On the First Sunday in Lent, March 13th, those attending our Sunday meeting were given a stone to represent Jesus' temptation in the desert. They were asked to bring the stone back on Easter Day and if possible to have painted it with a message or image for Easter

 

On Mothering Sunday, April 3rd, we held a family celebration at our Sunday meeting and everyone was presented with a small gift of a Viola pot plant.

 

Maundy Thursday, April 21st

On Maundy Thursday seventeen of our Church fellowship came together at the home of Sandra and Pete Newsome to share a Passover Supper and re-enact the events of the first Lord's Supper. Sandra prepared a supper of roast lamb and unleavened bread. During the meal our Minister read passages from scripture and played various pieces of music to tell the story of how Jesus transformed the Passover meal into the remembrance of his own passion. Then those present celebrated the Lord's Supper as Ian broke the bread and distributed the wine.

 

Good Friday, April 22nd

We joined with members from the various Christian denominations which make up the Skegness Fellowship of Christian Churches and gathered outside the Hildred's Shopping Centre, Skegness, on Good Friday for an open air service of witness during which the story of the first Easter was retold using readings and a dramatic presentation from the Bible. Both the congregation and passers-by where invited to join in with a selection of hymns and worship songs which added to the occasion. The service was led by our Minister, the Reverend Ian Banks, who is also Chairman of the Fellowship. He was assisted by representatives from the Church of England, Baptist Church and Salvation Army. Mr Theo Fox, from the Alford Community Church, provided the equipment for the music and public address system.

At 3 p.m. we met in the County Hotel for a service of Meditation on the Cross.

 

Easter Day

Sunrise Service

We began our Easter celebrations with a Sunrise Service on the beach at the Sea View Pullover at 5.45 a.m on Easter Day. Due to the earlier start this year our numbers were down to eight as we met at dawn to hear the Easter Day story of how Mary Magdelene went at sunrise to anoint Jesus' body with oils and spices only to find the tomb was empty and Christ had risen. Those who gathered also sang their praise to the Risen Christ with traditional Easter hymns and shared in a short service of the Lord's Supper we waited for the sun to rise over the horizon. Unfortunately, dawn broke without us seeing the sun as the sky was very overcast. Nevertheless it was a beautiful start to a beautiful day.

Family Celebration

At 10.30 a.m. we met again in the shelter of the County Hotel for a family celebration for Easter Day at which we shared the Lord's Supper. We invited everyone to place daffodils on the Good Friday cross to bring it 'alive' for the Easter meeting. The stones which had been given out on the first Sunday of Lent were returned suitably decorated and placed on the table next to the empty cross.

After the meeting the cross, full of flowers and greenery, was placed outside in the car park of the hotel alongside our church banner as a witness to passers-by.