Emmaus Ministries
Renewing Christian Disciples and Strengthening Local Churches
The Northern California - Nevada Emmaus Community
Who We Are ~ Our History
The Northern California - Nevada Emmaus Community is one of hundreds of Emmaus communities worldwide, offering opportunities for spiritual renewal, Christian fellowship, and discipleship. Since our first Walk in 1988, our community has served people throughout Northern California and Northern Nevada through the ministries of Emmaus and Chrysalis.
Over the years, we have hosted 120 Walk to Emmaus weekends, including 69 Women’s Walks and 51 Men’s Walks. We have also nurtured younger generations through Chrysalis, sponsoring 69 Flights — 35 Girls’ Flights and 34 Boys’ Flights. Through these experiences, countless lives have been touched and strengthened in faith, leadership, and community in Christ.
What are Emmaus and Chrysalis Weekend Retreats?
The Walk to Emmaus is an ecumenical ministry that welcomes Christians from many backgrounds — such as The United Methodist Church, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Baptist, Catholic, Episcopal, non-denominational churches, and others — while focusing on the beliefs Christians share in common rather than denominational differences. It is a Christian spiritual renewal weekend designed to help people deepen their relationship with Christ through worship, prayer, music, discussion, community, and spiritual reflection.
The experience takes place over a three-day weekend retreat called a “Walk.” Participants are called Pilgrims, and after completing the weekend they become part of an ongoing Emmaus community in their ‘4th’ days.
The name, ‘Emmaus’, comes from the Bible story in the Gospel of Luke 24:13–35, where two disciples walk with the risen Christ on the road to Emmaus but do not recognize Him until later. The movement emphasizes that Christ walks alongside people in everyday life.
The Walk is not meant to replace a person’s church, but to encourage participants to become more active disciples in their home congregations and communities.
A Chrysalis (often called “The Flight”) is the youth and young adult version of the Walk to Emmaus. It is a Christian spiritual renewal retreat designed especially for teenagers and young adults, ranging from high school through early college age. The name Chrysalis comes from the stage of transformation in a butterfly’s life cycle — symbolizing spiritual growth and transformation in Christ.
Many people involved in Emmaus describe Chrysalis as especially powerful because it introduces young people to Christian community, worship, and leadership at a formative age.
Our Purpose
The purpose of The Walk to Emmaus is to encourage, strengthen, and equip Christians for faithful service in their homes, churches, workplaces, and communities. Emmaus invites participants to embrace and share a grace-filled life centered in Christ.
After the three-day Walk experience, participants are encouraged to continue growing in faith through small groups and involvement in the Emmaus community, their ‘4th Days’. These groups provide support, accountability, encouragement, and fellowship as individuals continue their spiritual journey. Through ongoing discipleship and community participation, participants are nurtured in their spiritual gifts and servant-leadership abilities for ministry within the local church and beyond. Emmaus encourages each person to live out their unique call to discipleship in everyday life.
The Walk to Emmaus is an ecumenical ministry that welcomes Christians from many denominations and traditions. One of the movement’s greatest strengths is the unity and fellowship shared among believers from diverse backgrounds. Emmaus focuses on the core essentials of the Christian faith, emphasizing the beliefs and values Christians hold in common while deepening participants’ understanding of Christian living.
The purpose of a Chrysalis weekend is to nurture the spiritual lives of young people and help them grow in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Chrysalis provides a loving Christian community where youth and young adults are encouraged, challenged, and equipped to live out their faith in their schools, homes, churches, and communities.
Through a three-day Chrysalis “Flight,” participants experience worship, music, prayer, fellowship, discussion, and talks centered on God’s grace and Christian discipleship. The ministry emphasizes acceptance, encouragement, and the discovery of each person’s God-given gifts and purpose.
Following the Flight, participants are encouraged to continue their spiritual growth through small groups, gatherings, service opportunities, and ongoing involvement in the Chrysalis and Emmaus communities. Chrysalis seeks to strengthen young Christians in their daily walk with Christ while developing future servant leaders for the church and the world.
Like Emmaus, Chrysalis is ecumenical in nature, welcoming participants from many Christian traditions and emphasizing the shared foundations of the Christian faith.