It’s the day after Easter, did your services go like you hoped and prayed?
It’s a strange season. So many leaders said they didn’t know what to expect. Now you know. Were your prayerful expectations close?
What emotions are you feeling?
- Encouraged?
- Discouraged?
- Alone?
- Optimistic?
- Puzzled?
The post-Easter emotions and general response of a church leader from arguably the most significant weekend in the Christian calendar will run a wide gamut today and for the next several days – maybe weeks.
Some leaders are encouraged to see people they haven’t seen in months. Others are frustrated that infrequent attenders showed up and may not be seen again until Christmas.
Then again, COVID really changed the picture, it’s possible that more than half of your congregation hadn’t returned prior to Easter, but this may have been their time to come back.
Here’s the bottom line.
As a leader, how you think and feel post-Easter matters; it shapes your leadership for the next several months.
Easter is a big weekend, but there are 51 other weeks in the year, loaded with hope and potential. Next Sunday is just as important when it comes to the potential for life change.
Your post-Easter leadership stamina and resilience are more important right now than you may know. The enemy would love for you to let up, lose your joy, or maybe even temporarily “give up.”
Your leadership stamina and resilience are more important right now than you may know. The enemy would love for you to let up, lose your joy, or maybe even temporarily “give up.”
Guard yourself and your church against these three dangers:
1) Comparison and Disappointment
Comparing your church to others is natural but usually not helpful. When you focus on the attendance of other churches, two unhealthy outcomes are common.
First, feeling disappointed or discouraged because other churches had attendance much larger than yours. Second, feeling good that attendance was much larger than others. Both options are a waste of time and emotional energy.
The better choice is to thank God for His work in other churches and focus on gratitude for every good thing that happened on Easter at your church.
2) Business as Usual
The second common danger the day after Easter is that you go right back to business as usual.
It’s almost like Easter didn’t happen. It may have felt like a blur, and perhaps you leave for vacation or just go back to emails, solving problems and thinking about what’s next.
This one is my temptation. I’m on to the next thing before I’ve really fully experienced what just happened! It’s like Thanksgiving dinner. Three hours to prepare, then thirty minutes to eat, and that’s it! It’s over.
There are several possible reasons leaders go right back to business as usual. Which one may apply to you?
- They don’t take time to celebrate the good.
- They don’t want to face the reality of disappointment.
- There is just so much to do.
- Momentum is not something to waste.
#3 and #4 are hard to argue with, but here are a few better options. (Even just for a few minutes.)
- Spend some time today reflecting on your own salvation story, and how your life has changed.
- Find a quiet place to thank God for all He did this past weekend – for the things you could see, and the things you could not see. (Ephesians 6:10-12)
- Pour a cup of coffee, and write several notes thanking your key leaders and volunteers for what they did to help advance the Kingdom over Easter.
3) Celebration without action
The final danger in this list is celebrating Easter’s success but with essentially little or no follow-through.
If you experienced a large number of guests and salvations for your church, that is awesome!
Having a post-Easter “party” with a few key leaders is great. Maybe enjoy a fun lunch together and tell a few favorite stories from yesterday. Or take a day off to smell the roses and catch your breath!
You might be surprised, however, by how many churches have no real written plan for guest follow-up. You may also be surprised by how many of those churches have no working plan for how they will follow up, connect with and train new Christians.
How about you? Are you ready?
What’s your plan? How will you follow up with all your Easter guests?
Who will connect with and teach your new Christians the basics of their faith and Christianity?
If you are a solo pastor in a small church, ask 2-3 people to help you. I’ll bet they’ll say yes!
Don’t get overly focused on the number of guests you had; focus more on how you can help people take the next step toward Christ and invest your energy there.
I hope you are encouraged and inspired to keep digging in and never take your eyes off the mission.
If you are discouraged, please remember how much God loves you, that He is with you, and cherishes His Church!
What you are doing matters!
I fell into #1 beginning with the 2nd service. Good to see you yesterday! Today it’s #2, and will wait and see about #3. 🙂
#2 is the one that gets me!!
My first Easter on the other side of salvation was surprisingly emotional. Every single time a client would come into my office, I would begin to cry. When it hits you what He did, when it really sinks in, there’s really know other response. I love the idea of “leadership” reflecting on their own story…only then is the emotion of it met. Thank you.
Thanks Janene.
That is so true. His sacrifice for us is overwhelming.
1 Greetings from Suva, Fiji. Thanks for your article on post Easter .
Thoughts and feelings are very encouraged. Pray for my myself, family and my ministry amongst our Churhes of the Fiji Baptist Convention as Vice President and Director for Training.
Your Brother in Christ,
Rev. Apo Rageci. Suva, Fiji 🏝.
You are most welcome Apo!
Soooo helpful! Thanks, Dan. I remember when our church had a very successful and well attended event. I enthusiastically told one of our district leaders about it. His response: “And what was the purpose?” I was young…and hadn’t really given that any serious thought. Promise Keepers used to remind that it’s great to be able to create momentum…but sustaining it with a meaningful strategy is quite another thing. Your reminder about follow up is so critical.
Indeed Don… Party or Purpose?!
Don…
So Strange… I didn’t write that comment about party or purpose…
My first Easter on the other side of salvation was surprisingly emotional. Every single time a client would come into my office, I would begin to cry. When it hits you what He did, when it really sinks in, there’s really know other response. I love the idea of “leadership” reflecting on their own story…only then is the emotion of it met. Thank you.
Hey Don!
Thanks for your thoughts and comments, insightful as always.
Thank You Dan and Happy Easter. Leadership is the engaging prosperity by the people.
Great stuff Dan! Was just feeling winded yet excited about yesterday and then read this. Wow, love the timing!
Cool Nowell! Keep leading!
This is legit–as usual! Sharing the heck of outta this.
I’ve fallen into EACH of these in the past.
Thanks for passing this along David! At least you are past tense, I still slip on #2!! #slowlearner
Well, I am just an ecclesiocrat now so no local church to succumb to these temptations with! 😉
Dan, great article. I was wondering what small group conferences/seminars you might recommend? Thanks for your friendship thru the years. your input in my life has been one of great encouragement and exhortation. Your on-site consulting with us way back in 1996 is one of the reasons why Urbancrest has been and continues to be blessed! Plus we both collect redneck jokes :).
Hey Tom, good to hear from you! Wow… 1996, time flies! I’m not up on small group stuff, but if you email me at dan.reiland@12Stone.com, I’ll ask that team what they think. In general, I do recommend anything Leadership Network puts together. We participate in several of the offerings they provide. Blessings! PS… I’m seeing Jeff Foxworthy at a fundraising benefit this month… “You might be a … ” 🙂
Great insight as always.
In the comparison issue, i would also add comparing this Easter with the pre-covid Easters.
Hi Don,
Yes, COVID makes comparison all the more complex!
blessings,
Dan
Great Stuff! Easy for me to evaluate what went well, what did not, but not do anything with the information until we pull it out again next Easter planning. Instead of how can we use this to help guests take the next step, help returning volunteers get back in rotation, refine our follow up process going forward, etc.
Hi Gary!
Thanks for your comments and glad this is helpful to you!
This is so great. My team and I are going to spend some time in Celebration and Appreciation using the steps lined out in point 2. I am really loving these weekly encouragements and challenges. Thank You.
You are so welcome Chris! Glad they are helpful!
Thanks for this article today. I used to get the “blues” after a big event like Easter. I think it was more of an adrenaline letdown. I have fallen into the trap so many times – missing the whole purpose for our celebration. Thank God after forty years of ministry, I try to enjoy all parts of the journey. Bullet point number three, thanking the many volunteers who served so well, is a great suggestion. I plan to follow through on that.
Hey Philip,
We all know what those “blues” can be like… Glad to hear that you are doing well and caring for your volunteers.
Dan