"I have always felt God's love but, after the Walk to Emmaus, I embrace God's love for me and feel called to share it with others." These are the words of a participant or pilgrim on the Dakotas Walk to Emmaus.
The program, Walk to Emmaus, is a 72-hour experience starting Thursday evening and ending Sunday evening. Participants are asked to separate themselves from their daily activities for this time period. There is no “physical walking distance”, but rather a “walk” with others in fellowship, learning, and fun. The Walk to Emmaus does qualify for clergy continuing education credits.
"Walk to Emmaus is a chance to step away from the overwhelming tasks of our daily life and grow in faith. I thought I was confident about what my faith journey was all about. But after my Walk to Emmaus Journey, I now know that I am God's work in progress. I felt called and loved in ways I never imagined," says a recent participant.
The Walk to Emmaus is so named because the experience is very similar to the Bible story in Luke 24 where the risen Christ joins the two disciples who were walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus. By walking with Jesus, reflecting on the scriptures, breaking bread together, and sharing their resurrection stories, the disciples experienced Christ’s presence and their hearts burned within them.
"The Walk to Emmaus is your opportunity to walk with the Lord and rediscover God’s burning presence in your life," says Betty Janke, who serves on the board for Dakotas Walk to Emmaus.
The Dakotas Men’s Walk to Emmaus will be held at Storm Mountain Center October 3-6, 2019 and the women’s walk will be held October 10-13, 2019. The events begin on Thursday about 6:30 p.m. and ends Sunday about 5 p.m.
For additional information contact Pastor Val Rush at, 701-523-1346, e-mail: valrush@gmail.com. Or, contact Betty Janke at, 605-387-5490, e-mail: BettyJ131@hotmail.com. Registration may be sent to: Susie Ryks, registrar; e-mail: susieryks@hotmail.com.
More information may be obtained from the following websites: www.upperroom.org, and www.dakotaswalk.org.