Easter started early in Dewsbury this year with free donkey rides for children and an open air service in the Old Market Square on Saturday 8 April.
It is part of a series of Easter events aimed at families which include an Easter Trail in church during the Easter holidays (from Monday 10th), the traditional Easter Garden in the Minster, Together at the Cross in the Market Place on Good Friday and the Dawn service at the Minster on Easter Sunday followed by breakfast.
A leaflet detailing all the Easter events run by the Dewsbury Team ministry has been distributed round the town and the vicar, the Revd Simon Cash said he hoped to see as many local people as possible come and join them.
You can find details of their events for Holy Week at http://www.dewsburyminster.org.uk/events/
At Christ Church, South Ossett, Wakefield hundreds of local school children, rainbows and brownies walked the Easter story. The inside of the church was transformed to depict the trial, the garden, the crucifixion and the empty tomb. They also re-enacted the courtyard and the last supper.
Curate, Debbie Horsfall said: "We estimate that we have seen approximately 550 children from our local schools and uniformed organisations and a further 50 or more adults over 17 presentations.
"It has been a joy and an absolute privilege to see people really engage with the whole story and a number of the adults have reported feeling very moved by the chance to enter in to the events of Easter. We are a tired but very blessed team!"
In Ossett and Gawthorpe, Wakefield, Easter week included an all age Palm Sunday service, followed by Creative Communion exploration on Monday to Wednesday (5-6pm) of Holy Week, hopefully with families and younger children with a view to seeing how they might start to offer communion within their family services on a quarterly basis.
In Crofton, Wakefield, there are services of Holy Communion every evening at 7pm during Holy Week as well as the 10am morning service on Wednesday 12th.
On Good Friday Stations of the Cross at 10am will be followed by Holy Communion at 11am and down the road in Warmfield Community Centre there will be a Good FridayCraft Day for Primary school ages. There will be Easter themed crafts and the easter story with free chocolate! Holy Communion at St Peter’s will take place at 7pm on Good Friday. Easter Day services are Holy Communion at 9.30am and 6pm in Crorfton Church and 11am in St Peter’s (pictured right).
And in Hoylandswaine, Barnsley, St John the Evangelist Church are busy renewing the giant decorated crosses that adorn the trees outside their church and remind the passing public of the true meaning of Easter.