Download the 21 delightful Easter program ideas for churches
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Easter brings a sense of joy and renewal. He is risen—and that changes everything! To make the most of this season, churches are called to create experiences that draw us closer to Christ and to one another.
Thoughtfully planned Easter programs for church help bring people together, creating opportunities for reflection and community engagement. From sunrise services to Easter dinner outreach, this season invites us to celebrate, serve, and share the hope of Jesus’ resurrection.
As one of the highest-attended Sundays for many congregations, having well-planned Easter service ideas is essential. Looking for family-friendly activities, crafty projects, or modern engagement strategies? This list of 21 Easter program ideas will help your church engage your congregation and share the good news of salvation with your community this season!
1. Resurrection garden workshop
Once spring is in full swing, people are eager to embrace the season—making a miniature resurrection garden a perfect Easter craft. This activity offers a unique, hands-on teaching moment, and results in a beautiful keepsake for display throughout the Easter season and beyond.
Encourage families to get creative with the following supplies:
With these supplies in hand, here are the steps to make their own resurrection garden:
2. Interactive journey through Holy Week
Make Easter programs more than a sermon by taking your community on an interactive journey through Holy Week. In addition to hearing a message during services, invite attendees to see, touch, and reflect on the events leading up to Jesus’ resurrection.
Set up stations for each day in the story—guiding people through key moments, from Palm Sunday to the empty tomb. Along the way, provide relevant Bible passages, objects, sounds, and guided reflections, encouraging a moment to pause and pray. At the final station, consider gifting a small token such as a cross, engraved stone, or Easter prayer card.
3. Egg-citing scavenger hunt
Kids love a classic egg hunt, but it can be so much more than candy-filled eggs. Get the whole family involved by incorporating elements that connect back to the Easter story with an exciting scavenger hunt!
You can choose a theme like “The Road to Resurrection” or “The Empty Tomb Hunt,” and organize the event using stations, maps, and clues. Lead participants through the Easter story as they solve riddles to find hidden eggs and learn about Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.
4. Empty tomb escape room
If you’re looking for engaging Easter Sunday program ideas, escape rooms provide a unique and immersive experience for all ages. Get ready to teach the Easter story in a unique way as friends and families team up to “escape” the tomb like Jesus conquered the grave!
Whether you purchase a full setup or put together simple puzzle-based activities in a classroom, these elements will help you:
5. Easter chalk walk
Brighten up your community with faith-filled chalk art this Easter to share the joy of Jesus’ resurrection!
A chalk walk contest is sure to inspire creativity through a bit of healthy competition. Host this Easter program for church on campus or encourage people to go out on their own and share their creations on social media with a special hashtag.
Select high-visibility locations like your church’s pathways or parking lots, local parks, and your own neighborhood sidewalks. Invite the community to vote on their favorite designs and award a prize for chalk art with the most votes.
6. Easter pancake breakfast
As part of your Easter service this year, consider serving up a pancake breakfast or brunch for the community.
Bring families together for food and fellowship to kick off the day’s festivities. Start the meal with an Easter devotional, then invite attendees to enjoy an assembly line of pancakes, toppings, scrambled eggs, bacon, and beverages.
Make it fun for kids with egg-shaped pancakes they can decorate with fruit, sprinkles, syrup, and whipped cream. Provide quiet activities like Easter coloring pages to entertain little ones.
7. Glow-in-the-dark Easter egg hunt
If you know the weather could be an issue for outdoor Easter programs for church, or you just want to try something new, take the fun inside with a glow-in-the-dark Easter egg hunt.
Use eggs that have:
Ensure the indoor area is dark but safe, with clear boundaries and supervision for younger children. Encourage families to get involved and come dressed in their own glow-in-the-dark accessories to shine like Jesus—the light of the world!
8. Butterfly release ceremony
Easter is a celebration of Jesus’ victory over death, and a butterfly release is a beautiful way to symbolize His resurrection. This is one of those special Easter service ideas that reflects our new life in Christ as believers, helping even the little ones to understand the transformation and renewal that comes through faith in Him.
Imagine releasing a kaleidoscope of monarch butterflies during a sunrise service or as part of a post-service devotional. If you plan to host this special event, ensure you source your butterflies from a reputable supplier specializing in releases.
9. Easter story & critter encounter
Make this Easter memorable for the children in your community with a hands-on storytelling experience and animal encounter.
Organization is key to a successful event involving live animals, so consider setting up stations that guide children through the Easter story. Provide moments of reading, critter interaction, and Easter-themed crafts, ending with a take-home activity bag.
Partner with a local farm, mobile petting zoo, or rescue organization to bring in animals such as donkeys, lambs, and rabbits.
10. Sunrise service
Just as the women at the tomb discovered an empty grave at dawn (Luke 24:1–6), gathering for worship as the sun rises is a glorious reminder that Christ is risen! This provides a quiet, reflective setting that can feel more intimate than a typical worship service.
Start by selecting an outdoor location at a local park, scenic overlook, or even your own church lawn where you can create a peaceful atmosphere. Note the time of sunrise that day and plan a flow of service to culminate as the sun rises. Remember to dress for the weather and offer warm beverages.
11. Living resurrection scene
Ready to bring your Resurrection Sunday program ideas to life?
Instead of putting on a traditional play with a full script, engage your community with silent vignettes. Select impactful scenes that people can watch as a live performance or walk through at different stations:
12. Easter candlelight vigil
Traditionally held on Holy Saturday evening, an Easter candlelight vigil is a long-observed tradition. This service connects the sorrow of Good Friday with the hope of Easter morning, when we reflect on Jesus’ time in the tomb and the anticipation of His resurrection.
A candlelight vigil usually begins in near darkness. Then, a single candle is lit to represent the risen Christ. This flame is used to light the candles of the entire congregation until the whole room is aglow. Take this time to unite in worship with scripture reading and moments of contemplation.
13. Community Easter dinner
Although holidays like Easter tend to be times when we gather with loved ones to share a meal, we have the opportunity to open our tables to those in need of community.
If you feel called to host a dinner, decide on a format first. That could be a catered meal at church, potluck gathering, outdoor picnic, or meal delivery. Plan a comforting menu fit for the holiday with roasted meat, classic sides, and desserts.
14. Easter in the park
Bring Easter service to your city through an outdoor gathering in the park. With the proper permitting, you can host a powerful outreach event and invite the whole community to join in.
Secure a location with plenty of space and restroom capacity. You may not be able to provide seating for everyone, so encourage attendees to bring their own chairs or blankets.
And, why not go beyond a service? Try incorporating a few more Easter programs for church like those we’ve mentioned to build connections and create more opportunities to share the good news!
15. Angel egg project
Surprise and delight the entire community this Easter by organizing an angel egg project. This is a creative, low-cost way to share the love of Jesus with your city.
Simply fill eggs with things like encouraging messages, gift cards, faith-based tokens, and invitations to your church’s Easter services or events.
You can gift eggs in a few different ways:
16. Easter care packages for neighbors
Sometimes Resurrection Sunday program ideas can be as simple as giving a present. Bless your church’s neighborhood this year with care packages of devotionals, treats, church invitations, and gift cards. What better way to share the hope of Easter than with a free gift?
Gather church members of all ages and throw a packing party to prepare boxes, write personal notes, and pray over packages before delivery. With these simple acts of kindness, we mirror the generosity of Christ found at the heart of Easter.
17. Spring cleanup day
Spring cleaning isn’t just for your home. You can serve your community by beautifying shared spaces, making your neighborhood a place where people want to gather and connect. Picking up litter, planting flowers, helping with overgrown lawns, washing windows—the list of opportunities is endless.
Make this a church-wide effort and encourage families to serve together. Assign teams to different areas of the community, ensuring no space is overlooked. You can turn it into a game for young volunteers by offering prizes for most trash collected or the best before-and-after photos.
18. Holy Week app challenge
To make this year’s Easter programs for church more interactive and engaging, design an Easter challenge in your church’s app! Decide on a timeframe (e.g., Lent season, Holy Week, Easter weekend) and create a list of daily activities that must be completed.
You could put together any combination of Bible reading prompts, Easter story quizzes, acts of kindness, photo or video challenges, and service attendance. Remember to announce the prizes your congregation can look forward to if they commit to growing their faith this spring.
19. Virtual Easter prayer vigil
When you host a virtual prayer vigil, people can tune in no matter where they are. This Easter, open your church’s “digital doors” and invite the community into interactive prayer throughout the weekend. This is a unique opportunity to make an event accessible to and inclusive of people who may not be able to attend otherwise.
You can livestream for a few hours, host a continuous prayer session overnight or for multiple days, and even provide a pre-recorded video with a self-guided prayer schedule. Encourage your congregation to participate and help host the event by signing up to pray and share testimonies.
20. Easter podcast devotionals
Walk your congregation through every day of the Holy Week with an exclusive Easter 2025 podcast. You could even launch a series for the entire 40 days of Lent in preparation for the holiday weekend. Or, create shorter, kid-friendly devotional episodes for families to listen and learn about Easter together.
Offering quiet moments of reflection allows listeners to pause and connect with scripture, helping to prepare their hearts for the joy of Easter Sunday.
21. Interactive Easter social media challenge
Social media has quickly become a primary way we connect in this modern world. So, why not use it to engage your church members this spring? Create a unique hashtag and issue a challenge to your community with daily or weekly prompts.
Here are a few examples of how you could run this Easter program for church:
Easter is a special opportunity for churches to bring people together in worship, reflection, and celebration. But remember, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to observing the holiday. Every church is unique, but the goal for Easter remains the same: to glorify Jesus and strengthen your community.
We hope this list of Easter program ideas sparked your inspiration! These ideas can easily be mixed and matched to best serve your church’s size, culture, and needs. No matter how you choose to celebrate, may this Easter be a time of renewed faith and a powerful reminder of Jesus’ victory over the grave.
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