after easterWhew! Another Easter Sunday has passed and prayerfully, it was a tremendous victory for the kingdom. Now it is time to nurture, develop, and mobilize those new converts, and ride that wave of momentum built up this past weekend. Here are five areas of assessment I want to suggest as you move forward.

Affirm the Staff and Volunteers. Quite a bit of work went into Easter weekend. The Maundy Thursday service, the Easter egg hunt, the sunrise services. All the singing, dancing, and hours of volunteer time should be commended. The pastor is probably exhausted. Now imagine the staff or volunteers, some of them attended or worked behind the scenes at every event. Give them a hearty “thank you” and if possible, treat them to a meal or a small token of appreciation.

Assess the Service(s). Schedule a specific debriefing time (please not Monday) with the staff, volunteers, and even a member-at-large (or two). Get feedback on how the weekend went, what can be done better in the future, and take time to celebrate what the Lord did. Be prepared to listen, write everything down, try not to solve every problem in that meeting. Set that aside for planning Easter 2016.

Assimilate the New Members. We know that many people join on Easter and Mother’s Day. We tend to expect them to drift away only to be seen annually. I contend part of the blame for this is the church’s lack of follow-up (or an assimilation process). I wrotethis earlier email about how to reach out to newer members. Click the link and check it out.

Advance the Kingdom Agenda. You have a wave of momentum right now. Use it to push the mission of the church, encourage discipleship classes, solicit volunteers, and encourage the people to tell others about Jesus and your church. You can never share the gospel too much and by doing so, you are literally reflecting the days after the resurrection by letting others know He lives!

Affirm the Staff and Volunteers (part 2). Did I mention how important it is to affirm those who worked diligently to make Easter a success? Don’t forget to thank the parents for the numerous children’s rehearsals, the ushers and greeters for standing through multiple services, those who helped baptize, thank the deacons and ministers, and your family for being by your side.

Finally, let me affirm YOU for your service to the body.There is nothing like serving in leadership for God’s kingdom. You are greatly appreciated. Please get some rest, get refreshed, and get ready for the harvest that is a result of your hard work.

God bless,

–AC