…if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith…But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead… (1 Cor 15:14,20, NIV, emphasis added)

Ash Wednesday (February 17) began the most significant season in the life of the Church, a season that culminates in the events of Holy Week (March 28-April 4).  For centuries, Christians have observed the Lenten season as a means to prepare for the joyous celebration of the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday.  We hope that you will gather with us for these special days, and most importantly, that you will share them with the people who are important to you—your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers.

Holy Week kicks off with our Palm Sunday celebration on March 28, which will feature a children’s palm processional in our 9:45 and 11:15 a.m. worship services, to commemorate the triumphal entry of Jesus into the city of Jerusalem in the last days before His crucifixion.  Several of our children’s groups (Lions, Tigers and K-5th grade) will participate in the processional, and we would love to have your children involved in as well.  They will need to be in their rooms by 9:40 a.m., so we can give them their branches and get them ready for the processional.

Please pick your child up in his or her classroom at 11:00 a.m.  We’d love for your kids to stay for the processional at the beginning of our 11:15 service, as well.  If your child can stay, please take him or her back to the foyer by 11:15.  The processional should be done by 11:30.

If you plan to attend our 8:30 a.m. service on Palm Sunday, we invite you to stay for the beginning of our 9:45 service to celebrate with our children.

On Good Friday, April 2, at 6:30 p.m., we will gather to remember the Lord’s suffering and death in our Good Friday Tenebrae service (“tenebrae” is from the Latin word for “darkness”).  This service is intended to help us prepare for our Easter celebration by remembering the great sacrifice that bought our deliverance from the death penalty for sin.  Music, candlelight, Scripture, communion and eventually, darkness and silence all come together in this time of worship to paint a poignant picture of the ultimate expression of the love of Christ.

Please plan to attend this meaningful worship service, and bring someone to share it with you.

No celebration in the life of the church is more significant than Easter.  On April 4, we will gather to celebrate, remember and rejoice in the fact that Jesus is ALIVE! There will be three identical worship services on Easter Sunday, at 8:15, 9:45 and 11:15, with a blend of traditional and contemporary music.  (Please note the earlier start time for the first service!)

To make the day special for children, we are planning an Easter Egg Hunt immediately following our 9:45 and 11:15 a.m. services in the field north of the Family Life Center.  Discovery Unlimited will take place during both the 9:45 and 11:15 services.  Please pick your children up in their regular rooms and take them to the hunt.

We are expecting many guests for our Easter services, and we encourage you to invite friends, co-workers, and neighbors to come to church with you that day—it’s a family day!  Let’s pray together that it will be a life-changing day for them!  (We anticipate that our 9:45 service may be very full, and we encourage those who can to plan to attend our 11:15 Easter service.)