Easter Sunday 2011: Two Service Plan of Action

Rationale:

Last time our church did a large Easter outreach (2005), we had approximately 400 people in attendance.
Easter Sunday has been our best attended worship service for the last several years.
Experience with other large services, such as our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service, has taught us that while huge crowds are exciting to regular attenders, they can be distracting and uncomfortable for visitors.
We want to be good stewards of all those the Lord brings to our worship services on Easter Sunday, by providing an environment in which they can clearly hear to Gospel.

Outreach Efforts:

The Good News of Easter gift bags with personal invitations and commitment to prayer.
Doorhanging area neighborhoods on Wednesday, April 13 and Saturday, April 16, 2011.

Logistics

The Basics:

We will have two worship services, one at 9:00 AM and one at 10:45 AM.
Services will have identical music and message.
Regulars attendees who are able to attend the 9:00 AM service and stay to help serve during the 10:45 AM service are encouraged to do so.

Children:

Nursery through the sixth grade will have Sunday School and Kids’ Church, as usual, except that Sunday School will begin at 9:00 instead of 9:30 AM.
Subs will be needed for those children’s workers who also serve on the worship team.
Sunday School will be from 9:00-10:15 AM.
Kids’ Church will be from 10:45 AM to noon.
Extra help may be needed to check kids in and out, as well as extra help for teachers.

Youth and Adults Sunday School Classes:

Instead of meeting for class on Easter Sunday, we ask that your class commit to serving during whichever worship service you do not attend.
We will need many extra greeters, extra nursery workers, and extra children’s workers.
See Byran to help greet; see Bruce to help usher; see Rusty to help with babies or children.

Greeters / Ushers:

Station greeters / ushers in the parking lot, building entrance, front desk, sanctuary entrance.
Designate “runners” who will escort parents back to children’s wing.
Some will come in late; help them to find seating in the sanctuary.
Set up chairs for overflow in the foyer area, if necessary.
Reset sanctuary between services.

Hospitality Team:

We will have a 30 minute break between the two worship services.
Hopefully visitors to the first service will come a few minutes early or stay a few minutes later so that we can greet them and introduce ourselves.
We would like to have coffee, tea, and water available for before and after the worship services.
If the gym is utilized, coordination with this Sunday’s Kids’ Church workers, Barbara Stein and Linda Graham, will be necessary.

Missions / Evangelism Team:

Organize doorhanging for 4/13 and 4/16.
Determine which neighborhoods will be hung which days. We will have less time on 4/13, so smaller areas or only one larger area should be done that day.

Prayer Team:

Those who are unable to serve as greeters, ushers, nursery or children’s workers, may serve by spending time in prayer for the worship service they do not attend.
A prayer room will be set up in the adult education hallway.
Contact Pastor Jake if you will serve in the prayer room.

Property and Space Team:

Check for repair or maintenance needs in the two weeks before Easter Sunday, particularly anything that would be a safety concern in the children’s area or on the playground.
Check for fire code issues (exit signs lit, etc.).

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