Community Outreach During Holy Week

by Frances Hardenbergh Smith & Betsy Sharrett

Following a Good Friday service to help us think about someone other than ourselves, the folks of Resurrection in Emporia, VA engaged in a group effort. We followed up on our plans laid on Palm Sunday to reach out to the children of our Wednesday night congregation (i.e., our Dinner Church, which hasn't been meeting since COVID) with homemade Easter baskets. Each of our Sunday morning members invested the early part of Holy Week in contacting our Wednesday night households to arrange a good time to connect and deliver the baskets, and shopped for items to stuff the baskets. After worship on Good Friday, we assembled the baskets. The central gift in the basket, in addition to chocolates and other goodies, was a Bible story coloring book featuring a non-white Jesus.

We all had a festive time assembling this collection, and then distributing it was an added joy. It was invaluable to make contact with our extended families after the long year of separation. We are all grateful for a way to break the ice, to reconnect, and to reach out in the hope that soon we can resume our sitting at table and breaking bread with these dear ones.

by Frances Hardenbergh Smith & Betsy Sharrett are members of Resurrection in Emporia, VA.