The Walk to Emmaus experience begins with a 72-hour short course in Christianity, comprised of fifteen talks by lay and clergy on the themes of God's grace, disciplines of Christian discipleship, and what it means to be the church. The course is wrapped in prayer and meditation, special times of worship and daily celebration of Holy Communion. The "Emmaus community," made up of those who have attended an Emmaus weekend, support the 72-hour experience with a prayer vigil, by preparing and serving meals, and other acts of love and self-giving. The Emmaus Walk usually begins Thursday evening and concludes Sunday evening. Men and women attend separate weekends. During and after the three days, Emmaus leaders encourage participants to meet regularly in small groups. The members of the small groups challenge and support one another in faithful living. Participants seek to Christianize their environments of family, job, and community through the ministry of their congregations. The Upper Room of The United Methodist Church sponsors the Walk to Emmaus and offers it through local Emmaus groups around the world. The three-day Emmaus experience and the follow-up groups strengthen and renew Christian people as disciples of Jesus Christ and as active members of the body of Christ in mission to the world. Many church leaders acclaim Emmaus as much more than a program. It is a powerful movement of spiritual renewal that is making a difference for countless individuals and many congregations. Between 1978 and 1995, nearly half a million persons participated in Emmaus. During this same period, the Emmaus movement has taken hold in 300 sites around the world, including the U.S.A., Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Germany, and India. Emmaus is an experience in which growing Christians of all sorts come together in common affirmation of the essentials of the Christian faith. Bishop Adriel de Souza Maia of Brazil worked to take Emmaus to his homeland because, as he put it, "We need a church renewal movement which brings together the two sides of the Christian life: prayer and action, personal spiritual growth and social concern. Emmaus holds together these two sides of the coin."
