Athens Church was planted in Columbus, Indiana, to live out a specific mission—to see a people, city, and world awakened to the glory of God. In the spring of 2021, when most churches began to meet again post-COVID, Athens could not resume Sunday services because of rules prohibiting large groups from gathering on school grounds. Though they eventually found an alternative meeting location, Athens struggled to find its footing in a new environment. As they approached their Easter planning, the leadership at Athens knew they wanted to find a way to make Easter memorable in the midst of the challenge—more importantly—a way to bring people together again. For help in this effort, Athens’ leadership reached out to our team.

Amenable kicked off this new project with Athens by meeting with the church leadership team. We learned that, between the change in location and the fact that some church members were still watching online while others attended in person, there was a disconnect in the church, and nothing felt quite “normal.” Understanding that many church members would likely not be in person for Easter Sunday, Athens’ leadership wanted to find some way to make the season memorable and bring people together again. They wanted people to celebrate Easter and feel like a part of something larger even if they remained in their own homes.

Historically, Athens Church had not observed Holy Week or Lent. We saw an opportunity to shape these seasons into a journey that would get people thinking about the bigger picture of Easter and how it is more than a one-day celebration.

With this background information in mind, our team put together an Easter strategy that would be fresh and creative, prompting people to think about Easter in a holistic way. Our vision was that it would be engaging and transformational, whether people attended the Sunday morning gatherings or worshipped at home. We knew that walking people through a Lent, Holy Week, and Good Friday journey would enable them to feel the emotions and experience the impact of Easter.

After solidifying a strategy, our team worked on a design that would be unique to the Easter materials yet consistent with Athens’ larger brand. We decided to use gradient color with a serif typeface in black and white that felt classic, stable, and trustworthy. We wanted something that would feel established and text-centric, reminding people of scripture and the weightiness of words.

To keep the whole family engaged, we coordinated with the Athens Kids team to develop a corresponding children’s reading plan with a coloring page that aligned with each day's theme.

While marketing elements were the focus for the four weeks leading up to Easter, we developed special content for the Holy Week experience, with the heartbeat being a Bible reading plan. As the people of Athens journeyed through Holy Week, they received new email, social media, and app content daily. Using creative elements, we customized the Planning App experience to fully immerse congregants in the experience. 

By leaning into the unexpected elements of Easter 2021 rather than avoiding or dismissing them, Athens Church was able to lead the people of their congregation into a deeper experience of the season of Easter.