Easter season is upon us!
It’s time to dust off those eggs, play costumes, and plastic lilies.
This one holiday is the “Super Bowl” for many churches and leaders, but let’s be real …
IT CAN ALSO BE EXHAUSTING!
Many church leaders are already trying to sike themselves up for the busy season their about to be in.
With this in mind, I wanted to give you a quick list of 3 ideas to keep you sane during the Easter season:
1. Don’t Wait Until The Last Minute
One way to lose your sanity is to not think about what to do for Easter until the week before.
Have you been there?
Many leaders make this mistake and get into emergency mode at the last minute.
The side-effects of doing this are volunteers who are exhausted and mad at you.
So, start this year by planning ahead.
Set up a time to meet with your leaders to hash out ideas, make a timeline of what needs to be done, and who will be over what.
By planning ahead, your church will put its best foot forward, and you won’t be running as your leaders chase you with pitchforks.
2. Don’t Try To Keep Up With The Joneses
Did I mention Easter is the church’s “Super Bowl”?
It’s the one holiday that churches will see the most guests at one time.
With this in mind, you may be tempted to copy, or keep up with, the bigger church down the street.
They have a full professional play with all the costumes from Broadway …
They have their Easter Egg Hunt in the local park with a helicopter dropping fifty thousand eggs …
They give every guest that comes in a new car …
Ok, that may be taking it too far, but you get what I mean.
There’s nothing wrong with churches going all out for Easter if God has blessed them and called them to do so, but falling into the trap of comparison will steal your joy and rob your church of what God has given it to offer.
God hasn’t called you to be the church down the street.
He’s called you to be you and to minister to your community within your church’s own culture and purpose.
I’m not saying to never look for ideas from others who are doing it better, but sharing the gospel can happen right where you are and with what God has given you.
So, instead of looking at what others are doing for Easter, take some time in prayer for God’s direction for your church.
The key is to discover what unique gifts and talents He has given your church to love your community.
must read for any pastor
Read This Before Quitting
Are you a pastor on the verge of burn out and wanting to quit? This short fable will help you stay the course with renewed focus and energy.
“Matt is a young pastor, who after being at a church for a few years, is ready to quit the ministry all together. After meeting Steve, a retired pastor, Matt is asked Six Golden Questions that will change his life forever.”
3. Don’t Change Everything About Your Service
Many churches make the mistake of pulling out all the stops for Easter Sunday.
They rent lights for the stage …
Print special bulletins and give away free gifts …
Or decide to perform newer worship songs with colorful presentations.
The problem with this is most churches go right back to their normal “services as usual” the week after Easter.
When the guests come back the next Sunday, they don’t recognize the church they visited just last week.
This sends up a red flag to them.
It’s ok to make Easter Sunday special, but don’t remove your church’s DNA completely.
Guests want to know you for your authenticity, not just a sales pitch you’re trying to give them.
Instead, try to integrate things in your Easter service that maximize your identity, and that you can continue to use far beyond it.
Call to Action:
If you find yourself stressed to the max and losing your sanity during this month, try to slow down and adopt one of the ideas above.
Know that God’s message of the cross and resurrection is enough.
Allow Him to use you and your church, right where you are, to tell His story.
What Do You Think:
What about you?
Do you have another tip not mentioned?
Feel free to share in the comments section below!
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