Shenandoah Valley Emmaus Community
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    • What is the Walk to Emmaus- VIDEO
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  • Community
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    • Online Sponsors Form
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  • Pilgrim Applicaton

Sponsoring Policies

Download  Pilgrim's Application  fillable word doc

History and Logistics for Having a Walk-
The Shenandoah Valley Emmaus Community (SVEC) generally has a Spring and Fall set of Walks, consisting of a Men’s Walk (held first each session), followed by a Women’s Walk. The SVEC policy sets a minimum of 12 Pilgrims for a Walk to take place, and due to space limitations, caps a Walk at 30 Pilgrims.
The minimum Team for an SVEC Walk consists of 5 clergy and 23 laity.For more than the minimum number of 12, additional Team members are necessary. [Every Community member should seriously consider serving as a Team Member at some point. >> Because the Sponsor role is very intense and continues THROUGHOUT the Walk weekend, Team members may only co-sponsor a pilgrim on a Walk they Team.<<]
The number of Pilgrims attending a Walk must be known well in advance because the 72 hour Walk: 1) necessitates an intense training program because it is highly structured, and  2) requires a well-trained Team working as a unit.   SVEC has set a 30 day deadline for Pilgrim Applications for a Walk. We are counting on The Community to sponsor Pilgrims for each Walk.
Emmaus International requires a selection process for Pilgrims.There must be enough time prior to the 30 day commitment deadline to receive applications, review and select Pilgrims, issue invitations, and receive responses.The application deadline dates on the SVEC Calendar (found at ) take the following process into account.

​Pilgrim Application/Walk Process-
1)A Sponsor prayerfully selects a candidate to invite,
2) The Candidate submits a completed first page of an application to the Sponsor,
3) The Sponsor collates both sections of the application and submits it to SVEC,
4) The Registrar receives the application, and prepares it for review by the Selection Committee,
5) The Selection Committee receives and reviews applications. [Unfortunately, not all applications can be accepted, as each Pilgrim must meet the Emmaus International set of requirements in order to be selected for a Walk & a maximum of 30 Pilgrims is set for each walk],
6) The Registrar issues invitations, and the candidate responds – a ‘yes’ equals a CONFIRMED Pilgrim,
7)A Team is matched to the Walk size, and
8) The site for the Walk is secured for the dates set.

The Sponsor’s Role-
Only a person that has attended either the Walk to Emmaus, or a closely associated program, such as Cursillo, may sponsor an application from prospective Pilgrim for the Walk. The Sponsor must assess whether or not a person is a candidate for the Walk by ensuring the candidate must be: 1) An active member of a Christian religious community, including regular participation in a church [Emmaus is ecumenical, meaning any Christian church qualifies], 2) Either already demonstrating church leadership, or ready to take on such a role, 3) NOT currently undergoing any personal or religious crisis [Emmaus is not a ‘hospital / ER’ for people going through tough times], and 4) Able to devote the full 72 hours required.
If your candidate fits the above criteria, then you should obtain a copy of the Pilgrim Application  [Link found above].   NOTE:A legible and complete application is necessary for the process to proceed smoothly; therefore, encourage the Pilgrim candidate to fill their page in online, and THEN print it out for you.The sponsor: 1) fills out the second page of the Pilgrim Application online, 2) prints it out, and 3) submits both pages for consideration. There are areas highlighted in yellow which are to remind you and the Pilgrim that these MUST be filled in.Remind your Pilgrim candidate to fill in ALL fields that are pertinent to their situation.The SVEC communicates through electronic media primarily, so a LEGIBLE email address is critical, if the candidate has one.Because SVEC uses electronic media for contact, the candidate should check the email address regularly.Do not provide the SPONSOR page to the Pilgrim.Send the hard copy to the address on the application with the Pilgrim application fee for it to be considered.Please note that any Emmaus fees may be paid by check, money order or cash either thru the mail or brought to one of the monthly Gatherings.The Emmaus International Board strongly encourages that the Pilgrim pay the application fee as a part of the commitment to the Walk.NEVER SEND CASH THROUGH THE MAIL. NOTE:A Sponsor should always make a copy of the completed application and file it safely – just in case the original gets lost in the mail.
Once a candidate accepts an invitation to the Walk, the Sponsor fee should be submitted as soon as practical, but prior to Sign-In at the Walk.The Sponsor fee may be paid in the same ways as the Pilgrim fee.It is also your responsibility to review the “Sponsor Responsibilities” List sent to you and make sure you fulfill all the duties listed therein in a timely manner.   There is more to sponsoring a Pilgrim than asking someone to attend - sponsors also commit to support the Pilgrim in the entire process, so it is crucial for a Sponsor to commit to the entire process.  That list also notes the current fees due.

The Candidate’s Role (Prospective Pilgrim)-
The candidate: 1) prayerfully considers the opportunity, 2) commits to the full 72 hour program, 3) returns page one of the completed application, along with a check for the Application Fee to the Sponsor.  The application fee may be by either check, money order or cash, either mailed or brought to one of the monthly Gatherings.   NEVER SEND CASH THROUGH THE MAIL.


What Happens Next-
The application goes to a permanent address to be cataloged, acknowledged as received, and forwarded to the Registrar.The Registrar readies the application and forwards it to the Selection Committee for review.The Selection Committee reviews the application for compliance and determines if the candidate is to be placed on the Pilgrim list for a Walk.If there are any questions from the Selection Committee that need to be resolved, either the Sponsor or the candidate is contacted for clarification.
Once a candidate is approved by the Selection Committee, the Registrar is authorized to issue an invitation to the candidate – usually through email.The Sponsor is copied on all electronic correspondence with the candidate so they will know where the candidate is in the process.The Pilgrim should respond to the invitation as soon as practical.
 
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  • Home- About Emmaus
    • What is the Walk to Emmaus- VIDEO
    • Current SVEC News!
    • Serving Others >
      • Sign-ups to Serve in the Background
      • Teaming
      • Team Check-in Registration
    • Board of Directors
    • Program Overview
    • Donate
    • Update My Contact Info
  • Community
    • Gatherings at Overlook
    • Host a Local Gathering
    • Travel to Overlook
    • Walk Event Times
  • WalkS
  • Sponsoring
    • Online Sponsors Form
  • Prayer Vigils
  • Pilgrim Applicaton