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Every Sunday. Not Just Easter.

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Easter's a big deal. Click To Tweet

Me. To our new worship leader. In a conversation where I was questioning him about what we’re going to do to “step it up a notch” this year.

And, as soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted them.

Why?

Because I had just caught myself doing the exact thing that I’m going to spend the rest of this post encouraging YOU not to do.

Which is this: don’t make Easter Sunday… this singular day… this high holiday that gets the “all-hands-on-deck” approach in our churches (right along with Christmas Eve and Mother’s Day*)… don’t make it somehow more important than any other day.  

Don’t do it.

Don’t be like me.

Don’t make Easter a big deal.

Why?

Because…

a belief in Jesus’ resurrection impacts every single moment of every single minute of every single day of our lives. Click To Tweet

Not. Just. Easter.

Now, before you roll your eyes as dramatically as the stone was rolled away from the tomb (#EasterHumor) ask yourself these Easter Sunday questions:

  • Will someone in your church make sure the volunteer greeters are “the nicer ones” on Easter Sunday? (some of you know what I’m talking about)
  • Will the speakers in your service use different verbiage to be thoughtful of those who don’t attend church regularly?
  • Will there be special communication pieces that get passed out or more intentionality around which announcements get highlighted?
  • Will your pastor’s message be more passionate, more “seeker-friendly”, more salvific, or more or less any characteristic, when compared to other weeks?
  • Will there be extra follow-up or invitations extended after Easter Sunday that go above and beyond what’s typically done to connect with guests?

If you answered “yes” to any of the above… the next question is: Why? Why is there an extra special effort made to do something really over-the-top on this one Sunday – instead of EVERY week aiming to be thoughtful of who’s walking through our doors?

To get all those “guaranteed” people to come back, right? So that they might meet Jesus and come to know and believe He is who He says He is and is worth trusting and following with their whole life? THAT’S why we have the nice greeters on Easter, right?

I raise these questions because I suspect I’m not alone in being completely guilty of making Easter a big deal and losing sight of the fact that…

EVERY time the church gathers, it’s a big deal. Click To Tweet

EVERY time 30 or 300 or 3,000 people wake up on a Sunday and drive to the same location and commit to spending at least an hour or two of their time with other humans in collective recognition of the ONE human who lived and died and rose again over 2,000 years ago – that that’s worth celebrating! THAT’S worth inviting everyone we know to Every. Week.

Not. Just. Easter.

At Ministry Architects, we love Easter. We also love the other 51 Sundays of the year – and every day in between. And we want churches to be equipped to do what they’re called to. It’s why we ask questions like…

  • Why aren’t the nice greeters the ones who greet people ALL the time?

(practical application question: Does your church have a consistent way of helping a person discern their gifts then inviting them to the best-fit places they can serve?)

  • Why isn’t there heightened intentionality with communication every Sunday?

(practical application question: Does your church have a known vision, long-range goals, and core values that all opportunities must align with?)

  • Why do we seem to care more about the guests on Easter than we do about new, rare, or infrequent attendees the other 51 Sundays a year?

(practical application question: Does your church have a consistent process for connecting with people that impacts their return?)

The Shepherd left the 99 to go find the 1 who was lost. And I just wonder…

…when we all work so hard to bring our A-games to Easter Sunday, couldn’t one understanding of this parable be that even when just 1 new person shows up on a random, non-Easter Sunday, they get to…

  • interact with a body of people who have a Spirit about them that’s palpable from the parking lot to the pulpit?
  • experience a whole orchestra, resounding throughout a sanctuary, down the halls, and all the way out the doors?
  • be connected with and known with a fierce intentionality by all those around?

All because…

Jesus is alive and worthy of such praise and purposeful living every single day. Click To Tweet

Not just on Easter.

It shouldn’t be that Easter Sunday is when it’s most acceptable to be head-over-heels, giddy with excitement about the core truth of our faith. It should be all the time! So I challenge you:

Don’t tuck away your beliefs and your boldness and your best efforts along with your bonnets and bowties and baskets until next year. Click To Tweet

Pinpoint those things your church does “special” for Easter– and start incorporating them into your every week approach of discipling and reaching others now!

And if you need some help? Just give your favorite Ministry Architect a call.

*Results from a Lifeway study conducted in 2011, surveying 1,000 protestant pastors

**Bonus article that reveals how many minutes it takes to make a peep! And other facts that could be good for your next youth group Easter trivia game.

Special Needs – Start Where You Are

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It was Easter Sunday, and there were hundreds of little feet and big feet strolling through the halls of our kids’ area. Some of the faces were familiar ones while many were appearing in our doorways for the first time. Energy was high, and our Children’s Director zipped from room to room, checking on volunteers, adjusting staffing, and soothing unsure children.

After worship started and things began to settle in for the hour, I glanced down the hallway to see the Children’s Director sitting on the floor, all of her attention on the little boy in front of her. The orange sticker on his back revealed that he was a first-time guest, and as I walked toward them to ask if I could help in any way, I could see that God had blessed this precious little one with some special needs.

We were at 180% capacity in our kids’ area that day. As this family wound their way down the hall, they asked the kids’ check-in volunteer escorting them whether their little boy would be welcomed into a classroom here. The answer so easily could have been, “I’m so sorry, but we don’t have the resources to care for him.” We didn’t have a special needs ministry. We didn’t even have a quiet room to step into with this little boy if the stimulation in the classroom became too much.

What would your response be if a family wanted to bring their child with special needs to your ministry?

Our response was that we would love him the best way we could.

What did we have?

A love for all of God’s precious children. We also had a system in place anticipating that God may send us families who have children with special needs. It was a simple system. We had identified a handful of volunteers who had a heart for children with special needs. Some had experience – in school systems or in healthcare. Others simply wanted to love at a higher level.

These volunteers were on call to be a “buddy” should the need arise. When parents came with their child, they would be assured that we would love to care for their child that day. We explained our buddy system to them and introduced the buddy to the child. We asked the parents all about their child – likes and dislikes, things that upset them, and ways to soothe them. We showed them the age-appropriate classroom where their child would be included, and then gently reassured them that if their child needed time away from that environment, we would take them into the hallway (a safe and secure area that was closed off from the rest of the church.)

That’s where I found our Children’s Director that Easter Sunday. Loving on a little boy with all her heart.

Is the system perfect? Nope.

But we didn’t let the desire for perfection or lack of specialized training or equipment keep us from taking the first step. We chose to start where we are.

Don’t let the desire for perfection keep you from taking the first step in caring for children with special needs.

Do you know what happened?

That little boy’s family began a relationship with Christ that day. I still see his perfect smiling face most Sundays, when he’s well enough to come with his family. Countless other families since then have come and experienced our love for their child who happens to have some special needs and is made in the image of God.

A few weeks ago, we celebrated the opening of our new kids’ expansion at our church.

Guess what we have now?

A whole room dedicated to kids with special needs and sensory issues, mostly due to the passion our Children’s Director has for loving every child.

Start where you are.

Be faithful.

And watch what God does in your ministry.

Matthew 25:21 – The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’ 

Ministry of a Church Nursery

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Jesus said, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” Matthew 18:5

If you have never thought about your nursery being a ministry, I hope these few thoughts will change your mind! Your nursery workers may be the first contact parents (visitors) have with the church and their impressions are important. Parents want to know/feel that their most precious child will be safe and in the hands of loving and caring individuals.

1. Childcare workers – are they fully trained and background checked? Let your parents know!

  • Have they been there for a long time? Celebrate that fact. (One congregation I worked in had nursery workers who were working on their 2nd and 3rd generation of babies.)
  • Identify your workers by name on the nursery door and make sure the workers are also wearing a nametag?

2. How are parents met when they come into the nursery?

  • Do nursery workers go and greet them at the door?
  • Are the parents cheerfully met?
  • Is appropriate in-take information taken on the child?
  • Are diaper bags marked?
  • Is a nametag placed on the child?

3. Nursery space itself – is the room clean?

  • Is it well lit?
  • Are all shelves dusted and the floor clean?
  • Are age appropriate toys provided?
  • Is there music playing?
  • Is the room too crowded with “donations” or stuffed animals?
  • Are the toys clean? Have an annual inspection of your facility with fresh eyes to help remove any toys that are not appropriate, defective, or has missing parts.

4. What information do you provide back to the parents?

  • Are information sheets filled out and placed in the diaper bag on how their child was while in their care?
  • Do you have a nursery pamphlet you can share with them about any schedule in your nursery? Do you provide story and activity time and have handouts on the story schedule? This is also a good place to have brochures or postcards on other up-coming events in the congregation.

5. Physical facility – do your workers know the space and activities of the church?

  • Be sure your nursery workers know the layout of your facility and that they can direct the parents to the worship space, restrooms, or coffee. Aim for hospitality at its best.

Let’s make sure that this is true for all our nurseries and childcare areas in the church!

Youth Ministry and the Five Love Languages

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Imagine Kaylee, a 7th grader who is new in town, comes to your youth group this week. Her mom made her.

You want to make sure she feels welcome, so you greet her at the door with, “Ich bin sehr froh dass du hier bist.”

She gives you the blank stare.

“Bona sera principessa,” says someone passing by.

Kaylee is not impressed, so you guide her to a group of middle schoolers. One of them looks up and says, “Hey! I’m really glad you came.”

Now, Kaylee smiles and relaxes a little. Someone is speaking her language.

Of course, we’re not greeting kids at the door in German or Italian, but are we saying “Welcome” in a way they immediately understand?

Gary Chapman has written a wide array of books, based on his original, “The Five Love Languages.” There are Love Language books “of teenagers,” “of children,” “of singles,” and more. The core premise of Chapman’s books is that people “hear” love in different ways, and if we want to communicate love clearly, it helps to speak each individual’s language.

One of our goals as youth pastors is to communicate God’s deep and abundant love to every youth we see.  Imagine how much better we’d do, if we learned each student’s specific love language.  See if you can recognize your own love language, and, conversely, the languages you rarely use to communicate with your youth.

Quality time –  A quick “how ya doin?” doesn’t cut it with these kids. They need to spend some time with an adult who cares.  Letting them know that you’re listening, inviting them to visit you after school, and showing up for games can go a long way.

Gifts – A little goody bag for visitors will speak volumes to these youth.  Lessons that include a take-home reminder – even a paper clip or a paper bookmark – will stay in their desk drawers and memories for years.

Physical touch –This is a tricky one in today’s youth ministry world, but we have to find creative, safe ways to speak love in these students’ primary language. Whether it’s high-fives, fist bumps, appropriate hugs or pats on the back, we need to find a dialect that works for us.

Words of Affirmation – “Love your shoes.” “You have a great laugh.”  “Nice pass.” They all say “I love you” to people who speak this language.  The flip side is that these kids are particularly sensitive to the “just kidding” put-downs that some of us youth pastors are famous for.

Acts of Service – Don’t just say it – do it. Rides to and from youth group, taking their empty plate to the trash, offering homework help – that’s what tells these youth that you really mean it when you say that you care about them.

For youth workers, the “Five Love Languages of Teenagers” is probably the best place to start. But if you read any of Chapman’s books, you walk away with the desire and the tools to speak all five languages or at least to have all five represented on your team of youth leaders. A hugger is communicating with some of her kids, but not all. An affirmer is filling up the “love tank” of some of his youth, but others just aren’t hearing it.

Maybe a good exercise would be to examine the ways we welcome newcomers. We should be saying “we care about you” in a variety of ways, to make sure we are speaking each student’s primary language – instead of insisting that they learn ours.

This blog originally appeared as a column in Group Magazine. Visit them at www.YouthMinistry.com

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