Preparing for Easter Sunday Attendance

I love Easter Sunday.  Celebrating the resurrection of our Savior with like minded folks is a highlight of my year.  It’s so exciting… and very challenging!

Easter is one of those days (like Christmas Eve and Mother’s Day) when all the membership (and a lot of visitors) makes an effort to be in church. Those who have “perfect attendance” and those who “aren\’t so perfect” all seem to collide on this important Sunday to participate in the celebration of the Risen Savior.  That’s good… and that’s hard for us, Preschool and Children’s leadership.

The reason it’s hard is because we (Kids Ministers) are expected to provide worship care (particularly in preschool) for what sometimes is our highest attended Sunday and can sometime add 25 to 50% to our classrooms. While we rejoice that folks have decided to attend, we have to figure out how to be ready for this large group of kids.

Below are some ideas that I think might be helpful as you enlist and recruit for the upcoming Easter Sunday attendance:

• God is in control. Pray! God wants your Easter Sunday to be a success! Start this enlistment process in prayer, asking God to lead you as you recruit and encourage your church to participate encourage volunteers to participate in ministering to young families on Easter.
• Organization is your friend. Get organized. Know what you need and create a spread-sheet to help you visually see where you are and the progress you’re making.  I find it rewarding to “fill in the blanks” as God lead folks to volunteer.
• Share the joy. You don’t have to do all the enlistment yourself. Use the current leadership to help you with the enlistment.  Ask current volunteers to help recruit “one time” volunteers to serve with them on Easter Sunday.
• You have not because you ask not. Many folks say, “I’ve just been waiting for someone to ask me.”  Don’t assume that everyone will answer God’s still small voice. They may be waiting on you to express the request audibly.
• Be enthusiastic. No one wants to be part of something that not exciting. Share enthusiastically the opportunity your church will have to minister to young families on Easter. Help your church see the importance of making a great impression on these “not so regular” attendees and how adequately ministering to their kids might encourage them to come back in a more regular pattern.
• Don’t forget the men. Men are great assets in a kids classroom. Don’t assume they don’t want to serve. If you have wives who regularly serve alone consider asking the husband to join them on this special day.
• Consider the “buddy system.” Good friends are more apt to say yes when asked to serve together.  Think buddies…think friends…think about pairs of volunteers.
• Equip your volunteers. Tell them you’ll provide them with the resources they’ll need to be successful… then DO IT! Prepared teaching resources that can be used by these “seasonal” volunteers to help them have a successful experience.  Success this time encourages a positive response next time!
• Support and appreciate your workers. Make sure they see you on the day they are serving and make sure they know how much they are appreciated.  Consider working with your Senior Pastor to create a thank you card and small token of appreciation for volunteering to “celebrate” with kids this year.
  

I think if you get hold of this impending attendance boost now, you’ll enjoy the Easter celebration even more then.

What have you found successful when it comes to enlisting seasonal volunteers in your church?