Ideas for Celebrating Easter at Church

We have a huge Easter Egg hunt and party for our community. Our pastor reads an Easter story (one that shares the Gospel but that also appeals to the children and any unchurched adults).

We then have crafts and games where kids win prizes, then an egg hunt. We conclude with a lunch (hotdogs, PBJs).

One thing we make are egg cartons filled with items from the Easter story: 12 eggs each a different color in a recycled carton (obtain from your congregation). Glue a key verse to the lid and the a key inside telling what each item represents. Kids fill each egg with items representing the story: a cross, a nail, a stone, cinnamon, a piece of linen, etc. The last one is empty! Gives me goose bumps!

If you have a large cross at church from past dramas or for decoration, lay it down on the floor and prop it so the top of the cross is elevated and leaning toward the congregation a bit.

The cross being down is fitting because Jesus is no longer there, and the lillies are a metaphor for our eternal life borne of the work of Christ on the cross.

When I did this I draped a long white piece of gauzy fabric across the cross in a flowing arrangement and placed a rose on it wtih petals strewn around the area of the crossbeam.

I plan to take our children to the park and put out about 200 plastic eggs (including the 12 ressurection eggs) and give them 30 seconds to pick up eggs.

I am going to have the children who find the resurrection eggs come up and show what is in the resurrection eggs. Then have them sit down and listen to the story Benjamin's Box which goes along with the ressurection eggs from Family Life Min.

I will also have pictures of the items on poster board and have children hold them up during the story. After the story I will emphisis Jesus' sacrifice and have the children sacrifice their candy filled eggs with the knowledge they will receive something better at the end of the day. Just as Jesus knew that his sacrice would bring him something better in the end.

While they have free time I will have helpers divide the eggs evenly and put prizes which say He is Risen which I purchased from Oriental Tading Co. in each bag. Than have children come back and receive their gifts.

This will be our first time doing this so we are not using it as an outreach this year. We are a small church so there will only be about 18-20 kids.

Kim

January 7, 20080 found this helpful

what about twinkle lights and some garland flowers from the dollar store intertwine them where ever you can sounds like ceilings are too high could you use pieces of lattice to stand behind stage and wire through the flowers and lights maybe some cheap baskets with flowers!!! check all the thrift and dollar stores i thrift for everything when i am decorating i did make these tyhings for a spring show once with dollar store terra cotta pots ipainted and i found these butterfilies on a wooden dowel there i stood them in stryofoam and then decorzted around bottonm of the sticks in the pot with flowers all spring like so it was a butterfly topiary made 4 for the stage they werent expensive also ask on free cycle for old silk flowers or pots all can be doner cheap and some free hope that helps!!!!

Kim

January 7, 20080 found this helpful

opps apparently i cant type if you need any other help email me KimmyLynn2u2 AT aol.com

I wouldnt change the gym from regular Sunday worship services. I'd merely add some Easter lilies and other spring flowers that might be donated. I like tulips and hyacinths. Any type of plants like ferns or potted trees, etc keep the mood close to nature and prevent it from looking gaudy and cheap.

Hi Nancy-
Try using old large cardboard pieces from boxes and duck taping them together on the backside to make an Extra Large Cross. Boxes are free from most stores as they must break them down to recycle. Duck tape from dollar store.
To Create a draped Red sash to hang on it (as he is Risen) make it a church project with meaning! Ask every member to bring in a used red/burgundy shirt.Cut shirts in strips and sew together. The sash will be a personal reflection of the hearts of the congregation.
If you want go a step further. Ask every member to write their prayer request to Christ and seal it in an envelope. You could pin the envelopes at the foot of the cross- where every prayer originates. I am sure the Priest/Pastor could incorporate a very meaningful message inregards to this.

We use a gymn as well for our sanctuary.Once a month I decorate 2 communion tables, one on each side of the gym/sanctuary. I'm using our tables again to decorate just before Easter. I keep the focus on the Cross centered on the table that sits on another 5inch metal stand to make it taller. Down in front of the Cross I decorate with:

In the sanctuary on the communion table One year we had a white table cloth,we placeed in the center the crown of thorns (made out of a bush red bud I think it had very long thorns on it) Just wraped it around & around. layed it on the table with nails from railroad ties, with blood (red food coloring) sprinkled on the nails and the crown. It was very emotional when people came in to church that Easter morning. The pastor could hardly preach.

For a gym used as a sanctuary? What about draping off the front of the stage/platform with black material strung/stapled from a cable attached to each side of the gym. You can check Hancock or Walmart for their sale material. Make sure the black material is not too thin that you can see through it. Make a cross out of weathered wood as tall as you desire( Usually 7ft. tall).

Mount the cross on a stand and drape the cross with purple and royal blue satin material. Us push pins to adhere a corner of each color material from one arm of the cross extended down across the bottom of the cross and attach to the side of the bottom stand. Intertwine the blue and purple loosely and place a crown of thorns where the two boards meet in the middle. Use a yard spot light, low wattage, and allow it to shine up (up lighting) from the bottom of the cross. This image is enough and the overwhelming emotions from the congregation says it all. Kay

We are still a new church with minimum budget. I have some fake plants on stage now. But look dull.
Pastor allergic to most live plants. Want to use color and lights! Please, help with ideas.
God bless.
dmcdowell919 @ aol...com

Joy Bell

February 8, 20100 found this helpful

What about using fabric, suspended from the ceiling over the stage draped over back and sides. Or how about tall empty tree branches (maybe 8-12feet high) you can have them free standing by cementing them into a 5 gal bucket, or simply screw them to the stage sides or walls. you could glue on small blooms from cheap dollar store silks so the branches look like flowering cherry branches, or use real ones if they are in bloom, just cut lots of branches.