Your Usual Easter Plans

[John Dobbs]

What typical Easter plans do you make for your church?

*Special elements of worship?

*Different times of worship? (Sunrise services, no evening services, etc.)

*Passion play?

*Begin new sermon series?

[James Nored]

John, did you try publishing this to your Facebook page? Just click on the Facebook icon above!

[James Nored]

John,

This year we are going to have an extra sunrise service, with a family communion time, probably some special singing. I usually kick off a new sermon series at this time. We send out a mailer for Easter with the Easter times and the sermon series that follows, and we print up 2000-3000 extra to give to our members to hand out to family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers.

What about you? What are you planning?

[John Dobbs]

Thanks James ... I needed you to point that out to me more specifically ... and you did. :)

James Nored said:

John, did you try publishing this to your Facebook page? Just click on the Facebook icon above!

[John Dobbs]

I'd like to do something like a sunrise service. we haven't talked about it, but need to plan now. Who do you think appreciates this? Your guests? Your members? Both? I wouldn't think guests would like it...but ... inform me!

James Nored said:

John,

This year we are going to have an extra sunrise service, with a family communion time, probably some special singing. I usually kick off a new sermon series at this time. We send out a mailer for Easter with the Easter times and the sermon series that follows, and we print up 2000-3000 extra to give to our members to hand out to family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers.

What about you? What are you planning?

[James Nored]

Well, our "sunrise service" will not be quite as early as sunrise. I have not done a sunrise service before, so I'm not sure of the reaction and audience. Anything early is tough for non-churchgoers. But who knows? We need to find some people from our fellowship who have done these (if we can find them) and find out their thoughts and experiences.

John Dobbs said:

I'd like to do something like a sunrise service. we haven't talked about it, but need to plan now. Who do you think appreciates this? Your guests? Your members? Both? I wouldn't think guests would like it...but ... inform me!

James Nored said:

John,

This year we are going to have an extra sunrise service, with a family communion time, probably some special singing. I usually kick off a new sermon series at this time. We send out a mailer for Easter with the Easter times and the sermon series that follows, and we print up 2000-3000 extra to give to our members to hand out to family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers.

What about you? What are you planning?

[Katherine Gould]

I have been a part of churches that have had sunrise services, but being a night owl...I will admit I have never gone. Usually I am at LTC for Easter and I LOVE it!! I will greatly miss it this year-my first time to miss in 12 years, then it is church with my family, so my Easter's have varied. I will miss being with them this year, too and having silly string fights with the cousins!

We will have a special service at the church here in Beijing and it is a great outreach opportunity to invite people who usually do not come-it was the same way for Christmas...I am looking forward to it and hoping more seeds will be planted!

[John Dobbs]

Sounds great Katherine.

Our LTC group travels back and we hand out awards on Easter Sunday ... some of the families of kids who do not usually come to Forsythe are present for that.

[Chris Walker]

Whatever special services you have, make sure your church website is clear about services.

I tried to find a worship service at Christmas time and here is my story.

Can't find a church

My take on Searcy's ebook is that it's way overloaded on promotion. In spite of the promotion, it's polished attractional evangelism that is still a very workable method.

It's dependent on:
word of mouth
buzz buildilng
effective hospitality systems
and a dynamic worship experience

Chris Walker
Read here how to do a Quarterly Review of Your Hospitality

[Katherine Gould]

That's great! Yep, it has depended on which church I have been a part of with LTC (1 in the metroplex, 1 in Abilene, and 1 in Lubbock) as to how they handle that-usually they have a special LTC time the next week since not everyone makes it back on Sunday or go elsewhere. Some of our groups have been asked to perform at the Sunday morning LTC service. That is a great outreach opportunity-had not thought about that!

John Dobbs said:

Sounds great Katherine.

Our LTC group travels back and we hand out awards on Easter Sunday ... some of the families of kids who do not usually come to Forsythe are present for that.

[James Nored]

Chris, you mentioned in your article how the church members knew that the door had been moved, but that the guests did not know this. This is all too common. Churches often operate on "tribal knowledge." They know where classes are, or bathrooms, or when kids go to kids' worship, and they forget that no one coming in may have a clue about any of these things.

Reviewing ministries is always a good thing. It would be great to get "scientific" feedback on our guests' worship experience.

Chris Walker said:

Whatever special services you have, make sure your church website is clear about services.

I tried to find a worship service at Christmas time and here is my story.

Can't find a church

My take on Searcy's ebook is that it's way overloaded on promotion. In spite of the promotion, it's polished attractional evangelism that is still a very workable method.

It's dependent on:
word of mouth
buzz buildilng
effective hospitality systems
and a dynamic worship experience

Chris Walker
Read here how to do a Quarterly Review of Your Hospitality

[John Dobbs]

Chris, I agree with your evaluation of Searcy's material (especially the self promotion). There are some people (like me) who really need help in the organizational aspects of getting things done. So for me he is very helpful. I think it is critical not to miss the missional aspects of these "things" we're getting done, though. Searcy does talk about that in his webinars more than it actually shows up in his books and ebooks. But I wish he would lean more heavily in that direction. Thanks for your comment!

Chris Walker said:

Whatever special services you have, make sure your church website is clear about services.

I tried to find a worship service at Christmas time and here is my story.

Can't find a church

My take on Searcy's ebook is that it's way overloaded on promotion. In spite of the promotion, it's polished attractional evangelism that is still a very workable method.

It's dependent on:
word of mouth
buzz buildilng
effective hospitality systems
and a dynamic worship experience

Chris Walker
Read here how to do a Quarterly Review of Your Hospitality