EASTER TRANSFORMATION

On Easter morning, when church attendance increases dramatically, two typically well attended Cape Girardeau church buildings will be empty.

First Assembly of God and Lynwood Baptist are celebrating Easter in arenas.

"In the past, we were at the Arena Building on Easter," said Gary Belcher, minister of music at Lynwood. "But we got as many as we could in there last year. The Show Me Center is the next sized place."

With an average Sunday morning attendance of 800 jumping to possibly 2,000 for Easter, Belcher said the A.C. Brase Arena Building just wouldn't be big enough.

But the concept of choosing a location other than church for Easter was important. It eliminates a barrier for some who would otherwise have doubts about attending a service, he said.

"For six years we have been doing it like this," Belcher said. "The idea is to make it like a neutral site."

By meeting at the Osage Community Centre, First Assembly will solve traffic problems and make more people happy, said the Rev. Gary Brothers, pastor.

"We don't have the parking for three services to run on Sunday, so logistically it is easier at the Osage Center," Brothers said.

Normally, about 850 attend two Sunday morning services, he said. By inviting everyone to one service, it gives people a chance to celebrate Easter together and see each other.

Aside from attendance growth of up to 1,400, few things will change for the service, Brothers said. It should be a little longer, and more music will be included, but otherwise the format is the same.

A reason for attendance at St. Andrew Lutheran nearly doubling to 850 for Easter is that many Christians and non-Christians don't see a need for organized churches as a part of their lives, said the Rev. Paul Short.

"It's the difference between seeing church as a religious activity versus a place of celebration," Short said.

In his Easter sermon, Short tries to present a message that challenges all, no matter how often they come to church. He said he will ask people to consider how the resurrection of Christ impacts their lives now.

At Lynwood, a special effort is made not to make anyone who rarely attends church or visitors uncomfortable.

"We don't stand up there and lambaste anyone," Belcher said. "We try to communicate that we're just glad someone's here this Sunday."

At the same time, he said the reason for gathering is made clear: Christ died so that all could have a new life.

Many churches around the region offer Easter pageants, dramatizations, cantatas or special musical services during Holy Week as an attempt to bring people together for worship.

La Croix United Methodist Church is asking more of its regular attendees on Easter so that the service can be a positive experience for those who come less frequently, said Rob Mehner, discipleship pastor.

A fourth service, starting at 7:15 a.m., is being added for Easter with the idea that church regulars come earlier. This will make getting in and out of church easier when attendance goes from about 775 to 1,200, he said.

Anticipating a crowd, a sidewalk was added this week to better utilize an exit from the sanctuary, Mehner said. This will permit everyone to enter through the main door and leave by another.

"We'll have one-way traffic this Sunday," he said.

The message that Pastor Ron Watts will give at La Croix is not Easter focused, Mehner said, but the end of a series of messages about the different ways God loves people. Watts usually builds his messages through thematic series.

"By incorporating this into the Easter theme, we hope that people will think about what they have missed," Mehner said.

(EASTER SCHEDULE)

Area churches are hosting special services for Easter weekend. The following list is a sampling of services in the community .

Today

Holy Saturday service will be held at 6 p.m. tonight, with Rev. David W. Hintz as speaker at Trinity Lutheran Church.

Christ Episcopal Church will host a Easter vigil and baptism at 7 p.m.

Easter Sunday

Wesley United Methodist will have a sunrise service at 6:30 a.m., with a breakfast afterward. Worship is at 10:15 a.m.

First Assembly of God will hold its Easter service at the Osage Centre at 10 a.m. Evening services will resume at the church 6:30 p.m.

Grace United Methodist Church will hold a sunrise service at 6:30 a.m. Worship will also be at 8 and 10:30 a.m.

At 6:30 a.m., a sunrise service will be held at Good Shepherd Lutheran Chapel, followed by an Easter breakfast from 7:30-8 a.m. The Sunday morning Bible class program will be at 8:30 a.m., and the festival Easter service will be at 9:30 a.m. Special music will be provided at all of these services by the choir and handbells.

Services will be held at 8 and 10:30 a.m. Easter at Trinity Lutheran Church, with communion observed at both.

On Easter Sunday, First Presbyterian Church will hold an Easter breads continental breakfast at 9:30 a.m.

Hobbs United Methodist Chapel will hold a sunrise communion service at 6 a.m. Easter, with a continental breakfast following. Sunday school is at 7:45 a.m. and worship at 9 a.m. An Easter egg hunt will follow the worship service.

Whitewater Country Chapel will hold a "blessing of the children" service at 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Easter Sunday.

A sunrise service will be held at 6:30 a.m. on Easter at Zion United Methodist Church in Gordonville. The youth of the church will lead this service. Breakfast will follow. A prayer group will be held at 9 a.m., Sunday school will begin at 9:15 a.m. Worship service will be held at 10:30 a.m. and an Easter egg hunt will be held at 11:30 a.m.

Bald Knob Cross at Alto Pass, Ill., will hold its 64th annual sunrise service from 6:30-7:30 a.m. Easter Sunday. The Rev. James Weiss of Marion, Ill., will be speaker. Breakfast will be served beginning at 4 a.m.

Lynwood Baptist Church invites the community to worship Easter morning at the Show Me Center beginning at 10:30 a.m. Evangelist Kelly Green speak. Bible learning activities for birth to age three will be provided at the church facility.

For more information or to register children for Bible learning activities, call the church office at 335-4600.

First Baptist Church in Cape Girardeau will hold a sunrise service at Riverfront Park at 6:30 a.m. with a family breakfast held in the lower auditorium of the church from 7:30-8:30 a.m. Sunday school will be held at 9:30 a.m. Worship and a baptism service will be at 10:45 a.m. Easter Vespers service will be held at 6 p.m.

Perkins Baptist Church will host an outdoor Easter sunrise service Sunday at 6:30 a.m. in front of the outdoor crosses at the church. There will be special music. The service will be followed by a time of fellowship with doughnuts, coffee, and juice. In case of inclement weather, the service will be held inside the church building. Sunday school will be a 9:30 a.m. and morning worship at 10:30 a.m. Children are invited to stay for an Easter egg hunt following the morning worship service.

Eisleben Lutheran Church will have a sunrise service at 6:30 a.m., and worship again at 10 a.m. Easter.

Christ Episcopal Church will have Easter worship at 10:15 a.m.

Centenary United Methodist Church will have a sunrise service at 6:30 a.m. and a breakfast at 7:15 a.m. Dr. Clayton Smith will speak at the 8 and 10:45 a.m. worship services.

First Presbyterian Church will hold a sunrise service at 6:30 a.m. at Bent Creek Clubhouse. Refreshments will be served. A continental breakfast will be served from 8-8:45 a.m. in the church fellowship hall. Children of the church will share the Easter story from 9-9:40 a.m. with songs and skits. A celebration service will be at 10 a.m. in the church sanctuary.

Scopus United Methodist Church will have an Easter sunrise service at 6:30 a.m. Kim Cunningham, Janet Luttrell, Darrell and Cathy Hobbs and the Rev. Bobby Trentham will provide special music. Following the worship service, there will be an Easter egg hunt for children and a breakfast.

Zion Lutheran Church in Pocahontas will have a sunrise service at 6 a.m. Everyone is invited. There will be a continental breakfast in the church parish hall afterward.

Fruitland Community Church will hold its Easter worship at 10 a.m. at the Bavarian Halle, which is near the Interstate 55/Fruitland exchange.

The New Life Gospel Center in Scott City will have an Easter sunrise service at 6 a.m., and worship at 11 a.m. All are invited.

The East Cape Baptist Church will present the Easter musical, "Nail-scarred hands" during worship Sunday. Ernie Forehand will narrate during the service, which begins at 10:30 a.m.

Calvary Temple will hold Easter worship at 10 a.m. at Heartland Banquet Hall on Highway 61. Kim Cunninghan of Step of Faith Ministries will sing.