ERisenaster Sunday is quickly approaching…

For the church, no Sunday stands out quite like Easter Sunday. Easter is prime time for outreach and evangelistic efforts. Each year, I thoroughly enjoy preparing, planning, and praying for a harvest among unbelievers. Simply put, there is nothing like the energy and excitement of a solid, well-executed Easter service. With that in mind, I offer three questions we should ask as we prepare for this great season.

  1. Will the service relate to the believer AND unbeliever ? There is nothing more important than the gospel story. We know that but some mainly want to know how the story applies to their lives. The sermon will be inspirational, the music moving, but will the people relate to your presentation of the resurrection story? Keep in mind this is a day when people who do not know church language and doctrines fill the seats of the church. We should never assume people get it. Tell the story well but also tell them how the resurrected Christ has transformed lives of people like you and me.
  2. What plans are in place for follow-up? All the energy and effort that goes into Easter Sunday sometimes fizzles out the weeks after. We may go from outreach leading up to that day, back to an inward focus, or experience a packed church that week to empty seats the next week. People who profess faith in Christ and join the church may not show up again until Mother’s Day. I encourage you to devise (or RE-vise) a follow-up plan that helps assimilate new members into your church. Make it a comprehensive plan that will lead to sustainable membership engagement.
  3. How are YOU celebrating the resurrection of our Savior? Pastors and ministry leaders may be so focused on planning and ensuring a powerful worship service, we may miss out on worship ourselves. Sure, we preach, sing, teach, but do you have a private, separate time that you spend reflecting on the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord? Take time for YOU. Get alone with God and see what he wants to say to YOU about the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

My prayer is that this Easter is a pivotal moment in the life of your ministry. I am praying for you and here to help,