By CTA – Christ to All
Meet a world that is hurting with the soothing balm of God’s love. Invite your congregation and community to pause in their daily life and join you during Holy Week for a seven-station, self-guided time to soak up Jesus' love and complete forgiveness.
The Torn theme explores the meaning of the torn temple curtain at the time of Jesus’ death. It revels in God’s grace drawing us close to him and removing all barriers. It brings people hope and security at a time when they need it most.
Host a virtual or in-person Holy Week Experience one evening during the week leading up to Easter or even during the day on Good Friday. If your community is under capacity restrictions due to COVID, invite people to register and offer more than one block of time.
The Torn Holy Week Experience PDF is a free, downloadable resource that guides you through planning and carrying out a simple, but effective event. The resource files include a checklist for making sure you’re set up (whether you meet virtually, hold the experience in person, or offer both options).
You’ll also find a QR sign you can print up for those who want to read the sessions on their device and a printable booklet to print up if you’re handing out paper copies.
Here are a few simple steps to planning your event:
- Choose your date(s) and secure space if you’ll be meeting in person.
- Download the Torn Resource Pack, along with the Torn Holy Week Experience pack and review the materials.
- Use publicity materials from the Resource Pack to publicize your Holy Week Experience. Help community members understand they are free to walk through at their own pace.
- Read the Instructions document from the Holy Week Experience pack and make sure you have everything you need for each station (the requirements are simple but help make the experience more effective).
- Read through the PDF for the Holy Week Experience itself so that you’re familiar with what participants will be reading and doing.
- Enlist any volunteers you’ll need to help with crowd management or technology, or to be available as prayer partners as participants are leaving.
- Put into place a system of “multiplication invitation,” where you and other staff members personally invite at least five people and ask each of them to personally invite at least two, and when they do, ask those people to bring along at least one other person.
- Pray God’s blessing on your Holy Week Experience time, and pray that he is preparing the hearts of the people who will participate so that they may be drawn closer to Jesus.
- Consider adding a prayer-partner station at the end of the experience in order for people to pray together in groups of two or three.
- As guests are leaving, invite them to return on Easter Sunday and celebrate the resurrection with you.
