pdave.me

I wanted to re-blog this outstanding post by Tom Rainer.  I’ve added my own thoughts in blue. Enjoy: 

It will be one of the highest attended days of the year for your church. It may be the highest.

There will be some people you don’t know. Some of them are guests. Others are members who attend infrequently.

You have an opportunity to make a gospel impression on these people with a few simple acts. Indeed, you have an opportunity to make an eternal difference. Here are nine servant actions for you to consider.

1. Pray as you enter the property. Pray for the guests. Pray for the services. Pray for the pastor and the sermon. Take a moment on Saturday to pray as a family over Easter Sunday. Join us in the Worship Center at 9:30 to pray over services at Kfirst. 
2. Park at the most distant spot available. Save the closer parking places for guests. Come early, park far, get some coffee, and join us for prayer. Leave the parking lot close to the Ministry Center entrance for the young families. 
3. Greet people. They may be guests. They may be members. It’s okay to introduce yourself to either. A smile doesn’t cost you anything. Look for people who you’ve never met before. 
4. Look for people to help. You know the place well. Many others will not. Be a guide. Help someone who looks like he or she needs help. It’s easy to find people who are lost. Don’t think someone else is going to do it.  Step up. 
5. Sit as close as possible to the front of the worship center. Save the back rows for guests and late entrants, so they don’t have to walk past so many people. Leave your “normal seat” and push forward.  See yourself as part of the worship team. 
6. Sit in the middle. Don’t claim that aisle seat where people have to walk over you or past you. Squish in.  Give guest preferential seating. 
7. Sit closely. Your worship center may be packed. If so, be willing to sit cheek to cheek. Luckily we have theater-style seating. But don’t leave seats in between you and others. 
8. Volunteer to serve. As the number of attendees increase, so does the need for volunteers. The parking team, kids ministry, and church greeter ministry are a few of the areas that will need more volunteers to help serve and minister to members and guests. Be available if ministry teams are needing help. As a pastor, seek a leader, and make yourself available. 
9. Pray as you leave. The Holy Spirit is likely working in many persons who attended. Pray for His continual work of conviction and comfort. Pray on your way out.  Pray at your Easter lunch/dinner. Pray as a family. 

These are simple acts. They are acts of service. And if you survive doing these acts of kindness and service on Easter, you just might be able to do them on other days of worship as well.

Love ya Kfirst.  I’m excited about starting our new series tomorrow and anticipate seeing people experiencing resurrection life on Resurrection Sunday. 

Thanks for letting me and Tom ramble…

For the original post: http://thomrainer.com/2016/03/nine-considerations-for-church-members-this-easter/