Student Led Ministries Emmaus Road
Emmaus Road is a student-led ministry dedicated to developing a Christ-centered heart for ministry and service at Westmont by raising awareness about global issues and mobilizing students in thoughtful response.
The Emmaus Road Core Team seeks to create an honoring space for holistic global and cultural engagement through the pursuit of intentional community, deeper understanding, prayer, intercession, and reconciliation with God.
Emmaus Road is named in reflection of the passage found in Luke 24, where Jesus, shortly after his resurrection is seen walking with some of his followers, who fail to recognize him. Later, their eyes are opened and they realize the man who was with them was Jesus himself. Emmaus Road seeks to focus on being with people in ordinary ways as Jesus does, by simply engaging in daily life with global communities and listening well. Emmaus Road seeks to be a group that oozes the hope of the gospel just as this passage does, allowing our eyes to be opened by the people and experiences that are encountered.
Emmaus Road Information

Core Leadership Team
2022-2023 Emmaus Road Core Team
ER Director | Joy Sturges |
ER Programming Coordinator | Hannah Desoto |
ER Business Manager | Ben Buskirk |
ER Publicity and Travel Manager | Audrey Whittle |
Contact
Office Hours
Email us to set up an appointment. We look forward to meeting with you.
ER office is located on the 2nd floor of the Kerr Student Center (KSC)
CONTACT US
Student Leadership Team
Phone: 805-565-6806 (office)
Email: emmaus_road@westmont.edu
Staff Director:
Taylor Mache
Interim Assistant Director of Campus Life Office for Ministry & Outreach
Email: tmache@westmont.edu
Descriptions of Experiences
Summer 2023
Summer experiences are one month long programs that provide students to be immersed in the local culture of a global community, where they primarily live with host families or amidst the local community, learn from local practices of ministry, and experience a taste of the Global Church alongside those we partner with.
Applications have closed. Please email tmache@westmont.edu with any questions.
In Altea-Alicante, you and your team will be immersed in a post-Christian, historic, small town on the Spanish coast. While living in community houses located throughout the coastal village, you will engage in everyday style of discipleship with the Edge Project, a local ministry that seeks to connect to others through relationships and the use of art. You’ll have the opportunity to grow closer to Christ through intentional community and closer to others through shared meals, art workshops, and simple friendships. Spanish speaking ability highly encouraged.
DATES: TBD
Cross-Cultural Context: A post-Christian, historic, small beach town
Faith Development: Discipleship training in living your faith every day; growth through intentional community
Ministry: Relational - build friendships; Creativity - art workshops and missional living
Partner with Westmont anthropology professor, Tito Paredes, to learn about Peruvian culture through conversations and visits to cultural sites, including Machu Picchu. The team will experience both metropolitan and rural parts of Peru, engaging with local churches in social projects. Assist World Vision in Peru in a variety of capacities, often including education. The team stays at a seminary for those in South America studying cross-cultural mission. You will develop relationships with students at the seminary, hosts who live at the seminary, and the Paredes family. Spanish speaking ability is highly encouraged.
DATES: May 16-June 16 2023
Cultural Context: A bustling South American capital city; live at a seminary and learn about Peruvian culture through discussion and site visits
Faith Development: Experience Protestant and Catholic Christianity; seminary classes
Ministry: Community Development; supporting para-church organizations
Using a business as mission model, Sea Tribes will introduce our team to a village setting for 3 home stays lasting several nights with the intent of beginning to plant kingdom seeds in that location - via cultural exchange. We will partner with Sea Tribes to not only plant new seeds, but also to help nurture those that have already been sown. You and your team will live with a local family - eat together, go fishing together, cook together, play sports with the people of the village, etc. Your team will aid Sea Tribes in creating inroads for not only learning about the host culture and people, but also to share the Christian faith legally via a business model in a Restricted Access Nation. Your team will have a great near immersion experience while being exposed to a non-Arab Muslim contextual ministry as well as a Business as Mission strategy for reaching Unreached People Groups.
Dates: tentatively July 2023
Cross-Cultural Context: Island villages and homestays with Muslim families
Faith Development: Sharing faith with Muslims; worshipping with SE Asian Christians
Ministry: Relational - Homestays with Muslim families; work projects on each island
In Lugazi, you and your team will have the opportunity to encounter the Holy Spirit in a new way as you live with local Pastor Hudson Suubi and his family. You’ll experience life in a slow-paced, East African town where Pastor Hudson leads his church - God’s House of Miracles, Faith Children’s Home, as well as a local primary school. Engage in evangelism and ministry through preaching at the church, outreach at local schools, and working with kids & youth.
DATES: June 17- July 17, 2023
Cross-Cultural Context: A pre-industrial, multi-religious, slow-paced, East African town; live with Pastor Hudson and his family
Faith Development: Experience a charismatic form of East African Christianity
Ministry: Children - play with kids at Faith Children’s Home and help teach in classrooms; Preaching - serve Pastor Hudson’s church by preaching and teaching on Sundays and throughout the week
Participant Covenant Form
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Emmaus Road Summer 2022 Blog
Read stories and reflections from students.
Support Emmaus Road
Emmaus Road Teams are funded in large part through the generosity of people like you. If you would like to support future teams, by clicking on the button below and select "Emmaus Road " when prompted.
Support Emmaus Road by ordering a finals week survival kit for your student to encourage them through their week of finals, you can do so through our secure online order form. All proceeds will go to supporting our Emmaus Road program and teams. NOTE: Orders need to be placed by November 28th in order to be delivered in time for finals week.