Updates and Announcements
- The Pursuit of Happiness series begins on Easter
- East Side – Dedication night March 26, Grand Opening April 2
- First Steps books pilot group – Kent will send out information
- Pastoral Residency Program – Irene will send out information
- Pastor Juan Sanchez son baptized
- Pastor Asa App son got married
- Pastor Jason Peña engaged
Easter Outreach Season – Mark Jobe
- Three weeks away from the largest outreach at New Life – almost 10,000 people
- People come to church on Easter with the expectation to hear the gospel.
- Many people are non believers but would check the box for Christianity.
- Do you feel the weight of opportunity and responsibility for this season?
- How are you preparing?
- Smart fisherman go to where the fish are.
- Generation Z is known as the open generation.
- There are sparks of awakening and revival.
- 9/10 people would go to church if they were invited by someone they knew
- Only 5% of people actually invite someone to attend church
- People come looking for relief, but in the process they find a redeemer.
- 62% of women say they feel completely overwhelmed and stress
- Often times awakening and revival comes on the heels of disruption.
5 Ways to Maximize Easter
- This is a spiritual battle. Take a day to fast and pray for what God will do. Pray that the Holy Spirit would work in supernatural ways.
- Make sure you are ready. Prepare for first time guests (parking, restrooms, children’s ministry). Remove obstacles
- Equip the congregation to invite and engage with the non churched.
- Prepare your teams to welcome people.
- Take time to personally celebrate. Reflect on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
Preaching to the Easter Crowd
- People are expecting a boring message.
- Why should people listen?
- Remember there are a lot of unchurched people there. Explain to them what is happening during the service.
- Have people there to engage with new people. Ask them “Tell me how you heard about New Life.”
- Don’t make people feel bad for showing up or feel guilty.
- Give people a 3 week challenge. Invite them back to the series, Mother’s Day, Baptism Sunday.
- Give people an opportunity to respond to the message immediately (altar call, prayer, response card)
- Assume that God has already been working. God is drawing people to himself.