Both reasons make sense . But let ’ s talk about a couple of problems with the way we approach Easter .
TWO PROBLEMS WITH OUR EASTER STRATEGY 1 ) The Great Bait-and-Switch A lot of churches treat Easter like the church version of a Black Friday sale .
We create an experience that ’ s high-energy , emotionally powerful , and visually stunning — something we could never sustain every Sunday . But what happens when someone actually comes back the next week ?
Spoiler alert : They show up expecting Broadway and get … normal church .
And suddenly , they feel like they got catfished by worship .
If Easter looks nothing like a regular Sunday , we might want to ask :
• Are we accidentally misleading people ?
• Shouldn ’ t our Easter service actually reflect who we are the other 51 weeks of the year ?
2 ) The Cost of ( Actual ) Discipleship I hear this all the time : “ If even ONE person gets saved , all this effort was worth it !”
And don ’ t get me wrong — that one person is absolutely worth it . But … what happens after Easter ?
• How many of those “ decisions ” actually turn into disciples ?
• Do we have a plan for follow-up or just a stack of unused visitor cards ?
• What if we invested the same amount of effort into year-round discipleship instead of one giant event ?
Because if our Easter service is basically a spiritual fireworks show , but we ’ re not following up , aren ’ t we just making a lot of noise ?
FIVE QUESTIONS TO HELP RETHINK EASTER If you ’ re starting to feel like your church might be experiencing Easter overload , here are some things to consider :
1 ) Are we putting too much pressure on Easter to accomplish outreach ?
• Do we only really push people to invite friends on Christmas and Easter ?
• What if we encouraged an inviting culture all year long ?
• A one-day attendance spike is great , but consistent relationship-driven evangelism is even better .
2 ) How good are we at turning Easter guests into committed disciples ?
• If our attendance explodes on Easter but drops back down the next week like a failed soufflé , what does that say ?
• Do we have a plan to engage visitors beyond handing them a free coffee mug ?
• If Easter is truly an outreach event , followup is just as important as the service itself .
3 ) Does our Easter service feel like a bait-andswitch ?
• How different is Easter compared to a normal Sunday ?
• Are we just trying to impress people , or are we helping them meet Jesus ?
If Easter looks like a concert special , and regular Sundays look like a PowerPoint presentation , people are going to notice .
One idea ? Just tell them upfront : “ Hey , today ’ s service is a little different because we ’ re celebrating the Resurrection in a special way . But every Sunday , we gather to worship and grow in our faith , and we ’ d love to see you again .”
4 ) Can we simplify Easter and still make it meaningful ? Two churches I ’ ve been part of scaled back their Easter productions .
• You know who complained ? A few longtime members who missed the pageantry .
• You know who didn ’ t complain ? The volunteers who finally got to eat Easter lunch with their families .
• Sometimes , less is actually more .
5 ) Do we celebrate the resurrection enough throughout the year ?
• If the resurrection is the cornerstone of our faith , shouldn ’ t we talk about it more than one Sunday ?
• What if we wove it into our teaching , worship , and discipleship all year long ?
Imagine if we treated every Sunday like the resurrection mattered . Our Easter services wouldn ’ t feel like once-a-year magic — they ’ d feel like the natural culmination of a year spent celebrating Christ ’ s victory .
WRAPPING IT UP : WHAT ’ S NEXT ? If you ’ re knee-deep in Easter planning , I ’ m not saying cancel everything and go acoustic . But after Easter , take some time to evaluate :
• Was all that effort worth it ?
• Did we truly make an impact — or just a production ?
• Could we simplify next year and still be just as effective ?
Because here ’ s the thing : Easter isn ’ t our Super Bowl . It ’ s not about putting on the biggest show of the year . It ’ s about celebrating the single greatest truth in history .
And maybe … just maybe … we can do that without needing smoke machines , 47 rehearsals , and a guy dressed as a Roman centurion fainting under stage lights .
So take a breath , worship leader . And remember : Jesus already won . You don ’ t have to outdo Him .
Matt Miller Matt lives in Cincinnati , OH with his wife Kara and their daughter Melody . He ’ s the Head Coach of WorshipTeamCoach . com and WorshipWorkshop . com , two sites that help worship leaders make every Sunday exceptional . If you want to explore coaching or mentoring with the WorshipTeamCoach team visit this page . WorshipTeamCoach . com WorshipWorkshop . com
32 March 2025 Subscribe for Free ...