Five Ways to Serve on Easter
This was originally written by Patrick McConnell at New City. It is a great reminder for each of us as we move closer to our Easter Weekend Celebrations.
Easter weekend is one of the highest attended church gatherings of the year. This weekend is the celebration of salvation, the death and resurrection of Jesus. Times of worship and celebration at New City includes a Good Friday Service, an Easter Picnic and Egg Hunt, and of course Easter service on Sunday.
At each of these gatherings, there will be unfamiliar faces, some infrequent attenders and some will be first time guests. We have an opportunity to make a Gospel impression on these folks by loving and serving well.
Here are 5 ways that you can make an eternal difference this weekend.
Pray. Pray that the Spirit will give life to dead hearts. Pray for our Pastors as they prepare Good Friday and Easter sermons. Pray for those serving on Sunday as they give of their time. Pray that the Spirit will help you serve others as Jesus has served you.
Invite. Invite family, friends and co-workers to attend the events this weekend. Invite the coworker or client you have been developing a relationship with for the sake of the Gospel. Invite a neighbor who you have been developing a friendship with. Invite the family member who has drifted away from church. Invite your fellow college student who is still looking for a church home.
Connect. Arrive 30 minutes before the service starts so that you have time to get your family situated and be available to greet new visitors. Look for people that you may not know, unfamiliar faces. They may have been a part of New City for years, or they may have come for the first time, that’s ok. Introduce yourself and if they are new, invite them to sit with you, walk them over to the Connect Table to get information on New City or introduce them to your MC Leader.
Accommodate. Park at the most distant spot to free up parking for visitors. Sit towards the front of the Service and towards the middle of the row in order to free up the more easily accessible seats on the ends of the row and in the back. Don’t leave any open seats between your family members or friends, sit close in order to free up seats.
Follow Up. After meeting a visitor, invite them to your MC, exchange information and follow up with them during the week. Facebook is an easy way to get connected with someone, so send them a friend request. Show them that you care by moving beyond the “Welcome to New City” greeting and invite them into the life of New City Church.
Remember that our vision is to see the gospel transform everything within our reach - ourselves, our church, our city and the world. Remember that our mission is to help people live in light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We believe that we will best fulfill this mission and see this vision come to be as we live as a family of missionary servants, disciples of Jesus making disciples of Jesus.
These are five easy ways to make a difference in the lives of others this weekend. These are simple but powerful ways of serving others, so consider adopting these acts of service as a normal part of your Sunday morning.
