This is the greatest day on the Christian calendar. It’s the day Jesus rose from the grave! It’s the day good triumphed over evil! It’s the day when God won! There’s so much to celebrate and so much to look forward to.

       It’s also one of the days that is hardest to serve. It’s a day where you want to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection sitting in church as a family. That’s a wonderful feeling. Volunteering to greet or work in the nursery sacrifices some of that. That’s hard.

       But, it also happens to be a day when serving at church is most needed because it happens to be the day when people who are far from Jesus find themselves at church. We will have more visitors who don’t normally attend church this Sunday on Easter than we will any other Sunday of the year. We will have more of an opportunity to make an impact for Jesus in the lives of those who don’t know him this Sunday than any other Sunday of the year. Which is why this Sunday, volunteering with open hearts and enthusiastic smiles is so important.

       So thank you for volunteering. I know you’re sacrificing extra this week. I know you’re missing Easter with your family. But I also know you’re making a tremendous impact for the kingdom of God. Jesus himself said (Acts 20:35), “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” You are giving up receiving the gift of Easter Sunday so that others might receive it. You are blessed because of it. Thank you!