Easter is one of the busiest times for churches. It seems like a promising start to a boost in church attendance, but once Easter is over, all those extra visitors seem to disappear.
Sadly, many of your new visitors during Easter services and community events are only there temporarily. They may have attended for a special Easter program or they limit church attendance to special holidays.
Whatever their reason, church leaders don’t have to accept that these visitors won’t return after Easter. In fact, there are several things you can do to help bring some of those visitors back.
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Let Them Know About Your Online Presence
For new visitors, they may still be on the fence about attending again. After all, most churches tend to go all out for Easter. Visitors aren’t sure what to expect during a normal Sunday. This is where quickly mentioning your church’s online presence can help.
Your website and/or social media profiles are great ways for new visitors to get to know more about your church on their terms. They can ask questions, check out past sermons (if available), read blog posts and see how church leaders engage members throughout the week. All of this helps encourage visitors to come return after Easter.
Offer Details About Church Programs
A not so surprising 93% of Protestant pastors said Easter was their church’s busiest time, in one survey. Part of the reason is because churches often host Easter egg hunts, have community dinners, invite special musical guests and more. But this doesn’t let new visitors know anything else about your church.
Provide flyers or a link to your website that provides details on other church programs. Talk about community service events, how your church uses donations, what programs are available (such as childcare or youth ministry) and anything else special about your church. The more that visitors know about your church, the more likely they are to return.
Ask Members To Talk With Visitors
If you took a poll of all those extra visitors, you’d probably find that the majority have one thing in common – they were invited by a member of your church family. It’s easier for members to get others to visit during special holidays. Encourage your members to follow-up with anyone they invited.
Sometimes all it takes is that extra invitation to show a visitor that they are truly welcome. While you might not get everyone to return after Easter, you will get some to come back.
Promote Mother’s Day
The big holiday after Easter is Mother’s Day. In fact, Mother’s Day is #3 on the list of busiest times for churches. Give new visitors a reason to give your church a second try. The more you can get them to come back, the easier it is for you to show them the benefits of attending your church.
Do the same thing during your Mother’s Day service. Promote the next big service. You could even just talk about the topic of your next sermon. Tie it to something relevant to pique visitors’ interest.
Provide Connection Cards To All Visitors
A grand Easter service is wonderful, but visitors want to know there’s more behind your church than big and bold. A popular way to connect with new visitors is to provide connection cards. Even now that Easter is over, there’s no reason you can’t give connection cards to your members to give out to those they invited.
Connection cards provide a warm welcome to anyone who may want to return after Easter. Provide all the church’s contact details. Include upcoming events and even sermon topics. Include the most recent prayer requests as well. Not only does this help make visitors feel more like members, it also shows that your church isn’t just out to market itself, but spread God’s love too.
Want to bring more visitors back after Easter? Start by contacting us today to see how an engaging website can help your church attendance.
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