Worship Ideas for The Great 50 Days

Ways to engage your congregation in worship during Eastertide

The Great 50 Days is a season of resurrection! 

Easter is the most ancient and central feast of the Church year. All our acts of worship arise from the resurrection of Jesus Christ. For example, Christians worship together on Sunday because it is the “third day” or the day that Jesus rose from the grave. Every Sunday is a “little Easter.” Additionally, we celebrate the resurrection on Easter Sunday each year and the observance lasts for an entire season called The Great 50 Days or Eastertide. It is the highest point of the Church year and observed as one big Sunday.

Fifty whole days of celebrating the resurrection.

While the season of Lent is 40 days, Eastertide is an entire 50 days leading up to Pentecost (which also means 50). After the resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days on earth before his ascension and an additional 10 days passed before the Holy Spirit descended on the church in power on Pentecost (40+10=50). The giving of the Holy Spirit is connected to the resurrection of Christ. 

The Great 50 Days is filled with high praise and celebration. While the church fasts from singing or saying, “Alleluia!” during Lent, the church declares it with passion during The Great 50 Days! The lectionary readings feature the apostles testifying to the resurrection and showcase the power of God through the fruit of the resurrection. Fill your church with partying, feasting, eucharistic celebration, declaration, and testimony. Here are some ways to celebrate Eastertide in your church:

Hold a church-wide celebration after Easter
During The Great 50 Days host another celebration that continues the feast after worship over lunch. Use this time to build community, cast vision for the church, lift up ministry leaders, servants, teams, and ministries, and testify to what God has done to bring new life in your church over the past year. Party! This could also be done with a combined worship service (if you have multiple services).

Feature weekly testimony
Use The Great 50 Days to feature a weekly testimony in worship from a person or family in your church. God has done amazing things in your congregation and brought new life. Testimony from the family of God is a particular way of unleashing the power of the Holy Spirit and setting people free. You could also have a Testimony Sunday (with combined worship, see no. 1).

Sing or say, “Alleluia!”
While the historic practice of the Church is to fast from speaking or singing, “Alleluia” during Lent, it is normative practice to let the “Alleluias” ring during The Great 50 Days. Use it frequently in calls to worship, declarations, songs, and prayers. Worship with upbeat, high praise music/hymns. Alleluia! Christ is risen.

Feature ministries and leaders in the church
Use The Great 50 Days to lift up the various ministries in your church and invite members to serve. Every Sunday you can feature a different ministry area and celebrate the new life God has resurrected over the past year. We are normally so forward focused that we rarely take time to remember. Cast vision for what God has done, is doing, and what God wants to do!

Include weekly eucharist
This is a perfect time to introduce weekly eucharist (which is highly Wesleyan). The Risen Christ invites the Church to feast with him at the Table so we may be filled with resurrection power. As the highest liturgical season of the Church year, both sacraments (baptism and communion) take prominence. 

Include children and youth in worship
The Great 50 Days is the ideal time for children and youth to read scripture, collect the offering, pray, and minister to the congregation. Utilize the gifts of your entire church, not just the adults. Children and youth are also called to ministry. 

Use declarative acts of worship
Use creeds, offering declarations, gospel declarations, and acts of worship that declare the faith once delivered during this season. Tesia L. Mallory | Worship Resources has resources for the entire season, including declarations of the faith.

Stay focused on resurrection
While the wider culture observes one day of Easter, the church continues to live into the resurrection. Use Easter themes in sermon preparation and worship preparation—death is defeated, Christ has overcome the grave, Jesus is Lord, resurrection, new life, high praise, testimony, God’s new thing, etc… Don’t be tempted to move on. It’s a big deal!

May God bless you, your ministry, and your congregation as you celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Death is defeated. Alleluia!

Peace,
Tesia