Our world is chaotic, and news headlines are difficult to make sense of. Coming into this Easter season, the people in your church and community are wanting encouragement and to put their hope in something much bigger and more steady than all that we see around us.
This Easter, your church can have the most meaningful communications plan - through your focus on Jesus and through your people.
This communications planning can guide your people to prayerfully extend genuine invitations and equip your congregation to offer humble, approachable hospitality on Easter Sunday (and every day).
Here are three ways to help your church and individuals connect with neighbors and friends as they build relationships and invite them to Easter:
1. Share Online in Meaningful Ways (corporately and individually)
Easter promotional graphics for your church can be helpful, but instead of just posting or sharing a graphic, offer a reflection and meaningful stories about what Easter means to actual people at your church (if posting for the church) or to you (if posting as an individual).
A short video or written post about the hope you have through Jesus can make an invitation more heartfelt and compelling. In a world full of fake news and negativity, this kind of authenticity can cut through the noise and reach people in a meaningful way.
2. Personally Invite
Guide your congregation to prayerfully think of a friend, coworker or neighbor who might be open to attending church but hasn’t made the move, yet. A simple, friendly conversation - maybe over coffee or at the gym - can open the door. Ask the people of your congregation to build relationships with others and make their invitations as genuine as possible.
And then, if an invitation to church is accepted, encourage them to extend the hospitality by letting their friends know that they would love to sit with them at church, make a stop at Starbucks on the way or grab lunch together afterward. Expand the offer to help people feel more comfortable and welcome!
3. Focus on Relationships and Serving with Future Invitations in Mind
As church leaders, we can encourage our congregations to build relationships and serve others with a long-term perspective. Some relationships take time to grow.
Challenge your people to invest in relationships, paving the way for meaningful conversations about faith and potential future invitations to church, whether this Easter or down the road.
Here are four ways for your congregation to focus on unexpected hospitality this Easter:
1. Encourage Every Person to Offer a Smile and Kindness
As your full congregation aims to collectively be a church body with many smiles and kindness extended, guests will notice and appreciate this. A simple, “We’re so glad you’re here today! Happy Easter!” both from the stage and from individuals can set the tone for your guests’ experiences.
In a world where many feel invisible, a genuine welcome and kindness to open a front door or help someone get a cup of coffee can be very reassuring.
2. Care for Their Children Well
A safe and inviting kids' space speaks volumes to families.
Your church (staff and volunteers) can greet parents with confidence and caring, making check-in easy. And a heartfelt, “It’s great to see <insert a child’s name>!” (even if you’re reading from a nametag or check-in info) goes a long way. When parents see their children being loved and cared for, they feel at home too.
3. Pray and Encourage Those Facing Challenges
Easter can be joyful, but it can also be difficult for many. It’s awesome if your church can offer a place for quiet reflection, caring conversations and prayer. In times of hardship or discouragement, knowing someone sees them and is willing to pray can bring comfort.
4. Follow Up and Suggest a Next Step
After Easter Sunday, wouldn’t we love to continue engaging and growing with our friends at church? So let’s communicate in a couple intentional ways with those who attend on Easter!
This might be next steps given during the church service (to the next sermon series, an opportunity for guests to learn more, an event for families, etc.), a text, an email, or a friendly check-in the next time you see a friend. Let’s find a couple ways (corporately and personally) to encourage our new friends at Easter to connect with us again.
A genuine “We’d love to see you again next Sunday!” can make an impact in someone’s faith journey.
The coming weeks are a great time to prepare your church corporately and individuals for these prayerful invitations. As churches and as individuals, let’s share the kind, hopeful presence that others are longing for. Then, on Easter Sunday, let’s lead and serve with humility, warmth and genuine hospitality. It’s a great communications plan to bring the gospel to life!
Looking for additional Easter communications planning, strategy and support? If your church is needing some help, our team is ready to jump in. Let’s talk!
