With Holy Week now here, Jackson County churches of all sizes are creating ways to foster community and celebrate. Good Friday and Easter Sunday services, egg hunts and multi-church celebrations are on the calendar, with some congregations planning to accommodate larger crowds.
Antioch Church
Easter Sunday will focus on a singular 10 a.m. service, aligning with the emphasis at Antioch Church on gathering as one congregation. Founded about two and a half years ago, Antioch established itself from Gwinnett County’s NewBranch Community Church, starting with 27 families in Jackson County.
For Good Friday, Antioch will host a joint service at 6:30 p.m. at The Church on the Hill. Antioch’s the Rev. Tyler Recker noted a modest increase in attendance during Easter weekend.
“We do see a bump up,” Recker said. “It’ll be interesting to see what this year looks like because Easter is on the front end of Jackson County spring break … but it’s been roughly 10 to 15% higher.”
Celebration Church
Celebration Church in Hoschton, founded in 1997, is continuing to grow. A new traditional worship chapel opened March 29, and it opened a new worship center for contemporary service in the fall.
The church is preparing for a full schedule of Easter events that focus on worship and community outreach.
“It’s a great community outreach, we love it,” associate pastor Melissa Perry said. “It’s not just for the church but also for the community.”
Communications director Kelly Fons and Perry emphasized the importance of community and connection.
The church will host a Maundy Thursday service on April 2 at 7 p.m., with foot washing and communion. An outdoor Good Friday service on April 3 will be focused on the sacrifice of Jesus through worship, prayer and reflection. On Easter, it will hold a sunrise service at 7 a.m., contemporary services at 9 and 11 a.m., and a traditional service at 10 a.m.
Fons and Perry expect significantly larger crowds for their Easter services, but they said they have enough room to accommodate.
Center Pointe Church of Hoschton
Mike Devine, pastor of Center Pointe Church, said the church walks with Jesus through Holy Week.
Lyra Griffiths, adult small growth group leader, will guide attendees on April 2 through the Last Supper and explain what each component of the Seder plate represents.
The Good Friday service starts at 7 p.m., and on April 4, the egg hunt begins at 1 p.m.
Center Pointe’s Easter sunrise service starts at 6:45 a.m., preached by longtime member of the church, Hoby Banks. An Easter potluck breakfast will be offered at 8 a.m. before regular service starts at 10:30 a.m.
Christ the King Braselton
Christ the King Braselton will hold an Easter service at 10:30 a.m. April 5. The church was planted in 2020, and while it doesn’t currently have a permanent location, its services are at The Venue at Friendship Springs.
Rev. Buck Rogers said they aim to convey hope in Jesus’ resurrection.
“I think we would want people to sense a hope that Jesus is alive and that by trusting Him, that their lives can be filled with hope and delight in a place where, you know, typically, the news is bad every day,” he said.
Commerce First Methodist Church
Commerce First Methodist Church is continuing decades-long traditions of worship and community, said the Rev. Joshua Carr, minister of five years. In partnership with Commerce Presbyterian Church and First Baptist Church of Commerce, Carr said the churches have hosted community events for around 50 years.
Carr noted participation has declined in recent years. He said it is the churches’ responsibility to find new ways to invite people to participate.
An Easter sunrise service will be held at 7 a.m. in Spencer Park, with refreshments after the service.
Carr said Easter is the “highest holiday” for Christians.
Our hope is that people reconnect with that great love God has for them,” Carr said.
First Baptist Church of Commerce
First Baptist Church of Commerce will host its Easter Sunday service at 11 a.m. and a Good Friday service at 6 p.m.
The Rev. David Sapp said he wants attendees to leave with a greater sense of hope.
“I think we live in a time when a lot of people are feeling hopeless about many things, and the message of Easter is ultimately a hope,” he said. “A hope that pervades everything and will sustain us even when there isn’t a world here anymore.”
Galilee Christian Church
Galilee Christian Church encourages its members to prepare for Easter through prayer and scripture, while also encouraging them to invite people to the service. The celebration begins with a Good Friday service at 5:30 p.m. on April 3. Additionally, a 7 a.m. sunrise service will take place on Easter with breakfast. Services continue at 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
“We’re not doing our annual Easter egg drop this year because we offer a program called Help Build Hope, which has asked a lot of our church community,” said the Rev. Nick Vipperman. “We are planning to have smaller services this year and continue the egg drop next year.”
Help Build Hope is a program where church members build home frame panels for those who need a home.
Maysville Baptist Church
Jackson County’s largest church, Maysville Baptist, will host an Easter egg hunt on April 1 at 6:30 p.m. The egg hunt is an opportunity to bring families together throughout the community, said Shane Roberson, senior pastor.
The Easter sunrise service starts at 7 a.m. at the Sunrise Cemetery. David Sharpton, men’s ministry pastor will be leading the sermon.
Maysville’s regular Easter services start at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.
newgrace
newgrace church in Commerce will host six services this year, including Good Friday at 7 p.m., and Easter Sunday at 6:30 a.m., 8 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Due to increased participation, the church added two additional services, including an earlier Sunday option, to better accommodate attendees.
“We couldn’t handle that many people because of the size of our auditorium and seating capacity,” said Jonathan Jackson, worship and students pastor at newgrace. “Adding the other two services will hopefully just alleviate some of that overcrowdedness, so to speak, and also gives people another opportunity.”
New Prospect Methodist Church
At New Prospect Methodist Church, members will gather for a traditional Easter Sunday service at 10:45 a.m., preceded by Sunday school at 9:45 a.m. The congregation of around 22 people worships in the over 200-year-old church recognized by the Jackson County Historical Society.
The service follows a structure of prayer, communion and hymns. This year, New Prospect will not have a sunrise service or breakfast. Freida Thornton, a long-time church member, plays the offertory hymn on the piano at New Prospect each Sunday.
“It’s a little more traditional than what churches are like today,” Thornton said.
We’re such a loving, loving church, and we take care of each other.”
The OC at Dry Pond
The OC at Dry Pond is hosting an Easter cookout and egg hunt on April 4 from 4-6 p.m., welcoming the community for an afternoon of food and family activities. The event will also feature a silent auction with about 10 themed baskets attendees can bid on. Proceeds from the baskets will go toward building renovations. Organizers hope the event creates a relaxed and inviting atmosphere for attendees.
“Just show up and come as you are and bring your baskets for lots of eggs,” said Elise Rogers, marketing director and worship leader.
Southside Church
Southside Church will hold a Good Friday service at 6:30 p.m. at both its Redstone and Commerce locations, followed by two Easter Sunday services at 9:15 and 10:30 a.m. at each campus.
Senior pastor Jeff Williams said the goal is for people to leave with a simple but powerful message: “Hope wins.” He said he hopes that people will realize the “power of the empty tomb” and the significance of the resurrection of Jesus.
12Stone Church
A service will be held on the Thursday before Easter, April 2, to start the celebration at 12Stone Church in Jefferson. This service will be a time for outreach, and they plan to have activities for children while adults attend the service.
In addition, it will have two services on Easter Sunday, at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. The service theme will signify God’s power in an alternatively powerless world, according to the church.
Jessie Isaacs, Alexis Derickson, Dakota Meeks, Rachel Sandstrom and Jordyn Mobley are students in a religion reporting course in the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. This story was previously published in the Jackson Herald.
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