NOVEMBER 2009 - News

Becky Thode (CLD) has asked that I report to the Community regarding the changes that are being implemented by the Team Selection Committee, (TSC), as we move to be in compliance with the Upper Room Handbook on Emmaus. As the Committee has been working with the Weekend Lay Directors for our Fall 2009 and Spring 2010 Walks, the following process has been implemented that seems to be well received and working well:

1. The TSC identifies candidates to the Local Board for the Leadership Teams for upcoming Weekends - candidates for Weekend Lay Director (WLD), Assistant Lay Director (ALD), Music Director (MD), and Lead Servant.

2. The TSC works with the Board selected WLD to identify the WLD's Leadership Team from the Board approved pool of leadership andidates.

3. The TSC provides the WLD with a pool of Team candidates from whom the WLD can select and recruit their Team. In some cases the TSC recommends specific persons to Team in order to ensure that person will have the opportunity to progress in servanthood. All potential Team members are selected from candidates with current applications.

4. The TSC, working with the WLD, identifies assignments for Team members that is spiritually discerned and focused upon each Team member's progression in servanthood. Progression in servanthood is the Upper Room guideline that Community members who desire to Team be given the opportunity to progress from anonymous service like cha, prayer warrior, and such through Table Leader, Assistant Lay Director and Lay Director. A similar progression is being looked at for Music Director.

Your Team Selection Committee is striving mightily to be a tool of the Lord in these matters and in full compliance with the guidelines provided by the Upper Room. We urge each and every one of you in the Community who wish to Team to submit an application to Team. Your application is good for two (2) years. Further, we urge each of you who choose to Team to give serious thought to your progression in servanthood.

Do you wish to progress to Table Leader then continue as an Assistant Weekend Lay Director and future Weekend Lay Director? Or would you like to progress from Table Leader along the music chain to Weekend Music Director? Or would you like to continue to serve as needed without progressing? All of us on the Board and the Team Selection Committee look forward to working with each of you to ensure that you have every opportunity to serve our Lord as He wishes and you discern.

De Colores,

Dick Barnett, Assistant Community Lay Director

FEBRUARY 2010 - NEWS

In our November Newsletter I reported on the processes being put in place to be more compliant with the Upper Room Guidelines – primarily dealing with Team Assignments. In this article I would like to briefly discuss selection of Team members. The Upper Room has emphasized two related goals in selecting Team members. First, that they be equally distributed among new, progressing and veteran Teamers. (For example, on Men’s FE-78 that is Teaming now, we have nine (9) first time Teamers, one first time Spiritual Director and an equal distribution among the three experience categories.) Second, that veteran Teamers serve sacrificially – that is, serve on fewer Teams in order to provide room for the new and progressing Teamers.

As with all change, there is impact – some good and some frustrating. In order to accomplish an outreach to new and progressing Teamers, fewer veterans are able to Team as often as they would like. We have imposed where possible, a two Team in a row suggestion – after serving on two Teams in a row the veterans need to take a break for a Team or so. This isn’t practical in all cases, so it is just a suggestion – but the result has been many new and progressing Teamers over the last few Walks – and that’s a good thing.

If any members of the Community have questions or concerns about how we are proceeding to implement change in compliance with the Upper Room Guidelines for Team selection and assignments, please contact me. I appreciate any and all input.

De Colores,

Dick Barnett, Assistant Community Lay Director