Video: Local Pastors Excited about Big Crowds for Easter Sunday

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WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) — Easter is this Sunday, and since it’s a special time of year for Christians, local pastors are expecting big crowds at their churches.

With more people comes more pressure to give an especially inspiring message.

Pastors tell WCBI they may feel more pressure, but it’s a good kind.

“These are our holy days,” said Pastor Giles Lindley, First United Methodist Church of Starkville. “These are our precious, special days, and if you can’t get excited and be inspiring on Easter, you really probably shouldn’t be preaching.”

They say Holy Week is special, because it unites a lot of people from different churches.

“We get excited to see the crowds,” Lindley said. “We get excited for this story, because this is the story that defines who we are.”

These pastors say they may see some familiar faces, but they look forward to reaching out to those who don’t come on a regular basis.

“We want to put our best foot forward,” said Pastor Tim Brinkley, Mt. Hermon M.B. Church of West Point. “Ultimately the goal of Christianity is to make disciples, and so we want to do everything we can to make a good impression on those who are unsaved to give them an opportunity to come and give their lives to Christ.”

And if their sermons aren’t enough, pastors rely on their church members for help reaching out to newcomers as well.

“It’s not just a pastor’s responsibility to help make disciples,” Brinkley said. “It’s every disciple’s responsibility. Every Christian has a ministry – every single one.”

Whether they come to church every Sunday, or just for Christmas and Easter, pastors say the most important part is that people are hearing about Jesus.

“Whether it’s through the music, whether it’s through just the community of the church, whether it’s through the scripture of the sermon, there’s lots of ways to get the message,” Lindley said.