Easter Pressure

This Sunday, Easter Sunday, many Pastors will be feeling the pressure to deliver a sermon that will reach the masses, and hopefully bring people back. The idea is that many visitors will be present on holidays like Christmas and Easter that otherwise would not be. So if the Pastor hits a home-run, people will come back the next week, and more likely, stay long-term.

Obviously, this isn't quite accurate. In fact, Lifeway Research has found (see article linked at bottom) that most churches only get their occassional attenders (those who attend one or two times per month) on Easter Sunday instead of the visitors that many think are there. So the Easter crowd...is actually filled with unfaithful church attenders. Certainly a great holiday for everyone to show up.

As a Pastor, I believe our job is to be faithful to the Word... regardless of who's there. Using gimics to get people will only necessitate more to keep them. How you get people is how you will have to keep people. If Christ is the focus, and His Word the motivation, then transformation will be the result.

So Pastors...don't put pressure on yourself. Preach the risen Christ and let Christ do His resurection work in the lives of the people who enter your church's doors. Call everyone to deeper commitments.

For a great article on CEO (Christmas/Easter Only) Christians by Thom Rainer click here