Noahs of Ark

2022 NOAC Board Chair, Jimmy Doddridge

Greetings to our brothers and sisters in Christ,

On behalf of the Noahs of Ark Board, I hope this correspondence finds you all well. The NOA Board has been meeting regularly and anxiously looking ahead to 2022. I would like to thank Brenda Purifoy for her service to the NOA community as she rotates off the Board and to Carol Collins as she moves into the Past Chair position. I will serve as the Community Chair and Tonya Morris will move into the Vice Chair position. Sue Clark has resigned from the Board, and I would like to thank Sue for all she has done and continues to do for our community. It is a blessing to be working with such a good group of folks on the Board. Because of the pandemic, all other Board members have agreed to serve an additional year. At our last Board meeting, Andy Cameron was appointed as Fourth Day Chair. The Board is still actively seeking the following positions: Agape Chair, Face to Face Clergy Chair, and Chrysalis Lay Chair. If anyone has an interest in serving in one of these positions, please contact me.

There have been some tough and unpopular decisions that have had to be made concerning Emmaus events these past two years including postponing the springs walks. I have heard the grumbling throughout the community and the question of whether we will ever hold another Emmaus event. Our good Lord willing and with the support and love for our Emmaus community, I am excited to announce the following events:

· Face to Face Encounter #4 will be held at Piney Grove United Methodist Church on July 12, 14, 19, and 21. The Lay Director is Rick Gartner and the Spiritual Director is Terry Chapman.

· Face to Face Encounter #5 will be held at Mabelvale United Methodist Church on July 26, 28, August 2, and 4. The Lay Director is Carolyn Gray and the Spiritual Director is Mike Morey.

· Men’s Walk #194 will be held at Camp Tanako on September 29 – October 2. The Lay Director is Drew Ruff.

· Women’s Walk #195 will be held at Camp Tanako on October 27-30. The Lay Director is Bernice Perkins.

The key to any Emmaus event is prayer. Please join us as we pray for our community and these events. The leadership teams are beginning to fill their teams. If you are being led to work on a team, please contact Marilyn Hockaday at teamselection@noahsofark.org. It’s also time to begin contacting potential pilgrims for these events. If you have questions about any of these events, please go to our website at www.noahsofark.org for more information and applications.

At this time Chrysalis and Journey to the Table have been put on hold. However, we are prayerfully hoping that these will fall into place and these events will be resume very soon!

On a personal note, I know the past couple of years have been nothing short of grueling for each and everyone of us throughout the NOA community, our churches, and all around us. I feel like the way our Lord and Savior Jesus was cast into the wilderness before He began His ministry, so have we! And now it is time for us to be the voice of the one crying in the wilderness. It’s time for us to come together to prepare for the way of the Lord. That is what the Walk to Emmaus ministry is about. As Cleopus and his companion stated, “Did our hearts not burn?” Let’s each and every one of us start reaching out to our brothers and sisters throughout the Emmaus Community and “stir the coals!” It’s time to get the fire started, put our faith in our Father, and fan the flames!

I speak for each and everyone on the Board when I say, “we have a deep and lasting love for each of you.” Let’s remember we are bound together with cords that cannot be broken. Looking forward to seeing all of you soon and always remember that “Christ is counting on you as you are counting on Christ.”

De Colores,

Jimmy Doddridge

NOA Community Lay Director