By Clint Cook
Easter is such an amazing day of miracles! Of course there’s the obvious miracle of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We cannot forget, however, a second amazing miracle: God will wake people up that Sunday morning in all of our communities, and send them to our churches! The gospel will be preached and lives will forever be changed. Many may not return the next Sunday, but at least they will hear the gospel on Easter!
Through the years I have learned a few things that I can do as a pastor to increase the percentage of returning visitors. They have become principles that I cannot overlook! Bottoms line: the more times guests return, the more likely doubt will melt away and a new belief in Jesus emerge.
The first principle is that I launch a new sermon series on Easter. To be quite honest, I used to think I was supposed to end a series with a final, passionate message on Easter. The problem with ending a series on Easter is that first-time guests feel as if they have missed a great series so there is no need to come back the following Sunday. However, if I launch a new series on Easter and invite everyone to come back to hear the rest of the series, many will return!
The second principle is the placement of a communication card in every bulletin or program give to attendees. The communication card provides a way for each attendee to share contact information: name, address, email address, and phone number. Now armed with this information, the church leadership can pray more specifically for each guest. We also mail a piece of church information to our guests with an invitation to come again. Some guests will not return, but many of these God-sent first-time guests will return, resulting in many coming to faith in Jesus Christ!
Easter is the greatest Sunday of the year! Not only for those who already know the resurrection power of our Risen Savior, but also for those who will be our future brothers and sisters! I wait with great anticipation to hear about the miracles that will occur in our churches this Easter!