Easter is the celebration of the Savior of the world going from death to life. It was the day that changed everything. There’s never been a bigger moment, and your Easter service should reflect how big this moment was.

Easter is also the day that Christians and skeptics alike, are most likely to attend church. This gives your church a great opportunity to see people begin a relationship with Jesus, people recommit to their relationship with Jesus, and people take their next steps in their relationship with Jesus.

It’s a big day, and I believe there’s at least nine ways you can make this Easter you’re best ever.

1. Set a Big Attendance Goal. This is the safest goal you’ll ever set, because you know people are going to show up on Easter. Most churches can expect to see between 150-200% of their normal weekend attendance on that day. So, set a goal, cast the vision, and get ready to celebrate what God’s going to do.
2. Add a Service. You already know more people are going to show up, so take it one step further and add an additional service time. This fuels the momentum you’ve already created with your big attendance goal, and it gives people options, which is always a good thing. Not sure if you can pull off two Sunday morning services? Change it up and offer an additional service on Good Friday.
3. Try Something Creative. You want people to experience what a typical service looks like at your church, but you also want to try something different. This could be a special song, an inspiring video, or a creative illustration that people will remember.
4. Focus on the Family. For most families, Easter is the one Sunday a year that they can get everyone there. And they’re normally dressed up. Why not offer free family photos as a way of saying thanks for visiting?
5. Make it Fun for Kids. I’m a fan of offering Easter egg hunts. I think parents want to watch their kids hunt eggs on Easter. If you’re not, find some other way you can make it fun for kids. Parents are much more likely to come back to your church, if their kids enjoy the experience.
6. Gather Guest Info. With so much going on that day, it can be easy to forget about one of the most important things you need to do. In order to follow up with guests, you need a way to get their information. For most churches this means a connection card. Ask guests to fill out the card and return it for a free gift.
7. Get Them Back. It’s great to have a big attendance on Easter, but it doesn’t really matter unless they come back. Consider beginning a new series on Easter or the weekend after that will entice them back.
8. Promote Early and Often. You should start talking about Easter at least 4 weeks beforehand. You should be blowing up social media at least 2 weeks before. Be creative in how you promote it, and ask your congregation to share it like crazy.
9. Ditch the Easter Play. I know I’m taking a risk here, but it has to be said. If you’re doing the same Easter play year after year, please consider doing something different this year. There’s nothing appealing about that to guests. Cast a big vision to your congregation about reaching your community, and preach the gospel. It’s your best chance of seeing lives changed.

What would you add to this list? What has worked for you in the past? Leave a comment and let us know, and if you need help planning your Easter services shoot me a message through my contact page. I’d love to help.