A Light Shining
News from the Ashland Area Emmaus Community
December 2011
A Note from our Community Lay Director
Dear Friends;
December
Gathering
The next
Gathering will be
December 16
at First
United Methodist
Church
Ashland, KY
6:30
Potluck Dinner
7:30
Worship
The Fourth Day
Speaker will be
Martha Rice.
Child Care is
provided for
Worship. Please
invite your family
and friends.
Gatherings are open
to all.
It seems like just a few weeks ago that I was writing my first Newsletter
Note as Community Lay Director, and now it is December, and I am writing
my last one.
My January note was based on a quote by Garrison Keillor “Be well, do
good work, keep in touch.” It is how he signs off his daily program on
Public Radio called The Writer’s Almanac. I find it is how I want to “sign
off” as well, because it expresses my prayers for this community.
I pray that you will be well. This is a wonderful community, alive with
Christians from across the Tri-state area. I pray that you will do all you can
to keep it that way. Make a special and intentional effort to involve new
community members in the Emmaus ministry. Listen for the leading of
God. I pray you will continue to support the Board of Directors, the
Community Lay Director and the Community Spiritual Director as you have
been doing. I know that each of you have been a blessing to me this past
year.
I pray that you will do good work. Lives are always touched and
transformed through the Walk to Emmaus. If you are asked to serve on a
team, I hope you will give it prayer consideration. And remember also, that
the good work of the Emmuas Community is not just the Walks – it is the
time between the walks, when leadership skills are honed and developed.
I pray that you will keep in touch – with each other and with God. Read the
newsletters, pray for those lifted in email prayer concerns, pray for the
community, the pilgrims, the teams and the Board of Directors. Keep in
touch with God.
Most of all I want to thank you for this wonderful opportunity I have had to
serve this past year as Community Lay Director. I have been so blessed to
have had this chance to serve. Thank you for your prayers, your service,
your kindnesses, and your laughter.
Be well, do good work and keep in touch. God loves you, and so do I.
The January
Gathering will
be held on
January 20.
De Colores,
Kim Matthews
Community Lay Director
September Financial Report
Beginning Balance: $4,015.75
Income: $673.00
Expenses: $480.72
Ending Balance: $4,208.03
Snow Policy for
Gatherings
If the Ashland Independent
school district closes schools for
the day, then the Gathering is
cancelled.
October Financial Report
Board News
Beginning Balance: $4,208.03
Income: $3,631.00
Expenses: $2,221.69
Ending Balance: $5617.34
Your generosity, along with registration
fees from pilgrims, helped to fund the
publication and mailing of the September
and October newsletters, babysitting for
community events, walk expenses and
memorial gifts to remember community
members who have died.
Several members of the board are retiring at
the end of the year, having completed their
terms.
Teddy Cole
Melanie Herr
Randy Loschert
Janie Moore
(completing her term as
Past Community Lay Director)
Thank you to all of these board members for
their dedication and commitment.
At the last Gathering the Community elected
new Board members. Thank you for your
willingness to serve:
Rich Barber
Rick Estep
Dana Krofcheck
Sandy Ott
Rev. Susan Elkow
To add to your calendar…
January 20 – Gathering
February 17 – Gathering
March 16 – Gathering
April 19-22 – Men’s Walk #29 (Walk Lay
Director is Fred Herr)
May 3-6 – Women’s walk #35 (Walk Lay
Director is Teresa Kirkpatrick)
Those who have been elected to serve on the
board beginning in 2012 are invited to attend
the December Board meeting – held in the
library of First UMC, Ashland at 5:30,
December 16 (right before the Gathering).
Donna Barber will become Community Lay
Director and Rev. Dennis Strawn will become
Community Spiritual Director in January.
Please keep them in your prayers.
Prayer Concerns
Joy
Concern
Offered by
Linda Howard
David Bias
Concern
David Bias
Concern
Concern
Concern
Concern
Concern
Concern
Concern
Joy
Concern
Frank & Kym James
Teddy Cole
Bill & Sandy Ott
Kayla Roark
Linda Jarrell
Cindy Barker
Person (s)
Pat Nicholas (Elicia’s
mom)
Elicia Bias
Phil Alfrey
Olivia James
Rita Russell
Abbey Hamilton
Mark & Niccole
Franklin
Joe Allen
Teresa Russell’s family
Marsha (her sister)
Sheets family
Issue
Only two more quarters until she graduates!
Continued recovery following heart attack
That she tolerate her chemotherapy and that it
is successful
Quadruple bypass surgery
Just turned 21
Her dad died and her mother is in the hospital
Cervical Cancer
Relocating to Summerville, South Carolina
Bone cancer, also in his lungs
Lost 17 year old cousin in a car accident
Ovarian tumor was benign
Paul and his daughter (12) in car accident
Walk to Emmaus Lanyards
Are you interested in helping to knit the lanyards for the “Christ is Counting on you”
crosses? The ones pilgrims receive at the end of a walk? Instructions will be posted to the
website soon, but here is a supply list to get you started.
French Knitter – This is a tool used to create the lanyard. It is also known as a Knitty
Knobby or Spool Knitter. The Susan Bates Crystalites French Knitter (small version)
works well, and is available through Amazon, Hobby Lobby and A.C. Moore.
Yarn – Red Heart Classic, 950 Mexicana Color, worsted weight, 4 ply. Each skein makes
multiple lanyards.
Thank you to Anita Fitzpatrick who has agreed to coordinate Walk Supplies and will add
the crosses to the lanyards for the walks.
Author…Author…
Dan Heironimus had an article published in the Ashland Tribune at the end of November. You can read it at
this link: http://www.irontontribune.com/2011/11/27/thanksgiving-day-is-over-were-we-truly-thankful/
Ken Walker has co-authored a book with Steve Willis entitled “Winning the Food Fight.”
Keeping in touch
I have a question…
Remember, if your email address changes, let
the community know by emailing
[email protected]. We want to make sure
you continue to receive information from the
community.
If you move, please send your new address to
the above email address or mail it to AAEC at:
P.O. Box 293 Ashland, KY 41105-0293
To send a prayer request out to the Community,
email it to [email protected].
To visit the Ashland Area Emmaus Community
web site, go to www.ashlandemmaus.com
Upcoming Walk Information
Need an application for the upcoming
walks? The form is already uploaded on
the website – go to
www.ashlandemmaus.com.
Team selection and formation will begin
soon. If you are called and asked to serve
on a team, please give it thoughtful and
prayerful consideration. There are many
responsibilities and blessings of team
service!
For this month, let’s consider Fourth Day
Talks.
Question: What is the purpose of a Fourth
Day talk?
Answer: A Fourth Day talk is designed to
“re-answer” the two questions that all of us
responded to at the end of our original walks
– What did my walk mean to mean? What
have I done about it?
Question: How is the Fourth Day speaker
selected?
Answer: After prayer consideration, the
Community Lay Director asks the person she
or he feels that God is calling to speak to the
community to give the Fourth Day talk.
Question: What can I do to support the
ministry of the Fourth Day speaker?
Answer: I believe all of our Fourth Day
speakers would ask for your prayers during
their time of preparation and your presence
during the Gatherings. If something in the
talk touches your heart and your spirit, let
them know. Your affirmation will be an
encouragement to them.
Question: Only 10 or 12 people give a
Fourth Day talk each year. What does that
have to do with me?
Answer: We are all called to witness to the
presence of Christ in our lives, whether
during a Fourth Day talk at a Gathering or in
the grocery store. Our Fourth Days are full of
opportunities to speak of our experiences
with Christ. What is your story? How has
God touched your life? Know the answer and
be prepared to share it, even when you do
not expect to do so. God is calling all of us to
give our Fourth Day witness, in what we say
each day and in what we do.