Kids love Easter egg hunting, but does that mean we should have one at church? This is an issue our pastoral staff has been working through over the past several years. My first year at the church, I carried forward their existing program called Easter EGGstravaganza.
Loading ...It was a Saturday morning Easter egg hunt that doubled as a massive outreach effort. We did the works – door prizes, crafts, resurrection eggs, and more tubs of stuffed plastic eggs than I care to remember. The event took weeks of planning and a full roster of volunteers to make it happen. We mailed postcards to 500 households with children. The publicity budget for the event was close to the VBS level.
Turnout was great and everyone had a wonderful time. There was only one problem – the event did not meet its goals. No prospects from that group visited our church for Easter. None of the children were enrolled in our Wednesday nightclub program. None of the follow up efforts showed any promise. Six months later all I could show was a mailing list for future ministry events.
That was the end for EGGstravaganza. In fact, we haven’t had any Easter egg hunt since then. For me, it wasn’t a theological decision as much as a programming choice. Our resources are better directed toward events that advance the church’s disciple making mission.
What do you think about Easter egg hunts at church?
Do you see it as a helpful outreach tool? Are you concerned about detracting from the real meaning of Easter? Leave a comment below and join the conversation.
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I just wanted you to know that I enjoy your email newsletter. I frequently pass it around to our children’s leaders.
Thanks for all the good stuff.
Liz – Thanks for your encouragement. I’m glad that it has been a blessing for you. Thanks for reading : )
We are doing one – I am new on staff here. My prior church quit Fall Fest and moved to do Easter Praise Day as fewer churches do one. All games, crafts, activities and even the egg hunt point the children to the real meaning of Easter. We close with a time of commitment and the gospel is clearly shared. We’ve had visitors as a result, but I’m not sure anyone stuck. It is far more evangelistic than our Fall Festival, though fewer come.
We don’t spend over $350 on it, though. I put some eggs out empty (Mary when she went to the tomb), some with resin lambs (Jesus is the spotless lamb and the only one who could take the punishment for our sin), some with 3 pieces of silver (Judas’, one of Jesus closest followers and friends betrayed Him), and describe the egg as representing new life – the new life we can have in Christ. I go into detail about the fact that Easter is not about Easter bunnies, chicks and candy. But we do celebrate Easter, as Christ was raised from the dead and is Alive. He is our Savior and we have much to celebrate. That’s why we call it Easter Praise Day! WE do it a week before Easter on Saturday morning.
I think having an egg hunt at the church will do two things for my church family:
I think that egg hunts provide a fun activity, a safe activity and an opportunity to educate my children about the saving grace of Jesus Christ. We do not use it so much as outreach as we do for inreach.
Cheri – I can see how a lower cost event, particularly to re-activate some of the fringe church attenders would be good. The sad truth is Easter Egg hunts are one of the few “Easter” traditions that un-churched will still turn out for. I like the way the meaning of Easter is woven into the event.
Reby – The year we did it, I had a volunteer dramatically teach through the resurrection egg set. This was while they were waiting their turn to hunt the massive egg field. It seemed to make an impression on some of the kids. You are right to point out that it can be a safe and fun event.
i think it is fine. of course, the children need to know the real meaning of easter. children get presents on christmas, it is no different. of course they have to share the candy with me!!!
The poll on this post has been interesting. Right now, it looks like 70% are doing some kind of Easter Egg hunt.
We do an Easter Egg Hunt. In fact it is today. The whole church gets involved and it really is that much work for the children’s ministry department. For me, it is an outreach. But whether or not we get any additional kids to come on a regular basis, I don’t really care. It is the time to share with kids (members and visitors) the salvation story and that Jesus loves them and he died for them on the cross. That’s the important message of Easter. As far as the Easter Egg Hunt, it’s fun and as long as we share the message of Easter I will be in favor of continuing our tradition.
I think this article misses the point of what “OUTREACH” is all about. The goal is to bring non-members or unchurched people to Jesus Christ. We never know when they may have a need they will turn to us for and by making that visit they have a familiar face and know where your Church Campus is.
Rather than doing a direct mail to for 500 why don’t you consider running an ad in your local paper (large ad) announcing the Egg Hunt and also include the worship services for Holy Week and Easter Sunday. This would be more cost effective as well. We just had our Easter Egg Hunt and had more than 300 people walk through our doors both Church Families and community families. It took about a month to plan and incorporate, we used a lot of our youth as volunteers. Rather than looking at it from the standpoint of the budget look at it from the standpoint of scripture and remember if we only reach one we are doing the work of the Lord. Yes we want growth in our Churches but that one person or family is just as important to God and our jobs as disciples as is getting 300 people to attend Easter services. Look at the Godly goal and not just from a budget standpoint. There are many things you could do to simplify the Egg Hunt events. Also, did you track who came to your event and decifer who was a non-member or unchurched and give those names, addresses, and phone numbers to your pastors for follow up calls to those people sharing the great things you have going on at your Church and give them a personl invite to attend your worship services. Maybe your Church did this but what you did as follow up needs to be revised. I aplogize if my response seems negative but my observation form the article was nothing but negative and whiny. Outreach is not just numbers and how it benefits the Church, Outreach is reaching out to those who do not know Jesus Christ and making them aware of who Christ is and that Christ Loves them and welcomes you to have a realationship with him.
Signing off
Jane,
I appreciate your point. I agree with your point that there is a lot more to seeking the lost than numbers.
Let me restate my point. If outreach is about actually reaching people, and our program didn’t really do that, then it’s time to try something else.
I’ve heard great reports from others who have made some great connections with families through the egg hunts. But our experience was much different.
Thanks for your comment and stating your view with charity. I do appreciate the input.
If your church is having an egg hunt be sure to include tiny ads about upcoming events and services inside each plastic egg with that candy! (Also include scriptures!) This way every child that attends will take information home with their treasures that “unchurched” parents will have access to. Follow up is key for success! Make sure this information is about something happening two or three weeks after Easter. Demonstrate to your community that you want to see them again and again.
Also, to cut costs of egg hunts, ask church volunteers to contribute one or two bags of wrapped candy to those “egg events.” Shop grocery stores the day after Valentine’s Day for discounted wrapped candy that is not obviously “Valentine” candy. This will help cut costs “big time.”
Shop for plastic eggs after Easter is over, for next year’s hunt. Think and plan ahead for outreach ministry in order to cut costs.
People leave churches because of loneliness and because of the lack of good friendships. Because we know this, we can assume the opposite behavior will draw people back into church community where they can grow in Christ. Give them many events to attend and lots of reasons to make new friends!
chin up.
I think it’s important not to go along with the secular culture’s attempt to make holidays secular. I know that Easter was not originally a Christian holiday but it has been accepted as a day to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection for hundreds, if not thousands, of years and I don’t see why we should surrender it to commercialism and secular things like Easter egg hunts.
I found that when you explain what easter is about and why we should focus on Jesus instead of bunnies and eggs they get it. In fact, this year the kids in one of my kids ministries (many of them not very churched) asked me to make my explanation into a skit for them to perform for the community. I’ve posted the skit at http://frogspot.com/blog/2008/03/13/easter-dog-show-skit/
Steve Severances last blog post..Hugging a Lion
“What do you think about Easter egg hunts at church?
Do you see it as a helpful outreach tool? Are you concerned about detracting from the real meaning of Easter?”
Oddly enough, I stopped participating in Easter activities after I became a Christian. As a non-Christian family we celebrated with eggs, rabbits, candy, and baskets.
Becoming a Christian I was like, “Hey, Jesus rose from the dead. So that’s what this is all about.”
Then I wondered, “Why all this other distracting stuff?”
Research revealed paganism fertility goddess worship behind the imagery. I don’t even call it “Easter,” but “Resurrection Sunday.”
The short answer for me is that I’m opposed on theological grounds, but even if I wasn’t I’d have a problem similar to what I have with Christmas.
I’m not anti-Santa, but I hate that Christ is eclipsed at Christmas because of Santa and Rudolph, etc.
Plus, I also don’t think those outreach efforts yield much fruit and resources could be better spent.
So, seemingly in the minority I’m opposed to the Eggstravaganza on those 3 levels.
GUNNY HARTMANs last blog post..War is young men dying and old men talking.
Our family distributes filled plastic Easter eggs. Filled by sheltered workshop people. We found that this past year more and more churches ordered eggs than ever before. For those who don’t like to call it Easter egg hunt there is nothing wrong with calling it a spring egg hunt. We’ve heard back from many of the churches that they’ve had good results reaching the community, for instance a church in Nashville area was able to distribute eggs to schools. The sunday following the egg hunt they had an increase in over 300 kids in Sunday school. A church in California used many, many thousands and allied their efforts with organizations in that town to let individuals know that church people can have a good time too. They also saw an increase in church attendance where they could tell the true meaning of Easter. The bottom line is many non-churched people pass by church buildings every day but will take their children to an egg hunt.
Thanks
Phil, Ruth and Bill Ayers
Ayers Distributing
The real meaning of Easter. . . hmmm, well, Easter was made up by a pagan, so actually there is no real meaning of Easter. God/Jesus did not call Jesus’s resurrection Easter! He never said we should celebrate his resurrection as a holiday called Easter!
Aloha from Hawaii. This has been very insightful to read through all these comments. We’ve had an Easter Egg Hunt the past few years and it has been a blessing to both those who serve in the church and those who are unsaved in our community. The message of salvation through Jesus’ resurrection is always given and an opportunity to receive Him is also given to the children. We saw something very interesting this year as we shared about the empty tomb. When the children went out to get their eggs, we explained that there was one egg out there (for each age group level) that was empty – no candy. Instead there was a special message in it. Whoever found that egg would also receive something special – which was a gift basket with a bible, toys, etc. Most of the children bypassed the eggs with candy in it and anxiously looked for the empty egg.
Each child was given a plastic bag to collect their eggs and we set up an empty box so parents could leave the emptied eggs behind and just take all their goodies. This worked for both us and the parents. They loved the idea!
It’s a fun day with kite flying, waterslides, and lots of foods and games. We have seen new families coming regularly and they’re bringing their friends. We see this time as an extraordinary celebration! The world puts on Easter Egg Hunts and when it’s done, it’s done! Not so for the church. When it’s done, there’s room for so much to take place through the empowering of the Holy Spirit and God’s precious word that never comes back void or empty without accomplishing what I was sent to do.
In all things use wisdom and discernment. The history of Easter eggs tells us of its pagan past and connections with fertility rituals. I’m very uncomfortable having anything like this in a church setting.
We have absorbed many pagan traditions into our culture but it is important to teach our children to separate those cultural traditions from the truth of scripture and the life of Christ.
First let me say that my church does an annual Easter egg hunt every year. In all the years that we have done this, not one person has come to our church more than once. While the message of Jesus is spread through face painting (using the gospel) and a bag of jelly beans explaining the colors as they pertain to Christ (red for shedding of blood), I believe this too compromising with the world. I can’t for the life of me see Jesus standing in the middle of it telling the kids, “ok kids, ready, set, go!” Isn’t it about, “what would Jesus do?”, especially in our Christian churches. I asked my Pastor to at least give a short sermon so the adults can hear the gospel and he has refused. To me that speaks volumes and perhaps I should be looking for another church!
Tony, we’re not doing one church wide, but our small group is going to do one for the kids in one of our member family’s backyard.
Where to start. I will make this short. I have been accused more than once of being a drunk because I tend to hang out at bars on one or more nights during the week. I am out in the streets early morning hours 3am etc. Does that mean I am not saved, that I am not a christain. You say what does that have to do with anything. Well folks the sinners are not knocking the door down at the church. If we dont reach out and love the lost we are lost. We can continue to not move ahead with times keep running folks off if we like. I tend to want to get them into church you know “catch them let the holy spirit clean them” we seem to want to keep cleaning the fish before we clean them. We can continue with our prim and proper holy then thou attitude if we want but time is short the lord is coming. So many hurting people out there that need to be reached. Dont misunderstand me. We need to remember the cross anything we do must include god, the holy spirit, the church, the blood of Christ. Holding an Easter Egg Hunt if these things are included is a blessing both for child and adults alike. If it takes an Easter Egg hunt to get the Word of God out then bring on the Eggs. We are losing a generation of young people because we want to look at an Egg hunt as a pagan, purple hair as the devil, an ear ring in a nose as digusting. If it takes spending time on the street, in bars, standing on my head in the street then I will do it. People if everything you do has God in it it cant be wrong.
I’ve decided to respond to the comment about pagan practices and Easter left here on the blog.
Every year I read comments left on blogs from Christians who are overly concerned about the ancient pagan associations with the holiday, Easter. From a Christian world view the attitudes that these individuals have towards history are incorrect. Even though the symbols of eggs at Easter time have traditionally been used by many people before us, it is more important to remember two other histories that take precedence over these ancient beliefs.
The first history being our own. How long does a custom need to exist before it is considered as important as an ancient custom that pre-dates it? Christians often make the mistake of handing over history to former groups of peoples who no longer even exist. Strange but true.
God’s story of “Easter” is about redemption. Therefore, symbolic redemption of customs makes a great deal of sense to me and I believe it does also to God. I could go on and list “how” God has reclaimed symbols and customs for His purposes through out time but I want to make my second point quickly.
The second history that we should consider to be most important is that of God’s history with his own creation. Eggs are God’s invention. He is far more ancient than any pagan worshiper therefore, it is his interpretation and symbolic references that should ultimately be considered. Also, He is “the last man standing.” He owns the future, thereby owning any or part of what ever “past” human kind may endeavor to remember. He calls the shots folks and he owns the yolks.
Kathy,
Thanks for your comments. I want to be sensitive to some people conscience, but plastic eggs are clearly a “Christian Freedom” issue.
I wonder if people read their Bibles about that meat sacrificed to idols? That was a REAL pagan practice, but nothing to bother about if you know the real God.
Plastic eggs with candy = not evil (except for the dentists in our church who don’t like candy in the first place)
Ken-
Great points. Very well said.
I disagree completely with the opinion that may suggest that an egg hunt may not belong at a church function during Easter. There was a comment made that the egg hunt teaches children the ‘true meaning of Easter’.
Well, the fact is that the TRUE meaning of Easter IS its Pagan origins. The true meaning is based in celebrating the spring equinox, for millennia an important holiday in many religions. Celebrating the beginning of spring may be among the oldest holidays in human culture which we should all embrace! What a great tradition that has been handed down to us from our ancient ancestors!
So, to me, celebrating the death and resurrection of a Biblical figure by the name of Jesus is strikingly similar to the Pagan celebration of new life and bountiful harvest after a brutal winter. The Easter celebration is a complete and utter carbon copy of sun worship…in this case it is ’son’ worship of a man that may/may not have even existed.
Let’s celebrate Easter as it was intended – the bringing together of people to celebrate our place on this planet.
No gods need to be invoked for us to live in awe at the beauty and immensity of creation.
This is a very good question, and one I ponder each year as we enter the Easter season. I do not object to egg hunts at church, but it seems as if every church, community center, and retail businesses in our area does one. My own kids go to three or four hunts Easter weekend. Their only concern is who has the most eggs, best prizes, etc.
We have tried to find our own nitch by hosting a Good Friday Day Camp for kids. We do not have an egg hunt, but we have a resurrection story scavenger hunt. All crafts, stories, games and events focus on the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is a fun day!
Our church will be having an Easter Egg Hunt on Easter Sunday night along with our annual Easter Fish Taco Dinner. Our church has been focusing on outreach in the way that we are seeking to create events that are family and non-believer friendly. Our church members invite neighbors and unsaved family members to our events and it creates a great opportunity for building on those relationships and planting seeds for the gospel. I have never felt that there is anything wrong about doing an Easter Egg hunt. The theme is new life and in Christ, through his death and resurrection, we can have new life! It all depends on what your focus is during those events. I think it’s a great outreach event! Kids always love candy….
By the way, donations are the best way to go! I don’t think we’ve spent more than $10 of Children’s Ministry budget on this Easter Egg Hunt. The congregation has provided more than enough candy and eggs. And the best thing about it is we can save the eggs for next year!
hi, you guys, what’s your plan for Easter 2009? Having Easter Brunch? Making Easter favors for everyone? Writing a letter to Easter Bunny or organizing an egg hunt game? I prefer the last one. The egg is widely considered as a symbol of the start of new life, just as new life emerges from an egg. However, in Easter Day, the kids play egg hunt game just for fun, right? Now the next Easter is coming around the corner, will you plan an Easter Egg game for your kids and give them a special Easter? If doing so, it will definitely become your precious memories with kids.
Last Easter, my husband and I shot photos and video while our daughter was playing egg hunt game. Moreover, we even created a YouTube video by combining shot footage and photos. Click here to watch this Easter Egg Hunt game video and post any comment. Get inspired if you also want to give your kids a happy easter 2009 and share on video sharing sites like YouTube.
Happy Easter!
So, how do you celebrate Easter 2009?
I need some feedback about an Easter situation. I have only been the Children’s Director for about 5 months. The Preschool Director and I decided to continue this year with no egg hunt. Her problem was that last year people kept showing up with eggs and baskets in tow. Since old habits die hard, this year we decided to do away with the Saturday gathering all together. In place of it, on Easter Sunday, we decided to start having a Resurrection Celebration with the intent of weaning the congregation off of the Saturday egg hunts. Next year we could move the Resurrection Celebration back to Saturday and everyone would understand a little better what was going on. We feel the need to move away from the pagan roots and become more focused on the true meaning. Problem: One of the grandmothers in our church called the Preschool Director about 2 weeks before Easter to inquire about when the egg hunt would be. Needless to say, she was not happy. She complained to our pastor. Our pastor asked why she didn’t just have an egg hunt at her house. No need. She insisted on the use of the Fellowship Hall in order to have the egg hunt herself. I did not have a problem with this until she started distributing fliers all over the church which did not clearly state that this was her egg hunt. This is going to make the weaning process so much harder. Next year, I will have to hear about how we did too have an egg hunt last year. ANY SUGGESTIONS?
You must understand that I feel very strongly about Christians taking their roles and being set apart very seriously. We do not need to work so hard at blending in with the world as much as we need to work at blending in with Christ. Easter is a celebration and should be treated as such. I believe that a Resurrection Celebration could be just as fun and well attended as an egg hunt, if we as Christians would put our hearts into it. Just the promotions alone could be a ministry tool.
I have struggled with the whole “Easter Egg & Bunmny” thing for a while now and have never felt comfortable in doing it. We have tried it and found that while the kids enjoyed it, there was no real connection with Christ and His resurrectoin. We would kind of force the issue with abstract ways to show how Easter eggs and Christ’s ressurection were intertwind, but mostly it was a waste of time and money and not really going anywhere. We decided to make a step change and spend the money on a play that went on for the community the Thirsday before Easter that spoke of the resurection from the Bible, I like this approach better because we didn’t have to think of any abstract ways to present it, just tell the stroy of what Easter is really all about. God has blessed us and we have been reaching some unchurched people and growing. Not just from the play mind you but I personnaly think it is from the step change in attitude of presenting His word to the community without any hidden agenda.
Mike