Tomorrow is April first. Here’s a look ahead at what’s coming in April.

April 1  -  Maundy (Holy Thursday) and, of course, April Fool’s Day
April 2  – Good Friday
April 4  – Easter
April 5  – Easter Monday
April 11  – Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day)
April 15  – Taxes Due!
April 18  – Israel Memorial Day (Yom Hazikaron)
April 19  -  Israel Independence Day (Yom Ha’atzmaut)
April 23  – St. George’s Day
April 30  – St. James the Great Day

We’ll be sure to remind you of each of these Christian holidays, and give you some advice on how you can be best prepared. You can also look forward to explanations of some of the lesser-known Christian holidays.

For now, the most important thing to keep in mind is the collection of Good Friday and Easter media. Rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord! 

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In just a few days, thousands of churches all over the world will celebrate Easter. Some churches will have Easter egg hunts for the kids. Other churches will have elaborate cantatas, drama productions, or extended times of music. Some churches will celebrate the Lord’s Supper. In some assemblies, the pastor will deliver a message on the resurrection, and the church will have a fellowship meal together. Regardless of how a church commemorates this day, nearly all churches have one thing in common–they want to have a powerful Easter worship service. How can it be done?

Continue reading “How to Have a Powerful Easter Worship Service” »

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Easter is less than a week away. Are you ready? I don’t simply mean “ready” in the sense that your bulletin template is prepared and your sermon outline is developed. I mean “ready” in the sense that your heart is prepared to celebrate the greatest event in all of history–the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Here are ten ways that you can prepare your heart this week for Resurrection Sunday.

1. This week, read the resurrection account in each of the gospels, as well as the “resurrection chapter,” 1 Corinthians 15 (Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20).
2. Take time to consider at least three ways in which Jesus’ resurrection profoundly affects your life. Write them down. If you need some priming, read through 1 Corinthians 15, Romans 6:5, Philippians 3:10, or 1 Peter 1:3.
3. Memorize at least one verse from the list above, or choose another one that deals with Jesus’ resurrection. Meditate upon this verse as you go throughout the week.
4. Study the chronology of Jesus’ passion week, and read relevant biblical passages each day of the week. Reflect upon the price that he paid for your sin, the pain, the grief, and the anguish that he experienced.
5. Tell someone else about the resurrection and the impact that this doctrine has had on your life. 
6. Invite one person, perhaps someone who does not know Jesus as Savior, to come with you to your church’s Easter service. You may event want to invite them to your home for dinner afterward.
7. Celebrate Easter by giving someone a gift. It can be an Easter basket, flowers, a Christian book or even a new Bible.
8. Consider spending a day this week fasting as a specific act of devotion, worship and preparation for Resurrection Sunday. Use the time to meditate on the truth of the resurrection.
9. Sing about the resurrection. Find a song about the resurrection that is particularly meaningful and memorize it or sing it each day. You may even wish to sing or listen to the song as part of your personal quiet time or worship.
10. Spend a few minutes in prayer each day, simply thanking God for the resurrection.

This Easter can be one of the most spiritually significant times in your life. Allow God to work in your life by engaging in some of these spiritual disciplines.

Additionally, as you prepare for your church’s Easter celebration, here are other resources that you can use that will help to focus your heart.

• The Name Above All Names video gives a powerful message that is relevant to Easter Sunday. See other Easter Videos.
• Sharefaith’s recent video, the Easter Resurrection He Is Risen Music Video, is a video of one man’s journey from spiritual struggle to spiritual victory because of the truth of Jesus’ resurrection.
• Our vast collection of dynamic and engaging Easter PowerPoint templates provide a medium for conveying the truth to others.

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Check out the latest press release at PRWeb.

Sharefaith Launches its First Ever Live Action Video in Time for Easter

Building on its success with Christian animated videos, Sharefaith has expanded into the production of live action videos with new release “He Rose For Me.” 

Ashland, OR, March 24, 2010 – Leading church media and Christian content site, Sharefaith, announces its entry into live action videos. The Sharefaith site already contains over 500 short animated videos that have become one of the site’s most popular attraction. The first of its new live action series, entitled “He Rose For Me”, has been made available to Sharefaith’s membership base of over 15,000 churches through its download website. Designed to tell a personal and poignant story of Easter, the video has already received nearly 1,000 downloads and that number is expected to double by Easter Sunday.

“He Rose For Me” features a man who is confronted by life’s challenges– bills, kids, marital challenges, job difficulties–and facing despair. The Easter story of Jesus’ resurrection changes everything by changing him. The video portrays this change, relating the real-life struggles of regular people.

General Manager Hein Van Wyk explains, “We chose Easter as the time to launch this major new effort into live action videos because of the importance of Easter in Christianity. No other event carries such a strong message for Christians and we wanted to convey this message in an accessible, contemporary way. After Easter we will regroup with our video production team and plan a course for similar videos with major Christian themes.”

Easter, the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, is a peak traffic time on the site with over half a million visitors in the weeks leading up to Easter Sunday. For months, the company has focused the efforts of artists, graphic designers, and creative thinkers in providing thousands of new media options. The popular PowerPoint template collection has grown exponentially. In addition, hundreds of new bulletins, videos, flyers, and clipart have been added to the Sharefaith website.

Van Wyk discussed how Sharefaith functions and the type of service that it provides. “No other online resource offers such an extensive collection of professionally designed faith-based media. Our collection provides an all-in-one kit for church pastors and administrators to use within the context of their church service. It is really a one-stop shop.”

About Sharefaith
Serving over 15,000 churches, Sharefaith’s mission is to help Christian leaders achieve excellence in communication. As the foremost provider of church visual media solutions, Sharefaith serves churches of all sizes and denominations. Through a membership-based website, Sharefaith offers a complete range of communication designs for the modern church, including beautiful video backgrounds, fresh PowerPoint templates, aesthetic bulletin covers, stunning worship slides, attractive flyers, and a variety of other powerful communication tools. Sharefaith offers an intuitive site design, making it simple for anyone to find and download any of the more than 12,000 designs. Sharefaith is a leading creative force in church media innovation, and provides an all-in-one solution for the church’s digital and print needs. Customers can register for a free two-week trial at Sharefaith.com.

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Easter Sunday is the day of rejoicing that follows the sorrow of Good Friday and Holy Saturday. For most Christians, Easter is the celebration of Christ’s resurrection from the dead. It bears witness to God’s enduring promise of eternal life. As the climax of Holy Week, Easter is a time of hope and assurance. It is humanity’s turning point from destruction to glory and salvation.

What is the Real Meaning of Easter?
For the first three centuries, the Church celebrated the real meaning of Easter in connection with the Jewish Passover. The Passover began on the evening of the full moon in the Jewish month of Nisan, which coincided with the Spring Equinox.

As the crucifixion occurred on the first day of the feast, early Christians found a scriptural correlation between Jesus and the sacrificial lamb. The Apostle Paul refers to this in his first letter to the Corinthian Church where he states: “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8) The flexibility of Passover allowed the early Church to celebrate Christ’s resurrection any day of the week on which the third day of the festival happened to fall.

As the Western Church began to emerge, its celebration of Easter coincided with the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring, which caused some contention with the Eastern Church. The matter came to the attention of the Emperor Constantine, who convened the Council of Nicaea in AD 325. The council ruled that all churches would celebrate Easter on the first Sunday after the first full moon of the Spring Equinox. This became the standard for the Church under the Julian calendar until 1582, when Pope Gregory XIII revised the calendar and the Easter tables by adding the leap-year rule.

What are Easter and the Resurrection?
The name “Easter” did not become associated with the resurrection of Christ until the second century. It most likely comes from the ancient Saxon spring festival called Ostern. Some Easter customs also originate from ancient spring festivals. The tradition of the Easter Bunny has its origins with the Saxons, who would adorn their villages with rabbits carved from wood. The giving of brightly colored eggs was a custom in the Middle East during the spring. In many cultures, the egg symbolized rebirth or renewal.

Easter is a time of rejoicing for Christians. The Roman Catholic, Anglican and Greek Orthodox Churches commemorate the resurrection of Christ with the Easter Mass, which includes special prayers, litanies, psalms and hymns. In some Churches throughout Spain, Easter customs include special processions to honor the Virgin Mary. Protestant Churches have Easter services that include Communion, special sermons and sometimes Easter plays. Many Evangelical Churches have sunrise services that include much singing and rejoicing.

The purest meaning of Easter is the celebration of the resurrection or rising of Christ to heaven, which is the foundation of Christianity. Easter Sunday reminds all Christians of their heavenly calling and of the open door for relationship with God through Jesus, His Son. (By David Katski)

View the Sharefaith Easter Sunday Passover Collection 

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And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If, in this life only, we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” (1 Cor. 15:17-19)

All of Christianity hinges on a single event. No other topic has intrigued or disturbed people more than this event. Some deny it, explaining with fervency that such an event is impossible. But those who believe it are given hope and life. This event is what sets Christianity apart from all other religions of the world. No other human was ever raised from the dead and still lives today, except the Son of God, Jesus Christ. His resurrection is a pivotal truth at the very heart of the entire message of redemption and salvation.

The Resurrection goes beyond a paranormal event in history. Its purpose was to redeem man, but it was also used to confound the minds of the Roman soldiers who had witnessed that Jesus was dead before his body was taken down from the cross. It was to stir up fear and fury among religious leaders who blamed his missing body on the disciples in order to cover up their evil unbelief. It was to humiliate those responsible for sealing up the tomb, thinking it would prevent his escape. The resurrection of Jesus Christ was intended to divide those who opposed its miracle from those who desired and desperately needed the restoration it promised.

Not much has been written of Thomas in Scriptures, other than reports of his apparent lack of faith, and of the day when he was changed forever. Jesus appeared to Thomas in His resurrected body and allowed the doubting disciple to touch His hands and side. This provided Thomas with the revelation that Jesus was who He said He was, and it proved that He had risen from the dead.

Peter was the first to enter Jesus’ tomb and see the empty grave clothes. Peter had suffered bitter grief when he denied he knew Jesus on the night of His arrest. After Jesus’ death, Peter may have felt there was no hope for him, or for reconciliation with Jesus. At first, the empty tomb had confirmed his worst fears. But Peter’s faith was transformed when he was lovingly restored back into fellowship following a face-to-face encounter with the resurrected Christ.

The many women who had followed Jesus throughout his ministry had stood shocked and grieved at the foot of the cross. Yet they were the ones to whom the angels said, “He is not here; for He is risen, as He said” (Matthew 28:6). Among them, Mary Magdalene was the first to speak to the risen Lord that she had so faithfully served. Mary stood weeping at the entrance to the tomb until Jesus himself appeared to her. With joy and excitement she ran to tell the disciples what she had witnessed.

The resurrection continues to be an anchor of hope for Christians today. Because of Jesus’ death on the cross, the price for sins has been paid. But as a result of His resurrection, the power of death and the grave have been conquered. The same restoration that was provided for those who witnessed his resurrection is the same restoration available for those who continue to believe in its power today.

Several of Sharefaith’s Easter items will highlight the magnitude of this event. Here are three recommendations:

• Name above All Names Christian Music Video
• Resurrection Easter Sunday Service Christian Video Loop
• Easter Resurrection PowerPoint Template

(By Amy Miller)

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Every holiday has a certain ‘feel.’ Easter is no different. Usually, it has a feeling of new birth, a fresh start, and new beginnings. It’s about hope, joy, and anticipation. Because it coincides with spring, the excitement of warmer weather, new blossoms, green grass, and even spring break tend to permeate the atmosphere.

This is not a bad thing at all. However, what we sometimes forget is that Easter begins at the cross. There was nothing new, fresh or hopeful about the cross. It was a dark time. It was about death, terror, pain, and suffering. It was about God turning his back on his Son. It was about all the sin of all the world being carried by one man–Jesus. It was about intense physical suffering, unjust abuse, awful betrayal, and a horrific torturous death.

But Easter begins at the cross. It is at the cross that man receives forgiveness. Jesus died in our place. He died for our sins. He died so that we might live. That’s the meaning behind Easter. Easter begins at the cross. The joy begins with suffering. The forgiveness begins with pain.

As you seek to impact your people with these truths, keep in mind that Easter begins at the cross. In order to more clearly proclaim these truths, view our Good Friday Jesus Crucifixion PowerPoints. These striking PowerPoint sermon enhancements display images relevant for a Good Friday or Passion Week sermon series. Click here.

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Easter is now only two weeks away. If you haven’t already started announcing your Easter special service or Easter cantata, now is the time. Spread the word using the Easter Resurrection Flyer Templates. We’ve got over sixty options!

Check ‘em out.

Check out more Easter stuff.

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Palm Sunday ranks as one of Christianity’s holiest days, second only to Christmas and Easter. Palm Sunday falls on the last Sunday of Lent, which is the Sunday before Easter) and marks the beginning of Holy Week. Palm Sunday is only one week from this Sunday.

The History of Palm Sunday
First known as the Pascha (Passover), the meaning of Palm Sunday can be understood by looking at the history of the Christian church. Palm Sunday originally began in Jerusalem Church around the late fourth century. The ceremony consisted of prayers, hymns, and sermons recited by the clergy while the people moved to various holy sites throughout the city. At the last site, the spot where Christ ascended into heaven, the clergy would read from the gospels concerning the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. In the early evening they would return to the city reciting: “Blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord.” The children would carry palm and olive branches as the people returned through the city to the church, where they would hold evening services.

By the fifth century, as Christianity spread throughout the Empire, the Palm Sunday celebration was being held in Constantinople. Changes made in the sixth and seventh centuries resulted in two new Palm Sunday traditions – the ritual blessing of the palms, and a morning procession instead of an evening one. Adopted by the Western Church in the eighth century, the celebration received the name “Dominica in Palmis,” or “Palm Sunday”.

The Meaning of Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. The gospels record the arrival of Jesus riding into the city on a donkey, while the crowds spread their cloaks and palm branches on the street and shouted “Hosanna to the Son of David” and “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” to honor him as their long-awaited Messiah and King.

The significance of Jesus riding a donkey and having his way paved with palm branches is a fulfillment of a prophecy spoken by the prophet Zechariah (Zechariah 9:9). In ancient times, it was customary for kings and nobles arriving in procession to ride on the back of a donkey. The donkey was a symbol of peace and nobility. Those who rode upon donkeys proclaimed peaceful intentions. The laying of palm branches indicated that the king or dignitary was arriving in victory or triumph.

Palm Sunday in Modern Times
Today, in some churches Palm Sunday traditions retain some of the traditions from the tenth century. The ceremony begins with the blessing of the palms. The procession follows, then Mass is celebrated, wherein the Passion and the Benediction are sung. Afterward, many people take the palms home and place them in houses, barns, and fields.

In some countries, palms are placed on the graves of the departed. In colder northern climates, where palm trees are not found, branches of yew, willow, and sallow trees are used. The palms blessed in the ceremony are burned at the end of the day. The ashes are then preserved for next year’s Ash Wednesday celebration.

In the simplest of terms, Palm Sunday is an occasion for reflecting on the final week of Jesus’ life. It is a time for Christians to prepare their hearts for the agony of His Passion and the joy of His Resurrection.

View the largest collection of Palm Sunday Videos, Palm Sunday PowerPoint Templates, Palm Sunday Bulletin Covers, Palm Sunday Flyers and Palm Sunday Clipart.

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Spring is coming, officially. Whether or not it means warm weather where you live, that’s another story. Whatever your clime or mood, this Sunday marks the spring equinox. Here’s a First Day of Spring Video that you can use to welcome the day.

This welcome video not only welcomes people into your church, but welcomes in the long-awaited first day of spring. The colors are pastel blue and green, and the images are that of butterflies and the tracing of floral patterns. Rays of light emanate from the background as the text spins.

Click the video to watch the First Day of Spring welcome video.

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