Would it be better to stay home for Easter?

Here’s the situation.  You are attending a church that from Sunday to Sunday is approaching capacity.  Easter is only a few weeks away, and the church is working hard to pull as many of the “Easter crowd” to their services as possible.  They’ve added a couple of services to the weekend, but there is still concern that there will be enough space (especially in the child care areas) to hold everyone.  You are genuinely concerned that the church may have to turn people away due to the lack of space on Easter morning.

Here’s the question.  Do you consider keeping your family of five home to make room for Easter visitors? 

Very curious to hear your thoughts!

5 Replies to “Would it be better to stay home for Easter?”

  1. Alternatives to skipping:

    Take the bus or hitchhike to church

    Work in the nursery, children’s, etc. dept.

    Help usher/greet

    Wait to be seated until you see there is room

    Valet park guests cars or drive the parking lot shuttle

    Visit a smaller church/church plant that may be struggling to get a crowd

  2. I say go, be crowded, God’s children need to unite to “see” all of the us worshiping .
    It’s nice to see the “gifts” God give each of us in the form of his children dressed up in their Easter best.
    A good feeling to give your fellow man. Isn’t that part of what we are suppose to do for our fellow man?

  3. Bennett, I love the alternatives list! Great ideas…and at the heart of each of them is service and sacrifice, which is our call from Christ.

    Bob S., I agree with your assessment as well! Let’s all worship together…there IS benefit in being a part of worship with a healthy body of believers. I’m kind of the mentality that we ought never be turning anyone away. There shouldn’t really be a level of discomfort that keeps us from worshipping God together.

    But, I think John is perhaps getting at the hypothetical circumstance of whether it’s better for a person in the “core” to miss service rather than potentially turn someone in the “world” or “fringe” away from hearing God’s word. Given the black and white scenario I have to say, YES.

    Why? It goes back to Bennett’s points; service and sacrifice…and those two things should always win out.

    Look at Paul’s heart in Romans 10:1, “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.” Our desire should be similar.

    If we cared about moving people from the world into a saving knowledge of Christ and/or moving people from the fringe into the core, then serving them (in child care, driving valet, or ushering) and sacrificing (taking longer to get there by bus, having to stand, or simply missing service) are tangible ways to love them…and let them hear about the love that God has for them.

    Romans 10:14, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”

    …and how can they hear if you are sitting in their seat?

  4. It is nice to be sensitive to providing room…but on the other hand, Easter is the one time that “everyone” goes to church so if you have been building a relationship with a lost person through the year, this is the one time that you have a good chance of inviting him/her and they may accept….and hopefully you go to a church that is ready for a lost person when they show up, especially at Easter….and to be able to meet them and sit with them at the service and follow-up with spiritual conversations after is what relational evangelism is all about….

  5. Really interesting responses, guys. All valid points. Rather than commenting here, I added a new post for a follow-up question. 🙂

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