Easter Stats: It’s the SuperBowl of Church

It’s pretty evident when you look at attendance patterns that guests are more likely to attend a worship service for Easter and Christmas.

LifeWay Research conducted a poll of 1,000 Protestant pastors asking for the three highest attended worship services throughout the year. The following holidays topped the list:

1. Easter (93%)
2. Christmas (84%)
3. Mother’s Day (59%)

You can’t deny the facts; Easter is the Superbowl of the church. That means churches need to have their A-game in place before, during and after the event.

Searching for Easter Online

Pew Research Center reported that more Americans search for “church” around Easter than at any other time, with Christmas ranking second (Google Trends data between 2004 and 2013).

That means your church web presence is crucial to bringing in visitors at Easter. Make sure your website is welcoming and optimized for search engines.

Easter Invites

A personal invitation could make all the difference.

Don’t assume that all self-identified Christians plan to attend Easter worship services.

Just two weeks leading up to Easter, 20% of those LifeWay Research sampled in another survey were stillunsure if they would attend an Easter worship service. Imagine what a personal ask could accomplish with those who are unsure.

“Christians who automatically attend church on Easter should be mindful of their many friends, neighbors, and family members who haven’t ruled out the idea of attending,” said Scott McConnell, director of LifeWay Research. “It may be that a personal invitation is what would make a difference to them.”

Resources for the Timid

It’s vital to have a plan in place to make sure as many people as possible receive a personal invitation for Easter. The more resources you can provide to your congregation, the more comfortable and confident they will feel about asking someone to attend your Easter worship services.

Provide invitations that your church members can give to their acquaintances. Put together a media kit where people can invite others through their social media accounts. And of course, don’t forget your own church media blitz.