Churches have such a unique opportunity this year to create and innovate with an at home digital Easter experience for families. There has never been a better time to reach, equip and connect families – right where they are than Easter 2020.
Many families have traditions built around Easter. We get to partner with families like never before to create at home, digital Easter experiences that may just catapult into some brand-new traditions they enjoy for years to come. If nothing else, we can help set the stage for meaningful, Christ filled Easter experience as families celebrate the most important event in history together.
There is an incredible opportunity this year to reach more people with a message of hope and salvation than ever before.
People who won’t get dressed and enter a church building, will stay in their pajamas and tune in online. And…most people are desperate for some hope and encouragement in this season.
Below you will find some resources and creative ideas to accompany the digital platform you already have in place. Let’s get started…
3 things to remember as you create an at-home, digital Easter experience for families:
1. Families are feeling overwhelmed.
Try not to add too many things that will feel like ‘busy-ness and be overwhelming for parents.
- Be concise. Give thorough details about what you offer/suggest.
- Simple is best (and often the most effective).
- If you are in doubt on what support families need in this season – pick up the phone and call a few families for input!
- Bring VALUE to families. Families are not necessarily looking for more ways to just fill time. There are SO many resources already available to them. What they ARE looking for is opportunities that will help them engage in meaningful conversations in way that is relevant to their child. Make sure what you are creating and offering brings value.
Parents are looking for opportunities that help them engage in meaningful conversations that they can make relevant to their child’s life.
2. Your digital ‘reach’ will extend further by getting families involved.
Of course, email blasts, social media pushes and mailers are great ways to engage your regular attenders with the opportunities you have for them. By detailing specific action steps families can take to invite their circle of influence to attend online Easter service and you will reach far more people.
- Create graphics they can use to replace their profile picture on their social media platforms. Many neighborhoods also have social media platforms for communication, rally your families to share ‘invites’ there as well.
- Print yard signs that say ‘Watch-With-Me’ & your online service information. Set up a time for families to ‘drive-by’ the location to pick one up to display in their yard. Most of the nation is under ‘essential only travel’ orders. You can easily just create a digital version that families can print themselves and attach too a window or mailbox for neighbors to see when they walk by.
3. Equip parents.
Go beyond creating an experience and actually partner with families. Help parents feel equipped to have salvation and faith conversations at home with their kids. So many parents feel ill-equipped in this area, when they are actually the ones primarily responsible for nurturing their child’s spiritual foundation. Help them have age-appropriate language and the confidence to lead in this way.
I created a *FREE* Salvation Guide that you can download below. It helps explain ‘salvation’ in kid friendly language and is a tool parents can use to help them have a faith conversation with their child.
Some additional ideas and resources for creating an at-home digital Easter experience:
*Hashtag – Create a special hashtag and get families and your team using it when the post pictures from any Easter related activity you promote so they can feel connected and kids can check out what their friends are up too.
*Resurrection Eggs – DIY – share out links and directions for families to create their own resurrection eggs. Challenge kids to use the eggs to retell the Easter story. (Check out my Easter specific Pinterest board for multiple options you can use.) Get parent permission to share video clips of different kids telling the Easter story!
*Digital Scavenger Hunt – Create a landing place so parents can share pictures as they complete this activity. (This is a tool to create a FUN, engaging way for parents to talk through the Easter story with the kids in a way they will never forget while also recognizing the seriousness and intentionality of the sacrifice that Jesus’ made.)
*Watch-With-Me’ – create a digital ‘Watch-With-Me flyer.’ Ask families to share the ‘invite’ online in their neighborhood groups and social media platforms.
*Online Service Experience – Create an online service experience with YOUR kids ministry volunteers. Having a familiar face show up on their TV is a WIN. Host the kids service at a different time than your adult experience. This helps ensure parents can watch the kids service with their kids & have follow-up conversations.
*Virtual Easter Egg Hunt – ‘hide’ Easter eggs in the background when you pre-recording your kids service (or pop eggs on the screen for a few seconds). Kids can ‘hunt’ for the eggs while they watch the kids service.
There are some AMAZING, FREE Easter curriculum resources and tools your church can use for free to reach families.
Below are a few resources and curriculum suggestions that I would recommend checking out. You have amazing options to allow you to choose what is the best fit for your team and the families you serve.
I See It Productions – enter your email on homepage near Free Family Resource. (This includes all video elements and is on an interactive PDF with links so kids and families can open on phone or computer and click links to open). Click HERE.
NewSpring Church – ‘Best Day Ever At Home’ – free kids ministry Easter content, including videos for your use. Click HERE.
Orange Curriculum – free download including a video experience, that you can customize, family guide and media kit to help you promote to your families. Click HERE.
Lego Easter Story Video:
Easter According to Kids:
For some additional thoughts specific to leading families and your kids ministry team through this season, check out THIS POST. Ministry leaders – thank you for all you are doing. Your capacity and creativity are being stretched like never before. You are seen, valued and appreciated. Your investment is helping to shape an entire generation. You are helping redefine the way that we reach families with the love and hope of Jesus. If there is anything I can do to help support you or your ministry, please reach out through the Contact Form.