Ellis County Ministerial Alliance
Four Protestant churches in Hays will be collaborating to offer a Community Good Friday service at 7 p.m. Friday, April 3 at North Oak Community Church, 3000 Oak St.
North Oak is affiliated with the Mennonite Brethren denomination. Its lead pastor is the Rev. Josh Gelatt.
In addition to North Oak, the other three participating churches are Hays First Baptist Church, which is affiliated with the American Baptist denomination; CrossPoint Church, which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist denomination; and Cornerstone Southern Baptist Church. First Baptist’s pastor is the Rev. G. Chris Prater. CrossPoint’s pastor is the Rev. Micah Sanderson. Cornerstone’s pastor is the Rev. Jason Murray.
Presenting the message at the Good Friday service will be the Rev. Dave Kumer, discipleship pastor at North Oak.
Christian Challenge will provide the worship music. Kumer said, “Congregants from each church will share selected Bible verses in-between songs.”
Kumer said, “In this Good Friday's service we cross denominational lines and focus on what unites us as Christians--our belief in the cross, the death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That God sent Jesus down to die on the cross for our sins, that we may be redeemed, forgiven, and reconciled to God through him.
“As John 5:24 says, we stand on the side of death and in need of a savior. Jesus says in John 10:18, referring to his life, ‘No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.’ Out of God's great love for us, Jesus lays his life down upon our behalf, takes the punishment that we deserve--that upon our belief in him, as John 5:24 says, we would cross ‘from death to life.’
“This is an amazing thing for us from these denominations to come together and reflect upon,” Kumer said.
He said the service will last about an hour.