Kingwood Center Gardens will host a community Easter Sunrise Service this Sunday at 7 a.m. behind its Welcome Center.
This is the 68th year for the service, which was sponsored by St. Mark Lutheran Church until two years ago.
Paul Lintern, who will preach at the one-hour service, is coordinating the event. “We like to say that ‘Mansfield is Godsfield,’ and this is the effort of church leaders throughout the community,” he said.
Pastor Monica Swank, Church Requel, will open with the resurrection passage from John, and Glory Way will sing three Gospel songs. Renea Collins, Kingdom Grace Fellowship, will lead a responsive reading and Dale Baer of Child Evangelism Fellowship will offer a message to children. Susan Hitchman Evans will accompany singing of Easter carols and hymns and Pastor Dave Rentzel of Kingdom Life will pray.
The Rev. El Akuchie will offer the benediction, with Glory Way closing out the service. A freewill offering will offset costs for the service and support the upcoming National Day of Prayer service and parade, May 2.
Metronome Music is providing a keyboard for the event. “Over the years, Kingwood has hosted this in several sites, around the main house and in the carriage house courtyard,
“This site is convenient, beautiful and conducive for worship,” Lintern says, adding that it is among the earliest dates that Easter arrives. “Come prepared to be outside, regardless of conditions. Only twice have we moved inside, in the last 25 years,” he said.