What is the Aim of Emmaus?
The difference Emmaus makes is seen in the sixty-year-old man who, after his weekend, decides
to give up his antique business and enter seminary. Or the woman who was inspired to write a
song, praising God in her many local performances. Another example is the doctor who took to
adding Bible verses to his prescription sheets to reinforce Christ as the "best medicine."
—Layperson from Ohio
The aim of Emmaus is to inspire, challenge, and equip local church members for Christian
action—in their homes, churches, workplaces, and communities. Several important components of
the Emmaus program work together to accomplish this aim.
The three-day Emmaus course in Christianity moves church members to new levels of openness and
commitment as disciples of Christ. Participants gain fresh understanding of the meaning of their faith.
People re-experience the gift of God's love and emerge from the Emmaus weekend with a desire to pass
that love on to others. The three-day course strengthens persons' conscious union with Jesus Christ and
helps them translate their faith into a practical lifestyle of openness to God's love.
A layman from Tennessee wrote, "I learned the importance of a life of piety, study, and service and their
interrelationship in providing a life in grace. I felt the immense power of God's love and grace and new
insights into ways of sustaining and increasing my openness to that grace. I developed a new longing to
share my experience of Christ with others with hopes that they too can feel what I feel. Although my
Christian journey started a long time ago, the progress and growth due to my Emmaus experience is
invaluable to me."
The Emmaus follow-up groups build on what begins during the three-day experience. These little
discipleship groups of two to six persons meet weekly for an hour. Members review their weekly spiritual
practices, their awareness of Christ's presence and call, and their plans for the week to come. The
accountability group's purpose is to provide ongoing support for one another's commitment to live
wholly in the grace of God and to grow in the self-giving spirit of Jesus Christ. In addition to
undergirding personal Christian growth, the follow-up groups serve as excellent bases for Christian
action and outreach in the local community.
Teams in servanthood make a. difference. Many who participate in Emmaus also grow in the servant
spirit of Jesus Christ through their subsequent involvement in making Emmaus possible for others. By
serving in the kitchen, setting up the rooms, cleaning the bathrooms, preparing the worship center, and
praying from behind the scenes for the pilgrims and teams, these persons learn the joy and discipline of
humble servanthood. By serving as team members and committing to several weeks of team preparation,
persons learn to lead faith-sharing in small groups, to express their faith and speak before groups, and to use
their unique gifts while affirming others' gifts.
Local church involvement represents Emmaus participants' lifelong commitment to Christ and his
church. Emmaus achieves its aim when local churches gain strength as the locus of that commitment to
Christian discipleship. In and through the church, persons practice and fulfill the message of the Emmaus
Walk as they share the love of God in homes, workplaces, and communities around the world. All aspects of
Emmaus—the three-day short course, follow-up groups, team and background support—are designed to
empower and equip Christians to effectively be Christ's hands and feet in the world.
