Members of the Hardins Creek Friends Church and other volunteers will be staging the Road to Resurrection Drive Thru Event near Leesburg that depicts the scenes leading up to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ on Saturday, April 9 and Sunday, April 10 10 from 3-5 p.m.
Spectators can view the scenes along a two-mile loop starting from 10226 S.R. 771 from their vehicles. The tour will take about 20 minutes and can begin anytime within the two-hour window of the event.
“We came up with this because of COVID, and actually it has been more than just an Easter Sunday event, more than just putting on a program with little kids,” said church member Sherri Barrett, who is a coordinator of the event. “It involves everybody, every age, and it’s one way for our church to reach out.”
The Road to Resurrection Drive Thru Event was first held last year, and will have at least 40 participants depicting the scenes.
“We feel that it is a mission for our church,” said Barrett. “We can reach out to our community with the story of the resurrection by letting them know what salvation is about and what forgiveness is about. We just want to do our part in spreading the gospel.”
Along with Barrett, church members Shirley Fetters, Kim Burgess, Tacy Brown, Dusty Lightle and Brian and Debi Beck have worked to prepare for the event.
The first scene of the event will depict Jesus being anointed with an ointment of pure nard in the village of Bethany followed by the scene of people heading to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover. The Last Supper with Jesus and his apostles will be the next scene of the re-enactment followed by a scene of the Garden of Gethsemane with Jesus and three sleeping disciples. The event will go on to show the scene of Jesus at Pontius Pilate’s palace and then the final scenes of crosses and the empty tomb.
Barrett said the event serves as a way to emphasize the importance of Easter Sunday.
“It is a reminder that Easter is the next weekend, and this way they can already have an Easter program under their belt,” she said. “It is a way to encourage them to go to church on Easter, and maybe if they don’t want to go to church at least open their heart to Jesus.”
The church group puts together a similar nativity scene for Christmas, and the Easter event was inspired by an anonymous donor.
“She wanted to give us a large sum of money for us to continue that, and then she asked if we would do something for Easter, so we came up with this,” said Barrett. “Not all the participants are church members. I’ve reached out to our local schools so that they can get community hours by participating.”
Iced tea, lemonade and cross-shaped cookies will be served following the tour.
Barrett said she is welcoming additional volunteers for the event, and she can be reached at 937-763-1320.
Reach John Hackley at 937-402-2571.
