You don’t need (or probably want) me to remind you that Easter is quickly approaching. But it is. As you’re fine-tuning your plans, I want to offer a few ideas for how you can make sure your work ends up benefiting the most people possible.
Remember the difference in mood. Good Friday is somber and Easter Sunday is joyous. It’s death and resurrection. Something feels out of place when Sunday morning is a downer or vice versa. Be mindful of people’s expectations. They remember Easter morning as uplifting. It’s likely why visitors who haven’t been to church in awhile will come through your front door on Easter.
Share your Easter plans. If you want people in your congregation to invite their friends, give some examples of what the Easter experience will be like at your church. Leaving the congregation completely in the dark creates a barrier. No one wants to invite their friends to a service only for it to be something different than what they expected. Yes, you can keep part of it a surprise. But let people know the theme, style and anything outside of what happens on a normal Sunday.
Equip your attenders to share those plans. It can be intimidating for many to talk with friends or co-workers about church. Give people some conversation starters. Equip them with language that fits the vision of what Easter means and how it will be expressed in your services. Some churches use physical invite tools ranging from postcards to Easter lilies. Whatever you decide to do, just make sure you have a strategy for helping your congregation make Easter conversations with their friends less awkward and more impactful.
Talk with your volunteers. We should be doing this every week, but Easter is an important time to fill in volunteers, greeters and ushers on what’s going on at the church this Sunday and beyond. They should be ready to answer questions people might have and show people where they need to go. Plus it’s a great time to remind volunteers how important it is to be welcoming and friendly since there will be more visitors in the building.
Be intentional about follow-up. It’s all about momentum. A lot of work goes into the planning and execution of Easter services. It’s natural to want to take a break when it’s over. But remember your end of hard work at Easter is the beginning of a new person’s faith journey. Be intentional about planning great experiences the weeks following Easter. Have a plan for helping new people connect deeper with your church. Don’t squander the opportunities to help people see God’s story in their lives that come during the Easter season.
