About the Fourth Day

As participants conclude their Walk to Emmaus weekends, they are introduced to the concept of the Fourth Day -- a symbol of the days of Christian pilgrimage that follow the three-day Emmaus experience. The Walk to Emmaus is a unique opportunity to reflect on one's faith journey and make a deeper commitment to Christ. In fact, "the whole reason for The Walk to Emmaus is to make you a more faithful disciple and active member in your church." (Bob Wood, Day Four) Thus, the Fourth Day is central to the Emmaus experience, as it extends each individual's experience beyond the weekend and into life in the world.

In living their Fourth Days, participants are encouraged to continue to grow in relationship with Christ and live as faithful disciples in all of life. An important and necessary foundation for faithful Christian living is a vital connection to the Christian community for support, guidance, and challenge. This is most available through local church communities, reunion groups, and the Emmaus/Chrysalis Celebrations. Another way to be connected to the support of the Christian community is through studying the writings of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

If you are currently living your Fourth Day, you may find some helpful suggestions for faithful discipleship in the categories of Piety , Study , and Action .

Piety: Giving Our Hearts To Christ

Group Reunion
The Emmaus group reunion is a small accountability group of two to six persons who have usually participated in the three-day Walk to Emmaus and who want to continue their pursuit of a life lived wholly in the grace of God. These small follow-up groups help pilgrims translate the message conveyed on the Walk to Emmaus weekend into a daily walk with Christ. With the regular support of a few faithful friends, the gift of God's love in Jesus Christ becomes a lifestyle of Christian discipleship through the threefold discipline of piety, study, and action.

Group reunions meet at regular times, usually weekly for an hour. The meeting consists of persons' sharing the stories of their walk with Christ during the past week.

Members listen to one another, celebrate the grace of God in each person's life, and reinforce each one's core commitment to living in union with Christ in all facets of daily life. Members express that reinforcement through gentle accountability, encouragement, and support of one's stated discipline and plans.

Excerpted with permission from The Group Reunion by Stephen D. Bryant. Copyright © 1995 by The Upper Room.

Study: Giving Our Minds To Christ

A mature Christian is an informed Christian -- informed about the mind and heart of God by knowing scripture. A Christian knows about the world and its needs and works toward gaining the best insights on how to alleviate the hurting world's agonies. Human beings rise above the animal world of simple instincts when they become knowledgeable and use that knowledge to help build God's kingdom. Study, like piety, can be approached in an intentional, systematic way, resulting in a deeping of your relationship with God and an empowering of your Christian discipleship.

For more study possibilities, see the Emmaus Reading List 's selections for Study .

Excerpted with permission from Day Four: The Pilgrim's Continued Journey by Robert Wood and Marie Livingston Roy. Copyright © 1986 by The Upper Room.

Action: Giving Our Hands To Christ

Group Reunion
Reunion groups provide a natural launching pad for mission in the community. Reunion groups are also a support base for acts of agape for Emmaus weekends. Shared engagement in service to others deepens friendships and opens up avenues for Christian action.

Some groups, where members relate to the same church, find a shared ministry within their congregations. Other groups choose to serve together in the kitchen for an Emmaus weekend or make it their mission to set up facilities for Emmaus weekends. Many groups spend time making table agape, creating banners, and writing general agape letters to support their own and other Walks to Emmaus. Some Emmaus groups take on ministries in their local communities.

As valuable as group activities and a sense of common mission can be, Emmaus groups must remember that these efforts are "extracurricular." Always make time for the primary work of the group -- reviewing the service sheet and reflecting on Christ's presence and call.

Sponsorship
Do you remember how much your Walk to Emmaus meant to you? It would not have been possible without the prayer and sacrifice of your sponsor. The responsibilities of being a sponsor are many and crucial to the effectiveness of the experience. You can share God's love with someone you know by sponsoring him or her during an Emmaus weekend. For more information about sponsorship, visit the Sponsorship page.

[Excerpted with permission from Day Four: The Pilgrim's Continued Journey by Robert Wood and Marie Livingston Roy. Copyright © 1986 by The Upper Room.]

Local Church Involvement
The sole purpose of the Emmaus Movement is to strengthen disciples within the ministry of individual congregations. Emmaus is in partnership with the church to inspire its leaders to become more effective and intentional in their ministry. . . . Although the Walk to Emmaus is a unique and powerful instrument through which faithful people are renewed and inspired, it cannot provide the well-rounded programs such as education, evangelism, missions, and stewardship that are provided by an individual congregation. One way to act in Christ's service is to become involved in some facet of your local parish's ministry.

Emmaus/Chrysalis Celebrations
The Walk to Emmaus International Office helps to sponsor celebratory events all over the US for prior Emmaus participants. For more information, visit the Emmaus/Chrysalis Celebrations page .