Putting Easter worship on the schedule

Mar 03, 2024

The congregation listens to the sermon at the Easter sunrise service last year at Hope Lutheran Lake Weir Campus. Local churches are opening their doors this year to celebrate Easter on April 9, with hundreds of worship events scheduled.

Along with Christmas Eve and Day, Easter is one of the most well-attended church services on the Christian calendar. A 2012 LifeWay Research survey of 1,000 Protestant pastors named Easter one of their three highest attended services, along with Christmas and Mother’s Day. Local churches are also opening their doors to celebrate Easter on April 9, with hundreds of worship events scheduled that weekend. Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus, and more than a dozen church campuses in and around The Villages will begin the day with special “sunrise worship” outside the church walls. Sunrise is scheduled to happen at just after 7 a.m. Easter morning, and most of these worship services will take place as the sky goes from dark to light.

“Instead of us turning on the lights in the church during the service, why not let God turn on the lights for us in the sunrise?” said the Rev. Jon-Marc MacLean of Hope Lutheran Church, which will hold sunrise worship at all three of its campuses at 6 a.m.

April 9. “We are encouraging our congregants to bring friends and family to experience Easter worship at all of our campuses.”

St. George Episcopal will host sunrise worship at 6:30 a.m. Easter near the church’s bell tower, while New Covenant United Methodist Church will gather in its east parking lot at 6:30 a.m.

Other churches are heading into the community for sunrise worship. New Song Community Church returns to Log Cabin Park in Lady Lake for its annual Easter sunrise service at 7 a.m. April 9.

“It’s a full Easter service where we mark the resurrection with the community,” said Pastor Tom Ash of New Song Community. “We welcome residents of Lady Lake, The Villages and surrounding communities to visit Log Cabin Park to experience the service.”

Community United Methodist Church will gather outside the Fruitland Park Library for sunrise service at 6:45 a.m., while Oxford Assembly of God holds worship at Pine Level Cemetery in Oxford at 7 a.m.

“The cemetery is located behind our church,” said Lead Pastor Derrel Strickland of Oxford AOG. “We intend to finish the service at 7:45 a.m., with indoor worship taking place at 8 and 10 a.m.”

Several area churches are expanding their worship offerings on Easter weekend as they prepare for larger crowds. Hope Lutheran is offering 10 services across its three campuses in The Villages, while First Baptist Church of Leesburg is planning nine worship opportunities.

“Our Easter weekend worship schedule includes Saturday night services at our Downtown Leesburg campus, as well as the Village Park campus in Fruitland Park,” said Senior Pastor Cliff Lea of First Baptist Leesburg.

Local Roman Catholic churches and St. George Episcopal will hold Easter Vigils on Saturday night. The Easter Vigil is traditionally the first official celebration of Christ’s resurrection, and is normally held after sunset Saturday. Hope Lutheran is combining its Easter Vigil with its Sunday sunrise service at its Lake Weir campus in Summerfield.

Oxford Assembly of God is planning an Easter service for its youngest congregants with its annual “Easter Egglow.”

“The Egglow happens while our teens and adults are attending worship at 8 and 10 a.m. Easter Sunday,” said Children’s Pastor Sheena Cullen of Oxford AOG. “We will tell the Easter story, have a big Easter Glow Party with glow-in-the-dark games and activities, and so much more. This is for children potty-trained through sixth grade.”

The seven days before Easter are referred to as “Holy Week” in the Christian calendar. A number of area churches plan special worship services on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.

At Unity Spiritual Center in Fruitland Park, the church will hold a three-hour celebration of the life of Jesus at noon Friday.

“During the service, I’ll be presenting a metaphysical interpretation of the seven last statements of Jesus, which can be found in the New Testament,” said the Rev. Monica Driscoll, senior minister for Unity Spiritual Center. “After a brief lesson on each statement, people are invited to reflect and contemplate the statement as it relates to their current life circumstances.”

Congregants are also encouraged to journal or meditate during periods of silence that will take place throughout the service. The event is open to all faiths and denominations, as Driscoll said the service will be based across all Christian religions.

In Ocala, a week-long tent revival takes place in front of the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing from April 2-9. Worship happens at 6 p.m. nightly.

“This revival is a time for people to meet and learn about Jesus,” said David Johnson, an evangelist and musician who is leading the revival. “All are welcome for music and worship under the big tent. Bring a Bible and a friend.”

The museum is at 13700 SW 16th Ave., Ocala, just off I-75.

For more information on Easter and Holy Week worship, contact the church of your choice.

Senior writer James Dinan can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5302, or [email protected].

Rain showers in the morning with thunderstorms developing in the afternoon. High 88F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.

Thunderstorms likely in the evening. Then a chance of scattered thunderstorms later on. Low near 75F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%.

Scattered thunderstorms in the morning, then mainly cloudy during the afternoon with thunderstorms likely. High 87F. Winds E at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.

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