About Emmaus: Program Overview

The Walk to Emmaus is a spiritual renewal program intended to strengthen the local church through the development of Christian disciples and leaders. The program's approach seriously considers the model of Christ's servanthood and encourages Christ's disciples to act in ways appropriate to being "a servant of all."

The Walk to Emmaus experience begins with a 72-hour short course in Christianity, comprised of fifteen talks by lay and clergy on the themes of God's grace, disciplines of Christian discipleship, and what it means to be the church. The course is wrapped in prayer and meditation, special times of worship and daily celebration of Holy Communion. The "Emmaus community," made up of those who have attended an Emmaus weekend, support the 72-hour experience with a prayer vigil, by preparing and serving meals, and other acts of love and self-giving. The Emmaus Walk typically begins Thursday evening and concludes Sunday evening. Men and women attend separate weekends.

During and after the three days, Emmaus leaders encourage participants to meet regularly in small groups. The members of the small groups challenge and support one another in faithful living. Participants seek to Christianize their environments of family, job, and community through the ministry of their congregations. The three-day Emmaus experience and follow-up groups strengthen and renew Christian people as disciples of Jesus Christ and as active members of the body of Christ in mission to the world.

The Upper Room, a ministry unit of the General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church, sponsors the Walk to Emmaus and offers it through local Emmaus groups around the world. Although connected through The Upper Room to The United Methodist Church, The Walk to Emmaus is ecumenical.

About Servant/Leadership

The Emmaus movement does not exist primarily for the weekend Walks. Its purposes are to deepen the faith of individuals, to increase the faith of congregations, and to bring Christianity to the world. Emmaus gives pilgrims the skills needed for leadership and invites them to make the commitment needed to build up the church for the sake of Jesus Christ. The questions asked at the closing - "What has this weekend meant to you?" and "What are you going to do with it?" -- help pilgrims begin to comprehend the kind of servant leadership that God may require of them in the future.

Adapted from Spiritual Growth Through Team Experience by Joanne Bultemeier. Copyright 1997 by the Upper Room.