Exciting Easter Services Planned at Green Pastures

During what is known as “Holy Week,” Christians around the world are, of course, getting ready to celebrate the Easter Season—and for many, those celebrations extend well beyond Easter Sunday, stretching as far as Pentecost Sunday.

With Good Friday on March 29 and Easter Sunday on March 31, Easter falls early for everyone this year. Although March can’t produce the warmer spring-like conditions April is accustomed to, there’s still plenty going on in local Christian churches – Green Pastures being no exception.

The Ballymena church is holding several essential services, starting on Good Friday at 7.30 pm, followed by a Resurrection Sunday service at 10.30 am, and finishing with an Evening Worship service at 6.30 pm.

Easter time has always attracted people of all backgrounds, even non-churchgoers, and perhaps this year more than ever. In what has become an increasingly divided realm that we live in, overflowing with war, violence, and confusion, people are seeking hope and answers like never before. Green Pastures Church, Ballymena, believes it offers this hope with a packed Easter weekend programme and special Easter message.

Commented its Media and Communications employee, Stacey Shiels, “Easter isn’t just a special time for churches and Christians; it’s a special time for everyone if they can recognise it. The Easter story isn’t some fairytale but an invitation to meet with God. And what a wonderful meet it is! We pray that people will experience Him wherever they find themselves physically or spiritually, on Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday. We know there is a place for them in the family of God at Green Pastures Church.”

While Easter is known as a time for family, giving gifts, eggs and feasting, it is also primarily a time of remembrance about the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ over 2000 years ago. It all begins the week before Easter Sunday on what is known as “Palm Sunday” when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem and was welcomed by his followers.

Meanwhile, Easter Sunday marks the day Christians believe Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead. According to the gospels, after Jesus was crucified on Good Friday, his body was taken down from the cross and placed in a cave. A stone was put over the entrance so that no one could steal the body, with Roman guards posted outside. Then, on the third day after the crucifixion, Jesus was resurrected and appeared to Mary Magdalene, one of his disciples.

Added Stacey Shiels: “On Good Friday, people will gather around the table as a church family to remember the day Jesus was crucified – the day that changed everything forever. We at Green Pastures will take communion together as we join in His life and remember His amazing sacrifice. However, our resurrection “praise party” on Sunday 31 is always the highlight of The Easter weekend, an event we are extremely excited about. Everyone is invited to come along and witness the life-changing, resurrection power of the Lord Jesus in the lives of many of his children.”

On Good Friday night, GP Kids and Youth Church is available, while live worship, Easter messages, food and drinks are provided in the refinery. A rousing Resurrection Sunday morning service is followed by a time of further worship in the evening, and all are welcome to attend any of the Easter services on offer this year at Green Pastures.

(Green Pastures Good Friday service begins at 7.30 pm, while the Easter Sunday morning service is at 10.30 with an evening service at 6.30 pm)