4/26/12

GROUNDWORKS SUNDAY THIS WEEK

April 29 is a fifth Sunday; once again it is GROUNDWORKS SUNDAY, when we role up our sleeves and connect with neighbors and partners in Belltown, laying the groundwork of relationships through service. We will gather at New Horizons at 10:30AM, then disperse by 10:45AM to participate in Church Beyond the Building for an hour or two!

Here are the places and organizations with whom we will serve:
  • Simon Senior Apartments  - Bingo Tournament w/snacks & prizes (kids needed!!); individual apartment cleaning (joint ministry of Plymouth Housing/Catholic Community Services); on Third between Blanchard/Lenora; Pastor Eric & Deacon Kristen lead
  • Centennial Apartments Rooftop Garden - tilling soil on community garden two blocks away on Third & Fourth Ave (project coordinated by Sustainable Belltown); Elder David leads

Which project would you like to pursue? Feel free to comment/sign-up, or ask questions.....



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EASTER - GREAT WORSHIP, GREAT FOOD

We enjoyed another great Easter Celebration a few Sundays ago! With a turnout of 84 folks, we had a full room of fellowship and food. Thank you Cynthia, for coordinating our brunch, and thanks to all who prepared our delicious fare!
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4/6/12

EASTER BRUNCH APRIL 8


Let us enjoy an ALL AGES service of song, story, and testimony, welcome a new member into the church, recall our own "washing of rebirth and renewal," and follow in the steps of the Resurrected Lord. Then we eat!

Want to share in the potluck?
Here is how we do it:
Cynthia brings a couple of hams for the whole church. The rest of us who are able bring egg casseroles, potato dishes, vegetable dishes, fruit, baked goods, and other delicious items. Cynthia and Cornell prepare food in the kitchen during worship.
Label your dish with the temperature it needs to bake and for how long!
After the benediction, we move the chairs, reset the tables, and the brunch line begins!
What are you going to bring?
Feel free to share in the comments below!


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3/14/12

ST. PAT'S AT LINDA BISHOP'S THIS SATURDAY!!


As a child, he was captured and enslaved by wild Irish folk. He escaped and returned home. As an adult, he returned to the land of his captors as a Christian missionary. This Saturday, March 17, don some green and celebrate Saint Patrick's life of faith by eating and drinking together at Linda Bishop's house!
2-10PM
MAP
Brad will be grilling hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken, sausage, and SALMON. Guests are encouraged to bring salad, chips, desert, veggies, dip, or anything else you would like to add.
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3/1/12

THEOLOGY PUB - UNIQUE SPACE

After a year of hearing about monthly "Theology Pub" events hosted in Capital Hill by Simon Cunningham, pastor of Roots, I finally attended one in February, along with two other Emmaus Road members. This particular event included a lecture connecting the field of epistemology with the study of, and debate around, the rationality of faith. Without getting into details (you can read more here), I recommend future events based on this: it was a great learning event in a very unique social (and spiritual) space. I heard a relevant, substantive presentation, followed by a lively Q&A session among a crowd of some forty Seattleites, including committed atheists, religious believers, and people in between. Together, we considered the ideas presented without indulging in combative, acrimonious squabbling. There was definite disagreement; people had different responses, thoughts, and feelings toward the presentation. For the most part, though, it felt to me like a productive and honest exchange in pursuit of understanding. In cyberspace, people seem quick to insult, dismiss, and stereotype each other over religious disagreements; it was refreshing to enter this alternative space, where face to face, there was more accountability to listen and speak with consideration for the other.
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The Emmaus Road Story


In the winter of 1997, we began as a small team of about 10 people, committed to gathering and growing a church that would connect with others like ourselves; people interested in connecting with God, in the person and work of Jesus Christ, but disconnected from the activity of many mainstream congregations. With the financial support of a larger church organization, our pastor was able to work full time with the team in planning, leadership development, and meeting people in the community.

Our first meetings were open discussion forums. We talked about prayer, scripture, spiritual discipline and the issues with which we all struggle. As friends talked to friends, the first group expanded and we multiplied into two.

Inspired by the journey process as a metaphor for spiritual growth, we searched for a name which would reflect that idea. In the resurrection narrative of Luke 24, we found our name "on the road to Emmaus."

After our first worship event on Good Friday of 1997, both groups began to gather together for worship once a month. In various coffee shops and rental spaces, we gradually increased our worship times to twice a month, and in September of 1998 we decided to gather every Sunday. Since the beginning, numerical growth has been gradual but steady, most often through the personal contact of friends talking to friends.

Today, several small groups continue to meet for open discussions on prayer, scripture, and the process of encountering God in daily life; we all gather for worship each week.