POD PEOPLE 

 A pod is a life-sustaining vessel supporting the people of God as they are sent to serve. 

Pod Members

Pods are a wonderful way for church participants to be connected with and care for others who know them by name. In these pandemic days, watching worship online or attending worship in person where people have to stay apart from each other can lead to a lonely, disconnected experience. Pods remedy this and offer a way for the pastor and church leaders to offer another form of encouragement to the people they serve.

Pods are entry points to new people. They offer a wonderful opportunity for church people to invite guests to join in. As such they become significant entry points into the life of the church. 

Some pods are open to any interested participant. Others ask their members to affirm the pod’s purpose and agreements (see the Pod Design material for suggested agreements). 

 The Open Chair

It is wonderful if a pod has an “open chair” and guests are welcome to attend and to join the group. “New people - you - are welcome.” It is a powerful way to create entry points into the life of the congregation. People feel welcome and they grow in friendship with others.

In these days of Zoom and COVID-19, the “open chair” is a symbol of hospitality. As pastor Glenda Hoffman puts it, “Hospitality is making room for love.” With the open chair the pod opens itself to the loving of more people and extending the grace of Christ to them.  

For many churches, the new “front door” will be a pod to which a person is invited instead of the viewing of an online service or attendance at a physical one.

Some pods may choose be a closed pod. Such a pod can be very supportive and long-lasting. While such pods don’t grow by adding people, they may “lend” their members to begin new pods who then return (or keep meeting with) their original “home” pod.

A useful saying for closed pods is, “friendship in private – ministry in public.” The idea is that when you are in a public place, like the church building, where other members of a pod are present (which admittedly is less common during the COVID-19 pandemic), don’t just focus on your pod members. That is the definition of a clique. Be sure and connect with people outside your pod, perhaps doing it with another member of your pod.

Our Children

In traditional children’s ministries we think in terms of the Sunday School, VBS and youth. Some congregations have sustained those ministries in new ways using online platforms like Zoom. However, for many children, there is less regular discussion of Bible stories and of the Christian faith. Creative parents may use the pod concept with kids - including them in their adult pods occasionally or forming a pod with a few other families with the express intent of including children.

Curricula from church may be used at home or parents may work up their own, talking about the stories of Jesus, and creating age appropriate memory challenges so children learn basics such as the Lord’s Prayer, the 23rd Psalm and the Apostle’s Creed.

Pod Leaders

Pods need leaders. Someone who will schedule the meetings, see technical matters are addressed, keep an eye on time and on the well-being of the people. The leader may not actually handle these matters but work through others to see they are done.

 Pod leaders keep the pod meetings moving along.

 Pod leaders ensure follow up –

 With those in difficulty – those in the pod facing tough situations are contacted with words of encouragement and prayer.

With those who are absent are contacted out of love  – a text, a call, an email – just to express encouragement, “We missed you and prayed for you.”  

 With those who are new -  a day or two after the meeting with a, “Welcome, we are delighted you joined us and hope you will again next week.”

Apprentice leaders

It’s wonderful if a pod-leader has an apprentice leader, someone who shares the leadership tasks and grows ready to lead another pod. When a pod births a new pod, the apprentice leader becomes a pod leader and both pod leaders choose new apprentice leaders. 

Pod Groups Ministry Team

This is a pod of pod leaders. They meet regularly for mutual support, learning and planning. Weekly/monthly/quarterly as fits the situation. Such a team meets monthly - beginning with Word-Share-Prayer - and then discussion how the pod are going, ways to help new people join in and other matters that may be pressing.

Resources for ministry team leadership:

Transform Your Church with Ministry Teams E. Stanley Ott

The Five Dysfuntions of a Team Patrick Lencioni

 Pastors

A capable leader and a supportive pod ministry team (of two to ten people) is essential. Some pastors have the time and energy to do the work of recruiting, encouraging and training for a successful pod ministry. The most effective pod ministry means inviting a capable member of the congregation to lead or having a staff member who will embrace the challenge with enthusiasm.

Pastors find participating in a pod encourages their own spiritual growth and web of friendship.

A pastor may, with advance communication with pod leaders, drop in on pods that are meeting using online platforms such as Zoom, as a means of helping people feel connected with the church and offering a word of encouragement.