How do you feel as hot cross buns, chocolate eggs and bunnies fill the supermarkets? Excited? Apathetic? Shocked? Nauseous? Didn’t we just have Christmas? Is nothing sacred? Mmm…chocolate bunnies…I used to moan when this happened. It drove me made to see the commercialization of Easter start earlier and earlier every year. It drove me nuts to see the Easter bunny hot on the trail of Santa.
So what do you do? Ignore it?
If you’re a Christian person, the retailers are actually doing us a great favour.
They’re calling us to action. They are saying Easter is awesome…are you up for it?
Easter is a key moment in the year…it’s actually our moment. It’s an incredible opportunity to really get Jesus out there – but what are we doing with it?
In Australia at least…very little…that’s right…few homes, schools or churches do much with Easter. But it doesn't have to stay this way...
The SRE exception
Oh, with the exception of a unique historical glitch…in NSW we can go into primary schools and teach scripture (Special Religious Education or SRE) every week for half an hour. And for the past 10 years I’ve been supporting SRE with live shows that take SRE through the roof for special Easter assemblies.
But those unique scripture assemblies may not be around for much longer…all the more reason to really make them super special.
But apart from those unique school scripture assemblies..I don’t see many churches doing very much with Easter.
Kids love Easter
And for kids, Easter is an event anticipated much like Christmas, or a birthday but in terms of Christian ministry, at least in my experience, in my part of town…it passes by like a blip, like just another long weekend.
And if we don’t do anything who wins…commercialism, money, chocolate. This dark age. We’ve failed. We fail as a church, school, we fail as parents.
I don’t want to fail like that, do you?
But it doesn’t have to be this way…
Easter can be bigger than Christmas
Imagine transforming your Easter so that it’s not being just about bunnies and chocolate and a dull church service…but
-BUILDS ON YOUR MINISTRY TO YOUR KIDS
Imagine giving your children something so incredibly memorable, so fun, and so clear in God’s word that it just totally builds on the hard work your doing in the home.
-OUTREACH Imagine seeing your car fill up with kids from the neighbourhood…
Parents, we can double the outreach of our church just by backing our kids and providing something they can easily invite friends to at Easter!
Parents are an essential ingredient to rescuing Easter from the grave.
The pastor can’t do it without us. In fact that person is unlikely to step up because they’re already under the assumption you won’t even be there at Easter, plus they probably don’t like criticism or rejection. But we can encourage them!
Remember not to underrate your kids either. Kids are the best at outreach; they don’t have all the hang-ups of adults…plus if there is something really fun and cool happening …they’ll ask friends along without much hustle or guilt we adults sometimes feel.
IMAGINE DOUBLING THE AMOUNT OF KIDS AT YOUR CHURCH THROUGH AN EASTER EVENT?
Objections your honour!
Objection 1- but we all go away at Easter!
umm that's not going to happen…no-one is around at Easter, we all go camping.
In another upcoming post and video I’ve got a great story to tell you about how stepping up at Easter can double your outreach. Amazing…wait for it!
Changing your school, church or families habits at Easter can be a game changer – a key moment, to be growing your kids’ faith and giving your kids something they can easily invite friends to.
So the real question we need to ask is …How we can make it as big as Christmas!
Objection 2: Easter is not bigger than Christmas…you’re dreaming Stephen!
Can we can really make Easter as big as Christmas….surely they are not comparable?
Christmas is a firecracker. A vapor…no-one is really listening…have you noticed? But churches often pour enormous energies and budgets into Christmas…PA systems, fireworks, …I know I’ve performed at loads of them.and please keep at it but allow me to let you in on a little secret…Easter is a better spend.
Easter is a time of reflection…there is no end of year clutter (southern hemisphere we shut down at Chrissy for 6 weeks!) PLUS…people more available to listen, to reflect…the audience is a better one. So this makes Easter MORE STRATEGIC.
Objection3: It’s not up to me it’s up to them… (I.e. my school, my church)
There is no them…only us…remember we are a priesthood of believers…your school principal or your pastor, sure it’s their occupation with mission, but everyone is given, by the Lord, the preoccupation with mission
So it’s really a question of how can we as parents, kids and the ministry team can make Easter as big as Christmas. As I said before…our pastor can’t fill up your car with kids. But we can! Wow!
So what would it look like? What are some ideas, what are some no fail, tried and tested solutions to making Easter as big as Christmas?
In the upcoming videos Anton’s’ Antics has got some great ideas and solutions that will make stepping up at Easter so easy.
Right now, please take a moment to share this blog with your family, team or staff. Print it out, email it or share it on social media using the buttons below.
Watch the first FREE video: WHY PARENTS MUST RESCUE EASTER FROM THE GRAVE
PS: The link will take you to a preview video, so just sign in with your email and you’ll get the FULL version.
PPS: Across this video series we’ve got a survey open to collect what happens in your patch and gather your ideas on Easter. We’ve got off the ground with some good responses so far, but it would be great to have more. Just click: “Anton’s Easter Bigger than Christmas Survey” to add your wisdom.
But don’t miss the first FREE video: WHY PARENTS MUST RESCUE EASTER FROM THE GRAVE
