The 5 Steps to Leveraging Easter Into a Church-Wide Small Group Campaign

February 18, 2016

[vc_row row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" header_style="" parallax_content_width="in_grid" anchor="" in_content_menu="" content_menu_title="" content_menu_icon="" angled_section="no" angled_section_position="both" angled_section_direction="from_left_to_right" text_align="left" video="" video_overlay="" video_overlay_image="" video_webm="" video_mp4="" video_ogv="" video_image="" background_image="" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern" section_height="" parallax_speed="" background_color="" border_color="" row_negative_margin="" side_padding="" parallax_side_padding="" padding_top="" padding_bottom="" color="" hover_color="" more_button_label="" less_button_label="" button_position="" css_animation="" transition_delay=""][vc_column width="1/1"][vc_column_text] Easter is one of the most powerful times of the church year. Church leaders are on the front lines when it comes to sustaining that excitement into a lasting life change. Use these 5 steps and The Resurrected Life materials to make the most of this upcoming season! [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="32px" image_repeat="no-repeat"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" header_style="" parallax_content_width="in_grid" anchor="" in_content_menu="" content_menu_title="" content_menu_icon="" angled_section="no" angled_section_position="both" angled_section_direction="from_left_to_right" text_align="left" video="" video_overlay="" video_overlay_image="" video_webm="" video_mp4="" video_ogv="" video_image="" background_image="" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern" section_height="" parallax_speed="" background_color="" border_color="" row_negative_margin="" side_padding="" parallax_side_padding="" padding_top="" padding_bottom="" color="" hover_color="" more_button_label="" less_button_label="" button_position="" css_animation="" transition_delay=""][vc_column width="1/6"] [/vc_column][vc_column width="5/6"][vc_column_text]

Build A Leadership Team

The Senior Pastor is the one who casts vision for the congregation. In addition, however, a successful church-wide campaign requires key lay or staff members in the role of Administrator, Small Group Coordinator/Coach(es), Prayer Champion, Communications, and Worship Leader. These key team members will be the driving force behind making the campaign effective. --------------

Recruit Hosts

[caption id="attachment_17357" align="alignright" width="200"]

Sample response card for The Resurrected Life[/caption] Begin recruiting host homes at least a month before Easter. If you already have a small group ministry, those current group leaders are a place to start. However, if you want to make it a church-wide campaign, you’ll need more! Some recruiting strategies, in order of effectiveness:

Ask people directly, face to face.—Most effective
Put a response card in the bulletin.
Have a sign up table in the lobby after services.
Ask those interested to go to the website and fill out a form.
Ask those interested to call the office.—Least effective

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Train Hosts

Hold a Host Rally two weeks before the campaign launches. Also offer Host Orientation classes for new hosts after weekend worship services. Instruct them to think of people in their circles of influence that they could invite to join their group. New hosts will be more comfortable if they already know their group members! Finally, hold a Connection Event the week before the campaign launches in order to connect group members with their hosts. --------------

Distribute Materials

You get a much greater participation rate if the church purchases the materials, distributes them to the host, and then collects money at the first meeting to reimburse the church. Provide hosts with 6-8 sets of materials and an envelope to collect money in and then return to the church.

For The Resurrected Life, each participant will need a devotional for personal study and a study guide for the group sessions. Each group needs only one DVD, which the host will keep.

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Recruit Participants

Although you have been casting vision and recruiting hosts for the past month, the last two weeks before launch is when you really start pushing for participant commitments. Some effective methods to increase engagment:

Make invitation business cards that church members can use to invite their friends.
Have a sign up table in the lobby after services.
Put notices on the church website and in the newsletter.
Put a response card in the Easter bulletin!

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" header_style="" parallax_content_width="in_grid" anchor="" in_content_menu="" content_menu_title="" content_menu_icon="" angled_section="no" angled_section_position="both" angled_section_direction="from_left_to_right" text_align="left" video="" video_overlay="" video_overlay_image="" video_webm="" video_mp4="" video_ogv="" video_image="" background_image="" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern" section_height="" parallax_speed="" background_color="" border_color="" row_negative_margin="" side_padding="" parallax_side_padding="" padding_top="" padding_bottom="" color="" hover_color="" more_button_label="" less_button_label="" button_position="" css_animation="" transition_delay=""][vc_column width="1/1"][vc_empty_space height="32px" image_repeat="no-repeat"][vc_column_text]With a little planning and preparation, Easter can be a transformational season for the individuals and groups in your congregation. Click here to watch an hour-long webinar in which this material is taught by Fr. Charlie Holt and some of his team members. Click here for more information about The Resurrected Life, or use the links to purchase below.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="50px" image_repeat="no-repeat"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" header_style="" parallax_content_width="in_grid" anchor="" in_content_menu="" content_menu_title="" content_menu_icon="" angled_section="no" angled_section_position="both" angled_section_direction="from_left_to_right" text_align="left" video="" video_overlay="" video_overlay_image="" video_webm="" video_mp4="" video_ogv="" video_image="" background_image="" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern" section_height="" parallax_speed="" background_color="" border_color="" row_negative_margin="" side_padding="" parallax_side_padding="" padding_top="" padding_bottom="" color="" hover_color="" more_button_label="" less_button_label="" button_position="" css_animation="" transition_delay=""][vc_column width="1/1"][product_category per_page="4" columns="4" category="the-resurrected-life"][/vc_column][/vc_row]