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Challenge and joy of 2011 Easter Festival
THE Easter Festival held at Southlands from Palm Sunday to Easter Monday was a big success – except in terms of the number of visitors who viewed an exhibition over the Easter weekend.
The joint service with St Chad’s on Palm Sunday, included a procession, from St Chad’s to Southlands, and went well.
There were TWO donkeys, Lenny and Titch, at the head of the procession which looked impressive and attracted a fair bit of interest along the route.
At services on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Day minister Jennifer McKenzie challenged the congregation with meditations on three Charles Wesley hymns.
The Worship Group led an Easter Praise All Age Worship service on Easter Day and this included hymns, readings, a monologue, a sketch and an opportunity for the children to make “egg people”.
The congregation were challenged to think about one of the Easter themes, that of “new life”, in terms of their own Christian journey.
At the end of the service the congregation picked up Easter lilies, left the church and placed them at the foot of a wooden cross in front of the Thanksgiving Hall before shouting the words, “Christ is risen, Alleluia!”
An Easter Family Party held on Easter Monday included a variety of “active” and “seated” games enjoyed by old and young.
An excellent spread was provided by the catering team led by Gill Hagyard who was celebrating her 60th birthday the same day.
The exhibition, open on Saturday afternoon, Easter Day afternoon and the morning of Easter Monday focussed on the different Easter traditions observed in eight different countries.
Many people viewed the exhibition when they came to Easter services, but visitor numbers were poor, probably because of exceptionally fine weather.
Organiser Bob Lawrence said he was delighted by the way the festival had gone but disappointed by the number of visitors to the exhibition as one of the aims was to bring people on to the premises.
However, groups and individuals making the exhibits enjoyed the task and also learned something new about Easter.
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