Easter by the Numbers

Easter Sunday, April 12, was a glorious day at First United Methodist Church in downtown Hutchinson, KS.

Admittedly, the weather was dreary and bleary, with a light rain making itself evident. We didn’t have a “sunrise service” this year for the first time in who knows how many years–not because of the weather but because of declining attendance at this service in recent years. But it was still a great day “by the numbers.”

Our worship attendance for the morning was excellent–at least for us in recent years. The total was 377, which is more than last year’s count of 353 and nearly as good as the prior year’s record of 385. We have a ways to go to reach where we were in 2006 with 440, 2005 with 450, or 2004 with 496. But we are moving in a positive direction for a change.

But it was not just the numbers in worship. It was the 21 participants in “Children’s Church” that morning, the 35 Easter lilies on the chancel rail, the 85 “guests and visitors” included in our worship attendance total.

It was the two anthems sung at each service by the choir. It was the four members of our Men’s Quartet, who outdid themselves with their music. And it was the hundreds (not just dozens) of plastic eggs “hidden” in Fellowship Hall for the Easter Egg Hunt after second service!

Another number was the offering total of $12, 899.96, which is more than twice what was received on Easter Sunday 2008. Perhaps that will alleviate some of the financial anxiety we have been experiencing!

But the best number of all was simply one–one empty tomb, one risen Savior! When all is said and done, that is the number that really matters, and that is the number we encountered on Easter Sunday.

Thanks be to God for a blessed and glorious Easter “by the numbers” this year!