By Michael Kelley | Executive Director, Rooted Network
A Strategic Window for Church Growth and Spiritual Formation
While every Sunday matters, the calendar of the church does present us, as church leaders, with important and regular opportunities to effectively shepherd our people toward spiritual maturity. For example, while Christmas is often a season of rest and reflection for most people, it’s one of the busiest times of the year for leaders in the church. That’s because that season is one of the times of the year when people are most likely to visit a church, and so we encounter more visitors than we would on a normal Sunday. The same thing is true for Mother’s Day.
Lent also offers an important—albeit different—opportunity. That season is typically one of introspection, and even those who aren’t particularly religious know of the tradition of sacrifice that accompanies it. That’s why Lent can be a strategic opportunity to help people understand the nature and necessity of repentance as part of a spiritual reset.
The Easter Alignment: Strategic and Spiritual Opportunity
But no single Sunday can match the opportunity of Easter. This Sunday, when we celebrate explicitly the resurrection of Jesus Christ, represents an alignment of strategic and spiritual importance and opportunity for the church and your overarching ministry planning. That alignment can be summed up in one simple but vital question:
What happens next?
This is first and foremost a spiritual question. That’s because Easter, like Christmas and Mother’s Day, is when we will see an influx of people who do not ordinarily attend church. Like it or not, attending a worship service on Easter is, for many people, a part of the culture around the holiday. And while those people might not be attending for the right reasons, they are nevertheless there—within our churches, hearing the gospel preached. And that’s why we must have a clear answer the question, “What happens next?”
No doubt, some of those people will hear that gospel and believe. But more of them will hear the gospel and be at least interested enough to take the next step in their spiritual formation. So what will we tell these people they need to do now? How will we help them continue to take those steps forward toward spiritual maturity? Answering the question of what happens next is part of our stewardship of their attendance.
But this question is also strategic in nature for healthy church growth. We have a limited window of opportunity after someone attends. A limited window to help them find a place. A thriving biblical community. A sticking point. Otherwise, we will just see them again next Easter for their yearly visit. So when we take the time to clearly think through and answer the question of what happens next, we provide a solid and strategic action point for those who are at least interested in hearing a little more or coming one more time.
But that answer must be definite. It must be concrete. And above all, it must be clear.
Equipping Your Church with Proven Study Tools
Rooted might be the answer for your congregation. If a church plans to begin a session of Rooted directly after Easter, then the answer to that spiritual and strategic question presents itself. What is their next step? How do they learn more? How do they meet people and understand more of what it means to be a Christian? They join Rooted.
In that next step, they will connect with God, the church, and their own purpose. Most importantly, they will take the step after the step of attendance—the core of a lifelong discipleship rhythm.
Whether or not your church chooses Rooted to be the answer to this question, the question remains—What happens next? Make sure you have a clear answer.
Clarify Your Easter Discipleship Strategy
Rooted Network can help answer the question of “What happens next?”
If new to Rooted Network and looking for a clear beginning point for Easter guests, preview the Rooted experience.
If already facilitating Rooted and experiencing the celebration of life change, join Rooted Network for What's After Rooted? webinar to learn how to disciple your congregation after Easter and year-round.
