HAVANT CHURCH COLUMN: Using fun to explain the crucifixion

Today (March 30) is Good Friday, when we remember Jesus’s agonising death on the cross, when he died to take the blame for the things we do wrong.

That was, of course, utterly desolating for him and his family.

Most churches do have poignant services that involve silence, readings and prayers. They pause and reflect on just what Jesus went through so we can be forgiven.

We do take that incredibly seriously as well, but we’ve worked out the best way for people living in Crookhorn to think about what happened is with a family-friendly event.

So from 10am-12.30pm today (March 30), we’ll open up the church to people from all generations, inspire them to try art and craft on the theme of Easter, and provide games to play, an Easter treasure hunt and hot cross buns to eat.

At various points during the morning, we will tell the story of what happened on Good Friday and help people understand what that means.

We’ll be showing a short animated film called The Seriously Surprising Story which has been put together by the Bible Society.

It tells the Easter story in a fun and surprising way – and of course it also concludes the story with the great news that Jesus didn’t stay in the tomb.

We’ll be celebrating the fantastic news that Jesus rose from the dead, which confirmed he was who he said he was – and it confirms that death isn’t the end for us either.

You don’t need to book – just turn up any time between 10am and 12.30pm.

If you do want more information, contact the office on (023) 9225 6814 or [email protected].

If you would rather come to something reflective, join us this evening (March 30) at 7pm, when we’ll be reflecting on the events of the first Good Friday, with beautiful images, ambient music and simple readings.

• CHURCH OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD, Crookhorn Lane, Crookhorn, PO7 5QB.

Contact: (023) 9225 6814

Sunday services: 10am (with groups for children)

Website: cogs.org.uk