IOWA WALK TO EMMAUSROOSTER TALES October, 2015

Rev. Dennis Shepherd, Iowa Emmaus

Community Spiritual Co-Director

Community Lay Directors

Dear Brothers & Sisters in Christ,

It is truly a gift of God that two more weekends are

approaching to introduce the Walk to Emmaus to a
new group of Christs leaders. It is exciting to see the
teams coming together and preparations falling into
place for the upcoming Ankeny Mens and Womens
Walks. Thank you all for your willingness to serve as
Christs disciples.
I share with you from William Willimons 1997 sermon
On not meeting peoples needs at church. What if
the church serves people, not as a market transaction, but because it is the people of God? What if the
choir works hard on their anthem, not because they
hope you will like it and be inspired by it, but because
the choir knows it is called to be a sign of Gods kingdom in the world? What if your life represents not
what you think is best for those around you, but you
live it that others might see God through your actions
and love? Knowing Christ and following the will of
God helps us to rearrange our needs and be more
aware of the needs of those around us.
As supporters of the Walk to Emmaus each of us accepts a commitment to see the needs of others and
invite potential leaders in Christ to find a new pathway of support and direction for serving God. May all
of you be a sign of Gods kingdom in the world, remembering, God is Good.
Declare me innocent, O Lord, for I have acted with integrity; I have trusted in the Lord
without wavering... Now I stand on solid
ground, and I will publicly praise the Lord.
Psalm 26.
Help us God not to waver in our faith and to always
lift up your wondrous deeds in Christs name. Let us
not be silent, let us continue our Emmaus dance for
joy. All the time, God is good!
Blessings in Christ
Pastor Shep

We pray that you have been following hard after God and in turn, have been blessed by His
abundant peace & grace. We are excited, as
always, for the upcoming Ankeny Walks.
Please join us now, and in the days to come, in
prayer for each aspect of these Walks. Lift up
the leaders; the pilgrims; the agape; the host
church (Ankeny First UMC) (and Ankeny CLC
for showers) along with their staff and congregations as they open their facilities to our
group. We desire to shine the light of Christ in
all the areas we go & really need you to partner
in prayer with us as a community of believers.
The following excerpt is from a Jesus Calling
book. We've found it to be a great source of
encouragement in our life right now & hope you
will be encouraged as well

(from Jesus Calling)

'Expect to encounter adversity in your life, remembering that we live in a deeply fallen
world. Stop trying to find a way that circumvents difficulties. The main problem with an
easy life is that it masks your need for Me.
When you became a Christian, I infused My
very life into you, empowering you to live by
depending on Me.
Anticipate coming face to face with impossibilities: situations totally beyond your ability to
handle. This awareness of your inadequacy is
not something you should try to evade. It is
precisely where I want you - the best place to
encounter Me in My Glory and Power. When
you see armies of problems marching toward
you, cry out to Me. Allow Me to fight for you.
Watch Me working on your behalf, as you rest
in the shadow of My Almighty Presence. (from
Revelation 19:1, Psalm 91:1)'
AMEN!

Womens Agape Director-Fall Walk

In closing, we look forward to seeing you at the
weekends this fall (Men: Oct 22-25; Women : Oct 29Nov 1). You are each a vital, needed part of the body
of Christ! Thank you for your continued prayers &
support of the Iowa Walk to Emmaus.

Hello,

In His Service,
Brad & Tami Leonard
Community Lay Directors

I have been pleased with the willingness to help

out, and I am excited about the team I have
working and serving all in God's name. If you
are not on my team, show up and we will gladly
receive you and put you to work on some task.
There is always something to do. There are
times to relax and just soak up the love of our
Emmaus sisters. The support and love coming
from these gals is such a blessing to me since I
took the journey in 2009.

1 Corinthians 15:58 " Therefore, my dear brothers &

sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always
give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord because
you know that your labor is not in vain.

Board Update:
We are excited to welcome new Board members, Dick & Netha Pipho (Grimes) & David
Mock (Ankeny). Also, Pastors Dennis Shepherd
and Evelyn Lewiston are settling in nicely to their
new roles as Co-Community Spiritual Directors.
We are so blessed to have the support & encouragement of these pastors. They have lined
up some great clergy teams for Ankeny & West
Des Moines!
The Board continues to join together in prayer
and in meeting together. We desire, first and
foremost, to follow the leading of God & His plan
for the Walks. We want to point people to Jesus
and are humbled that He continues to use
the Walks for His work & His glory, despite our
human shortcomings.
Thank you for continuing to lift up the Board in
prayer. We greatly appreciate your prayers!
Current Board Of Directors:
(Please be in touch with any of these volunteers we are here to
help in any way we can!) Stacey Ahrenstorff (Lake Park), Jeff
&Toni Anderson (Belmond), Jim & Linda Burk (Minburn), Gary
Harris (Clear Lake), Jenni Krohn (Redfield), co-chairs Brad &
Tami Leonard (Madrid), co-Community Spiritual Director Pastor
Evelyn Lewiston (Ogden), David Mock (Ankeny), Steve Nielsen
(Ankeny), Jeff & Mary Patterson (Gowrie), Dick & Netha Pipho
(Grimes), co-Community Spiritual Director Pastor
Dennis Shepherd (Panora), Rosie Wurpts (Ogden); Chrysalis
Reps: Gary Paglia (Minburn) and Diane Duis (Lake Park).

My name is Alice Erb and I have been blessed

to be asked to be the Agape Director for the upcoming walk October 29th thru November 1st in
Ankeny.

I am still looking for a couple leads in 2 spots so

if you feel called to serve please let me know. I
will also put out there that Stacy Terrill is head
dining room so any help you can give in this
area it would be greatly appreciated.
If you have any questions or concerns please
feel free to contact me.
I look forward to serving with my sisters in Christ
and having weekend.
De Colores!
Alice
REMINDER: Writing Mail:
Please take some time & write or print mail for
the pilgrims and Conference Room team members. The names are on the website
(www.iowawalktoemmaus.org) prior to each
Walk. You can bring the mail when you come to
work Agape, send it with a team member, or
drop it in the box at Candlelight. As you have
experienced yourself, mail can serve as a great
encouragement on the weekend! The men who
come from the Door of Faith also really appreciate the mail since the majority don't have letters
from family or friends.We encourage you to write
mail to as many of the pilgrims and team as you
can for each Walk! Thank you for helping with
this loving act of Agape!

Please find us on Facebook!

Search for Iowa Walk to Emmaus page and Like
us to receive updates on your newsfeed. This is
one of your best ways to keep up-to-date on the
Walks and community needs.
Prayer Chain email
Send prayer requests for the community to:
IowaEmmaus@gmail.com
Registrar Mailing Address
Send applications to: Ken Kerr, Iowa Walk to Emmaus Treasurer, 4212 Francrest Circle, West Des
Moines, IA 50266
COMMUNITY SERVICES on WALK
WEEKENDS:
(check website for church/location)
Sponsors Hour: 7:30pm Thurs night
Candlelight: 8:30pm Sat night (community worship service & communion followed by pilgrims
coming in)
Closing: arrive starting at 4:00pm Sun afternoon
(pilgrims usually come down between 4:30/4:45)

CHRYSALIS UPDATE:
Contacts: Gary Paglia (glpag@yahoo.com)& Diane Duis
(dianeduis@gmail.com)
WEBSITE: www.iowachrysalis.weebly.com
Upcoming Chrysalis Events: (ages 15-21)
Chrysalis Fall Retreat! Nov.14 &15 at Ankeny
First UMC, 2016 SW Walnut St, Ankeny.
All young people ages 15-21 are welcome,
ifthey havebeen to Chrysalis or just want to
come and check it out. Parents/Youth Pastors...
this is a great time to give your youth a sneak
peek at the Chrysalis Christian community for
our young people! Contact Gary or Diane for
more info!
NEXT CHRYSALIS FLIGHT: April 1,2 & 3, 2016,
Spencer Grace UMC, Spencer, IA
Apps available in your Emmaus packets from
your Walk or on the Chrysalis website.

The GiftA Love Offering for International Emmaus and Chrysalis

Communities
The Gift is a fundraising program initiated by
The Walk to Emma's and Chrysalis movements to ensure that Christians throughout the
world can enjoy the fruits of this beautiful ministry.
To respond to The Gift of grace that you received on your weekend, make your check
payable to The Upper Room, Emmaus Gift.
Send your offering of love to:
The Upper Room
PO Box 305150
Nashville, TN 37230-9891
Phone: 1-877-899-2780 Ext. 7113 or visit
http://emmaus.upperroom.org/thegift
$185,000 has been given to help Christians
around the world experience the grace of God.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT SET-UPS!
Calling all local, central Iowa Emmaus friends!
Please join us around 8pm on 2 Weds. -- Oct
21 & 28 -- at Ankeny First UMC (back parking
lot) as we unload the trailer & set up the
church. Many hands make light work (& make
it a lot more fun!) Make plans so you can help
us out on those nights!
Dont forget we need help to load/move supplies after the closing of each weekend too.
Come at 2:00 on Sundays. before the closings.