Preparing For Easter Sunday

It's Easter on April 1 and that's no joke!

 Getting an Easter event is a very difficult task. I hope the next steps will equip you in preparing for this exciting event.  For this Easter, plan this way:

1.  Keep the big picture in front of you. 

Remember your childhood days when you traced over an image and kept your focus on drawing that one line after another until the whole image surfaced?  That is what this step is.   The big picture should be before you all the time. 

So you are about to plan for Easter Service.  What's the big picture?  Is it evangelistic or a celebration for church people?  Or is it both?  Whatever the case, keep the big picture in front of you.   Don't do a solo flight in your planning.  Get your main leadership structure and ask them these questions.   I firmly believe that God will clarify a lot of things when you hear what He is saying through them.

2.  Break bigger tasks with smaller steps.  

Go ahead and start doodling on what needs to be done.   Categorize each idea  so that they are easy for you to handle.   By categories, look for common elements.  Ask the question, is this  a part of the promotion before or follow up after?  Does this fall into media or music?

As a vision-organizer (most pastors are), you will need someone to breakdown to small steps some parts of the big picture.   You need an administrator -organizer.   Vision-Organizers are the brain, they see big picture, they know what to accomplish and they see the end product clearly.  The Administrator - Organizer is there to help  equip you with how to take the next steps.

If you want to have a response time after your Easter sermon.  Ask what kind of response will you offer.  As a vision-organizer you may see the response time as written (response cards) or verbal (altar call).   If it is the first, your partner will help you get the response cards ready.  If it is the latter, your partner will help to get a counseling team ready.

3.  Do a one hour blitz.   

Pastors have a tendency to forget that there are other things in March to prepare for and to do besides the one-time Easter event.   On the other hand, some of us will be so focused with VBS, Summer missions or visitations or our sermon this sunday that we neglect to check up  Easter preparations.  Such an "auto" personality is dangerous. 

Do a one hour blitz.  Everyday or every so often within the week, dedicate an hour to focus on Easter.  That may mean curving out a time to meet with the leadership.   It could also mean just sitting down and dedicating an hour to finish tasks for the upcoming event.   Whatever it is, tell Siri (or Alexa), set an alarm within an hour - then go and do it!

I pray your Easter events go well this year.  Consider using Billy Graham Evangelistic Association's Flying Blind Movie to your small groups or even your church gathering.   Now is also the time to order your discipleship resources.    It is only 18 mins long and you can customize it and let Franklin Graham or Aaron Shust guide you for the rest of your event.   The material is free and you can download it here.   If you have shown flying blind, you can click here to give feedback.