Avon Churches Celebrate Good Friday, Easter

To some, Easter is all about bunnies, Cadbury eggs, spring flowers, and Peeps. But to Christians, it's much more. That's why Avon churches are going all out this week to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

“This is the most important time of the year, because Christ died for us and was raised. The promise that we'll have eternal life is very important for us,” said Linda Cory, secretary at .

Father Tom Cleaton, of , added, “For Christians, it's the holiest week of the year, even holier than Christmas. So we want to spend it giving thanks for all God has done for us, and we hope everyone will take time to give back to God what he's given to us.”

Each church in Avon has its unique way of celebrating Good Friday and Easter, giving Avon residents numerous options for participating in the Holy Week.

 kicks off its celebration with an original worship event, Journey to the Cross. Groups of four or five people will take a 45-minute tour through different rooms of the church and follow the story of redemption through sensory experiences, secretary Susan Young explained.

“It's something we're trying for the first time, and we think it'll be very powerful,” Young said.

People are welcome to come any time between 5 and 9 p.m. April 21 and 1 and 9 p.m. April 22. The event is free. Although young children are welcome to come, Young said the Journey to the Cross is most appropriate for ages 7 and up.

Providence Church's Easter services will be held at 9 and 10:30 a.m. April 24. Christian education classes will be offered for nursery through four-year-old children. Pastor Jim Bzdafka will preach the Easter sermon.

 will hold a Good Friday service at 7 p.m. April 22. Pastor Rolland Byer said the service will be a time of reflection with communion and worship music from the church's contemporary worship band.

The church will have Easter services at 8, 9:30, and 11 a.m. April 24. Free continental breakfast will be served between each service. Senior minister Tim Hanze will preach the Easter sermon.

will have a Holy Thursday service at 7 p.m. April 21, and Good Friday service at 7 p.m. April 22. Its 8 a.m. Easter service on April 24 will be traditional, and its 10:30 a.m. Easter service contemporary with a worship band, Cory said. Free breakfast will be available between services at 9:15 a.m. Pastor Dave Woolfey will preach at all services.

New Community Baptist Church holds its services at . Its Easter event, called Shattered, will encompass both the death and resurrection of Christ.

“It will have a mixture of music and drama,” Pastor Brian Gardiner said. “First we will trace human history and the effect of sin in our world, how that's shattered our lives, and that through Christ's death on cross and resurrection we can be made whole again. Then we will trace Christ's death on cross and how he was broken so we could be made whole.”

Shattered will take place at 10 a.m. April 24, and Gardiner will preach a sermon that ties in with the theme.

St. Mary of The Immaculate Conception and will have similar events during Holy Week. Both churches will have a Mass of the Lord's Supper at 7:30 p.m. April 21, and Good Friday service at 3 p.m. April 22.

St. Mary's will follow the 14 Stations of the Cross, from when Christ first took the cross to when he was buried, at 7 p.m., on Good Friday. Each station will allow the public a time for reflection, Father Cleaton said.

St. Mary's will have a Blessing of Food at 2 p.m. April 23. The first Easter Mass will take place at 9:30 p.m. April 23, and three Masses will take place Easter Sunday at 8 a.m., 10 a.m., and noon.

Holy Trinity will hold a candlelight vigil at 9:30 p.m. April 23. That night, Holy Trinity also will recognize new members to the Catholic church. Four masses will be held on Easter Sunday at 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., and noon.

“I'd encourage people to come and accent spiritually their celebration of Easter,” Father John Misenko said.