Holy Week Pods
Observing Holy Week is important for us as followers of Jesus. Just as each practice or event is meant to draw us into deeper reflection and communion with God, we are also called to draw into deeper community with one another. So we encourage you to formulate a small group – or pod – of people to go through the week with.
What is a pod?
Pods balance our need for in-person connection with the importance of pandemic safety. You may have heard of something similar throughout the past year, as many people maintained safe, small groups with family, friends, neighbors, or nannies. We’re borrowing this same practice in order to observe Holy Week in community.
How do I create a pod?
A few simple steps:
- Identify a small group of people whom you trust and want to go through Holy Week with. Please be mindful of including those who might be overlooked.
- Find agreements around safety leading up to Holy Week. These might include extra vigilant commitments to masking, social distancing, avoiding interactions with others for the weeks leading up, or getting tested for COVID-19.
- Check in on your safety agreements before your first in-person connection.
- Enjoy reverently and prayerfully participating in our church’s Holy Week activities.
- Stay connected after Holy Week to make sure everyone remains healthy and safe!
What will my Holy Week Pod do together?
- On Palm Sunday, we encourage you to get together and watch the live stream of our service.
- On Thursday, use our guide to share a Seder (Passover) dinner together.
- On Good Friday, join together again and watch the live stream of our Good Friday service.
- On Easter Sunday, attend or watch the live stream of our service and consider having a celebratory feast in honor of Resurrection Sunday.
Why not do this with my Community Group?
Most CG’s are larger than recommended for a safe pod, mainly due to the number of households. However, we still encourage you to meet virtually with your CG’s during Holy Week to discuss our Future Church series on our Rule of Life.
What if I don’t feel safe joining a pod?
We understand this is may not be something that everyone in our community feels safe to do. However, there will still be ways for you to engage in Holy Week, without joining a pod.
What if I want to be part of a pod, but I don’t know who to connect with?
Holy Week Pods are self-organized, but we created this public Google spreadsheet where you can see others who are also looking for others to connect with. Simply add your name and contact info, reach out to a few others on the list, and organize your own pod!
We’re excited to see how our community will creatively engage with one another in Holy Week this year, and we look forward to seeing you on Easter Sunday!