Easter is always a good time to invite folks to attend church, and many church members work more diligently at inviting others during this season than any other. What we usually don’t do, though, is strategize to follow up practically and personally after Easter services. Here are some ways to do that:
- Contact someone you invited who attended church yesterday, and thank them for coming. Even if you thanked them at church, thank them again today. Let them know how excited you are that they came. By the way, I encourage you to use your phone and your voice to do this—as I generally recommend, as this post will show.
- Contact someone you invited who did not attend, thank them for receiving your invitation, and let them know they’re always welcome at your church. Sometimes a follow-up with people who did not come is the most unexpected follow-up—but a gracious response to these family and friends can go a long way.
- Encourage and thank your pastors and staff who likely have been extra busy over the last several weeks getting ready for and leading Easter services. Almost nine years ago, I wrote a post about why some pastors struggle on Easter, and I still stand by those reasons. It’s not always the case, but your pastors may need more prayer and encouragement today than you know.
- Take time each day this week to pray a simple prayer for all those who heard the gospel yesterday and either (1) chose to follow Christ, or (2) did not respond positively to follow Christ. Either way, these folks need prayer support. A short, focused prayer for each group will require only a little time but can influence somebody’s eternity.
- Ask yourself: “Where do I need to let the resurrection affect my life more today?” Maybe you’ve been discouraged and hopeless. Perhaps you’ve been fighting battles that seem to go on and on. You might be leading a church that appears to be dying, and you’re not sure what to do. Or, your faith might be stagnant, routine, and lifeless right now. In all these cases, I encourage you to let the truth of the resurrection restore your hope. The end of hope and passion is not the end of the story in God’s eyes.
- Plan a personal or group study on “Reasons to Accept the Resurrection of Jesus as True.” Too often, believers rightly accept this truth from the Word but are ill-equipped to discuss it with non-believing skeptics. This past week, in fact, I read a Baptist Press release about a scientist who evangelizes with this approach—and I suspect more of us need to prepare for these kinds of conversations if we want to reach others. Don’t wait until next Easter to do this kind of study . . . .
- Worship the risen Lord today as much as you did yesterday. Sing praise choruses—and don’t worry about who’s listening. Spend your day talking to the Lord. Kneel in prayer at some point during the day, and be humbled by the Lord’s overwhelming presence. Let forgiving joy and saving power grab your heart. Every day is resurrection day for the believer!
