Religion briefs 4/8/06

Briefly

Local churches offer Easter services and special events

• Jackson First General Baptist Church -- three Easter morning services April 16 at 7, 8:30 and 10 a.m., with communion at each service. There will be no Sunday school that day, but children's church and nursery services will be held.

* Jackson First Baptist Church -- Easter pageant at 7 p.m. today and at 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are available at local businesses, including Schnucks, Gospeland Book Store, The Way, Country Mart and Stamps & Scrapbooks.

* Centenary United Methodist Church -- Easter Egg-stravaganza at 11 a.m. today. Event includes an egg hunt, face painting, animal balloons and snacks.

* First Church of God -- Easter egg hunt at the church from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. today for children ages 2 to 11. The church is at 500 Emerald St. in Cape Girardeau.

* St. Andrew Lutheran Church -- Easter sunrise service at 6 a.m. April 16, followed by Easter breakfast from 7 to 10 a.m. served by church youths.

* Grace United Methodist Church -- Eggstravagent Easter egg hunts, Sunday following the 10:30 a.m. service (for infants through second-graders) and at 7 p.m. there will be a flashlight egg hunt for third- through sixth-graders.

* Calvary Temple -- Easter pageant "By the way of the cross" at 10:45 a.m. April 16.

* Cape First Assembly of God -- Dramatic production "Eternity: The ultimate experience" at 7 p.m. April 15 through 17. For more information, call 334-4425, extension 243.

* Faith Tabernacle -- 10 a.m. Easter service followed by barbecue with games for children. The church is at 361 Country Club Dr. Transportation provided. Call 334-0745 or 382-2884 for more information.

* Southside Baptist Church -- Easter sunrise service April 16 at 6 a.m. at 805 Hackberry. Followed by regular 10:30 a.m. service.

* Jackson Church of the Nazarene -- Easter sunrise service April 16 at 6:30 a.m., followed by breakfast. The church is at 2245 Old Toll Road.

* First Presbyterian Church in Jackson -- Easter egg hunt, 1 p.m. April 15. Easter sunrise service at 6:30 a.m. April 16 at old Pleasant Hill Presbyterian Church, County Road 541.

* Christ Episcopal Church -- 6:30 a.m. sunrise Ecumenical worship at the Broadway gate along the Mississippi River, followed by 8 a.m. Easter Sunday communion and 10:15 a.m. Festival Eucharist of the Resurrection. Easter egg hunt at 11:30 a.m.

* Red Star Baptist Church -- Sunrise service April 16 at the Red Star boat dock followed by breakfast and a 10:40 a.m. Easter morning service. The church is at 1301 N. Main St. in Cape Girardeau.

Murray takes position at Holy Spirit Harvest Church

The Rev. Bob Murray has taken the role of pastor at Holy Spirit Harvest Church in Cape Girardeau. Sunday school begins at 9 a.m., with the church service at 10:45 a.m. For more information, contact Murray at 587-2010.

Local Unitarians hold special event on SEMO campus

The Cape Girardeau Unitarian Universalist fellowship will hold a covered-dish (potluck) dinner at 5 p.m. Sunday at the Johnson Faculty Lounge on the Southeast Missouri State University campus to welcome its guest speaker, the Rev. William "Bill" Sasso, minister of the Carbondale, Ill., Unitarian Universalist fellowship. His topic will be "The Importance of Teamwork." The Cape Girardeau fellowship is held at the Johnson Faculty Centre, 530 N. Pacific Ave., Cape Girardeau, on Sundays at 6 p.m. For more information on Unitarian Universalism or the local fellowship, please call 579-5464 or 243-6146, or see their Web site at www.cguuf.org.

Calendar

Sunday

Little Whitewater Baptist Church in Patton, Mo., begins revival with evangelist the Rev. Bud Evans at 7 p.m. The revival runs Sunday through Wednesday.

Vincentian Marian Youth meet at 6 p.m. for a mass for teenage youth group members at the Shrine Church in Perryville, Mo.

The Case for Easter, a Church Communication Network satellite broadcast, will be shown at Fruitland Community Church at 6 p.m.

Palm Sunday, Passover Seder Meal at 5 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson.

Palm Sunday Service and Easter cantata at Red Star Baptist Church, 10:40 a.m.

Palm Sunday service with rite of confirmation at 7:45 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. at Hanover Lutheran Church.

Monday

Christian Women's Club meets with guest speaker Marilyn Gosh of St. Louis at 11 a.m. at the Elks Lodge.

Wednesday

The Perry County Lutheran Chorale will hold its first concert, "Choral Vespers," at 7 p.m.

Lenten Bible studies, 5:30 p.m. dinner and 6:15 study at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson.

Thursday

Maundy Thursday celebration at First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, 7 p.m. in the church fellowship hall.

Christ Episcopal Church Maundy Thursday celebration at 6:00 p.m., with the Liturgy of the Lord's Supper and the washing of feet.

Maundy Thursday services at Hanover Lutheran Church, 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Friday

First Presbyterian Church is holding the Jackson Ministerial Alliance's Good Friday service at noon.

The Way of the Cross, a two hour devotional walk through downtown Cape Girardeau. Gather at Old St. Vincent's Church at noon.

Liturgy of the Passion at 6 p.m. at Christ Episcopal Church in honor of Good Friday.

Good Friday services at Hanover Lutheran Church, 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.

Saturday

Christ Episcopal Church, 8:30 a.m. morning prayer and The Great Vigil of Easter at 7 p.m. April 15.

-- From staff reports