Easter is the biggest Sunday of the year for most churches. More guests. More pressure. More expectation. That combination can push worship leaders into decisions they would never make on a normal weekend.
Here are seven common Easter worship mistakes and how to avoid them.
1. Turning Easter into a Production Instead of a Gathering
Bigger crowd often leads to bigger plans. Extra tracks. Extra lights. Extra moments.
Excellence is good! But overproduction can shift the room into spectator mode. If the stage feels like a show, people will respond like an audience.
Keep asking: Does this help the congregation participate, or does it replace them? See the next two tips for more on this.
2. Choosing Songs the Congregation Doesn’t Know
Easter feels like a good time to debut something epic. But if half the room is unfamiliar with the songs, participation drops quickly.
Easter is not the Sunday to prove how cutting-edge your set is. It is the Sunday to unify the room. Lean into strong, familiar choruses and clear melodies. Guests and regulars alike should be able to sing by the second pass.
3. Neglecting the Congregation’s Voice
In the excitement of a full band and packed room, it is easy to let the stage dominate the sound.
Pay attention to volume. If the loudest voice is always the band, the congregation will shrink. Pull back occasionally. Let the room sing. Those moments often become the most powerful parts of the morning.
Easter worship should sound like a church, not a concert.
4. Ignoring the Guests in the Room
Easter brings in a bunch of new people. They probably don’t know your church culture and they may not understand worship language.
Inside jokes, unexplained phrases, or long spontaneous sections can create distance.
Use simple language. Give clear direction. Briefly explain what is happening when needed. Church goers know to stand when worship starts. Do your guests? Don’t presume. A short invitation like, “Stand and sing with us,” goes the distance.
5. Starting Too Big, Too Fast
Opening with the most explosive song in your catalog can leave you nowhere to go. It can also overwhelm guests who are just settling in.
Build intentionally. Give the room space to find its footing. When momentum grows gradually, participation grows with it.
Energy is powerful when it is paced.
6. Forgetting Good Friday
If your church observes Good Friday, Easter should feel distinct. If both services feel identical in tone, the resurrection can lose contrast.
Good Friday carries weight and reflection. Easter carries celebration and hope. Honor that shift. Let the joy feel earned.
7. Pushing Emotion Too Hard
The resurrection does not need hype. It’s the most powerful moment in history. Don’t try to improve on it—it won’t work.
Forcing intensity through volume, repetition, or dramatic pauses can feel manufactured. People sense that quickly.
Let the lyrics carry weight. Let Scripture speak for itself. Let the moment rise naturally. Trust that Jesus and the empty tomb will do the heavy lifting.
Risen Indeed!
Easter pressure is real. Don’t go into it trying to impress a crowd. Let Jesus’s resurrection from death and salvation of humanity impress the crowd.
Bring everyone together to celebrate with songs that are easy and fun to sing. Pace thoughtfully.
Keep it simple. Trust that the resurrection does not need help being glorious.
God bless you and your ministry this Easter season!
