By: Kaylee Freeman
Easter, along with Christmas, is one of the most attended Sundays in the calendar year. We should praise God for this as it gives churches the opportunity to share the gospel with those visiting and put the glory of Christ on display for all to see and experience. With higher attendance comes more opportunity for church members to serve in ways they might not regularly think of, and it’s extremely important that we pay close attention to these needs.
Below are 9 ways to serve your church (and guests) this Easter Sunday:
Inviting - Many people are up for going to church on Easter. Invite unbelievers, and Christians without a church home, to join us, even if they’ve been apprehensive in the past. This is an easy segue into spiritual conversation with them, too.
Parking - Though many of us rejoice at the sighting of an up-close parking space at the grocery store, look for the furthest parking place on Sunday morning (or, better yet, use our shuttle parking) and allow others the opportunity to park closer. This helps those that aren’t regular attenders, and those with physical restrictions, to be at ease as they are able to quickly find a place close to the entrance.
Seating - I know you love the 12th row, outside seat, but scoot up, in, and close this Sunday. Leave your preferences and comforts behind and sit in the middle of the row, shoulder-to-shoulder with another person, in one of the closest rows to the front. This helps guests find seating with no anxiety about causing a disturbance when they walk in the sanctuary.
Greeting - Sometimes it’s uncomfortable to talk with those you don’t know. It’s even more uncomfortable to walk in a place you don’t know and not have anyone greet you or make you feel at home. Lay aside your anxiety about feeling awkward and plunge yourself into conversation with those you’ve never seen before. Welcome them into the experience of our “family.”
Giving - Each Easter, Southern Baptists take up the Annie Armstrong offering for the North American Mission Board. Pray and consider what the Lord would have you give as many work to advance the gospel of Jesus in North America.
Worshipping - We can be easily distracted with so many attendees on Easter Sunday, and even fear what they might think of us or our church. I encourage you, church members, to worship the Lord just as you do every other Sunday.
Helping - There are generally more kiddos with a larger audience. We think children are a great gift and blessing from the Lord, and we want their parents to sense that as soon as they hand off their children to our childcare workers. So, consider how you might serve in Extended Teaching Care during our Easter services so that our guests can feel at ease as they gather with our church family.
Listening - One of the biggest regrets we could have from this day is not listening to the preached Word of God. There are many things for us to think about (i.e. all the categories I have made mention of above), but these things, though important and vital for us to think upon, should not hinder us from worshipping as we listen and heed the Word of the Lord.
Praying - Pray for our pastor as he prepares to preach. Pray that the Spirit would meet with us and teach us from the Bible. Pray that as the preached Word is heard, that it would be believed upon and trusted in. Pray that God would work in the hearts of each of us, and as unbelievers walk out of our doors, that God would continue drawing them to Himself.
As we ready ourselves to worship The Risen King Jesus this Sunday, let us also pray about how we might serve those outside our church membership. We never know who the Lord might bring through those doors, but let’s be praying, and serving, toward the end that salvation would come to all those who have yet to believe.