Frequently Asked Questions

First and foremost, begin with prayer. Consider it your first act of agape love for your potential pilgrim. Pray and ask God for discernment on your behalf. Next, lift up your pilgrim in prayer as you prayerfully consider asking them to attend a Walk or Chrysalis. Next, read through all of the questions on this page to make sure that you fully understand the responsibilities of sponsoring someone. As you consider sponsoring a pilgrim, please also prayerfully consider these questions for yourself. Am I emotionally, physically and spiritually healthy enough to sponsor a pilgrim right now? Do I have the time and energy it takes to fulfill the obligations/duties/requirements it takes to sponsor a pilgrim? (Ability to transport your pilgrim to/from the walk, collect letters from their friends and family members, attend Sponsor's Hour, Candlelight and Closing, continually lift your pilgrim in prayer, make and provide the required agape, etc.) Am I motivated by God's will in choosing/selecting a pilgrim, or am I motivated by my own wants/desires?

Registration fees for pilgrims are $200-This includes all of their lodging, food, etc. for the entire weekend. However, for the summer of 2024, the CCEC Board of Directors has voted to waive ALL registration fees for students wanting to attend a chrysalis (Flight #68 & 69 only).

At this time, the Cross Country Emmaus Community itself does not offer scholarships. However, many of the local mini-communities offer scholarships for pilgrims, so feel free to reach out to your local mini-community director to ask about those. Also, often times, sponsors, churches or friends and family will pay the fee for a pilgrim as an act of agape. Therefore, you could consider reaching out to the pilgrim's local church to ask about scholarships there.

Emmaus is right for many people, but it is not for everyone. Possible candidates for Emmaus could be: Members of the church body who are the "quiet/behind the scenes" type folks-The backbone of the church if you may. Less active members of the church body who need their awareness of grace rekindled and their commitment renewed. Christians who are hungry for "something more" and want to grow spiritually. Church leaders (clergy and lay) who will bring new vision and vitality back to the church and who need renewal and to experience the grace unique to Emmaus. The Walk to Emmaus is intended to strengthen the local church. "Emmaus is a spiritual renewal program aimed at inspiring, challenging and equipping Christians for Christian action in their homes, churches, communities and workplaces... Emmaus is not intended to make disciples, but rather to strengthen those who are disciples already." (Bryant, S.D. "What is Emmaus?" Upper Room) Some questionable sponsorship might be: Non-Christians and persons without connections to the church. Persons undergoing emotional crisis (recent divorce or severe grief) or who are psychologically unstable. A person who, in the past, has decided not to attend when presented the opportunity.

As a sponsor, these are the things that will be required of you while your pilgrim is attending the Walk to Emmaus: First and foremost, you will need to pray for your pilgrim, their family, their church, their pastor, and the other team members and pilgrims that will be attending the walk with your pilgrim. Bring two sets (85 pieces each) of pillow/or wearable agape to send-off for each pilgrim that you sponsor. Bring two food items to send-off for each pilgrim that you sponsor. Bring a minimum of ten letters for each pilgrim that you sponsor. Be sure to mark the envelopes with their first AND last name so they aren't confused with others. Take your pilgrim to dinner before send-off. Help calm their nerves during this time, answering any and all questions they may have with honesty and clarity. Take your pilgrim to send-off between 6pm-7pm to the Tabernacle at Big Country Baptist Assembly. Attend Sponsor's Hour in the chapel downstairs immediately following send-off. Attend Candlelight at 8:00 PM in the tabernacle on the last night of the walk (typically Saturday night). Attend Closing at 5:00 PM in the tabernacle on the last afternoon of the walk (typically Sunday afternoon). Offer to take your pilgrim to dinner on your way home (after closing on the last evening of the walk). Care for your pilgrim's loved ones and family during his or her Walk. Consider inviting them for dinner or prepare them a meal during the walk. Let your pilgrim's spouse/family know that their pilgrim arrived at the Walk, and all is well. After the walk is over, these things are expected of sponsors: Encourage your pilgrim to become active in a reunion group and Community/Mini-Community immediately after their return. Take or meet your pilgrim at the first Community Gathering after their walk. Help the pilgrim become more active in their service to God after his or her Walk.

Your pilgrim will likely have LOTS of questions concerning the Walk to Emmaus. Remember to answer any questions you are asked honestly. There are no secrets in Emmaus, only surprises, and they are incredibly difficult to describe anyways. Explain that each Walk to Emmaus weekend is unique and that each person seems to find exactly what God wants that person to experience. Some things pilgrims want to know about are small details that will make them more comfortable throughout the weekend, including, but not limited to: Pilgrims will share a hotel type room with one other pilgrim who has never attended a Walk to Emmaus. There are two full size beds in the room, and one bathroom. All bed linens and towels/washcloths are provided. They need to leave their watches, cell phones, pagers, clocks, radios, laptops and cameras. There will not be any cell phone service at the camp, so their phones will not work anyways. Explain that some of the activities (wearing of agape, table activities, etc.) are important, even though their importance may not be revealed until a later time. Remind them to have an open mind and an open heart when it comes to things that stretch them beyond their comfort zone. Let them know that in case of an emergency, the staff/team members will be able to get ahold of their family members. Assure them if they have a special diet, that the staff/team members will take care of their needs at meal times, as long as they indicate them on their application. Also assure them that they are more than welcome to bring any comfort items for sleeping, including small fans or special pillows/blankets. Answer any other questions they may have truthfully and let them know that you will find out an answer for them if you are unsure.

Once you have prayerfully selected your pilgrim, you will want to register your pilgrim for the Walk. Applications are accepted in the order in which they are received. No one's name may be added to the Walk list until the application is filled out in its entirety, and the registration fee ($200) is paid in FULL. Names are added to the Walk lists, per the registrar, based on the postmark on the envelope, the completeness of the application, and the inclusion of the walk fee. Don't delay your pilgrim's placement by failing to complete the process in full. Applications need to be directed to: Brient Marek P O Box 487 Seymour, TX 76380 Bmemmaus18@gmail.com cell: 940-249-1055

The application for a Walk to Emmaus can be found here.

The application for a Chrysalis can be found here.

Applications for WOMEN'S walks or GIRL'S chrysalis need to be directed to: Cindy Parker (254)212-9044 womenswalkcparker@gmail.com PO Box 53 Woodson, TX 76491 Applications for MEN'S walks or BOY'S chrysalis need to be directed to: Mary Beth Jordan (940)456-1294 bethjemmaus@gmail.com 156 Thompson Newcastle, TX 76372

Yes! We now have the ability to pay for our walk fees using Venmo. Payments need to be directed to @Cross-Country-Emmaus. Payments MUST BE labeled with the walk number and pilgrim name. For example: "Walk #123. Pilgrim Fee For: Sally May"

Letters are an extremely important part of the weekend, so spend some time to insure your pilgrim has AT LEAST 10 letters in your possession when you take them to send-off for the weekend. Be sure to have the pilgrim's first AND last name on the front of the envelopes. Ask one of your pilgrim's good friends or close family member to help you with making a list of family members and close friends to obtain letters from. You want to make sure that your pilgrim's pastor and spouse/immediate family members ALL write them a letter. Other recommendations for letters might include Sunday School teachers, close colleagues, church family, or members of the Emmaus community. However, aim for quality over quantity. If you need assistance in trying to explain to someone what kind of letter you're looking for, consider using this example letter: Dear ________________________, The Walk To Emmaus is a weekend of spiritual renewal with many beautiful gifts and surprises. One of the surprises is the mail that persons attending receive from their loved ones. ___________________ is going to attend a Walk to Emmaus. As sponsors, we are responsible for contacting family and close friends and asking them to send a note or letter to ______________ so that he/she will receive it during this special weekend. Since it will be a total surprise, we sometimes have to do a little detective work in order to get names and addresses of persons from whom we need help. Perhaps you’d like to pass this along to someone that you know _____________would like to hear from. This letter is an opportunity for you to express your appreciation of ____________ and what your relationship with him/her has meant and means. You might want to recall some humorous event or some happening that has been special to the two of you. This is a letter of love and WILL BE READ ONLY BY THE PERSON TO WHOM YOU WRITE. Would you help make ____________’s Walk to Emmaus special by doing the following: 1. Write a letter to _________________ and sign it. 2. Put it into an envelope and seal it. 3. Write _______________’s name (but not yours) on the envelope. 4. Put the envelope in a larger envelope and mail it to us prior to ________________so we can get it to the proper place on time. This should be a complete surprise to ______________ so please help make it special by keeping quiet until it’s over. We hope you'll help us by getting a letter to us. It will be greatly appreciated. Thank you, __________________ (Sponsor's Name Here)

On the day of the walk, it is important for you to pick up your pilgrim, make sure they have eaten (or take them out to eat), and deliver them to send-off at the camp. Send-off will be held at the Tabernacle between 6-7pm. Once you arrive, you will be greeted by team members from their walk. They will guide you to your pilgrim's specific room so they can unload their luggage. While your pilgrim is unloading their luggage, you will want to discreetly hand a team member the following items: Your two sets of pillow agape Your two food items At least 10 letters (marked with your pilgrim's first AND last name) Before send-off begins, and after you've unloaded your pilgrim's luggage, you will want to gather near the tabernacle and visit with other members of the Emmaus community, team members, and other pilgrims that will be attending the Walk for the weekend. After all of the sponsors are released from send-off, you will need to make your way to the chapel for Sponsor's Hour. There you will have the opportunity to hold your pilgrim's lanyard and cross and pray for them specifically.