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Image courtesty of OKC Community Church
There’s a full understanding in the church world that Easter is the biggest and most important Sunday of the year, by far. Unfortunately, while its importance is understood, not every church has the resources to invest in making it a weekend-long experience, or a high production event, or even something that involves drastically different programming.
While many churches begin Easter planning just on the heels of Christmas, there are many that are still just a couple weeks out and may not have a full picture of what all can be done with limited staff, budgets, or time to make it feel different or special.
Smooth transitions prevent awkward moments—take a few minutes to review the flow with your team.
Fortunately there are still some simple ways that a church, even last-minute, can add some extra pizzazz to their Easter flow to make it a great event.
Photo courtesy of OKC Community Church, Oklahoma City, Ok.
1. Communication
“On this day of celebration, it is important to have a unified vision so that each pastor, musician, production member, and volunteer, can confidently approach the day and be successful,” says Craig Rowley, the Director of Live Production at White’s Chapel Methodist Church, a congregation in suburban Dallas. “Clarity in purpose can make or break as service.”
Even if there aren’t a lot of moving pieces or different service elements, one should never take for granted that everyone has a full understanding of what will happen and when. Especially since transitions are generally the parts of service flow that make things feel awkward when mishandled, there’s benefit to taking a few minutes to talk through the event flow with all the key players involved.
“Most churches follow a fairly standard flow week after week, which means that any changes (such as those for Easter) can throw people for a loop,” cautions Josh Nassar, the Livestream Director at OKC Community Church in Oklahoma City. “Maybe there are volunteers serving who will really be surprised by the changes, maybe there are a lot of moving pieces that require extra team members, etc. It's extremely important that everyone be on the same page so that expectations are known and can be communicated out to the relevant parties, in order to produce the smoothest, calmest experience for everyone involved.”
This can also be critical if any different songs are integrated into the set list. Perhaps it’s a new Easter-themed song, or even a hymn that’s rarely sung, but with either, it helps to have clarity between the worship and production teams regarding song flow so there are no surprises for how many times the bridge will repeat or when the song will turn from the chorus into an instrumental. It’s important for cohesion so that lyrics can be on screen in a timely manner to help lead those unfamiliar with the words.
If anything, it’s probably fair to assume that since it’s Easter, a church may have a larger crowd than usual, or people might be inviting friends and family to attend, both of which can nudge usually steady volunteers towards nervousness. Spending a few minutes in a pre-service meeting to clarify roles, expectations, and flow details can help alleviate any potential tension that might come inherently with such a big day.
This Easter, create a fresh andinviting experience in your church lobby with a simple photobackdrop. It’s a fun and easy way to engage attendees—especially first-time guests—encouraging them to capture and share special moments while making lasting memories. Photo courtesy of OKC Community Church, Oklahoma City, Ok.
2. Lobby and walk-in experience
This can even extend beyond the main doors into the lawn or parking area. Is there anything simple that can be done to make things feel a bit more different or special?
Expecting more visitors? Add clear signs for kids’ check-in, info booths, and key areas.
Perhaps it’s a simple yard sign, or some pastel balloons outside. Or even in the lobby, an Easter-themed banner could be a perfect backdrop for family photos. If there’s no budget for signage, then maybe just rearranging some bright plants or flowers could create a special place for families to memorialize the occasion in photos.
On the signage front, a church could also assume that there might be more visitors than usual on this particular day. So do they need to add extra signs to clarify where the kids area is or how to check in children? Should there be anything additional to point to an information booth or visitor welcome area?
In the auditorium or sanctuary, walk-in music could even be slightly different. Instead of whatever the regular playlist is, maybe for Easter it’s all music themed about life, victory, and resurrection, to fit the Easter theme, or maybe it’s more upbeat and celebratory.
If a ministry typically shows announcement slides on screen before service, this could be a good opportunity to mix in content that’s Easter-themed. Maybe it’s stock photos of a cross or empty tomb with scripture overlaid, or even just brighter or pastel-colored backgrounds with a selection of scripture text or inspirational quotes.
Either way, the music and visuals can each create a different reception when attendees enter the sanctuary or auditorium both signaling that there’s something different about the day.
Photo courtesy of White's Chapel United Methodist Church, Southlake, Texas.
3. Adding a traditional element
For more contemporary churches, this could be an easy way to help connect with visitors or those who don’t attend regularly: adding something that may feel more stereotypically “church-y.”
If hymns or traditional choruses aren’t normally part of a service flow, this could be something to consider adding in. Plus, a pass of “Amazing Grace” or something similar would be an easy way to get everyone engaged in singing.
Small changes in lighting, camera angles, and staging can make a huge impact on worship.
If reading a scripture passage isn’t a normal element either, that could be a good way to transition between songs in the worship set, or between worship and an announcement section. And having the text on screen, so people in person or online can read along, is another easy way to boost engagement, especially if there’s also a way to animate it and have it integrated in with a worship song (like during an intro or an instrumental section).
4. Tweaking existing production pieces
Not every special event has to include new equipment or a rental budget. In fact, reusing existing gear can sometimes have just as much of an impact because people can still notice that something is different.
“With Easter often starting a new series, we will take the opportunity to deploy a new light plot,” explained Sean McDermott, the Systems Director at Pennsylvania megachurch LCBC Church. “Rather than just renting or purchasing new fixtures, moving light positions can feel like something new was added. We also have worked with our Graphic and Video teams to build new masks or layouts for lyrics on our screens that can add a sense of newness to the services.”
Even simple shifts can make a big difference. “Humans are creatures of habit, so when something changes, people notice (most of the time),” he added.
Something like this might be necessary for the event, say to light an orchestra or choir (or smaller ensembles) that may not normally be part of the service flow. But just making small changes to back lighting or set lighting, or adjusting the way the side walls of the stage are lit, can make big differences and help things feel new or fresh.
Additionally, changing how technology is used during the service can have a big impact too.
“Pay closer attention to the emotions songs are intending and choose content and lighting accordingly,” encouraged Rowley. “A simple change in dynamic lighting cues and dramatic camera shots that are outside of regular weekend service procedures can make a huge difference. One year, we relocated some of our cameras, lights and orchestra seats and it had a tremendous impact on the overall experience.”
Maybe a song that’s more of a “performance piece” can have more intimate lighting that focuses just on a lead singer or soloist, and camera shots can be tighter on the subject during that song. Or a more intimate, emotional song could just incorporate static camera shots of singers instead of using movement or showing musicians.
Or even a song that starts softer and slower could have more subdued lighting, perhaps even with a static graphic behind song lyrics, and then as the song builds to a more triumphant and ebullient crescendo, the graphic starts to move and the lighting grows in intensity.
But for churches with even less technology, like no cameras or lighting, even adjusting how the stage is set can make a difference.
“A simple modification such as platforming sections of the band or staging orchestra on different tiers adds so much depth,” Rowley noted. “Redesigning your chancel [while] utilizing the same gear can [also] create a dramatically different look that effectively will draw in the attention of the congregation.”
5. Think “visitor-first”
Easter may be the first (or only) time someone has chosen to attend church this year. So instead of looking at spaces and service flow through the lenses of staff or regular attendees, a ministry will be well-served to consider things through the eyes of people who are unfamiliar.
In addition to potentially adjusting or augmenting signage, are there other things that can be done to cater to a first-timer?
When doing church announcements, should extra care be given to explain things and give additional context so “outsiders” can understand? And can more time be invested in explaining “next steps” and church programming so someone interested in returning can have a clear picture of what they can do?
And for those unfamiliar with typical service elements like recitations or liturgical pieces, should words be printed and handed out, or available on screen for people to read along with? Can lyrics be displayed slightly ahead of pace during worship so congregants can see the words before they should sing them?
These are all easy things to consider, if a team is able to take the time to think through them. For McDermott and the LCBC team, this is an essential piece of the Easter preparation process.
“As our teams come together in the final days leading up to Easter, we meet with everyone involved in developing the plans and executing the designs to do one last review and ensure all the pieces of the puzzle fit together,” he explained. “First, we stop and pray, asking God to use our efforts to positively impact someone's life. But we also remind ourselves to see the service through the eyes of someone who is giving church one last chance—not through the eyes of the person who had the idea, designed the graphic, or set the lights—but through the perspective of someone who needs to hear about who Jesus is and how following Him can change their life.”
A simple way to ensure there’s power, impact, and effectiveness on the biggest Sunday of the year.
