Are you ready for Easter Sunday?

Easter Sunday is arguably the most important Sunday of the year for a church. And there can be a lot of pressure on church planters with how they present an Easter service. As planters with experience, Lee and Danny discuss their thoughts on what pastors should and shouldn’t do on Easter Sunday. There are a lot of things for church planters to think through.

0:40 Lee introduces the episode topic of what a big deal Easter Sunday can be for a church planter. Lee advises not to launch on Easter and encourages church planters who have been launched for a year or longer, to fine tune Easter details now.

1:24 Lee asks Danny what a church planter needs to be thinking about in the weeks leading up to Easter.

1:36 Danny tells a story of how the church planted was unique in that Easter attendance was lower than previous weeks.

2:36 Danny advises church planters to have realistic expectations about Easter attendance.

3:43 Don’t forget about follow-up, after Easter. Danny cautions about getting so focused on Easter, that nothing happens afterward. What will you invite newcomers to next?

4:33 Easter follow-up can easily be overlooked. Lee suggests starting a new sermon series the week after Easter.

5:24 Consider bringing in a special speaker after Easter if you have a community that would return to hear what someone has to say on a relevant topic.

5:49 Lee thinks having a special added event or attraction to keep people around the church longer on Easter Sunday is a good idea.

6:30 Church planters should be thinking about how they are going to connect with the people who walk in the doors just on Easter Sunday.

7:03 Danny wants to make sure it’s clear that church planters should be preaching on the resurrection on Easter Sunday.

7:38 Danny asks Lee his thoughts on performing baptisms on Easter Sunday.

7:52 Lee prefers having people share pre-recorded testimonies during a service over baptisms.

8:49 In agreement with Lee, Danny shares he doesn’t do any baptisms on Easter Sunday. 

9:48 Lee encourages planters to simplify the service with a shorter time.

10:38 Pastors should think through how they’re preparing their congregation to invest in others and invite them to an Easter service.

12:15 Once the resurrection is preached, Danny wants to emphasize that the gospel invitation must be given to those at an Easter service.

12:43 Danny wants to know if Lee thinks communion is a good idea on Easter Sunday.

12:51 Lee likes to do communion on Good Friday, not Easter.

13:24 Danny shares that he has had communion in an Easter service before, for various reasons.

14:18 Danny encourages church planters to really think through the pros and cons of different service elements for Easter Sunday.

14:31 Lee cautions church planters to really explain the importance of communion and not rush through the act of communion.

15:12 Lee encourages churches to plan early and really think through the details of the service before Easter week.

15:38 Lee assures listeners that Converge is praying to their Easter Sunday services.