3 opportunities to keep your congregation engaged after Easter is over

The weeks leading up to Easter are filled with reflection and anticipation as congregants prepare to join together to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. But after sharing a sense of renewal and new beginnings, congregations can also experience a post-Easter  “slump”…new visitors put off their next visit, and the distractions of everyday life, the end of the school year, and the start of summer turn attention elsewhere. 

But the community engagement and enriching conversations that flourished during the Easter season don’t have to end there—in fact, they shouldn’t! 

With the right strategy and planning, churches can continue fostering community and fellowship, continuing the energy and enthusiasm that strengthens and grows congregations. 

Three Steps to continue connection

Think of it this way: All of your Easter attendees are not the same. You may have a visitor who is seeking an opportunity to celebrate and who is exploring your congregation for the first time. You may have families who attend infrequently, only on holidays or for special occasions. Or perhaps your regular parishioner is bringing friends or extended family who haven’t yet experienced Easter with your congregation. Of course, there are also members of your congregation who either attend regularly or who haven’t quite made it a consistent habit. 

And, because the level of commitment is different for each of these attendees, you have a variety of opportunities to engage with them. And it starts at your Easter service. 

1. Bolster future engagement on the day of Easter service: Easter provides an invaluable opportunity to introduce your ministry to first-time attendees and to further develop deep ties for your existing members. That’s why it’s so important to welcome those who are attending, ensure their presence is appreciated and recognized, and identify areas to create fellowship and meaningful engagement based upon individual interest areas.   

• Ensure greeters are equipped with an easy to use, mobile-device based attendance app to express gratitude for joining you and so greeters can offer to include them in future communications and events. It’s vital that this app connects to your church database and membership records to add names and information in real-time and to eliminate time-consuming manual input and duplication of efforts later. This is also a great way to note opportunities to continue engaging with attendees: Families might love to learn about summer ministry opportunities, vacation bible school, or a game night you have planned; Seniors may enjoy compiling a devotional book of scripture readings, meditations and prayers for congregational use or like to hear about transportation that is coordinated for those unable to drive; Did someone mention they were moved by the music during the service? This is a great way to let them know about how to join the choir—it all begins with a greeter and the app, because if you can’t track it, you can’t act on it.
• Distribute a postcard with your church’s website and URL, and direct them where to find more information, a calendar of upcoming events, and how to sign up for your newsletter. 

2. Continue the conversation with post-Easter engagement. The service may be over, but you can continue to engage with attendees…starting the next day! Send a note of appreciation from your pastor and invite people to join him for a meet-and-greet (which is a great way to continue developing relationships outside of services).  With the right communication platform, this can be as easy as hitting send. Personalizing emails is one of the best (and easiest) ways to ensure your message captures recipients’ attention and encourages them to open it quickly—studies show it can yield significantly higher open and click through rates (29% and 41% respectively), which means more people reading and acting. It’s also a great way to continue the message from your Easter sermon—link to your sermon library, online giving, and even include a personalized message from your pastor. With the right communications platform, you’re only limited by your imagination (because automation does the hard work for you). 

3. Host a follow-up in-person event(s). But don’t wait too long! Ideally, the first event should take place within four weeks to keep the excitement going, and you can begin promoting the event at your Easter service (this is where your greeters and their app can make a big difference). Leverage your ministry’s management platform to identify the types of events that resonate with different congregation members, and then use your communication platform to easily and quickly send personalized emails, texts, or mailings. Some ideas include: 

• A spring farmer’s market where parishioners can share their bounty and talents
• Spring gardening or clean-up at your church, a park, or at a local senior home.
• A hike to take in nature and learn about local sights
• Service project day where you give back to your local community
• Karaoke night, no experience necessary!
• Movie night don’t forget the popcorn!
• Family game night with age-appropriate play for everyone

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It’s easy to get started, and keep the momentum going

With the right tools and a platform designed to integrate all aspects of church management—from management and giving, to communications and safety—Servant Keeper can help you keep the momentum going after Easter service. Your ministry’s needs, and opportunities to continue engaging with congregants, don’t end when the sermon is completed. 

Discover how we can help your ministry continue to thrive by supporting your efforts to connect, engage, and grow. Learn more about Servant Keeper’s powerful, easy to use, integrated management platform today.  

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