A Vital Tool for Pastors
To All New England Annual Conference Pastors –
Grace and peace to you!
John Wesley, the founder of what became the Methodist Church, was asked what would become of the Methodist movement after his death. His reply was,
“I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But, I am afraid … lest they should only exist as a dead sect – having the form of religion without the power. And this undoubtedly will be the case, unless they hold fast the doctrine, Spirit, and discipline with which they first set out.”
[John Wesley, Thoughts Upon Methodism, emphasis added]
And there you have it – the elements of a church that is alive with gospel power:
- Foundational Doctrine
- Spirit
- Discipline
These are precisely the objectives of The Walk to Emmaus weekend and its follow-up ministries:
- to teach the elements of a doctrine of grace
- to fan the flame of the Spirit of Christ
- to encourage discipline in the means of grace.
With these as its objectives, The Walk to Emmaus seeks to be a means of invigorating the local church by developing well-grounded, Spirit-led people who facilitate small group gatherings, lead areas of ministry, and attend to the administrative functions of the local church.
Pastors – we are here for you and your congregations!
To all pastors: You are invited to learn more about The Walk to Emmaus. We will offer two orientation sessions. Please choose to attend either one.
April 17 3:00 to 5:00 PM
or
April 18 9:30 to 11:30 AM
At the Alton Bay Christian Conference Center
Alton, New Hampshire
Please see the Center’s website at: https://altonbay.org/ for directions. If you have questions, please call me at 603-915-1047.
To pastors who have been on a Walk or already know about The Walk:
You are also invited to come on April 18 from 9:30 to 11:30 AM. Please come to share about your Emmaus experience and how it is helping you and your local congregation. There will also be time after to talk about and to sign up to serve as a weekend Spiritual Director.
Additional activities:
There will be other activities April 17-18 that you and members of your congregation are also invited to participate in. Please check them out here on the Crossroads Emmaus of New England website.
I pray we will see you on the shores of Winnipesaukee in April.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Robert K. Schneider
Pastor – Moultonborough UMC, NH
Community Spiritual Director – Crossroads Emmaus of New England