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Did you know that more people search for “church” online around Easter followed quickly by Christmas? As we know, these are the two most popular Christian holidays for non-regular churchgoers to step through your church’s doors.

For many churches, this is one of the biggest opportunities of the year that we have to not only invite people into your church, but to minister to their hearts.

That puts a lot of pressure on church leaders as they plan for Easter! Whether this is your first time planning an Easter service or your twenty-fifth time, we’ve got 6 common Easter planning mistakes to avoid:

1. Starting late.

At the time of this article, we are just under a month away from Easter. While every church is different in terms of staff, creative teams, in-house graphics, and marketing, if you haven’t started planning your Easter service yet, you should get started!

We think a good rule of thumb is to give yourself approximately eight weeks to plan, set up, and implement every part of your Easter service. But we would also recommend having a vision meeting in the first two months of the year. This will allow your team to have the time and space necessary for great ideas to be developed.

But if you haven’t done any planning yet, don’t be discouraged! It is possible to pull off a well-put-together Easter service in four weeks. We would encourage you to make sure to pull in extra staff and volunteers to help make sure you have the best plan possible. And remember to watch out for the other mistakes to avoid on this list.

2. Leading from duty rather than conviction.

Easter is the “Super Bowl” of church holidays and because of that, it can feel like we have an obligation to plan something big and spectacular. Let us not forget the real reason Easter Sunday is such a big deal. It isn’t because we have an opportunity to grow our church attendance numbers and it isn’t about fulfilling a line on your job description.

Easter Sunday is about helping people encounter the life-changing love of Jesus!

In order to do this, you need to consider how you can give yourself space for God to bring you a fresh conviction of the truth we celebrate at Easter. This week and the weeks leading up to Easter, set aside time for the Spirit to remind you of this truth.

3. Assuming your team is bought in from the start.

Your team is going to put in a ton of time and energy to make your Easter Service possible. It is crucial that they understand and have “caught” the vision of what will take place the day of. You can’t just assume they are bought into the purpose and vision that needs to inform the work they will have to do to make it all possible.

Take some time upfront to cast a vision for what you are hoping to achieve on Easter and how that reaches other people with the Good News. Be sure to share the why and help them see how their specific task connects to the overall purpose of the service. By doing this, you will energize them in the part they are playing to make it all possible!

4. You don’t give a reason for guests to fill out a card (physical or digital).

Easter Sunday is often one of the highest-attended services of the year. If you don’t have a way to collect people’s information, you aren’t likely to see them again until next year. Most churches have a church visitor card, whether that be a digital or a physical card. But what we often forget is to give people a reason to fill it out and turn it in.

People are much more likely to share their information if they are receiving something in return. A great idea that we’ve often heard is to offer a $5 donation to a charity that guests can choose from on the card. This is a great, community-centered way to incentivize guests to fill out a connection card and make follow-up possible!

5. Forgetting to clarify your follow-up process.

Once the service is over, we tend to let out a sigh of relief, maybe sleep in a little on Monday, and then bring in donuts for our staff to celebrate. But what happens next is truly one of the most important parts of your church’s connection with new people!

What are the next steps you want people to take as a result of your Easter service? How are you going to engage them after they leave the building? Don’t wait until after your Easter service to develop the plan here!

Take some time to consider what next steps you are leading people towards, especially those who are new. Then consider how you will prompt them to take that step. One Church Software can help you automate some of this process (even some of the follow-up)!

6. Prioritizing production over purpose.

Our desire to have a powerful Easter service can easily lead us into thinking that production is the most important part; how we perform and if we created a great experience for guests. But we need to remember that the purpose of Easter is not the production of it all. It’s okay to have a flashy production and special effects so long as we don’t get fooled into thinking those are the most important elements of your service.

The entire service could “fail” with microphones cutting out and musicians off-key and church leaders stumbling over our words, and Christ can still be glorified through it. The purpose of Easter is simply this: to celebrate Christ and to share clearly with others why we do so.

We are praying for you, and we can’t wait to hear the stories of how God shows up in your planning, in your service, and in your follow-up this year!

If you don’t have a church management system or are considering switching, you can try One Church Software FREE for 14 days to see all the ways it can help you care for your members, empower your volunteers, and serve your community.

As a church leader, do you ever feel like it’s easy to become distracted from how miraculous and powerful our identity in Christ is? We rush about our duties to serve the church, but how often are we reminded to see people for who they truly are? Specifically, for who God says they are?

We can get so preoccupied with making sure the slides are ready for the sermon, the floors have been vacuumed, parents have adequate childcare, and the bathrooms are fully stocked with toilet paper (which, of course, are hold some importance) that we can unintentionally overlook the jaw-dropping, astonishing, and remarkable reality of who we all are in Christ.

To help reorient our hearts for those we lead around these truths, here are 10 reminders of who your congregation is in Christ:

1) They are forgiven.

Not only did they receive forgiveness at the point of salvation, but this forgiveness doesn’t stop there! It is an ongoing event that can never run out. Because they are still being sanctified, they will continue to need and have access to forgiveness.

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” – Colossians 1:13-14

2) They are adopted.

This means that they are elevated to a position in God’s family. Like an orphan, they previously had no rights in the family of God but once they were saved they gained access to the benefits of being in the family of God!

“He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” – Ephesians 1:5

3) They are Christ’s ambassadors.

Christ has charged believers with being His ambassadors here on earth. That means they have been charged with sharing His light with the world and representing Him. As their shepherd, teacher, and encourager you have been given the responsibility to equip them to do this work.

“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:20

4) They are blessed.

God has blessed His people beyond measure! This is not something He is required to do but that He chooses to do! This isn’t something we have to earn or are rewarded with for good behavior. Your congregation has and is being richly blessed by their heavenly Father.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” – Ephesians 1:3

5) They are part of the body of Christ.

Just like our human bodies, the body of Christ is made up of unique parts. We have a common mission and have each been given unique talents and roles within that body. Your congregation is to come together with their unique parts to receive mutual encouragement, be made complete, and perform the work that God has for them.

“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” – 1 Corinthians 12:27

6) They are free.

As Christians, it’s important to remember that we were set free! We are no longer held captive by sin and that comes with immense relief and freedom.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” – Galatians 5:1

7) They are citizens of Heaven.

As Christians, our hope is not in this life on this earth. We are but foreigners. Our true home is in Heaven and we look forward to knowing we will be there one day!

“But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ…” – Philippians 3:20

8) They are a new creation.

Your congregation is not just given a new identity when they are saved, they ARE a completely new creation. The miraculous work of the cross has made them brand new with new desires and hopes.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” – 2 Corinthians 5:17

9 They are a friend of Jesus.

Have you considered the weight of this? The God of the entire universe calls us friends. We are a part of His inner circle and share a bond with each other!

“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” – John 15:15

10 They have direct access to God.

No longer do we have to go through the ritual of the Holy of Holies or rely on a priest to communicate with God for us. Because of the Holy Spirit, we can talk to God as if He was sitting right next to us. He hears His people!

“For through him we have access to the Father by one Spirit.” – Ephesians 2:18

These are just a few reminders of who your congregation is in Christ (there are, of course, much more in Scripture). As church leaders, we have been given a special responsibility to nurture and shepherd the people of God within our care. These truths should be a reminder of how important that task is that God has called us to do!

Consider how you can lead your congregation this week to remind them of these truths. How can you support them in embracing who God says they are?

Don’t forget that all of these reminders are for you too! Why not go back through the list and swap out “they” for “I” in each of these reminders?

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6 Common Easter Planning Mistakes to Avoid