Seasons > Easter >  Ways to Celebrate Easter in the Church > Ways to Celebrate Easter with Music

Music is a great way to celebrate Easter. Churches that don’t have a lot of musicians in the church will sometimes get a big name musician to give a concert during the Easter season. Some big churches put on a huge musical extravaganza on Easter morning. They can do this because they have enough talented musicians in the membership so they can practice together in the weeks leading up to Easter. Even if your church is small, there are ways to make music a big part of the celebration. How about some of these ideas?

1. 1.Ask the church musicians to play Easter music for the 3 weeks before Easter as well as Easter Sunday. Help them find good music with meaningful words. Some Christian bookstores carry books with musicals and soundtracks for Easter that could be useful. Whether you use these or not, choosing Easter songs is an important part of creating a celebratory atmosphere. Rather than singing songs about the cross for 3 weeks, and saving resurrection songs for Easter Sunday, why not begin each service with a song about the cross, or repentance, then move onto resurrection songs each Sunday? Yes, repentance is a necessary step, and an essential part of the Easter experience. But once we ask for forgiveness, it is over. You don’t have to keep repenting for a month before you rejoice in the resurrection and the resulting freedom from the bondage of sin! That way the jubilation can last for several weeks, rather than just one day.
   

2. 2.Ask church musicians to play at least one special Easter number in the worship service each week. If musicians are scarce, add a dramatic reading with recorded music playing in the background, or have the young people put on a mime--there are some very moving Christian mimes that drive home the point very powerfully. They are written with particular music in mind, so the impact is greater with the appropriate message played as back drop. You may be able to find Christian music videos on youtube or in Christian bookstores. But only use them if they are really good quality, and present a good message.
   

3. 3.If there are no church musicians, ask the congregation if there are any who would be willing to do a special number. You may discover a hidden talent, or encourage young people who had been itching to start  band. You will give them opportunity to begin, as well as motivation to sing for the Lord. You may need to spend some time convincing older church members that this is a good idea, so they don’t react negatively because they are shocked at something new. Old people can change, but sometimes they need a little help. They might be more willing to put up with it if they realize how it can be a really important part of nurturing young people in the church--otherwise they may choose to try their talents outside the church, such as in bars.
   

4. 4.Local colleges or even high schools may have musicians who would be willing to do several numbers for a small fee (smaller than famous people, anyway.) You would need to choose the music, and quality check their work before the event. But who knows, you might be able to witness to them during the process, and gain some new church members! Feeding them during practices in the church would give you easy opportunity to chat in a relaxed atmosphere, and gain some appreciation from the young people as well.
   

5. 5.A nearby large church may be willing to loan some of their musicians to your church during a time that they are not doing their big thing for Easter. The beauty of this is that they have already practiced the music, so it would be a rather easy favor to do.
   

6. 6.Several churches can combine their financial resources to hire a musician or group, and have a combined concert for all those congregations.
   

7. 7.Churches can cooperate with other area churches so that their members don’t get worn out trying to do it all--one church can give a concert, another can produce a play, while another could prepare a Good Friday or sunrise service. Smaller churches can particularly benefit from joining forces--sharing know how, man power, financial resources, and materials, not to mention being an encouragement to one another, and to see that you are not alone--God’s family is much bigger than your one little congregation!  Bigger churches can be a huge help to smaller churches sharing know-how, as well as passing on materials they have used and now no longer need.

Seasons > Easter >  Ways to Celebrate Easter in the Church > Ways to Celebrate Easter with Music