Online Easter 2020 Ideas

Easter 2020 is not canceled. You can create the most memorable and meaningful celebrations ever. Pivoting online means you have more opportunities than you can handle to fulfill the Great Commission.

Get your team together now and start thinking outside the box (or the grave). Plan for an Easter week, not just a day. https://abnwt.com/articles/how-to-celebrate-easter-week-in-your-community Go through the items below, assign ideas to team members and get busy.

1. Sunday Service Format

Consider using a talk show format with crowd-sourced video stories and interviews throughout the service. This can be a powerful way for your church family to show what life with Jesus is like.

Crowdsource

i) Reach out to a handful of families and ask them to share in 60 seconds or less about Gods provision and what Easter means to them. Have each family record their own videos and compile them together.

ii) Ask people to film themselves explaining how Jesus changed their life in 1 minute and send it to you. Then, create a testimony video using the clips.

iii) Have parents record their kids talking about what Easter and Jesus mean to them. Short clips. Then edit them all together to make a video.

Guest Connection

Create a system for digitally collecting people’s contact information so that you can follow up. Jotform has a Connect Card template you can use for free. Personalize one for your church and attach it in our broadcast feed. People can submit prayer requests as well. https://www.jotform.com/build/200895007382253

2. Outline

Think concise. Plan for 45 minutes or less of excellent content. Keep the flow engaging.

• Start your service in a fun way, and strongly encourage EVERYONE to check-in and leave a comment or a like. That is your attendance/roll call.

• Intersperse songs as worship, rather than one long stream of music.

• Insert your crowd-sourced video clips.

• Encourage people to use keywords as comments during the live. Then have a hospitality team follow up. For example, you could say, “If you are new just type ‘connect’ in the comments. We’d love to reach out and get to know you.”

• Share ways you are caring for your community after Easter.

• Order flowers to be delivered to local nursing homes, with one flower going to each resident and staff member.

• Partner with local schools and/or nonprofits who are providing lunches to kids, or donate money to a local organization that is feeding children in need.  (One church pledged to donate a percentage of what people gave to the church to a local non-profit helping feed kids- this idea drives generosity & shows that you are leading the way)

• Encourage viewers to care for the physical and spiritual needs of neighbours, and share some stories of people who are living on mission right now.

• Share the gospel. The good news of Jesus’ resurrection never changes, and your church has an opportunity to share this message with more people than ever. People that are struggling with health, financial issues, and physical isolation. Be real. Share hope.

• Create an EASY next step that people can take when they respond to your message and accept Jesus as their Saviour. For example, say, “If you’ve accepted Jesus as your Saviour, drop the praise hands emoji in the comments and someone from our church will follow up with you!” or Text “I believe.”

• Have people who are available to follow-up immediately and help get people plugged into your online community. Train these volunteers in advance, so that they know what to do.

• Doing a virtual welcome party via Zoom for people who are new to the church, and a virtual post-service hangout for people who want to ask questions about the message.

3. Promotion

Create a hashtag for your church’s Easter events. #EasterWith______________. Ask people to take a picture of themselves or their families watching online in the weeks leading up to Easter, hashtag and post on social media. Then, use the photos in the pre-service countdown time before service begins on Easter Sunday.

• Have a few volunteers stand near your church’s road or parking Lot with signs that have words like “Jesus is risen,” “Happy Easter,” or the church’s website.

• Put up a banner on your church’s property inviting people to celebrate Easter online with you.

• Have everyone from your church post pictures of their view of the Easter sunrise with the caption “Christ the Lord is risen today” and your church’s Easter hashtag.

Please share what you are going to do at your church in the comment section below. Thank you and happy planning.

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