Still More Post Easter/Lent Thoughts

Keep things fresh: It is too easy for churches to get in a rut. If we are not careful we do the same old things year after year—especially during our special “seasons.” Mix things up a bit. I talked with a pastor friend who’s church has a “drama” for Easter. For Easter, Ron and Kyle were people who had the job of “cleaning up” around Jerusalem and Bethany. They talked about what they had heard while cleaning up after the Last Supper and the crucifixion. Very clever!! That’s keeping it fresh!

The message and the packaging: We must always remember that the message does not change—the way the message is packaged needs to be adapted and tweaked. Our “twice a year” attendees expect to hear the same old stuff over and over. Grab their attention by changing the “packaging.” The extra effort is worth it. People are still buzzing about our Easter service and what it meant to their faith.

The flowers: We have people in our congregation who are allergic to Easter lilies. We tried several things to have the lilies work out. We tried keeping them in the church office until Easter morning—didn’t work, they still had allergy problems. We tried keeping them in the office and removing the pistol and stamens from each blossom—didn’t work, they still had allergy problems. Several years ago we gave up and started using azalea plants for Easter. They are fabulous! The colors range from red to purple to pink to white to white and pink. The azaleas make the sanctuary look very festive. Following the service the people who purchased the azaleas can take them home and plant them in the garden. We will never go back to Easter lilies.

It is time to begin thinking about next year. I already have some good ideas for sermons leading up to Christmas. For Easter… good question!