Easter offers churches a wonderful opportunity to share the good news of Jesus with people of all ages. Whether your church is large or small, there are creative and meaningful ways to help people explore the Easter story together.
Here are six fresh ideas your church could try this year to help share the hope of Easter in engaging and accessible ways.
1 Create an Easter journey through the story
Consider turning your church building into a simple “Easter Journey” where people can walk through key moments of the story. You could create stations representing Palm Sunday, the Last Supper, the cross and the empty tomb.
At each station, include a short Bible passage, a question for reflection and a simple activity such as lighting a candle, writing a prayer, or placing a stone at the cross.
For younger children, you might include a short storytelling video such as ‘The Christian Story of Easter’ from BBC Teach, which explains the Easter story in an accessible way for children aged 4–6:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/articles/zhgv47h
This type of interactive journey works well during Holy Week, before or after services, or as an event for families in your community.
2 Give families something to take home
Easter doesn’t have to end when the service finishes. Providing simple resources for families to take home can help continue the conversation during the week.
The Bible Society has released a range of helpful Easter resources, including a new children’s booklet ‘Follow Me to Easter’ and downloadable activities that can be used in children’s groups or shared with visiting families.
Explore the resources here: https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/resources/easter-resources
Simple take home items such as activity sheets, booklets or reflection guides can help families engage with the Easter story together.
3 Share real stories of faith and hope
People often connect deeply with real life stories of faith and transformation.
The ALIVE Easter resource features powerful testimonies of people who have experienced hope through Jesus in the midst of real struggles. Churches can use these stories during services, youth gatherings, small groups or outreach events.
Explore the free resource here: https://thealiveseries.com/
Showing a short testimony video or sharing a personal story from someone in your congregation can help people see how the message of Easter still changes lives today.
4 Help children explore the story creatively
Children often engage best when they can see, touch and interact with the story.
The resource ‘In Between Times’ from Hope Together explores the period between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension through storytelling and play, using familiar toys to help children understand the bigger story of the Bible.
Find out more here: Hope Together : In Between Times
You could use this approach in a children’s talk, a family service or a storytelling session where children help act out the story.
5 Empower young people to share the message
Teenagers and young people often enjoy being actively involved rather than simply watching. Consider inviting your youth group to help lead part of your Easter celebrations by:
- Performing a short Easter drama
- Creating a spoken word piece or testimony
- Filming short videos about “What Easter means to me”
- Helping to design prayer or reflection spaces
Scripture Union offers a range of ideas and resources designed to help churches share the real meaning of Easter with children and young people, many of whom may have little previous experience of church.
Explore their resources here: Share the real meaning of Easter with children | Scripture Union
Encouraging young people to participate can help them take ownership of the message and communicate it in ways that connect with their peers.
6 Outreach ideas that don’t need a big budget
Meaningful outreach doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. Here are a few simple ideas that can make a big difference:
- Easter prayer boards – Place a board or display outside your church inviting people to write prayers, hopes or thanksgivings during Holy Week.
- Coffee and hot cross buns – Host a relaxed drop-in morning where people from the community can come for coffee, conversation and a hot cross bun.
- Open church reflection spaces – Keep the church building open during the week with simple reflection stations around the building where people can pause, read Scripture and pray.
- Family Easter story hour – Invite local families to a short storytelling session where the Easter story is shared through crafts, puppets or simple drama.
Often the most effective outreach is simply creating welcoming spaces where people feel comfortable exploring the message of Easter. Easter is a powerful opportunity to share the story at the heart of the Christian faith: that through Jesus’ death and resurrection there is forgiveness, new life and lasting hope. With a little creativity and prayer, even simple ideas can help churches of every size share that hope with their communities this Easter.
