It is with great excitement that I announce Ian Penney as the 2018 Mens’ LD for Walk #41 and Pam Campbell as LD for Womens’ Walk #42. (I will be assisting Pam while she is away overseas) I have also accepted the role of Community LD Elect to assist Ian while he organizes this year’s Mens’ Walk. Please pray for Pam, Ian, team and the Board as they seek to serve and glorify God.

De Colores,

Maree Crammond.

1 of 12

MARIBYRNONG NORTH-WEST EMMAUS COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER

February 2018 - Volume 6, Issue 1

NEW WALKS!

Being held at Camp Getaway, Axedale

MENS’ WALK #41 - July 26 - 29

WOMENS’ WALK #42 - August 9 - 12

Community members are reminded once more about the importance of sponsoring and that you would not have attended a Walk without somebody sponsoring you. This is a gift that is just too good to keep to yourself, and with a lead-time of over 5 months, NOW would be a perfect time to

ask your friends to set aside these dates for “something really special!”

Camp Getaway is centrally located and more information about the site can be found on their website. http://www.campgetaway.com.au

Ian Penney Pam Campbell

and New lay directors!

3 of 122 of 12

MARCH GATHERINGEpsom Community Church269 Midland Highway, Bendigo

12pm to 3pmSaturday, March 17th

Please bring lunch to share and celebrate, with our community, the joy of your Emmaus Walk!

3 of 122 of 12

MARCH GATHERINGEpsom Community Church269 Midland Highway, Bendigo

12pm to 3pmSaturday, March 17th

Please bring lunch to share and celebrate, with our community, the joy of your Emmaus Walk!

4 of 12 5 of 12

From the desk of your CLD

So much has happened since our last newsletter.

First I would like to thank Ruth Membrey and Ric Weeks for their years of service to the Community as they both stepped down from the Board at the end of last year. The Board and the Community sincerely thank you both for your service to the MNW Emmaus Community.

I would also like to welcome to the Board two new Board members – Rhonda Lyons and Jim Tilson.

Jim will be familiar to many of the long term members of the Community, and he and Liz were instrumental with others in forming the Community back in the 1990s. There is an article on Jim (and Liz) in the February 2017 newsletter. Jim has taken on a role perfect for someone who has been involved in Emmaus for decades – Training – where he will be able to share his knowledge with both the Board and Walk Lay Directors.

Rhonda joined the Community last year from Gold Coast Emmaus and her profile can be found on page 7 of this newsletter. She has agreed to fill the Treasurer’s role, so has taken on a critical position on the Board, and has already spent time with Ruth doing the all important handover.

We thank both Jim and Rhonda for your willingness to serve the Community on the Board.

Elsewhere in this newsletter there is a list of all the Board members, and the roles they have accepted to serve. I also thank all of them for their willingness to serve the Community on the Board.

I have written about service before in the newsletter. God calls each of us to serve Him in ministry and mission. How you are called is something each of us needs to discern in prayer. Can I ask each of you to prayerfully consider how you can serve the Lord through the MNW Emmaus Community? Our Community cannot exist without faithful servants. So, I challenge each of us to ask the Lord how we can best serve Him in the Community – whether it is on the Board, taking an off-Board role, accepting an invitation to serve on one of the Walk teams, or volunteering to help the Walks in a non-team role; it doesn’t matter. Stepping up to serve Him is what matters.

I look forward to seeing you at our March Gathering in Bendigo.

De Colores

Ian Penney,

Community Lay Director.

from your CSD - EXAMINATION TIME

In Ecclesiastes 3: 1 we read, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven”. As I read that verse I am reminded that we are about to enter the season of Lent.

Lent, that period of 40 days that is leading us into Easter. This is traditionally the period that represents the time that Christ spent in the wilderness after His baptism and where He was offered food, riches and power if He were to turn away from the course of action that He had agreed to with His Father in heaven.

In light of this, Lent is often a time when we give up some form of food or in fact anything that we may find in our everyday life. Just as Jesus had not given in to temptation then we can at least do the same in this season. By entering and engaging with this season we can bring ourselves closer in our relationship with our Creator God and His son our Saviour.

It also allows us to identify to some extent with what Christ went through over those forty days by looking at the temptations that we face each and every day and doing the same as Jesus did by not allowing ourselves to give in to them.

Lent can also be a time when we examine what is important in our lives. What is important in our relationships whatever they may be and to see what, if any, temptations we are confronted with that if we give in to them would have a detrimental effect on those relationships.

Those relationships can be between ourselves and another person, between ourselves and our employers, between ourselves and any organisation that we belong to, and most importantly between ourselves and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Over the past year we have noted at board level that it has been harder and harder to get members of the community engaged with gatherings. It has been left to the few to carry on the work of the community. There could be many reasons for this occurring and they could be legitimate reasons but for some of us, and I include myself in this, it could be that we find the temptation to engage in other activities hard to resist.

Are we, like Christ, being tempted by the lure of power and riches or what we perceive to be the necessities required for us to live? Have we given in to those temptations to the extent that there is little time left foe us to work on and improve those very important relationships that we are involved in?

One of those relationships is this Emmaus Community and it is an opportune time, as we enter this season of Lent, to examine our involvement in the community and to see what, if any temptations have been put in our way of being as active as we can be in assisting this

4 of 12 5 of 12

From the desk of your CLD

So much has happened since our last newsletter.

First I would like to thank Ruth Membrey and Ric Weeks for their years of service to the Community as they both stepped down from the Board at the end of last year. The Board and the Community sincerely thank you both for your service to the MNW Emmaus Community.

I would also like to welcome to the Board two new Board members – Rhonda Lyons and Jim Tilson.

Jim will be familiar to many of the long term members of the Community, and he and Liz were instrumental with others in forming the Community back in the 1990s. There is an article on Jim (and Liz) in the February 2017 newsletter. Jim has taken on a role perfect for someone who has been involved in Emmaus for decades – Training – where he will be able to share his knowledge with both the Board and Walk Lay Directors.

Rhonda joined the Community last year from Gold Coast Emmaus and her profile can be found on page 7 of this newsletter. She has agreed to fill the Treasurer’s role, so has taken on a critical position on the Board, and has already spent time with Ruth doing the all important handover.

We thank both Jim and Rhonda for your willingness to serve the Community on the Board.

Elsewhere in this newsletter there is a list of all the Board members, and the roles they have accepted to serve. I also thank all of them for their willingness to serve the Community on the Board.

I have written about service before in the newsletter. God calls each of us to serve Him in ministry and mission. How you are called is something each of us needs to discern in prayer. Can I ask each of you to prayerfully consider how you can serve the Lord through the MNW Emmaus Community? Our Community cannot exist without faithful servants. So, I challenge each of us to ask the Lord how we can best serve Him in the Community – whether it is on the Board, taking an off-Board role, accepting an invitation to serve on one of the Walk teams, or volunteering to help the Walks in a non-team role; it doesn’t matter. Stepping up to serve Him is what matters.

I look forward to seeing you at our March Gathering in Bendigo.

De Colores

Ian Penney,

Community Lay Director.

from your CSD - EXAMINATION TIME

In Ecclesiastes 3: 1 we read, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven”. As I read that verse I am reminded that we are about to enter the season of Lent.

Lent, that period of 40 days that is leading us into Easter. This is traditionally the period that represents the time that Christ spent in the wilderness after His baptism and where He was offered food, riches and power if He were to turn away from the course of action that He had agreed to with His Father in heaven.

In light of this, Lent is often a time when we give up some form of food or in fact anything that we may find in our everyday life. Just as Jesus had not given in to temptation then we can at least do the same in this season. By entering and engaging with this season we can bring ourselves closer in our relationship with our Creator God and His son our Saviour.

It also allows us to identify to some extent with what Christ went through over those forty days by looking at the temptations that we face each and every day and doing the same as Jesus did by not allowing ourselves to give in to them.

Lent can also be a time when we examine what is important in our lives. What is important in our relationships whatever they may be and to see what, if any, temptations we are confronted with that if we give in to them would have a detrimental effect on those relationships.

Those relationships can be between ourselves and another person, between ourselves and our employers, between ourselves and any organisation that we belong to, and most importantly between ourselves and our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Over the past year we have noted at board level that it has been harder and harder to get members of the community engaged with gatherings. It has been left to the few to carry on the work of the community. There could be many reasons for this occurring and they could be legitimate reasons but for some of us, and I include myself in this, it could be that we find the temptation to engage in other activities hard to resist.

Are we, like Christ, being tempted by the lure of power and riches or what we perceive to be the necessities required for us to live? Have we given in to those temptations to the extent that there is little time left foe us to work on and improve those very important relationships that we are involved in?

One of those relationships is this Emmaus Community and it is an opportune time, as we enter this season of Lent, to examine our involvement in the community and to see what, if any temptations have been put in our way of being as active as we can be in assisting this

6 of 12 7 of 12

Notice of Amendment to Community Bylaws

This is to provide official notice that amendments to the Maribyrnong North West Emmaus Community Bylaws have been proposed.

In accordance with existing bylaws, notice is hereby given to all Community Members that a revision of the bylaws has been completed

and approved by the Board.

Copies of the existing and proposed bylaws are available on the Community website for the voting period listed below. Copies can also

be sent via post upon request from the Secretary.

These bylaws will be adopted by a simple majority of ballots (votes) returned, via either email or post.

To submit a vote please email or post notifications to:

MNWEC Secretary mailto:secretary@mnwemmaus.org.au

or PO Box 1442, Werribee, Victoria, 3030with the following details:

Full name, Your vote, either YES or NO.

Voting Closes: 18 March 2018

EMMAUS BOARD 2018

The Maribyrnong North West Emmaus Board held its first meeting for this

year on the 3rd February. We had nine of the ten board members present. In the meeting we discussed the role of the Board and the importance that we need to be a working Board and have a pivotal and pro-active role in the community.

We are writing to the community to seek your assistance to have the Board numbers come up to its full complement of 15 people. This would allow us to cover all the portfolios that are required plus widen the load of leadership than it is at present as we are in danger of burning out some very willing workers.

To be on the Board you have to have been on a walk and have a heart for Emmaus.

We have four face to face meetings each year, usually at Kyneton and due to the size of the area we also have four or five conference calls per year in-between the face to face meetings.

We would ask you to prayerfully consider if you would be able to be a board member and be committed to a three-year term in leadership of The Maribyrnong North West Emmaus Board.

If you believe that God is leading you in this direction, please contact the MNW Board Secretary - mailto:secretary@mnwemmaus.org.au

Jim TilsonBoard Member

Jim & Liz Tilson

community to flourish and grow so that it can continue with the aim of building up people to be leaders in their faith communities.

It is my prayer that each of us individually examine the priorities in our lives this lent and make any adjustments required so that we can be the Christ centred people we have been called to be.

De Colores,

Richard Brown, Community Spiritual Director

Hi my name is Rhonda Lyons

I am a mother of two wonderful children, now adults, Sarah (in the photo) living in Canada, and Joseph who lives in Melbourne, and Mother-In-Law of Kate.

I am a semi-retired teacher, currently working as a relief teacher. I live in Ballarat and have siblings here.

I began my Emmaus journey in Queensland, Gold Coast Walk #125, Tambourine Mountain, 2014.

Emmaus changed my life (as with most pilgrims) and the experience for myself and witnessing others as they were touched by the Holy Spirit was truly divine. The word I now use is TransformationaI. Such amazing revelations within my own life and seeing complete ‘turnaround’ impacts in the lives of others. I was fortunate to volunteer with some of the most gifted Christian women who had a strength of faith I had not previously been in the company of. They defined the term, ‘Everything is possible, through Jesus’. We had a fun and committed Emmaus community on the Gold Coast.

With this knowledge and experience I continue my journey with MNW Emmaus and look forward to the walks scheduled for Winter 2018.

De Colores!

6 of 12 7 of 12

Notice of Amendment to Community Bylaws

This is to provide official notice that amendments to the Maribyrnong North West Emmaus Community Bylaws have been proposed.

In accordance with existing bylaws, notice is hereby given to all Community Members that a revision of the bylaws has been completed

and approved by the Board.

Copies of the existing and proposed bylaws are available on the Community website for the voting period listed below. Copies can also

be sent via post upon request from the Secretary.

These bylaws will be adopted by a simple majority of ballots (votes) returned, via either email or post.

To submit a vote please email or post notifications to:

MNWEC Secretary mailto:secretary@mnwemmaus.org.au

or PO Box 1442, Werribee, Victoria, 3030with the following details:

Full name, Your vote, either YES or NO.

Voting Closes: 18 March 2018

EMMAUS BOARD 2018

The Maribyrnong North West Emmaus Board held its first meeting for this

year on the 3rd February. We had nine of the ten board members present. In the meeting we discussed the role of the Board and the importance that we need to be a working Board and have a pivotal and pro-active role in the community.

We are writing to the community to seek your assistance to have the Board numbers come up to its full complement of 15 people. This would allow us to cover all the portfolios that are required plus widen the load of leadership than it is at present as we are in danger of burning out some very willing workers.

To be on the Board you have to have been on a walk and have a heart for Emmaus.

We have four face to face meetings each year, usually at Kyneton and due to the size of the area we also have four or five conference calls per year in-between the face to face meetings.

We would ask you to prayerfully consider if you would be able to be a board member and be committed to a three-year term in leadership of The Maribyrnong North West Emmaus Board.

If you believe that God is leading you in this direction, please contact the MNW Board Secretary - mailto:secretary@mnwemmaus.org.au

Jim TilsonBoard Member

Jim & Liz Tilson

community to flourish and grow so that it can continue with the aim of building up people to be leaders in their faith communities.

It is my prayer that each of us individually examine the priorities in our lives this lent and make any adjustments required so that we can be the Christ centred people we have been called to be.

De Colores,

Richard Brown, Community Spiritual Director

Hi my name is Rhonda Lyons

I am a mother of two wonderful children, now adults, Sarah (in the photo) living in Canada, and Joseph who lives in Melbourne, and Mother-In-Law of Kate.

I am a semi-retired teacher, currently working as a relief teacher. I live in Ballarat and have siblings here.

I began my Emmaus journey in Queensland, Gold Coast Walk #125, Tambourine Mountain, 2014.

Emmaus changed my life (as with most pilgrims) and the experience for myself and witnessing others as they were touched by the Holy Spirit was truly divine. The word I now use is TransformationaI. Such amazing revelations within my own life and seeing complete ‘turnaround’ impacts in the lives of others. I was fortunate to volunteer with some of the most gifted Christian women who had a strength of faith I had not previously been in the company of. They defined the term, ‘Everything is possible, through Jesus’. We had a fun and committed Emmaus community on the Gold Coast.

With this knowledge and experience I continue my journey with MNW Emmaus and look forward to the walks scheduled for Winter 2018.

De Colores!

Hi agape makers. I need your help please. It is very difficult to sort Agape when it doesn’t get to me by the training weekend. It takes about ten hours to sort and prepare for each day, so bringing it on the Thursday evening, at the start of a Walk, can be very difficult for me. I also noticed at the last Womens’ Walk that some groups sent many items but all different. What we really need is 50 identical gifts for each of the 15 sessions so that every pilgrim and team member gets identical pieces each time. Odd pieces are not much use, I’m afraid, and that is why I return them to you so that you can make more to match for next time.

Themed Agape is given 15 times over the weekend.

The themes are:

Friday - the GOD day. Saturday - the JESUS day. Sunday - the HOLY SPIRIT day.

It’s appropriate to allow these themes to inspire your Agape-making.

Your help is needed and greatly appreciated. I make Agape throughout the year ready for Walks and any not needed I send to other communities and to our sister community in South Africa Kwa Zulu Natal, who often send agape to us.

De Colores!

Joy Hughes.

TRAINING WEEKEND DATE - June 29 at Camp Getaway, Axedale. Please get your Agape to Joy on, or before this date. Many thanks!

agape@mnwemmaus.org.au

9 of 12

New Community Website & email

After many years of using the National Emmaus Website structure, our Community has decided to pursue our own independent website. A new website has been created (in house) for our Community, which allows us to have complete control over all content and design.

The website is still under development but is now available with sufficient information to no longer require the old website. (A link will be placed on the old website to redirect visitors to the new site.)

As the website develops we are seeking feedback and ideas from the community to further improve the site to cover all aspects of our community operations and provide up to date and relevant information.

The new community website can be found via the link below:

www.mnwemmaus.org.au Along with the new website we will also have our own independent email hosting. You will see our community email addresses change from ‘@gmail.com’ to ‘@mnwemmaus.org.au’ in line with our new website domain name. The old email addresses will be redirected so will still function for a while longer, until all information is updated.

Social Media

The community will also be using Facebook via a public Facebook page and a new Facebook Group just for community members. As we develop our Facebook presence you will find more content and information becoming available. Links below. (links can also be found on the new website)

Facebook Group: This is a closed group for community members only, you can request to join via the page itself or email a request with your Facebook details to the admin email address below.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/mnwec/

CO

MM

UNIC

ATIO

NS

8 of 12

Hi agape makers. I need your help please. It is very difficult to sort Agape when it doesn’t get to me by the training weekend. It takes about ten hours to sort and prepare for each day, so bringing it on the Thursday evening, at the start of a Walk, can be very difficult for me. I also noticed at the last Womens’ Walk that some groups sent many items but all different. What we really need is 50 identical gifts for each of the 15 sessions so that every pilgrim and team member gets identical pieces each time. Odd pieces are not much use, I’m afraid, and that is why I return them to you so that you can make more to match for next time.

Themed Agape is given 15 times over the weekend.

The themes are:

Friday - the GOD day. Saturday - the JESUS day. Sunday - the HOLY SPIRIT day.

It’s appropriate to allow these themes to inspire your Agape-making.

Your help is needed and greatly appreciated. I make Agape throughout the year ready for Walks and any not needed I send to other communities and to our sister community in South Africa Kwa Zulu Natal, who often send agape to us.

De Colores!

Joy Hughes.

TRAINING WEEKEND DATE - June 29 at Camp Getaway, Axedale. Please get your Agape to Joy on, or before this date. Many thanks!

agape@mnwemmaus.org.au

9 of 12

New Community Website & email

After many years of using the National Emmaus Website structure, our Community has decided to pursue our own independent website. A new website has been created (in house) for our Community, which allows us to have complete control over all content and design.

The website is still under development but is now available with sufficient information to no longer require the old website. (A link will be placed on the old website to redirect visitors to the new site.)

As the website develops we are seeking feedback and ideas from the community to further improve the site to cover all aspects of our community operations and provide up to date and relevant information.

The new community website can be found via the link below:

www.mnwemmaus.org.au Along with the new website we will also have our own independent email hosting. You will see our community email addresses change from ‘@gmail.com’ to ‘@mnwemmaus.org.au’ in line with our new website domain name. The old email addresses will be redirected so will still function for a while longer, until all information is updated.

Social Media

The community will also be using Facebook via a public Facebook page and a new Facebook Group just for community members. As we develop our Facebook presence you will find more content and information becoming available. Links below. (links can also be found on the new website)

Facebook Group: This is a closed group for community members only, you can request to join via the page itself or email a request with your Facebook details to the admin email address below.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/mnwec/

CO

MM

UNIC

ATIO

NS

8 of 12

10 of 12

New Community Website & email

After many years of using the National Emmaus Website structure, our Community has decided to pursue our own independent website. A new website has been created (in house) for our Community, which allows us to have complete control over all content and design.

The website is still under development but is now available with sufficient

Image inspired by a drawing done by Robert Hughes who did his Walk at Lake Dewar in 2010. He has been regularly involved at Gatherings, has served on Walks and also is a member of the

MNW Emmaus Board. Why not take a leaf from Robert’s book and allow your passion for the Lord to flow out in acts of service in

our Emmaus Community?

EMMAUS

11 of 12

MaribyrnongNorthWestEmmausCommunity

BoardMembers&Por9olios-2018

EmmausEmail:maribyrnongnorthwest@emmaus.org.au

EmmausPostal:POBox1442,Werribee,VIC3030

Community Lay Director Ian PenneyCommunity Lay Director - Elect Maree CrammondRegistrar Maree CrammondCommunity Spiritual Director Richard BrownSecretary Soriya SuongTreasurer Rhonda LyonsSupplies Coordinator Ray HughesTraining Coordinator Jim TilsonICT Coordinator Alan CarlyleGatherings Coordinator Harry NikasChurch Liaison/Outreach Rob HughesSponsoring Coordinator (Off Board)Agape Coordinator (Off Board) Joy HughesNewsletter Editor (Off Board) Peter Campbell

POSTAGE

PAID

AUSTRALIA

If undelivered, please return to

M.N.W. Emmaus CommunityPO BOX 1442

Werribee, VIC 3030

MaribyrnongNorthWestEmmaus

COMMUNITYNEWSLETTER

10 of 12

New Community Website & email

After many years of using the National Emmaus Website structure, our Community has decided to pursue our own independent website. A new website has been created (in house) for our Community, which allows us to have complete control over all content and design.

The website is still under development but is now available with sufficient

Image inspired by a drawing done by Robert Hughes who did his Walk at Lake Dewar in 2010. He has been regularly involved at Gatherings, has served on Walks and also is a member of the

MNW Emmaus Board. Why not take a leaf from Robert’s book and allow your passion for the Lord to flow out in acts of service in

our Emmaus Community?

EMMAUS

11 of 12

MaribyrnongNorthWestEmmausCommunity

BoardMembers&Por9olios-2018

EmmausEmail:maribyrnongnorthwest@emmaus.org.au

EmmausPostal:POBox1442,Werribee,VIC3030

Community Lay Director Ian PenneyCommunity Lay Director - Elect Maree CrammondRegistrar Maree CrammondCommunity Spiritual Director Richard BrownSecretary Soriya SuongTreasurer Rhonda LyonsSupplies Coordinator Ray HughesTraining Coordinator Jim TilsonICT Coordinator Alan CarlyleGatherings Coordinator Harry NikasChurch Liaison/Outreach Rob HughesSponsoring Coordinator (Off Board)Agape Coordinator (Off Board) Joy HughesNewsletter Editor (Off Board) Peter Campbell

POSTAGE

PAID

AUSTRALIA

If undelivered, please return to

M.N.W. Emmaus CommunityPO BOX 1442

Werribee, VIC 3030

MaribyrnongNorthWestEmmaus

COMMUNITYNEWSLETTER