We are a Christian Community seeking to be a Beacon of God's Light and Love for All
Easter 2024: special services and outreach events
We are looking forward to celebrating Easter this year. Listed below are the various special services and outreach events which will be taking place: you are very welcome to join us at any of these. If you need a handy guide to everything in one place, you can download a version of the United Church Easter 2024 information leaflet. This includes details of the main services and events taking place during Easter Week either at UCD or with Churches Together Dorchester. For services and events across the local Methodist Circuit, please see the Circuit's Easter Week Services leaflet.
Holy Week and Easter by date
Image by Freepik
Sunday 24 March: Palm Sunday On Palm Sunday, we recall Jesus’s Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, seated, not as a king on a horse, but humbly on the colt of a donkey. Our 10.30am morning service will be led by Mr Roger Phillips. Later in the day, we have our usual Afternoon Tea and Favourite Hymns at 3.30 for 4pm.
Wednesday 27 March, 10.45am: Market Day Service We have our usual Wednesday morning service at 10.45am, led by Rev John Yarrien, and lasting about 20 minutes. These services are designed to offer a time of quiet, reflection and support on the day when Dorchester is busy with Market Day business. Everyone is encouraged to join us in the Church Hall afterwards for refreshments.
Thursday 28 December, 6.30pm: Maunday Thursday On Maundy Thursday, we remember the final meal of Jesus with his disciples, now called The Last Supper. During the meal, Jesus took a piece of bread, gave thanks, broke it and gave it to his disciples saying, “Take and eat, this is my body”. Then he took a cup of wine, gave thanks and gave it to them saying, “Drink it, all of you, this is my blood poured for many, my blood which seals God’s covenant”. There can surely be no more appropriate time for us to celebrate Holy Communion. Our service will be led by Rev John Yarrien at 6.30pm, and will include the Service of Tenebrae.
Friday 29 March: Good Friday On Good Friday, when we remember Jesus’s crucifixion, there will be a Walk of Witness organised by Churches Together. This will start with a short service at St Peter’s Church at 9.30am. We will then cross the High Street and walk slowly behind the cross down South Street, pausing part of the way down and stopping for a short service at the War Memorial. After the War Memorial, we will walk up Bowling Alley Walk to Borough Gardens for a short service around the bandstand. Afterwards we are invited to go to the Baptist Church at the Dorford Centre for light refreshments.
Sunday 31 March: Easter Day On the first day of the week, at about sunrise, some women went to Jesus’s tomb with spices to anoint his body. But his body was not there, and they learnt that he had been raised from death and restored to life. On Easter Day, our morning service will be at the usual time of 10.30am. It will be led by Rev John Yarrien and will include Holy Communion. Earlier in the morning there will be a short ‘Son-Rise’ Service at Maumbury Rings at 6am. This is early in the day for many of us, but it is a wonderful experience to be with Christians from all the other churches in town celebrating the great central truth of our faith.
Christ is Risen – He is Risen Indeed – Alleluiah
