June 2, 2021

Greetings everyone:

Happy June! I hope this finds you well and in good spirits.

Great things are happening in our Emmaus community! We have started to hold our monthly Gatherings in-person again. Can I get an AMEN? We came together as the Body of Christ on May 15, 2021 at Bon Air UMC for a beautiful outside Gathering. Our new Community Lay Director, Clyde Lessard, gave the Community his vision for moving forward in 2021. Clyde needs everyone in the Community to come together so we can get Richmond Emmaus moving at “full speed” once again. The Men’s Walk is scheduled for September 23-26, 2021 and we could not be more excited. In order to have this weekend, we need Pilgrims. Please think of someone you can sponsor and get their application in ASAP.

Our next Gathering is scheduled for June 12, 2021 at Bon Air United Methodist Church starting at 6:00 p.m. Due to COVID shutdowns, the Pilgrims of Richmond #134 were never introduced at the March, 2020 Gathering. Now that we have started meeting again in person, it’s time to meet the newest members of our Community. Please make every effort to attend this Gathering so that you can give them a warm welcome.

The Board of Directors desires your input regarding new Board members. A term of service is three years and a new term begins January 1, 2022. There are four slots to be filled for the 2022 term. Please contact Cody Dedmon or Bob Moseley if you, or someone you know, would like to be considered to become part of the Board of Directors.

Be on the lookout for additional information from your Community Lay Director regarding the June Gathering and the fall weekend. Please begin praying and thanking God for the Pilgrims He is bringing for the fall weekend.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).

De Colores!

Sandy Livingston, R-28

ACLD

May 10, 2021

Greetings,

The past year has been a struggle for all of us in our daily lives. The time of separation has taken a toll on our families and to our Emmaus community families. As we move forward in our lives getting back together with families, I am happy to say we come back together as an Emmaus family.

Kevin, Shawn and Abbey had to step down from their positions on the board. I would like to thank all of them for their hard work through the years as members and leaders in our Emmaus community. They certainly will be missed. I ask each of you to keep them in your prayers.

I am notifying the community that we will be having an in person Gathering this Saturday, May 15th beginning at 6:00pm. The location of the Gathering is; Bon Air UMC, 1645 Buford Road, North Chesterfield. The meeting will be held outside, at this time we cannot have food. Please bring a mask and a comfortable chair. We will be socially distanced. Holy Communion is planned using pre-packed elements. Ned Hood will be providing music, and a 4th day speaker is scheduled.

We look forward to getting back together for in person Gatherings. Please pass this on to your friends and the folks you have sponsored.

De Colores,
Clyde Lessard, R100
Community Lay Director

Happy New Year, Richmond Emmaus Community!

I hope and pray that your 2021 has started off well and that, despite all that’s going on in this fallen world, you’ve found ways to strengthen your relationship with God.

When I began praying about being the Community Lay Director in early December, it was clear that God called me for one specific purpose, really one specific word: UNITY! Unity in our Emmaus Community, Unity in our churches, Unity in our families and homes, Unity with our neighbors and coworkers and friends, and most importantly, Unity in our hearts as servants of the One True God!

Let’s just be perfectly candid: we have differences. In fact, we are all different, and we need to embrace that diversity, whether it’s politics, race, education, socioeconomic background, or even denomination. Think about the fact that our churches are all unique, whether your church has pews or chairs, hymnals or contemporary music or even a choir, emails or phone trees, a female or a male pastor. But what doesn’t differ is our belief and faith in Jesus Christ as a Lord and Savior! That’s the type of certainty we can be confident in; that’s the definition of “UNITY”!

Consequently, your Richmond Emmaus Board has laid out some ambitious goals for this year, which includes plans for restarting Gatherings and a new Reunion Group Coordination and Support Team. One of the keys to keeping our community together is actually being together, and it is our hope that Gatherings and creating/maintaining healthy Reunion Groups will accelerate our ability to be unified.

We have scheduled a Virtual Gathering via Zoom for February 13^th with appropriate security in place, limited to those Community Members in our database. You will receive at least 2 emails about it: one with the details (date, time, etc.), and another with the Zoom link 1-2 days before the Virtual Gathering. If you know of someone who is not receiving these emails, please have them contact me (my email and phone number are below), and we’ll get them in the database.

We will provide more details on Reunion Groups in the coming weeks, but if your Reunion Group does not appear on the Richmond Emmaus website (HERE: https://richmondemmaus.com/richmond-community-reunion-groups/), let me know as soon as possible, and we’ll get it added.

Please take some time this week and pray for UNITY in all aspects of our lives, in our Community, in our homes, in our churches, in our workplaces, and in our world. And prayerfully consider starting or strengthening a Reunion Group.

Thank you for your commitment and service to our Emmaus Community, and I look forward to serving Him with you all!

Your brother in Christ,

Shawn E. Holt, R-108

Community Lay Director 2021

804-514-5839

seholt44@gmail.com