Easter is the highest-attendance Sunday of the year — and for many guests, the only service they'll attend. The media your team chooses carries extra weight: it's part of the first impression your church makes on people who may not return until Christmas. Here's how to plan it well.
Start planning in January
Easter media planning works backward from Holy Week. Lock your service theme by late January, choose media by February, and have everything downloaded, loaded, and tested by mid-March. Teams that pick videos the week before Easter choose from whatever's left — and rehearse nothing.
The pre-service countdown
Easter crowds arrive early and fill slowly. A 5-minute countdown video manages the room: it welcomes early arrivals, signals the start, and frees your hosts from stage announcements while seats fill.
A resurrection mini movie
The Easter story is the most cinematic narrative in Scripture. A mini movie on hope, new life, or the resurrection placed right before the message gives your pastor a room that's already emotionally present. For bilingual services, consider pairing English and Spanish versions of the same film across gatherings.
Don't forget Good Friday
Good Friday services are quieter and more reflective — the media should be too. Choose somber, scripture-forward pieces and resist the urge to preview Easter's celebration a service early. The contrast on Sunday is the point.
Easter media checklist
- All videos downloaded locally (never stream during a service) and loaded into ProPresenter/EasyWorship
- Audio levels matched across every piece — test at service volume
- Same resolution across all media (1080p standard)
- Backup copies on a second machine
- Full tech run-through no later than the Wednesday before Palm Sunday
- License check: your videos should cover in-person use and your livestream (ours do)
The goal
Easter media isn't about production value for its own sake. It's about helping a room full of once-a-year guests encounter a story they think they already know — and feel it again for the first time. Choose a few pieces that serve that story, and test everything twice.
Browse mini movies and countdowns — every title is an instant HD download, no subscription, church license included. Need help choosing? james@jamesgrocho.com.