Metro Community Church, a congregation with campuses in Edwardsville and Vandalia with an average worship attendance of around 1,600, will host its second annual Easter Egg Drop event on Saturday.
John Helmkamp, director of Operations at Metro Community, told a local media that the idea for the event came from a member who offered to drop the 30,000 Easter eggs.
“We made several adjustments to the event this year based on the high level of interest and attendance last year,” said Helmkamp.
“We added another age division, partnered with more food trucks, increased from 10,000 to 30,000 eggs, and added shuttled parking from a nearby school.”
The church decided to hold the event at their Edwardsville campus for the sake of better reaching out to the surrounding community.
“We chose to hold it on our property because it’s a great way for our community to get to know us, the heartbeat of our church and our campus,” explained Helmkamp.
“We have built relationships with our community through events like this and witnessed changed lives and families when they meet our people, see the heart of Jesus, decide to visit a service, and begin a relationship with God. Sharing the hope of Jesus, through events like this is how we love our community well.”
In addition to the Easter egg drop, the event will also feature popular food trucks, many inflatables, and prizes for attendance, with the main prize being a ride on the helicopter.
Some churches take issue with the idea of Easter egg hunts, seeing them as a secular or even pagan practice that should not be associated with the Christian holiday.
Regarding these concerns, Helmkamp stated that he believed Easter eggs, despite their background, can be used to bring people closer to God.
“The mission of Metro Community Church is to help people move closer to God, each other, and the disconnected. Every detail of our planning goes through the filter, ‘How will this serve to connect individuals that are disconnected from God?’” Helmkamp explained.
“An Easter egg hunt relates to the Christian meaning of Easter when it becomes a place where everyone is welcome, judgments are banished, love is extended, and grace is delivered. In that capacity, a simple egg drop becomes a place where people experience the kind of love God offers.”
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