Local churches to celebrate Easter
Published 12:00 am Saturday, April 3, 2010
Easter services will be held all across the county tomorrow morning as Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
In addition to tomorrow’s regular services, churches throughout the community have celebrated Holy Week with special church services and Easter egg hunts.
The Star-News has been asked to announce these Easter services.
Saturday services
St. Mary’s Episcopal Church will hold its Easter Eve Light and Lessons service at 7 p.m.
Christ the King Catholic Church will hold its Easter Vigil Mass at 7:30 p.m.
Easter Sunrise
The first recorded Easter Sunrise Service recorded took place in 1732 in a Moravian congregation. After an all-night prayer vigil, the unmarried men of the community went to the town graveyard to sing hymns of praise to the risen savior.
Many churches in the American South hold traditional sunrise services in cemeteries as a sign of recognition that Jesus no longer lay in the tomb on Easter morning.
The Andalusia Area Ministerial Association will not have their usual sunrise service at Andalusia Memorial Cemetery, but there are other options available. Easter sunrise services in the local community include:
Eldridge and Grimes Pond on Sanford Road in Andalusia. Gather at 6:15 for coffee and biscuit. The service will start a 6:30 with Charles Thomas Eldridge giving the message. June Simpson will provide special music.
Salem Baptist Church will hold an outdoor sunrise service at 6:25 a.m.
McKenzie Baptist Church will hold a communitywide service at 6:30 a.m.
Dozier residents will gather at the Dozier Cemetery at 6:30 a.m.
Sunday morning services
St. Mary’s Episcopal Church will hold Easter Sunday Holy Eucharist at 9:15.
The First Baptist Church of Andalusia will hold a worship service at 10:30 a.m.
New Hope Lutheran Church will have a worship service at 11 a.m.
Christ the King Catholic Church will hold an Easter Sunday service at 11:15 a.m.
Mt. Chapel Missionary Baptist will hold its service at 11:30 a.m.
Musical services
For those looking for a musical approach to Easter Sunday:
Antioch’s Church of the Nazarene will have Wade Hammond in concert as part of a combined service at 10:30 a.m.
West Highlands Baptist Church’s adult choir will present “I Know My Redeemer Lives” at 10:30 a.m.
Rawls Baptist Church will hold its annual Easter cantata and homecoming service at 11 a.m.