Could Emmaus Road host an OPEN HOUSE for our neighbors? Could we GROW A GIVING GARDEN in Belltown? We couldn't accomplish much alone, but we could spark some holy activity in the neighborhood. To read more....
This blog is dedicated to all YE'rs, especially to all YE facilitators and staff of the YOUTH MINISTRY of the DIOCESE OF TALIBON, who had to squeeze into one room to cut down on expenses, rush in from work or school or home to substitute one another, double up as a cook and janitor and driver, borrow money for bus fare, survive with only one set of clothes in three days. And to give Tribute to YE Founder Fr. Ping Molina for this great Legacy he left for the Young People.
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, and we all gather for worship each week.
Our leadership and ministry structure are driven by four core values:
• Cultivating habits which leave us open to encounter God • Gathering together • Helping others discover Jesus Christ • Serving others with our time and resources
As a community, our mission is to change: from secular people into sacred, from pagans into followers of Christ, from selfish people into caring individuals, reaching out to others with the grace of God.
Our vision for the future is of growth, both spiritual and physical: growth in love and committment as followers of Christ, as friends and servants in our community growth in the number and diversity of people blessed through Emmaus Road.
Calendar
EMMAUS ROAD: NAME & STORY
from Luke 24:13-35. The resurrected Lord who walks alongside us
Old Testament Reading: 1 Kings 17:8-16 Psalter Reading: Psalm 146 Epistle Reading: Hebrews 9:24-28 Gospel Reading: Mark 12:38-44
November 15 Old Testament Reading: Daniel 12:1-3 Psalter Reading: Psalm 16 Epistle Reading: Hebrews 10:11-25 Gospel Reading: Mark 13:1-8
EMMAUS ROAD IN BELLTOWN, EMMAUS ROAD AROUND THE SOUND
our Call and Mission
As a congregation
spread around the Sound,
we support and equip one another
to join with the "Word made flesh"
in our homes and communities.
As a congregation
which gathers and grows in Belltown,
we are called together
to join with the "Word made flesh"
among the people
in our church's neighborhood of gathering.
WE'RE CHRISTIAN
While the term "Christian" means many things to many people, we hold to a simple meaning, of being followers and worshipers of Jesus Christ. As a community, Emmaus Road belongs to Christ. Through his Spirit and through Scripture, we seek to encounter Christ as friend, teacher, guide, healer, savior, and Lord. Different traditions are found among us, but we unite in our common quest to experience the grace of God as he reaches out to us with the love of Jesus Christ, his Son.
Along with other Christians, we read the Bible and affirm that God speaks truth to us today through words written long ago.
Historically, doctrine has often been used to divide or consume Christians, leading to separation and strife. Yet certain core Christian beliefs have survived for centuries, uniting various branches and denominations of the Christian faith. We affirm those core beliefs summarized in the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed.
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The Road to Emmaus - My Life Journey
This blog is dedicated to all YE'rs, especially to all YE facilitators and staff of the YOUTH MINISTRY of the DIOCESE OF TALIBON, who had to squeeze into one room to cut down on expenses, rush in from work or school or home to substitute one another, double up as a cook and janitor and driver, borrow money for bus fare, survive with only one set of clothes in three days. And to give Tribute to YE Founder Fr. Ping Molina for this great Legacy he left for the Young People.
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