United Church Dorchester

Easter 2025: 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 2025 information leaflet. This includes details of the main services and events taking place during Easter Week either at UCD or with Churches Together in Dorchester.

If you are also interested in earlier Lent activities, please see the information about this year's Lent course at UCD, which is called 'Pilgrim - a Christian journey with the Lord's Prayer'; the Quiet Lent service; and the Lent lunches held every Wednesday.

Image by Freepik

Sunday 13 April: 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 Rev Peter Clark.

Later in the day, we have our usual Afternoon Tea and Favourite Hymns at 3.30 for 4pm.

Wednesday 16 April, 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.

This will be followed by an interactive prayer space, with stations around the church, reflecting on Holy Week. The church will be open until 1.30pm.

* These services are designed to offer a time of quiet, reflection and support on the day when Dorchester is busy with Market Day business.

Wednesday 16 April, 9.30 - 10.30am and 11.15am - 1.00pm: Walk with Me

The church is opening so that people can “Walk With Me” as they go round Stations of the Cross, which are a series of pictures or images representing the different incidents in the last journey of Christ from Pilate’s house to entombment. As you pause at each station there will be things to reflect on, touch, and take away.

The church will be open before the Market Day Service and then, after the service, the Stations will be open until lunchtime. The pictures along with the words that accompany them help us walk with Jesus during Holy Week.

Thursday 17 April, 7.30pm: 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 out for many, my blood which seals God’s covenant”.

Our service will be led by Rev John Yarrien at 6.30pm, and will include an opportunity for 'foot-washing'.

Friday 18 April: 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, led by Rev John Yarrien.

After the War Memorial service, we will serve Hot Cross buns in South Street, or in the foyer of the United Church if it is wet.

Sunday 20 April: 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