent in by Larry Kinzie
Will I walk all weekend? My sponsor laughed at me then with a grin
made me wonder what he was holding in.
He asked for my watch I’d be lost you see
How would I know if it was one or three?
I soon was given a bracelet of beads
I laughed at this but I soon learned to read.
Enjoy your new life as he drove away
I immediately decided I could not stay.
His car disappeared and my heart sunk again
For there went my dear friend.
I knew no one there
You can’t imagine my despair.
What’s that! From across the room
A familiar face I could feel my heart race.
My thoughts, I’ll sit with my friend
But oh no they gave me a new best friend.
In a few minutes time we had to learn
What would take a few weeks to get to know.
And share what we had learned
With the rest of the room.
We left the chapel without a word
Our voices they said should not be heard.
Imagine forty two women with no voice
And it wasn’t even our choice.
I silently crawled into my bed
Wondering what time it was in my head.
The days that followed were filled with joy
I laughed so hard and it had just begun.
I ate my fill each and every day
I gained 10 lbs to my dismay.
What fun I had listening to the talks they had
With no idea I’d have to put it in a skit.
I still smile at some of the antics
We saw and heard.
Candlelight made my heart race
Seeing that first glowing face.
Angels faces smiling and staring at me
I soon realized they were friends to me.
The love that night filled the room
I just knew I’d see God real soon.
What an awesome night I had met
You see my life had been reset.
No walk was better (well maybe Heaven)
Then my walk # 1007