Getting Ready for Easter [Updated for 2024]
Easter is the most important day for faith communities, and yet it always seems to sneak upon us! This Easter season, why not take this opportunity to offer your community a new way to engage with your church online?
Whether it be a virtual station of the cross or a Good Friday service, Altar Live is the perfect place to keep your congregation engaged, connected, and active.
Here are some ideas of types of Events you could Host on Altar Live:
More Events For the Easter Season
- Holy Week Prayer and Reflection
- Palm Sunday Service
- Maundy Thursday Service
- Good Friday
- Sunrise Easter Service
- Virtual Easter Brunch
- Egg hunt
- Virtual Easter egg decorating
- Virtual Scavenger hunt
- Easter Craft Day
- Easter Story Hour
- Hymn Sing
- Bible Project Watch Party
- Easter Giving
Engagement Ideas for Host & Greeters
Here is a Host and Greeter guide to help you in the celebration of Easter
So, how can Hosts and Greeters maintain engagement, encourage participation, and get everyone into the Easter season?
In the Auditorium
Rows & Event Space
In an Altar Live Event, Rows function like watch parties. In these watch parties, attendees can watch the live or prerecorded video stream. During this Easter season, watch parties are perfect for Easter services and events.
Here are a few ideas for rows:
1. Palm Sunday Service
Send palm fronds to your community or encourage your congregation to find or make their own using paper. During the service, read Matthew 21:1-11 and at verse 9 ask each row to turn their microphones (and cameras) on and read aloud while shaking their palm fronds for a more interactive church experience.
2. Holy Week Prayer and Contemplation Services
The week leading up to Easter Sunday brings a whole range of emotions. Guide your community through this week through nights of prayer, contemplation, and worship. Have people send in prayer requests and encourage rows to pray with each other during the service.
3. Maundy Thursday Service
Read and study the Last Supper passage of your choice (Matthew 26:17-30, Luke 22:7-38, Corinthians 11:23-26,) hold communion, and prepare for the weekend to come.
4. Good Friday/Tenebrae Service
Start your service with a short video to allow space, prayer, and contemplation for your community as they prepare their hearts for Good Friday and the weekend to come.
Throughout the service, each row can have its own virtual Tenebrae ceremony. Have people turn their cameras on, lights off, and hold a candle. As the service progresses, one person from each row will blow out their candle at the corresponding Bible passage until all the candles are out and the service is finished.
5. Easter Sunday Service
He is Risen! Encourage your community to dress in their Easter best and even hold a sunrise service.
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6. Easter Hymn Sing/ Worship Service
While you live stream your choir or worship team, encourage rows to keep their microphones on so each watch party has its own joyful hymn sing.
Here are some Easter songs and hymns to include in your setlist:
- “Easter Song” by Keith Green
- “In Christ Alone” by Adrienne Camp
- “Because He Lives”
- “Jesus Paid it All”
- “The Old Rugged Cross”
- “Christ is Risen, Hallelujah!”
- “The Wonder of Your Cross” By Robin Mark
- “Well Done” by The Afters
7. Bible Project Watch Party
Altar Live is the perfect platform for hosting a watch party and discussion afterwards. The Bible Project has all sorts of free resources that are short, easy to follow, and are ideal for a variety of ages - complete with study notes and discussion questions!
Here are some Bible Project videos and resources to watch and discuss with your community:
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Welcome Message
In any service, the welcome message is always a crucial part. It is the first thing people see when they log on to an Altar Live Event. The message is meant to make people feel comfortable, welcomed, and seen. As Hosts and greeters, your goal is to make people feel like they are a part of the church community no matter where they are or how many times they have attended your church.
As the Easter season approaches, this gives you an opportunity to welcome attendees with a message that will help them prepare their hearts for the Easter season or add some springtime fun.
Welcome Message Templates:
“Welcome to Faith Church. We are so glad you are here today! Before the service, take this time to get your cup of coffee, mingle with people in the rows, and read John 12:12-13 as you prepare for Holy Week.”
“Hello Everyone! Happy Palm Sunday! We are so thankful you have joined us today. While you’re waiting, take a seat, greet someone in your row, and send a vote in our Easter traditions poll! The service will begin soon.
“Happy Sunday, everyone! Holy Week is officially here! Feel free to take a seat, grab your cup of coffee. If you are new or have any questions send us a question in the chat or ask our greeters and they will assist.”
Announcements
Use announcements throughout the service to alert attendees of important messages. Announcements can be more effective than chat and there are a few styles to choose from.
Announcements can be used to:
- Alert attendees about the service structure
- Ask for Donations
- Prepare them before moving the whole Event to the Lobby
- Remind people of upcoming events
Polls
In the Event space, the use for Polls is endless. They are great for getting a consensus on certain decisions and a perfect way to get people to engage with each other. It may seem simple, but light, fun questions will encourage people to participate and connect with each other.
Poll Ideas
- What is your favorite Easter tradition? (Give choices)
- Would you rather: Hunt for easter eggs or decorate them?
- What do you eat for Easter dinner?
- Favorite Easter Candy? (Cadbury mini eggs, Peeps, Jelly Beans, etc.)
- Do you even like Peeps?
- Did you celebrate Lent this year?
In the Lobby
There are many places to congregate and mingle in the Lobby of an Altar Live Event. Here are some ways to use the Lobby during the Easter season.
Uses for Tables
1. Poll Palooza
Send out a poll and create tables named after the answers. Once people vote, have them move to the table and watch the discussion unfold!
2. Egg Decorating
BYOD- Bring your own Decor! Grab your egg cartons, food coloring, and stickers,, and gather with friends and family at tables for a time of Easter egg decorating.
3. Holy Week Prayer and Contemplation
Holy Week is a time for prayer and contemplation. For a more private meeting, gather at tables for a time of reflection and prayer throughout the week leading up to Easter.
4. Easter Egg Hunt
Bring an Easter classic online! During the Event creation process, set up tables and assign your hospitality team to wait with paper easter eggs. Let the kids hop from table to table to look for the “hidden” eggs. To make it a little more challenging, have kids answer trivia or have them solve a clue to earn their easter egg. If you want to make it a contest, send the winner a small easter basket as a prize.
Rooms & Meetings
1. Stations of the Cross
Create 14-16 rooms and designate each room to a station while leaving a room or two for fellowship and prayer (of just a buffer room.) Assign people to each station and have them set up their background to reflect the passage. Have the community go through each station in groups to create a virtual Stations of the Cross experience.
2. Easter Story Hour
If you want a more interactive experience, try having an Easter Story hour in rooms! Perfect for families and the children-at-hearts. Pose discussion questions and save time for journaling and reflection.
Books Perfect for Read-aloud:
- The Resurrection: Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20
- The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross by Carl Laferton
- The Tale of Three Trees by Angela Elwell Hunt
- “God’s Wonderful Surprise” in The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd Jones
3. Easter Brunch
Gather with your team, friends, and family in Rooms and celebrate the resurrection! Rooms fit up to 500 people and have video and audio share for party music, videos, slideshows, and more!
Online Easter Engagement Guide: How to Host an Online Easter Service
Easter is an exciting and busy time for churches and faith communities. Altar Live hopes to come alongside you during this season to bring stress-free digital tools and resources to make the Easter holiday and the days leading up to it the hope-filled celebration they’re intended to be. That's why we've created a guide for communities like yours.
Share Your Services With Altar Live!
Using Altar Live to celebrate Easter this year? Snap a picture with your congregation during your watch party, Event, or other online gathering and we’ll share them on our Instagram stories! Tag us @altarlive to get featured.
