Easter is one of the top opportunities you have to make an impact for kids and families.
It's the weekend that nearly everyone who calls your church "home" shows up at the same time.
Let's look at 5 ways you can make a big impact this Easter.
#1 - Enlist new people to serve.
Start now casting the net for people to serve. This is one of the few times a year when it is a good idea to make this appeal be church-wide from the lead pastor.
Ask your pastor to consider making a stage announcement a few weeks out from Easter. Let the congregation know that Easter is one of the best opportunities to reach people for Christ. Cast the vision. Let your church know that there will be a lot of people attending that are not in church on a normal weekend. Let the church know that you are asking them to serve on Easter. Especially the people who are not serving anywhere.
Then make sure you give the people who sign up and serve a great serving experience.
The week after Easter, connect with the people who served at Easter for the first time. Invite them to come back and join your serving team on a regular basis. Normally, you will get a good percentage of people who will say "yes." My team did this and we had 85% of the people say "yes" to serving all the time in children's ministry.
It takes people to make an impact at Easter. Try doing this and see what happens.
#2 - Share the Gospel.
The most important thing you will ever share with kids and parents is the Gospel. Make sure you are sharing the Gospel this Easter. Share how the resurrection is part of God's redemptive plan for us. The Gospel is the power of God to salvation.
I have two standalone lessons designed specifically for Easter. The lessons clearly explain Jesus' death, burial and resurrection. The lessons help kids clearly see why Jesus came and how they can know Him.
Click here to see more information about the CSI (Christ Scene Investigation) lesson.
Click here to see more information about the "Blast to the Past" lesson.
#3 - Connect with parents.
It's just as important to connect with parents on Easter weekend as it is to connect with their kids.
Think of ways your staff and volunteer team can make a connection with parents. Ask them to be intentional about making a brief connection with parents at drop-off and pick-up.
Here's an example.
If you use take home papers, instead of giving the papers to the kids, hand it to their parents. At pick-up, let them know this what the lesson was about and encourage them to use the take home paper to talk more about it with their children at home.
Here's another incredible idea that works for connecting with new families. Invite the mother (if you're a lady) or the dad (if you're a guy) to meet you for coffee that week. I know one church that is doing this and the vast majority of parents say "yes" to the invitation to meet for coffee.
This will give you the opportunity to talk at more length with the parents and establish a relationship with them.
#4 - Have a great, new teaching series that starts the week after Easter.
Make it something that will be relevant and stir interest with today's kids and their parents.
I have lots of great teaching series for kids that you can use for this. Check them out at this link.
#5 - Create an Easter experience for families.
Families are looking for opportunities to have a shared experience with their children at Easter.
Here are some ideas for this.
Have a picture spot. Create a backdrop for this and have props families can use for the picture. Use their camera to make the picture. They will then more than likely share the picture on social media. Have the name of your church on the backdrop and it will be free promotion of your church.
Have props they can use for the picture. Here are a few examples of this:
- An empty picture frame they can hold up.
- Rabbit ears for the kids.
- Easter hats to put on.
- Easter glasses to put on.
Have a petting area with rabbits and other animals.
Have an Easter egg hunt after service.
Have Easter crafts set out that they can put together.
Have Easter cookies they can decorate and eat.
Your turn. What are some other ways churches can make a big impact this Easter? Share your ideas in the comment section below.
