An Easter Blessing

It happened! The Easter crowd has shown up on Sunday morning. I know you are excited and, if we are honest, maybe even a little scared. This will, more than likely, be the largest crowd you will have all year. You have so much you want to share with them, so much to tell them. Obviously, the resurrection of Jesus will reign supreme this Sunday, but what about the offering? How might you be able to use the offering to engage the congregation, many of whom may not otherwise come to church, to participate in the Kingdom of God? I want to offer you three suggestions to help use the offering talk to engage the Easter crowd this year.

1. Take Advantage of the Large Crowd

Just because you will have many non-churchgoers, and even non-believers, does not mean you should shy away from talking about the offering. You may not want to offend the crowd, but thinking of the offering talk as offending is a defeatist attitude, not present in Scripture. Take advantage of the large crowd and prepare to share with them the wonder of the grace of God. Use Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection to highlight the fact that we have life and that this life is given to us through his generous grace. Be mindful of the fact that God has drawn this crowd to the church, and he has given you the privilege to share the glory of the Gospel and how they can participate in the gospel ministry.

2. Highlight an Important Ministry

During your offering time, don’t take up the offering “as usual.” Make it an exciting time. Transition from the resurrection of Jesus to one of the church’s exciting ministries. The resurrection of Jesus impacts every aspect of your church. Seize the moment to show the congregation the impact of Jesus in the community, the state, the nation, or the world. Use pictures or videos to demonstrate the grace of God. Be specific in exactly how their giving has, is, and can continue to change lives.

3. Invite Them to Participate to Change Lives

As you take advantage of the large crowd and celebrate what the gospel is doing through the church, take a moment and be intentional about offering them the blessing of participating in this gospel ministry. Remind them of God’s grace and that we are called to share this grace. Go back to how the specific highlighted ministry is doing that and provide them with a detailed way their gift can impact and change a life.

Easter is like the spiritual Super Bowl for the preacher. I know the joyful stress it is to preach on Easter Sunday. In addition to sharing the gospel with the congregation, take advantage of the large crowd and also share with them how they can share the gospel with others through their generous and gracious gifts. I hope this is a blessing to you.

In His Grace,

Brad Delaughter, Lead Pastor, FBC DeSoto