It’s here again.

Easter is coming, and maybe – just maybe – you’ve let it sneak up on you. Whatever the reason – how early it is in the calendar this year, other events, the burdens of ministry – you are simply not ready for it.

Here are 10 easy ways to be ready for Easter, and you can do any one of them in less time than it takes to unwrap a Cadbury Egg. (Seriously, how do you get into those things?)

1. Pray.
It’s never too late to start. Pray for yourself. Pray for your team. Pray for the people who will be coming to your church. Pray that the horror of the cross and the beauty of the tomb will become real to all.

2. Check your website.
Are your service times accurate? Is your street address clearly listed? If you enter it into Google or Apple Maps, does it actually take people to your building? Will first timers know how to navigate?

3. Walk your facility.
Pick up the trash. Clean the smudges off the windows. Take down the fall retreat poster or anything else that is outdated. Make the place look like you are expecting company.

4. Make people move.
Send an email to all of your regulars. Ask them to park farther away, to scoot front and center, to choose another service. Leave the best of everything for your guests.

5. Review the service.
Are songs and the sermon appropriate and engaging? Are you planning to talk to your guests?

6. Schedule a next step.
What happens after a first-timer shows up? Do you have a newcomers event ready to go? If not, put one on the calendar for three weeks after Easter. (You can work out the details later.)

7. Get people outside.
Review your volunteer lists. Make sure you’re thinking outside in. Get volunteers out in the parking lot and outside of the door.

8. Schedule some phone calls.
The Monday after Easter is brutal, there’s no doubt about that. But carve out time now to make some phone calls to your first-timers, just to thank them for showing up. They’ll appreciate your thoughtfulness.

9. Plan to take your own Sabbath.
Don’t let Good Friday or the Saturday before go by without unplugging and decompressing. Spend time in the Gospels, soaking up what Christ’s sacrifice means for you.

10. Get your game face on.
Easter Sunday will be here before you know it. I’d encourage you to plan now to wake up extra early, spend some time in prayer and get in there. Encourage volunteers, engage first-timers, and exude the kindness of the gospel.

(EDITOR’S NOTE – Danny Franks serves as pastor of guest services at The Summit Church in Durham, N.C. This article appeared in the March/April 2024 issue of the Biblical Recorder magazine.)