Sponsorship is the most important service in the Emmaus movement – but what's most important is that we do it with excellence.

 

What is Sponsorship?

‍Every person who attends Emmaus has a "sponsor" who supports and encourages him or her before, during, and after their Emmaus experience.  A sponsor is someone who has been through an Emmaus experience and is willing to share that experience with another new Emmaus participant.

 

Sponsorship is a job that is shared between all the youth who have been through Chrysalis and all the adults who have been through the Walk to Emmaus before you and it is more than just “signing people up” for an Emmaus Walk.  It  is the way in which the Emmaus experience is passed on from person to person, reflecting the manner in which God purposefully reaches out to people through other people. After an Emmaus weekend, you may also want to share the gift of these three days with others. Sponsorship provides you with a caring and disciplined way to do that. And by becoming a sponsor, you can participate in and demonstrate God's outreaching love for others - as He has called us to do.

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The aim of Emmaus through Sponsorship:

The importance of sponsorship training cannot be overemphasized. The quality of sponsorship will impact new participants, the health and effectiveness of the Emmaus movement, and all of our sponsoring churches.

The aim of sponsorship is the same as the aim of Emmaus which is: The spiritual growth of maturing Christians as disciples of Jesus Christ through churches and their adult ministries.  Every sponsor should reflect upon his or her motivation to sponsor an adult and make sure it is consistent with this aim.

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The DO's and DON'TS of Sponsorship:
A critical factor in your sponsorship consideration is the comfort level of the pilgrim to experience this weekend.  As you prayerfully consider those to sponsor, here are some suggestions for you to consider:

DON'T Consider Sponsoring:
-Those who would find The Walk to Emmaus a discomforting experience should not be pressed to attend.  This discomfort might extend to beliefs about God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit that differ from the traditional Christian belief of the Holy Trinity.
-Those involved in recent or unresolved emotional or physical distress; for example, the death of a loved one, family breakup, divorce proceedings, work downsizing, job loss, and health problems.  (If you are unsure about this, please ask his/her pastor!)
-Those who are unable to sit for several hours at a time, or have severe medical concerns should not attend.
-Sponsorship someone just to have a full weekend.

DO Consider Sponsoring:
-Those persons who are committed to living a life that is pleasing to God, those who want to grow and increase their knowledge and understanding of God and his will.
-Church leaders (pastors and laypersons), those serving on committees, outreach programs, anyone participating in the ministries of the church.
-Couples: Try to get them to go on the same set of walks or back-to-back walks.
-Single persons who are active in the church.
-Less active members who need their awareness of grace rekindled and their commitments renewed.
-Christians who want to grow spiritually:
-Members of diverse congregations, denominations, and ethnic groups.

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So, Who is the Walk to Emmaus really for then?

Emmaus is primarily designed for adult Christians who have a desire to strengthen their spiritual lives, may have unanswered questions about their faith, understand that being a Christian involves responsibility and are willing to dedicate their everyday lives to God.   Sponsors give others the gift of three days apart in order to:

• experience the accepting and healing grace of God through Christian community

• realize they are precious in God's eyes, that they are here on this earth for a holy purpose

• discuss without judgment their questions and struggles as maturing adults with peers and other Christian adults

• hear anew the gospel of God's love in Jesus Christ and the basics of Christian faith and life

• make friends with others who share their faith and will support each other as Christians

• develop relationships with other Christians, relationships which might extend beyond the three days

• be strengthened in their decisions to follow Jesus

• be better prepared to live as Christian witnesses at home, work, church, and in their community

• learn what goes into building their lives and relationships on a solid foundation

• bring new vitality to the church upon returning, to inspire the sponsorship of others, and to energize the body of Christ through people whose hearts are on fire with the love of Christ!

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Next steps:

Now that we have an understanding what sponsorship is, what should motivate us and a little about who we should sponsor, the next step is to review what this commitment looks like when it comes to Sponsoring an Adult.