A Spiritually Inviting Food Pantry
…Easter, the food pantry volunteers decided to invite their food pantry client friends personally to the church’s Sunday worship service and sit with them. They each explained that it wasn’t…
Search Results: Lenten and Easter (66)
10 Ways to Reach Unchurched People at Christmas
…for both overall attendance and attendance by unchurched people. Although, theologically, Christmas will never be bigger than Easter, practically, our Christmas outreach is always bigger than Easter simply because the…
Building Attendance through Special Focus Sundays
…have moved the reception of confirmands from Easter to the Sunday after Easter or Pentecost Sunday often find that this scheduling is better for everyone. They also are often able…
All Are (Not) Welcome
…faith. But, at some level, these people are seeking God. And if we don’t help them find God, not only are they lost, we are, too. One Easter Sunday morning…
50 Ways to Take Church to the Community
…heightened receptiveness to spiritual engagement around religious holidays such as Easter and Christmas. Offer offsite worship services on special days, such as Christmas Eve, Palm Sunday, and Easter. Select familiar…
Keeping Your Ministry Fresh and Creative
…when Easter Sunday comes around this year, I will climb the steps to the pulpit, look out over that beautiful, bonneted congregation, and breathe a heavy sigh. How will I…
Why Excellence in Ministry Matters
…the things we do well. One year, when we announced that we were moving off campus to a new, bigger venue for our Easter Sunday services, we didn’t have to…
Know What Season You’re In
…Spring: Palm Sunday through the weekend before Memorial Day Easter and Mother’s Day, of course, are the big days (for brunch), and more kids’ sports programs are blossoming (lacrosse and…
The Power of Storytelling in Ministry: An In-Depth Interview with Jee Hae Song
…is the story I use the most these days, because he gives me a lot to tell other people. One good example is a recent newsletter story. After Easter, my…
7 Strategies to Engage New Givers
…understanding of why they should support the church. Some are your Easter and Christmas crowd. Others may be less active than they once were. Some think it doesn’t apply to…
Minding the Church’s Doors
…newcomers, befriend them, show them around, and introduce them. One Easter Sunday, a visitor turned to her friend and said with astonishment, “They let anyone in here!” That’s the idea….
50 Ways to Improve Your Annual Stewardship Campaign
…much attention to detail as Easter Sunday and Christmas Eve. Pick a new theme every year for your stewardship campaign. Taking the time to be creative and innovative may encourage…
Is Your Church Like Fine China? Proper, Pretty, and Only for Special Occasions?
…My heart nearly broke. She only eats on fine china at Christmas and Easter! I don’t want my daughter to feel about the church the way she feels about my…
4 Ways Preaching Can Boost Worship Attendance
…a series (especially at Christmas and Easter) and I can almost guarantee you will see an increase in worship attendance at your church. 2. Cut back on the lectionary and…
Lent: A Time to Reflect on New Possibilities and Where God is Leading Us
…same time, it’s okay to try some new things. This is not an invitation to skip Lent. But if recruiting volunteers for the community Easter Egg Hunt is like pulling…
Your Website Probably Needs a Fresh Coat of Paint
…beyond your website where the events calendar features a special Easter service from last year, the photo gallery’s latest pictures are from the 2014 youth summer trip, the latest posted…
Stewardship Resolutions for the New Year
…the calendar now. 5. Determine which holidays and denominational priorities to highlight for special appeals Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are three traditional times that might warrant an “ask” letter or…
God and Guns — Do Something!
…Debate? by Lovett H. Weems, Jr. Leaders Do What Is Needed by Lovett H. Weems, Jr. Easter Vigil Brings the Story of Salvation to a City in Need by Kate…
50 Ways to Welcome New People
…“bring-a-friend” Sunday at least once a year. Extend extra hospitality during back-to-school time, Christmas, and Easter, when persons are most likely to consider visiting a church. Start a personal invitation…
9 Strategies for Meeting People and Learning Their Needs
…following Easter. That time we had 12 people commit to doing a specific task and six of those people showed up. 7. Develop a routine. Once you have identified good…
Should We Go From Two Worship Services to One?
…make it work to your advantage. Let’s say that on Easter you planned a combined service, perhaps at a different venue to seat everyone. That could be confusing, but if…
Deliberate Outreach Strategy Leads to Growth
…Easter egg hunt with worship at the park, a community service day, Bring-A-Friend Sunday, supper with Santa, a Christmas pageant, and our annual August Camp Meeting Month. One of the…
The Gift
…be without the widow’s mite?” muses Barbara Brown Taylor inThe Preaching Life (Cowley Publications, 1993). “It would be like Thanksgiving without turkey, Christmas without presents, Easter without eggs.” This ancient…
Planting A Garden: Growing The Church Beyond Traditional Models
…Multisite Church Movement Lovett H. Weems, Jr. Networks and Third Places are Today’s Mission Field Ken Carter and Audrey Warren Easter Vigil Brings the Story of Salvation to a City…
Taking Church to the Community
…around religious holidays. At Christmas, Easter, and other special days, many feel the tug of deeply engrained religious memories. Even those generations removed from the church somehow long to be…
Take Your Ministries Outside the Walls
…ad in the local paper inviting people outside the church to join the choir in preparing special music presentations for Christmas and Easter? What if the choir shared its cantata…
An Annual Report to Support Your Stewardship Campaign
…local missions, and global missions. In these colorful pages, celebrate for example a major worship experience at Christmas or Easter, Vacation Bible School, a youth retreat, a new roof, the…
Creating Positive Staff Dynamics
…Easter, I panicked. But a retired pastor talked me off the ledge. “Remember,” she said, “this is a gift. You get input into this hiring. So don’t rush it.” We…
An Open Letter to Churches Seeking New Members
…special services like Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday, Easter (when visitors like us are likely to attend), please put those special worship times on the home page. We have encountered any…
A Choir Director Shares Recruiting Tips that Any Ministry Group Can Use
…attended a church during a Christmas Eve or Easter Sunday service and received an invitation to join choir. Yet, recruiting at these times makes complete sense. Your music program is…
