Tharptown takes Easter service to high school

Tharptown Baptist Church, Russellville, tried a new way to celebrate Easter this year.

Instead of asking those who normally don’t attend church to come to Tharptown Baptist, a service was held at Tharptown High School in Russellville in order to take the message to the community.

The day before the service, church members visited 500 homes, extending a personal invitation for people to “come as they were” to the high school Sunday morning.

As a result, the Franklin Baptist Association church, which usually has around 160 in Sunday morning worship, saw about 200 pour in from around the community.

Interim Pastor Morris Kelly delivered a message on hope, highlighting the encouragement the disciples felt when they discovered Jesus was not dead, but had risen.

Not only did the service reach the community but it also impacted the church body, said Music Director Jamie Kiel, who coordinated the service. “I believe our members discovered that the church is not bound by the walls of a building. We are a church, no matter where we meet.”