Easter has come and gone once again. And probably in your house, as there was in ours, there was a big lead-up to last Sunday.
In our house, we read through the last days of Jesus, starting with His entry into Jerusalem and then, on Sunday morning, the empty tomb. We prayed together that we would have a deep appreciation that week in particular for the sacrifice of Jesus and the significance of the resurrection. We bought new clothes, planned Good Friday services, and had an Easter Sunday lunch with family.
But now here we are. This Sunday, we will have sandwiches for lunch. Then we will do our usual Sunday chores. We will get the lunches made and the homework polished up for school. This Sunday is back to business as usual. And perhaps that’s not such a bad thing.
The Easter Hangover Is Real
This week, you will surely feel what many pastors and church leaders not-so-affectionately refer to as “the Easter hangover.” This feeling is real, and it is nothing to be ashamed of. A lot of churches see an attendance dip in the weeks following Easter (for a whole host of reasons), and a lot of your church staff or volunteers may already be mentally tapping out for the summer. The spring is full of exhausting activities, especially for those with kids in school, and so the feelings of exhaustion are widespread and persistent.
But what can you do in the wake of Easter? The hangover doesn’t have to win the day. God did work in your church on Easter. The Holy Spirit moved, even if you didn’t hear all the stories. Now the question is: what can you do about it?
Lives Have Been Changed…New Life Has Begun
A handful of people who visited your church on Easter will stick around–not all of them, but some of them. In addition to those new attenders, plenty of regular attenders were likely impacted by the ministry that happened on Easter weekend. Lives were changed, and new life began. This is worthy of celebration! But what can your church do now?
People are likely looking for the next step. Whether they are new to your church or long-time attenders who decided to start taking their faith more seriously, the church needs to not leave these people hanging. Don’t let the heart change that happened on Easter not receive due follow-up and pastoral care!
What your church does throughout the rest of April, into May, and even into the summer matters. Sure, plenty of people may go on vacation and otherwise have unique schedules, but life change can happen even amidst uncertain schedules and vacation plans.
Don’t Forsake the Summer
Late spring into summer may not be the right time to launch a whole set of Rooted groups, and that’s okay. But it can be a great time to pilot Rooted to prepare for a full slate of fall Rooted groups.
Think through your Easter follow-up opportunities and your staff or volunteers. Can you think of 10-15 people who could be a part of a single Rooted pilot group this spring and into the summer?
By piloting Rooted this summer with a single group of staff, volunteers, and Easter attendees, you effectively care for people who made decisions this weekend and invest in the success of your fall discipleship efforts. One of the best ways we can minister to people following Easter is not by taking time off from discipleship, but digging in more deeply–and a Rooted pilot can be a sustainable, realistic way to do that in what can be a frenetic season.
Summer is not the offseason for the local church–it’s the preseason, looking ahead to a fall of transformative discipleship.
Pick your people. Grab a Rooted Pilot Kit. Get started this spring. Finish by mid-summer. Set yourself up for a solid fall.
The Rooted Pilot Kit has all you need to facilitate your Pilot session for $399.
Turn your Easter momentum into a summer of discipleship.
