‘Message of hope’ shared at Marvin Methodist Church’s Easter in the Park service

Published 5:35 am Monday, April 1, 2024

A message of hope was shared at Marvin Methodist Church’s Easter in the Park service on Sunday morning.

Hundreds of attendees filled Bergfeld Park in Tyler for the annual service. After COVID, the service returned to the park in 2021.

Executive Pastor of Marvin Methodist Church Dr. Marc Donaldson has been part of the service four times and has preached for the service for two years now, he said.

Donaldson opened the service with songs before his sermon. He typically writes his sermon out, and practices it many times. Once he’s preaching it live, it’s familiar to him.

“… The thing that stood out to me this service — and Easter every year — is that there’s all manners of life that people experience. Death, addiction, heartbreak and direction and all the things. Easter is the message of hope,” he said. “That’s why we exist as a church — to share the love of hope and Christ. Just to be able to proclaim the gospel, that death doesn’t have the final say, that is enough for me to be excited about offering that kind of hope for people who really need to hear it.”

Part of the service included the release of butterflies, a way to represent the Easter holiday. Families that showed up for the outdoor service were able to bring their own chairs and blankets to sit and watch the service.

While regular services were also hosted at Marvin for Easter Sunday and anyone is always welcome to join, the park service is intended to be a community-wide service. Held at a public place and outdoors, it could make newcomers feel more comfortable to join in worship.

“Our people are the No. 1 ‘advertisement,’ if you will, because they’ve got that hope in them,” said Donaldson. “Our intent is not ever to steal anyone away from their church home, but there are plenty of people in the Tyler area that don’t have a church. A personal invitation is the best way to get the word out, and to get people here.”

Live music was performed through out the sermon, led by worship leader Josh Trammel.

“A lot more goes into the event out in the park, as opposed to our normal Sunday,” said Trammel. “A couple of things that I look at is will all the people know the songs, or is it singable? Obviously, I want to sing about the full gospel, and I want that to be proclaimed in the songs that we sing.”

Song included in the service were ones such as “Forever” and “Nothing But the Blood.”

“I think sometimes with a big production like this in the park, it could be just that, a production. My hope through leading, and the songs we sing, is not to be a performance, more so like an encouragement to join in. It kind of goes back to why I chose the songs that they already know,” said Trammel.

Marvin Methodist Church holds services at their church at both 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. every Sunday at 300 W Erwin St. in downtown Tyler.