Easter is amazing! But for young families, it brings a change of routine and some extra stress. Here are seven ways your church and children’s ministry can set parents with young children up for success this Easter.
What do you envision when you think of Easter Sunday? You may see flowers, choirs, and a beautiful day of celebration.
Now imagine you’re a parent of young children. What might Easter Sunday look like for you? Picture the devoted dad who feeds and wrangles kids at home while his pianist wife arrives at church early for worship-team practice. Or see the single mom luring crying kids away from candy-filled baskets and into the car. Or notice anxious parents “shushing” kids who are more excited about egg hunts than sitting quietly during extra-long holiday worship.
As you plan a special Easter celebration for your church family, please don’t forget children and their families. How can you remove barriers that keep them from joyfully celebrating our risen Savior?
7 Thoughtful Ways to Serve Young Families at Easter
Have we got ideas for you! These suggestions work especially well in small churches. Familiar relationships allow leaders to hand-select and empower kids in unique ways. But regardless of your church size, try one or several ways to include families more intentionally in your Easter celebration.
1. Serve Easter breakfast.
First, recruit a team to serve breakfast. Include kid-friendly items like pancakes, muffins, and fruit. It doesn’t need to be a big feast. Just provide enough so parents have one less thing to do at home to get kids ready for church. Set up tables so families can sit and eat, rather than mingle and munch.
2. Welcome kids with an Easter gift!
Do kids attend worship service, rather than separate children’s programming? Then surprise them with something special, just for them. Purchase jumbo plastic Easter eggs and fill them with a fidget toy and a treat like fruit snacks or crackers. Kids will enjoy their surprise as they settle in with their families. Pro Tip: Easter coloring pages are always a hit, too!
3. Sing songs kids know.
If kids recognize the worship songs, they’ll be more likely to join in and sing. Whatever the song, encourage clapping and movement that let kids engage their bodies in worship. You can even invite kids on an Easter Parade during a special song! Recruit a child-loving volunteer to lead kids around your worship space as you sing an upbeat song.
4. Ask children to participate in the Easter service.
Whether it’s through lighting candles, reading Scripture, or singing a special song, invite kids to participate in meaningful ways. Those who participate will feel special, and kids in the audience will enjoy watching a peer do something special.
5. Equip your pastor to preach for kids, too.
Offer to share a few sermon ideas and illustrations that kids will recognize and tune in for. Ask if you can pre-watch any audio or video parts of the service to make sure things are appropriate for kids of all ages. (This is especially helpful for Good Friday services.) If needed, inform parents ahead of time. Then they can prepare their children for the experience or choose to make it a good time for a bathroom break.
