Is your church ready for Easter? For church leaders, it feels like as soon as the Christmas season ends, everyone starts gearing up for Easter.
While early preparation and planning are beneficial, oftentimes, churches fail to look beyond Easter Sunday. But the truth is, when it comes to engaging visitors and welcoming people to your church, those next days and weeks are often as crucial as the days leading up to Easter.
We’ve worked to identify four essential keys to effective Easter follow-up so you can be prepped, ready, and focused on engaging people beyond Easter Sunday.
1. Engage Quickly
The first and most crucial element of successful Easter follow-up is ensuring that you reach out and follow up quickly. In a world where communication moves fast, a delayed response can cause visitors to feel forgotten or disconnected. Ideally, follow-up should happen within 24 to 48 hours of your Easter services. This shows visitors that their presence was seen, valued, and desired.
A simple thank-you note, either physical or digital, can go a long way in expressing gratitude. Consider assigning different members of your staff to follow up with an email or a phone call thanking visitors for attending and inviting them to join future services or events. The key is to maintain momentum while the Easter experience is still fresh in their minds.
2. Personalize Your Communication
Next, to stand out and make a lasting impact, your follow-up needs to feel personal. People want to feel seen and valued as individuals, not just as part of a larger crowd. Personalization can help visitors feel like you’re interested in them as a person, not just as another Easter attendee.
Use any information you gathered during the service to personalize your communication. For example, if a visitor filled out a connection card or shared a prayer request, make sure to mention it in your follow-up. A brief reference to the specific service they attended or a moment they may have experienced during the Easter service can create a personal touch that feels authentic.
Additionally, work to be strategic about who follows up. If a family with young children attends, consider asking your children’s pastor to give them a call to talk about what your church has for kids. Or, if the visitor is a single woman, ask your women’s minister to reach out and share about women’s Bible studies or upcoming events your church has planned.
3. Create a Sense of Community
Easter often brings visitors who may feel disconnected or unsure about getting involved in the church community. A key follow-up strategy is to create a sense of belonging right away. After the service, make sure to invite visitors to join in on activities and events that foster community. This could be:
- small groups
- Bible studies
- fellowship gatherings
- upcoming church-wide events
It’s also helpful to share opportunities for deeper involvement. This might include opportunities to serve or attend a newcomer’s lunch where they can meet other members. Encouraging visitors to engage in these smaller, more intimate settings can help them feel like they’re part of a family rather than just a visitor in a large crowd. The goal is to show them that the church isn’t just a place to attend, but a community to belong to.
4. Focus on Spiritual Growth Opportunities
Lastly, while it’s important to invite visitors to social events, it’s equally crucial to highlight opportunities for spiritual growth. Easter may have sparked a visitor’s curiosity about their faith, so providing resources for continued learning and development can make a lasting impact.
Follow up with information about ongoing Bible studies, prayer groups, or discipleship courses that can help them deepen their spiritual walk. Additionally, consider offering a series of short devotionals online or in your newsletter that help new visitors continue reflecting on the Easter message.
Providing these opportunities helps visitors move from curious to committed, and helps cultivate a deeper relationship with the Lord that goes far beyond just Easter Sunday.
Next Steps
Successful Easter follow-up is a vital part of ensuring that visitors feel welcomed and valued, ultimately encouraging them to become a more integrated part of your church community. By engaging visitors quickly, personalizing your communication, creating a sense of community, and providing opportunities for spiritual growth, you can create an experience that leaves a lasting impact.
Church management software can be one of your biggest assets in the follow-up process. With it, you can automate sending emails, delegate follow-up tasks, easily update your church website, and more.
