Verse to Consider – Luke 24:32
“They said to each other, ‘Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?'”
Here at Emmaus Ministries, our sole purpose is to help others experience the full weight of the story we read in Luke 24, where Simon and Cleopas are encountered by Jesus in an unexpected and life-changing way after having witnessed the crucifixion. Not only does Jesus take the time to walk with them on the road and listen to their questions, but he reveals HIS story to them through the Scriptures, and even ends their journey together with a shared meal. We desire to see everyone embark on their own Emmaus Road journey — to know the person of Jesus through His Word and allow Him to transform their hearts and lives. This desire is reflected in our three core values: Inductive Bible Study, Authentic Relationships, and Community Life.
What’s new?
It’s been quite busy the past few weeks as we’ve prepared for and finally started our Fall Semester of the School of Biblical Studies. And it’s only going to get busier as Samantha and I prepare for the coming of our baby in the next two weeks and work on moving into our new apartment! Despite the umbrella of anxious anticipation, we’ve had a truly wonderful two weeks of class time with our new and returning students.
(Images left to right: Samantha preparing welcome baskets. Introducing two of our international students to the finest American establishment. Personalized door tags for our resident students.)
The first week of classes involved taking the students through the book of Jonah while teaching them how to use the inductive study method. We use this book to teach the method because it contains multiple genres of literature to explore, exhibits the value of observing historical context, and it’s short. Apart from those things, Jonah is simply an amazing book as an introduction to God’s character! The second week of class was a bit more daunting as our students had to dive right into Genesis while still learning to utilize their new inductive skills, but they’ve been doing awesome!
As you may know, Emmaus Ministries runs other programs aside from the School of Biblical Studies — one of them being our “Narrative Series.” This is the program where we host one night every month for anyone and everyone to come and take a journey through the Bible. Each lecture gives a 2 hour overview of a specific grouping of books in the Bible. This program runs parallel to the books being studied in our School, so this month’s lecture was called “From Creation to Covenant” and covered the first 5 books of the Bible.
What’s Next
Whenever the baby comes in the next couple of weeks, Samantha and I will be taking a break from our work in order to get to know our new family member. It’s a bittersweet moment as our excitement builds for meeting our baby and as we think about leaving our new students for a while. And while Samantha and I also look forward to having our own living space for the first time, on the eve of our 5 year anniversary, we’ll also greatly miss living on the beautiful Canterbury Campus.
We’re so grateful for all the love and support that we’ve been shown during this time of change in our lives. We look forward to sending you a greeting from our child in the next blog and giving you update on our work with Emmaus Ministries in the future after.
Prayer Requests
– We’d greatly appreciate your prayers for the pregnancy and birthing process. Our obvious concern is for the baby to come out safely and healthy, but we’d also love your prayers for us as nervous first-time parents, and Samantha specifically as she prepares physically and emotionally.
– Please keep Emmaus Ministries in mind as they pick up the extra load of work in our absence, they’ve been so gracious and supportive towards us having ample time with our new baby.
– Please pray for our new students as they continue to familiarize themselves with the study method and dive into God’s Word.
– Samantha and I have a car that runs, but is in need of some costly repairs in the next few months.
– While we’re excited to be moving into our new apartment, the rent is going to really stretch our budget. Please pray that God would increase our support.
Donation Info:
If you’d like to partner with us in helping others take their own Emmaus Road journey, follow this link to our Donate Page for instructions.
Thank you,
-Jacob & Samantha McRae
The McRae Family 