How to Get More Out of the Retreat Radio Podcast: Start or Join a Retreat Radio Pod Club
What’s a Pod Club?
Basically, it is the same concept as a book club in which members of the club meet on a regular basis (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, etc.) to discuss and share their insights regarding a specific Retreat Radio podcast episode.
Why Start or Join a Pod Club?
In a nutshell — to grow in faith and gain wisdom, strength, and support to deal with life’s challenges; to experience life more fully and more peacefully — and to help others do the same.
One of the things we both value and treasure most about the retreat experience is the shared insights and support we receive. And, that’s what a pod club is all about — sharing your experience, faith, hope, ideas, thoughts, fears, and challenges with others — and learning from and supporting other members as they go through life.
We both strongly believe that God did not intend for us to walk through life alone. We believe he intended for us to walk through life with Him as our guide — with His wisdom, strength, and power handle life’s challenges. And, we believe that one of the ways God provides wisdom, strength, and power is through each other. We learn about — and we receive insights from — God through our shared knowledge and experiences. We experience God’s love and we receive support through each other.
And, that’s the purpose of a pod club — to provide a forum and safe environment where we can experience God more fully through sharing what we have learned through our personal study and life experiences.
How it Works
Pod clubs can be physical meetings — where members physically meet — or virtual meetings — where members meet online using web meeting/conference software such as Google Hangouts, Microsoft Skype, Zoom, GoTo Meeting, private Facebook group, or something similar.
Members listen to a chosen podcast, download the episode notes and questions, and then meet to discuss the episode and/or episode questions.
Members decide in advance the length and frequency of a pod club meeting. Where will you meet? How often will you meet? Is there a set time and length for the meeting? If the meeting will be a virtual meeting, what platform will you use?
Members also decide — as a group — how they will work through the podcasts — chronologically or by selected topic. They decide the format and process for their group. For example, they may choose to listen to the podcast individually — on their own — prior to the club meeting. Or, they may decide to listen to the podcast together — as a group — as part of their meeting. There are no set rules. It’s whatever works best for your group.
Share Your Insights
We sincerely hope you start or join a pod club. And, if you do, we want to hear about it. Please share your group’s wisdom, experiences, and ways in which God is revealing himself through your pod club. Drop us an email, comment on an episode, or better still, create a post on the Retreat Radio Pod Club Facebook page. We look forward to hearing from you!