Bi-Monthly Newsletter of the Nashville Emmaus Community May 2015

I have recently been helping my 96 year old mother transition into the Wellness section of her retirement center. It hasbeen a difficult time, but a rewarding one too. You see, my motherhas been in depression for the past year, trying to deal with theloss of her sister and another friend of 14 years within two weeksof each other. She lost her friends and her ability to continue onwithout them.

Our Emmaus community has been in transition, too. Asin life, we have gone through the peaks and valleys; Times of having full walks and gatherings, great attendance at send-offs,candlelight’s and closings. Then slowly going into times of smallerattendance at walks, gatherings and low attendance at the weekend events. We even had to cancel Walks.

Our time of loss.

We could have stayed in that place. But we didn’t!! Weare a strong and faithful board and community of believers!! Wetalked about what was wrong. We began looking and talkingabout what had gotten us to this place – the place of having tocancel Walks. We began looking at positive ways to help our community to become rejuvenated - to focus on these positivesand to make plans for more positive actions.

We are now turning to you.

We are working to get committees to help us with weekend responsibilities – kitchen, agape, set up, etc. We are forming a new committee that will be our Outreach into churches and our community and we will be asking for your help with these. We started Gatherings again with a new look andthe help of community members. We are becoming part of theEmmaus community, not just a board who helps put on

weekends. We know it is the working together that will help ourNashville Emmaus Community to become strong again as an active community.

My mother is coming back and going forth in her newarea. She has begun pulling out of her depression and starting tosocialize and enjoy her life again – going back to church and beingwith friends who missed her! She is enjoying her Fourth Day! Wetoo are growing into another rewarding time of our community:new signs of life and new growth with two successful Spring Walks,Gatherings expanding, Face to Face growing, Chrysalis rebuilding,and a renewed feeling of optimism looking to our future. Weformed our circle of friendships, we held hands and reached outside our circle to others, we began walking together and nowwe are enjoying our Fourth Day walk together moving forth!

Blessings and joy,

Edna

P.S. My mother experienced her Emmaus Walk at the age of 80 in Sidney Area Walk to Emmaus in Ohio.She said it was one of the best times inher life and she came off Walk andbegan a new way to let people knowthey are loved. Her greeting to everyone: “God loves you, and I love you and there is nothing you can do about it!” while shegives them a hug. She now continuing her “hug ministry”.

While they were talking and discussing,

Jesus himself came near and

began walking with them...

Luke 24:15

In This IssueEarworms ..........................................................................................2Meet Our Newest Members ...................................................3Our Community at Work .........................................................4A Plan, Support, and Tools .....................................................5Chrysalis ............................................................................................6Has Your Pastor Been on a Walk? .......................................6Board Members & Assignments...........................................7Upcoming Events .........................................................................7

Our Fourth Day/Forth Day

They bore. They burrow in. They attach themselvesinside your head. Earworms! At one time these were onlyinsects but now it is the term for those unrelenting tunesthat you can get out of your head. Songs like, “The LionSleeps Tonight,” the “Barney Song”, or one that once youhear it its stuck in your head forever, “It’s A Small WorldAfter All.” It is said that the only way to rid your mind ofthe infestation of these Earworms is to replace it with whatis called a “cleaner” song. New words and a fresh tune cancrowd out the old.

This brings to mind as we experienced the recentmen’s and women’s Emmaus walks that 4 times a year wehave Earworms that move into our head – the songs, “DeColores” (a song we know and love but can’t rememberthe words to) and “Jesus, Jesus”. These songs from theEmmaus walks become “cleaner songs” 4 times a year asthey move into our heads and clear out other songs forthe moment. For the new pilgrims who have just beenthrough their Emmaus walk and have now entered their“Fourth Day” they couldn’t have better “Earworm songs”in their heads. That is why it is so important to be presentfor Send Off, for Candlelight or to serve on a team becauseyou will have your head filled once again with these wonderful cleaner songs that help us focus on the manycolors of God’s Love and how much Jesus wants us toallow Him to just be present with us.

In fact you can use these cleaner songs (well atleast the Jesus, Jesus song) whenever you need yourthought-life cleaned. When lustful or vengeful thoughtscreep into our minds, reading and meditating on God’sWord can help clean up our thinking.

Jesus taught us to love the Lord, “with all our heart,with all our soul, and with all our mind.” (Matthew 22: 37)And we are taught to think about things that are true,noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8).

In this world our minds will wander (sometimes toevil) so we are all in need of a “cleaner” to allowGod to move into our thoughts and hearts.

I am so thankful that every time I attend theevents of an Emmaus walk my mind is opened tobe cleansed with such special Emmaus songs as “De Colores” and “Jesus, Jesus”. Be ready for the Fallwalks because by then we will all probably need afresh infilling of these “cleaner” songs and whileyou’re at it you can begin to think of folks you wantto sponsor for the Fall men’swomen’s walks and maybe aFace to Face encounter (forthose 60 and older) so theycan have their minds cleared of “Earworms” and filled withsome special “God’s cleanersongs.”

De Colores!

Allen Weller

“Earworms”Thoughts from the Nashville Community

Spiritual Director

Men’s Walk #189

Frank Bauer Bethlehem UMCDon Fagan Bethlehem UMCSaul Espino Brentwood UMCBarry Nixon Brentwood UMCTommy Goodwin Ebenezer UMCShaun Stephens Ebenezer UMCRobert Aukland Fellowship UMCTommy Crips Fellowship UMCRon Lowery Fellowship UMCBrent Mullins Fellowship UMCBro. Don Shafer Fellowship UMCShawn Stroh Fellowship UMCSteve Taylor Fellowship UMCJosh Triggs Fellowship UMCMichael Woywood Fellowship UMCDerek Waynick Grace UMCGL Waynick Grace UMCRay White Hermitage UMCChristian Ofner Hillisboro UMCGreg Brandon Lavergne 1st UMCDave Burgett Lavergne 1st UMCJerry Rains LaVergne 1st UMCCorey Wheeler Lavergne 1st UMCMike Mosley Smyrna First UMCJim Phiffer Trinity UMCJamie Hood, Jr. United Freewill Baptist ChurchTodd Woodard United Freewill Baptist ChurchTerrance Davis Westmoreland UMC

Women’s Walk #190 LeeAnn Bauer Bethlehem UMCCheryl Browning Cedar Hill BaptistAnn Christian Christ ChurchEsther Walden City Road Chapel UMCPaula Stephens Ebenezer UMCLois Aukland Fellowship UMCPearl Crips Fellowship UMCAmy Gilbert Fellowship UMCAngela Stroh Fellowship UMCDeborah Fetch Grace Community ChurchCherryLane Darken Hillsboro UMCJoye Ofner Hillsboro UMCLaini Burgett Lavergne 1st UMCJennifer Holtz Lavergne 1st UMCMarie Raines Lavergne 1st UMCBeth Wheeler Lavergne 1st UMCJulia Wallace McKendree Memorial UMCKaren Snyder Pleasant View UMCErin Reeves Shiloh UMCKimberly Riddle Shiloh UMCGail Church St. Luke UMCKay Sharp St. Luke UMCMarie Nichols Trinity UMCHeather Hood United Freewill Baptist ChurchBeth Howard West End UMC

Meet the newest Members of the Nashville Emmaus Community

Thank you to the conference room teams of 189 and 190 who spent months in preparationand prayer and in combination with the Holy Spirit and all those who server anonymously.

Our Community at Work

A Plan, Support, and ToolsA few months ago, sometime between Christmas and

New Year’s Day, my colleagues from work and I were chatting.This week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, in myworld, is a VERY slow week. You see, I oversee the LearningTechnology Professional Development in MetropolitanNashville Public Schools. The last thing on most teachers’minds during this time is “Wow, I sure would like to take aclass or two as I get ready for the next semester of school tobegin” or “I can’t wait to get back to school – I’ve had enoughrest”. Anyway, my colleagues and I were reflecting on how wehad been simply lazy and allowed ourselves become bothoverweight and unhealthy. We decided to do something aboutit – we were going to have an officechallenge and accountability groupbeginning January 5, 2015. Being theoverachiever that I am, I decided to geta ‘head-start’ and begin exercising thatvery afternoon. Without a plan. Without a support mechanism. Without a decent pair of athleticshoes. I was thinking I could “Do it onmy own!” What was I thinking?

Needless to say, that afternoonwithout direction, support, or the right equipment, I was completely unsuccessful in my attempt to changemy lifestyle and habits. I went to thegym – but had no idea the best placeto begin. I hopped on the elliptical andproceeded to exercise for a whopping10 minutes and left. This experiencecould have, and probably should have,derailed my efforts but the next day I shared what I had attempted with mycolleagues. Not only were they supportive of my efforts, theyapplauded my efforts and encouraged me to go back that afternoon and shoot for 11 minutes – and get a new pair ofathletic shoes.

My fourth day has been much the same as my experience earlier this year attempting to lose weight and become healthier – trying to do things on my own, without aplan, without the support to work my plan, and without thetools to achieve my plan. Over 16 years ago I was blessed toexperience the Walk to Emmaus and since that time, duringmy “Fourth Day”, I have expanded how I serve the Lord in mychurch through leading Bible Study, directing special musicalproductions, and serving on the church council. But I didn’tsimply say one day, “I think today I’ll lead a Bible study”.

It was though others and the empowerment from them, thetools and efforts I made to study and develop a deeper andmore genuine understanding of The Word, and prayer for affirmation that my efforts were aligned with God’s plan forme and my life that I began to cultivate a plan. Those “others”that I speak of are my family, my friends, and most importantly,my reunion group. My reunion group is truly where I meet andexperience God’s love, God’s power, and God’s presence.Being faithful to attendance and participation provides a perfectopportunity to redirect and keep God at the center of my life.And I love those gals and there’s nothing more fun than ourtravels together!

If you have slowly slipped away from your reuniongroup or if you have not really become involved in a reuniongroup, I encourage you to rekindle the fire and connect or reconnect. The Rebel Road Reunion Group, my blessing,helps me maintain my walk and directs my Fourth Days. Whenlife gets in the way, or when the world drains the life out of us,we hold each other up, hold each other accountable, and prayeach other up! Now those are some great tools to keep Christat the center of everything, and working my plan to rememberthat Christ is counting on me.

DeColores!

Denise Pridemore

Hello from the Chrysalis Board. We are thrilled to announce that we have more than enough Caterpillars for boththe girls and boys flight!

The dates for those flights are:

• June 6-8 – Girl’s Flight – Lay Director TBD• June 26-28 - Boys flight - Daniel Baggett - Lay Director

Set up will be Thursday evenings, June 4th and June25th at the Fellowship UMC (2511 New Salem Hwy, Murfrees-boro, TN) at 5pm or as soon as you can arrive. Pizza will beprovided around 7pm. We have changed our set up time forthe flights to Thursday night so that more members of theCommunity are able to share their Agape love by serving thisvery important need.

We will also need help with take down on the Mon-day’s of June 8th & June 28th. If you have a schedule thatwould permit you to serve this need during the morning andearly afternoon, your help will be greatly appreciated. You willalso be fed well!

The Board has decided to host a Hoot at First UMC(265 W Thompson Ln, Murfreesboro, TN). There will beplenty of food, fun & games. A Hoot is the Community’s op-portunity to introduce the concept of Chrysalis to your youth.

Youth, ages 15-18 are invited to come and to see that it willbe a fun weekend to come and be blessed.

The date for the Hoot is Sunday, May 17th and we willstart at 6pm. Please encourage your Community Butterflies tobring a potential Caterpillar to our Hoot for a great reunionand introduction.

There was a great response at the men’s candlelightin a call for the Emmaus Community to help fill the 4 vacantboard positions. Two answered right away and before the nightwas over we had 6 ask what they can do to help. If you feellead to join the Chrysalis Community in some form, pleasedo not hesitate to contact us!

The next Nashville Chrysalis Board meeting will beMay 9th @ 9:00am. We meet at Fellowship UMC located onHwy 99 at 2511 New Salem Hwy, Murfreesboro, TN.Thank you as you prayerfully consider your sponsorship orservice for these upcoming flights. It is with a glad heart thatthis Board serves this Chrysalis Community.

Fly with Christ!

Randy Williams Chrysalis Community Lay Director931-314-1832 cell/text

Springtime is baseball, softballand pastors' moving time. Some ofyou, in fact, may be receiving a newpastor soon. Would you please makeit a priority to ask if he or she hasgone on the Walk to Emmaus? (Andthis goes for everyone! If your pastorhas been at your church for a whileand still hasn't gone on the Walk,please pray and ask again!)

Here are some ways you canhelp get more pastors involved in Emmaus!

1. Become a congregation that hasan active stated desire for your pastor to go through the Walk to Emmaus. I am forever blessed because the members of Ebenezer UMCin New Johnsonville had a high expectation that their pastor go throughthe Walk to Emmaus.

2. Become a leader within your own congregation that works WITH,not against, your pastor. Your attitude toward your pastor can make adifference.

3. Encourage members in your congregation to see that their pastor’s time away on an Emmaus Walk isn't in addition to their 'church'work, but, is in fact, part and parcel of their ministry. Giveyour pastors the time they need to go on a Walk (and then later, to serveon Walks).

4. If your pastor says 'no’, don't give up; PRAY! Emmaus is an effectiveevangelism, church growth, leader developing, life transforming, HolySpirit experience from which all pastors can benefit!

SO KEEP ASKING!

De Colores

Pastor Donna A. Parramore

Has Your Pastor been on a Walk?

Emmaus Board Members & Job Assignments:Name Email Job Description

Ball, Doug Dabball42@gmail.com Set up/take down

Bell, Jeanne jonbell0213@gmail.com Prayer/Gathering

Bell, Jon jonbell0213@gmail.com Treasurer/ASD

Bill Owen, Rev. revwowen@gmail.com ASD

Chavis, John David Johnchavis7@gmail.com Team Selection

Glover, Sandie sandie.glover@comcast.net Co Chair/Prayer

Grayson, Steve sdgrayson@vbhcs.org Secretary

Griggs, Sandra, Rev sandragriggs@comcast.net ASD

Hunt, Carla CF.Hunt@comast.net Kitchen

Mabry, Loyd, Rev loyd.mabry@gmail.com ASD

Mason, Hughmason hugh543@tds.netSat. Entertainment

Melrose, Jane jane.melrose@suntrust.com Agape

Mishler, Pat pmish5@comcast.net Face 2 Face

Perez, Victor, Rev visaperez@bellsouth.net ASD

Snodgrass, Carla carla@preventchildabuse.org Registrar

Street, Wilda wjstreet@att.net Kitchen

Trott, Sam Jtrott0409@gmail.com Set Up/take down

Vaughan, Edna evaughan@gbod.org and evaughan@tds.net CLD

Wedekind, Cathy cathy.wedekind@comcast.net Newsletter/Com.

Weller, Allen, Rev wellerrev@comcast.net CSD

Williams, Randy rwilliams@covenantservicesTN.com CLD ChrysalisEx-officio

Emmaus WalksMen’s October 1-4, 2015Women’s October 15-18, 2015

Check the Community website for the latest schedule

Chrysalis FlightsGirl’s Flight #105 June 6-8Boys Flight #106 June 27-29