Easter Season Guide

Lent & Ash Wednesday

The journey to Easter begins with Lent. On February 22, churches around the world will observe Ash Wednesday—beginning the Lenten season which extends through the next 46 days until, at last, Easter Sunday on April 9. For many of these churches, the distribution and reception of palm ash is an outward expression of a sacred season marked by sobriety, humility, and repentence.

For other churches, even if Ash Wednesday is not so formally observed, Lent still remains an opportunity to set the story of Easter into the hearts and minds of all who may attend church throughout the season.

As you prepare your church for Easter Sunday, remember that the preceding weeks can be filled with depth and intention—perhaps through a special sermon series, small group study, or even the simple visual reminder of seasonal bulletins—in anticipation of the glorious celebration of Christ’s resurrection.

Handcrafted Stoneware Ash Pyxis RH500ROSE, $39.95 (page 37) | Pure Palm Ashes ASH100, $6.99/100 servings (page 37) | Lent Bulletin H4155, $8.99/pack of 100 (page 44) | 2’ x 6’ Lent Banner BSP220101, $89.00 (page 50)

Fresh Palm Branches Assorted varieties, $19.99-$34.99/bag (page 37) | Fresh Palm Strips 333024, $24.99/bundle of 100 (page 37) | Dried Woven Palm Crosses 333044 (small), 3330046 (large), $19.99/pack of 50 (page 37) | 2’ x 6’ King of Kings Banner B90001, $79 (page 50)

Palm Sunday

A day for celebration and triumph, Palm Sunday (April 2) is an opportunity to let the church flourish and its people shout with praise. The church recognizes Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem as a key moment in the Gospel story for the prophecies it fulfilled, as well as for how this joyous occasion sets into motion the events that lead to the sorrow of the crucifixion, and finally the victory of the resurrection.

Make the most of Palm Sunday at your church with authentic fresh palms, decorative banners and bulletins, and perhaps even a reenactment of the triumphal entry!

After your service, dried palm crosses serve as an excellent reminder of the day. Plus, every purchase of palm crosses directly supports a Christian ministry in Tanzania that provides jobs and income to the local villagers who weave them by hand.

FRESH PALM ARRANGEMENTS: Combine fresh palm branches with seasonal flowers for bright floral accents to display around your church.

CARING FOR YOUR FRESH PALMS

Your specially-ordered fresh palms will arrive 5-12 days before Palm Sunday (April 2). Here are our top recommendations for ensuring you have the freshest, best-quality palms at your Palm Sunday service.

• Open your box immediately upon arrival and check your palms.

• Fresh palms are like cut flowers—refrigerate upon arrival for best preservation.

• Do not allow the palms to freeze.

• Palms are naturally yellow-green in color, and may have some browning on the tips. This is a natural characteristic since the tips begin drying even before the leaf matures and is removed from the plant.

Find more ordering information on page 37.

Easter Invite Tools

Reaching people where they are. For many people, the difference between attending or not attending church on Easter Sunday is simply a matter of invitation. In light of this, as you prepare for Easter and other special services, be sure to extend invitations to your community, reaching regular attendees and newcomers alike with a well-crafted invitation that communicates clearly.

By mailing postcards, you can deliver the message of your Easter services directly to the homes in your community—a highly effective way to introduce yourselves to any new faces and families who might not have been encountered in person otherwise.

For a more personal approach, consider business-card sized invite cards. With these, you can give your congregation the opportunity to extend invites themselves to neighbors, friends, family members, and perhaps even some unforeseen divine appointments.

Blue Day Easter Social Pack DMSP230100-SOCIAL, $7.00 (page 49) Blue Day Easter Postcards PCSP230100, from $59.99/pack of 100 (page 55) Blue Day Easter Invite Cards INSP230100, $79.99/pack of 500 (page 55)

THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA

According to recent data, the average person spends over two hours a day on social media. What a huge opportunity to reach even more people about your Easter services!

We’re proud to offer digital products for your social media to help you announce Easter events, communicate weekly, and engage in conversations that strengthen your churches relationship with your community.

Outdoor Signage

“You’ve come to the right place.” Attending a new church can be a daunting, even anxiety-inducing experience for many people. So, if you’re extending Easter invitations to potential newcomers, outdoor signage that coordinates with your invites is a great way to reassure visitors that they’ve reached the right church. Plus, a bright vinyl banner gives a nice seasonal touch to any permanent church signage.

In neighborhood lawns and local streets, yard signs are a simple, yet sturdy tool to get the word out from beyond your church property.

Hosting at a temporary location? Many churches that have yet to establish their own building have made use of A-frame street signs that can be placed outside of buildings and on street corners to direct visitors.

3’ x 8’ Blue Day Easter Outdoor Banner BSP230100, $95 (page 53) | Blue Day Easter Happy Easter Yard Sign YSP230101, $35.00 (page 54) | Blue Day Easter Services Yard Sign YSP230100, $35.00 (page 54) | Blue Day Easter A-Frame Street Sign AFSP230100, $165.00/frame + 2 printed signs (page 54)

Your Welcome Center

A great first impression with friendly faces. On Easter Sunday, be ready for new visitors and regular attendees with a well-stocked welcome center. Here, everyone can receive a friendly “Hello!”, a bulletin and serving of communion to be used during the service, and the opportunity to receive information about your church, as well as provide their own contact information via a written connection card. Directional signage in the form of banners, posters, and floor prints can point visitors to your sanctuary, Sunday School, restrooms, and other key locations.

Going offsite for an outreach event? Set up a customized canopy for an instant pop-up prayer booth, and give volunteers an extra-energetic boost with handheld signs.

Customizable Canopy Tent CANOPY10X10, $859.00 (page 57) | Blue Day Easter Handheld Sign HSP230100-C, $30.00 (page 57) | Line Starts Here Floor Print FS10011, $35.00 (page 57) | Easter Bulletin H4158, $8.99/pack of 100 (page 45) | TrueVine Communion Chalices TC100JB, $49.00/ pack of 100 (page 28) | 2’ x 6’ Blessed Easter Welcome Banner BSP230101, $79 (page 49)

Repent & Believe BSP230706 King of Kings BSP230702 He Is Risen Indeed BSP230701 This is My Blood BSP230704 Jesus Paid it All BSP230703

Indoor Banners

Design Collection: Bright Sky Easter Morning imagery is a classic symbol of Easter, not only because Jesus’ resurrection was discovered in the morning, but also because of the way it represents a sort of dawn within the soul, a bright new beginning of life and hope.

This design collection includes banners for the Lenten season, as well as coordinating signage, promotional tools, and digital media that can be used at your church as a complete, visually cohesive campaign.

BSP230700 from $95.00

MORE IN THIS COLLECTION

AFSP230700

from $50.00

PCSP230700

from $59.99

YSP230700

as low as $12.99 each

DMSP230700-SOCIAL

$7.00

Easter Banner B90024, $119.00 for 3’ x 6’ (page X) | NIV Large Print Pew Bible, Navy 9780310446323, $209.99/case of 12 (page 38) | Easter Offering Envelope H4158E, $8.99/pack of 100 (page 43) | TrueVine Communion Cups TV100JB, $36.95/box of 100 (page 30) | Risen Series in a Box 70010024, $59.00

Your Easter Service

The moment you’ve been planning for. This Easter, as everyone gathers in your sanctuary and your Easter Sunday service begins, our hope is that your congregation enters into a truly special experience with a well-crafted sermon prepared to present the miracle of Easter anew, and an inspiring atmosphere created with the aid of uplifting imagery throughout the room.

In this moment, be sure to provide everything your congregation needs to fully participate in the service—Bibles, sermon notes, pens or pencils, and communion elements—and allow for meaningful response and return with easily accessible offering envelopes and connection cards.

As your service begins, and all is in its place, may everyone’s hearts and minds be full and ready to experience the Gospel message.

RISEN SERIES IN A BOX: This digital download has everything you need for an Easter Sunday sermon, including sermon outlines, editable screen graphics, video content, and more.

Communion

A time for stillness. Amid busy schedules, distressing headlines, and constant bids for attention, the timehonored tradition of communion stands firm as a set-apart moment of holiness and remembrance, especially during the Easter season. Our communion products provide this opportunity to everyone in the church, with tools that streamline ushers’ preparation and high-quality products that allow your congregation to have a distraction-free experience, truly focused on Christ.

A TRULY REVERENT EXPERIENCE: TrueVine Chalices (top left and right) are the preferred choice for prefilled communion, with an elegant design that combines tradition and reverence with portability and quality. All TrueVine products feature easy-open seals (bottom left) on both top and bottom, and our TrueVine Cups fit in standard communion trays (bottom right), making them a convenient, low-prep solution for your regular services.

After Service

Make lasting connections happen. Once your Easter service releases, foster true fellowship and meaningful conversation by having a comfortable and inviting space for people to gather after church. Consider setting up a “Next Steps” table where visitors can receive prayer, Bibles, and information about getting involved in a ministry or upcoming small group study. Online, utilize social media to celebrate your wonderful Easter service, feature sermon quotes, and further promote upcoming events at your church.

3’ x 6’ Easter Banner BSP230301, $119.00 (page 51) | NIV Economy Outreach Bible 9780310445890, $100.99/case of 40 (page 38) | Blue Day Easter Postcards PCSP230100, from $59.99/pack of 100 (page 55) | Isaiah: Striving Less and Trusting God More by Melissa Spoelstra 9781087750958, $21.99 (page 23)