Are you thinking about Easter 2021 yet? Wondering if restrictions will be lifted? Will we be able to gather onsite and if so, what percentage of capacity will be allowed? There is a good possibility that church this Easter will look a lot more like 2020 than 2019. The good news is you don’t have to wait until Easter to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus.
What if between now and Easter your church lived resurrection life in such a way that your community could not miss seeing it? And better still, experiencing it? And then your Easter service becomes celebrating all the good that was done because of resurrection life. Rather than a production to impress guests at Easter, impress the community with the love of the resurrected Jesus before Easter.
In today’s culture, a church’s impact isn’t measured by its productions, theological position, doctrinal statement, or it’s style of worship, but by what can be seen by the outside world. When it comes to visible impact a lot of churches are invisible.
But what if our invisible Church suddenly became visible again? What if believers invested their resurrection life in helping those in need by feeding the hungry, assisting the vulnerable, restoring families, and getting people back to work became our battle cry? What if the world saw such a powerful positive impact on local communities they couldn’t imagine what life would be like without the Christian community. Can you imagine?
Jeremiah Raible suggests, Small “guerilla-style” blessings:
teachers’ appreciation gifts (individually wrapped muffins, or gift cards),
front line workers’ donut party,
local business blessings (purchase gift cards to give away),
food hampers (for families you helped at Christmas),
school supplies for single parents.
Keep it doable by 3-6 volunteers and within a 0-100$ budget. Make sure that everything you do has your church name, logo, and website attached to it plus this simple message:
“God Loves You”
Facilitate a mental health course online, or at your church. The Sanctuary Course is free and provides empathetic training to reduce the stigma, raise awareness of mental health and create a safe space for people to be seen and accepted.
Hailey Armoogan suggests:
Choose one or more streets in your church neighbourhood. Shovel sidewalks, clear snow, assist with pick up and deliveries of items, etc. Give them a “Happy New Year / God Loves You” card from your church with contact information.
Meet with the principal of the closest school to your church. Ask how you can serve them. If possible, get a list of the staff and send them personal notes of encouragement.
Hailey will be posting ideas every month for community engagement. More ideas for schools here.
A message of a gift that comes from the love of God will plant seeds of faith in the lives of those who receive it. You should also take pictures and post these acts of kindness on social media and community forums.
Celebrating the resurrection at Easter in 2021… and beyond… will be less about getting the community inside the church and more about getting the love of Jesus through the church into the community.
Bob Jones is the founder of REVwords.com, an author, blogger, and coach with 39 years of pastoral experience. Bob is also an Advance Coach with the ABNWT Resource Centre. You can connect with Bob here.