Easter is an important time for us to not only reflect on God’s great love, but to share His love with those around us. Easter often brings familiar things, such as gathering around with families and friends for a meal, Easter egg hunts for children, and attending church. What are some impactful (and creative) ways your Small Group can celebrate Easter this year, as we slowly emerge from the midst of an ongoing pandemic? Easter will look different for all of us, depending on where we are located and the restrictions of your location. You’ll need to consider those factors, and make adjustments as needed, in order to make it safe and enjoyable for everyone! Here are 4 ideas for your Small Group:
- “Do Good” Friday. Why not serve together with your Small Group on Good Friday? Come up with a specific plan for your group to serve others, whether it’s someone in your church family or a local family in your community. Some ideas include: making meals for different people, and delivering them; invite widows or young moms who have been struggling in this season of life for an outdoor brunch and serve them. You could also simply write cards of encouragement to mail to those who could use some extra love and encouragement this season. Last, but not least, another fun option would be to create and deliver some Easter baskets to needy families.
- Host an Easter Egg Hunt in your backyard. Give everyone in your Small Group a task and plan a family-oriented Easter Egg Hunt in someone’s back yard. This is the perfect opportunity to invite local neighborhood families, and share the true meaning of Easter with them, by sharing a brief family devotional before the Egg hunt. Invite everyone to stay for some coffee/tea, and some light snacks (bagels, muffins, etc….). Keep it simple, and focus on fostering connections with each other. This is a great opportunity to extend others an invitation to join you for Easter Sunday service and/or your next Small Group meeting!
- Watch The Passion (or other Easter-themed movie) together as a group, and invite non-believing friends and neighbors! Who doesn’t like movie nights? A movie centered on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus offers a powerful look at the true meaning behind Easter. If space allows, and people feel comfortable, this can easily be made into an outreach event, by inviting non-believing friends or neighbors to join you. If space is tight, a simple solution would be to encourage your group to “sub-group” into smaller groups and meet in various homes, which will allow for more to join in. After the movie, why not plan a brief small group discussion, and invite everyone to share their takeaways, and ask any questions they might have. This is a perfect set up for future follow up opportunities!
- Host a Small Group Worship & Reflection Night. Gather together as a group for a personal time of worship and reflection on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Ask a few group members to help choose a few worship songs to play and sing at the start of your meeting. Choose songs that are focused towards the cross and the hope that Easter Sunday brings. Then, choose one of the Gospels and read through Jesus’ journey to the cross, starting with the Last Supper, and ending with the joyous, empty tomb. Invite everyone to take part of this reading. When finished, allow a few minutes of personal reflection and prayer, and then invite each group member to share how Jesus’ life, death and resurrection has changed their life. This is also offers a wonderful opportunity to celebrate Communion together as a Small Group.
No matter what you choose to do, celebrating with your Small Group and others will make Easter extra-special!
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