We often think that Christmas is our best time for outreach. Carol services and stories of a baby in a manger can be pretty innocuous. Who doesn’t love a baby and some animals? Yet, as Christians, we know that the stable isn’t the end of the story. We finish our Christmas celebrations with the hope of Easter coming. Perhaps we should be considering outreach at Easter as well? Of course, many people will be thinking about bunnies and chocolate and a break from school, but here are some ideas from three different churches to use Easter as a way to bring the gospel into their communities. Hopefully, they will inspire you to try something new as a church this Easter. Let’s pray for more opportunities to be creative in sharing the gospel, whether it’s Easter, Christmas or any other time of year.
Easter wreath making
Gosen Church, Rhuddlan.
After a really well-received ladies’ Christmas wreath-making night, my non-Christian friend asked me, ‘What about an Easter wreath-making night?’ I have to admit, crafts are not my thing, but how could I say no to that? So, last March found us buying flowers and baking cakes, ready to give Easter wreaths a go.
In the end, about twenty of us gathered, with about half of those being visitors. Women arrived early and got straight to work on their wreaths. It seemed that we were able to keep up the momentum from Christmas since it was just a few months later. Cakes and tea were enjoyed, and we had an Easter quiz for each table to complete. The highlight of the evening was being able to interview a woman in our church about how she became a Christian.
We are a small church but we are so thankful for the ways that God is working in our midst and in our village. God often uses our natural abilities and hobbies as ways to serve him. Sometimes, though, he just asks us to step out in faith and do what does not come naturally.
Easter Trail
Bethel Baptist Church, Bridgend.
Our church meets in a small chapel in a village on the outskirts of Bridgend, in South Wales. The chapel was built in 1848, and we are outgrowing the building. This means that for some of our evangelism, we have to think outside the box, and sometimes, outside the building! So, we have held an Easter Trail for the last three years using outside spaces; the local village hall, the chapel building and the chapel garden. People come as families, so parents are also active participants, and everyone who came was from outside the church community.
In 2024, we had permission from 10ofthose to base our trail booklet on their Easter booklet, The Friends and the Traveller. At each of the five stops, church folks read from The Friends and the Traveller, and the children answered questions in their trail booklet, did parts of their Easter craft, and picked up a mini-Easter egg in their trail packs.
Then it was time to go back to the chapel for some Easter songs, hot drinks and delicious home-made cakes baked by our church folks. All the children had an Easter Egg to take home as well as a copy of The Friends and the Traveller.
In 2025, the weather was bad, and attendance was lower, but all the children who came asked for Bibles. We ordered age-appropriate children’s Bibles for each one, and we know that at least one of those children is asking their parents to read from it each night. As a small church, it was ‘all hands to the pump’, and we all got stuck in regardless of age. It was a great opportunity for fellowship in service.
Messy Church
Litchard Mission Church, Bridgend.
After running a family Easter Trail for a couple of years, in 2024 we decided to host a Messy Church on Palm Sunday. We were able to give out flyers in all of our mid-week children’s groups, as well as to every child at the local primary school. We were delighted that children and their families began arriving fifteen minutes before our advertised start at 3pm. Each child received a welcome bag with a copy of the activity book A Friend who Forgives, which is based on Peter’s betrayal of Jesus and Jesus forgiving him at the beach.
We started with some parachute games before Pastor Adam Thomas welcomed everyone. Then we spent around an hour doing craft. We had set up six craft tables in the church, each of which linked back to the story of Easter and Peter. They included a messy paint craft, a hand rooster, and a cupcake decorating table. After this, we all gathered together to sing some familiar songs, such as Our God is a Great Big God, then our Youth and Families Worker walked us through the Bible story. The children acted out parts of the story using different props, before learning that we have let Jesus down too, but just like Peter, we can be forgiven. After two more songs, we made a conga line down to our school room, where children and adults shared a buffet meal.
We had set up a pre-loved book stall full of Bible books that were free to take, and as the families were leaving, most children took at least one. We were thrilled to have 36 children, and their parents/caregivers join us that Sunday, and we’re excited to hold similar events this Easter!
