How We Package A Special Emphasis In Our Church

Often churches asked us how we package a special emphasis in our church? Well, let me show you an example of an 8-day emphasis we are doing at Cross Church for the week of Easter.

For several years I have desired to provide our people with a special series of powerful days prior to Easter Sunday. I wanted these days to assist in:

Providing a track of spiritual preparation for the celebration of Easter.

Highlighting biblical passages and experiences from the final week in the life of Jesus Christ.

Experiencing the solemnness the day Jesus died on the cross, what we regard as Good Friday.

As a leader, you come to a point and determine, “I am going to do this” regardless of what appears to challenge it. I determined that in 2013, Cross Church was going to provide an 8-day spiritual experience and biblical path that would highlight some of the major events and experiences of the final week of Jesus’ life.

Highlights of “Passion Week: The Final Week in the Life of Jesus Christ”

This is our theme for our 8-day experience that will lead us to having an Easter week with great impact. I decided rather than debating a chronology of timelines for the week, I would just lead us to teach and focus on some of the highlights of the Passion Week, the final week in the life of Jesus Christ.

You can see below how we are packaging these days around this theme.

Sunday, March 24, “The Lord’s Supper: Remembering the Gospel of Jesus Christ”

On this Sunday, we will teach the Word of God from Matthew 26:26-30 and do so for about 25 minutes. Then we will lead in a meaningful Lord’s Supper service that remembers the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Monday, March 25 –  Friday, March 29

For five days, Monday through Friday, we will provide a noon-day experience for our people, that will include lunch, a 10-minute worship experience through singing, followed by a 35-minute biblical exposition.

Over these five days, we will teach the following . . .

Monday, March 25, “The Garden of Gethsemane: Jesus Christ Preparing to Die”

Tuesday, March 26, “The Betrayal of Judas and the Kiss of Death”

Wednesday, March 27, “The Denials of Peter and his Deep Regret”

Thursday, March 28, “The Scourging of Jesus Christ and the Final Hours Before His Death”

Friday, March 29, “The Crucifixion and The Death of Jesus Christ”

Friday evening, March 29, “The Death and Burial of Jesus Christ”

On Friday evening, we will have a very solemn, dignified, and serious service that will lead us to remembering the death of Jesus Christ. On this evening, we will have a very powerful worship experience with the Worship Choirs of Cross Church, which will be accompanied by the Symphony of Northwest Arkansas. Interweaving in this solemn service, I will lead us to meditate upon the life of Jesus Christ, really focusing on the death of Jesus Christ, and then concluding with a talk about the burial of Jesus Christ.

This Friday evening experience will have a very unique climate and feel. We will even request those who attend to not bring applause at any time during the service. We will be there to think upon the death and burial of Jesus Christ. As we walk out in deep meditation, our hearts will be prepared for Easter weekend.

Saturday Night, March 30 and Sunday Morning, March 31, “The Resurrection of Jesus Christ From The Dead”

The people who walk with us on this track during the Passion Week, will move from solemnity to celebration. On this coming Easter weekend, our people will have the most dynamic experience they have ever had during the Passion Week. We will see the power of the resurrection of Jesus Christ because we have more fully understood the death and burial of Jesus Christ.

Finally . . .

This is one way we package a special emphasis in our church. I have led in this process, our Preaching Team has helped me with the Word, our Creative Worship Team has assisted us in overall experience, and our Communication Team will provide us resources to share this Passion Week vision with the masses of people in our region.

Every church does this kind of thing differently and I am sure I could learn from each of you. I hope today you have been encouraged by our methods at Cross Church.

Yours For the Great Commission,

Ronnie Floyd