Emmaus Group: What is it?

WHAT IS AN EMMAUS GROUP (Discipleship Quad)? 

St. Paul the Apostle parish Emmaus Groups are Discipleship Quads that consist of four people who journey together as disciples through weekly gatherings of fellowship, ongoing conversion, and learning. This year long path of accompaniment fosters growth through prayer, accountability, and authentic relationships. All members of an Emmaus group should be of the same gender to create an atmosphere of intimacy and vulnerability for sharing. 

Each Emmaus Group has a Coordinator, who serves the temporal needs of the group and helps facilitate the conversations by modeling authenticity. The Emmaus Group Coordinator is the person who starts the group. This process is much more about peer-to-peer discipling, in that it does not have a hierarchical structure, where one leader is passing along his or her knowledge to the others. Rather, an Emmaus Group is made up of four people who are committed to growing closer to Jesus as his disciples by learning together, sharing life in community, and creating a place for accountability in this journey. 

WHO IS A EMMAUS GROUP FOR? An Emmaus Group is for any person who has a desire to grow in faith and will commit to journeying together with their group for a year. A group can be made up of people at any level of spiritual maturity, from long-time, committed Catholics to those who are just beginning their spiritual journey with Jesus. In addition to growing as disciples, group members should desire to be formed as disciple-makers. 

THE BENEFIT TO THE INDIVIDUAL: The benefit of an Emmaus Group to each individual person is knowing the love of Jesus Christ and deepening a relationship with him. Those who have experienced that love and made the decision to follow Christ would never go back to a life without him. The reason for this is that their lives were changed forever after knowing his unconditional love. The truth is that this life is available to everyone who genuinely wants to grow in faith—who wants a relationship with our Lord and Savior. The Discipleship Quad is a proven way to help others experience such a relationship. Jesus is critical to our ongoing growth in faith and, as such, our peace, joy, and fulfillment in life. Community, and fellowship with those on the same journey are also important. 

HOW DO I GET STARTED? Pray. Pray about who. Are there people in your life you are being called to companion with? Are there people you know who could benefit from spiritual friendship? If you have a group in mind, please let us know. If you’d like to be connected to other people who are interested in forming a group, sign up here. If you have questions, email Tasha Havercamp at thavercamp@gmail.com