Post-Gazette-
North Hills residents recently received large, green postcards depicting a crown of thorns transforming into a garland of flowers. They were invitations to attend Orchard Hill Church in Franklin Park today for Easter services.
The independent evangelical church, which normally has about 2,000 in attendance each weekend, drew 12,000 on Christmas Eve. The Rev. Kurt Bjorklund, the senior pastor, doesn't think he will have that many today, but he's making sure that everyone in the region knows they will be welcome. He hopes that the postcards reinforce invitations that he encourages members to extend to friends.
"We find that many who come at Easter and Christmas find some value and will come back," he said. "It ends up being an introduction or reintroduction for people who have been too busy to get to church or have been burned by something that happened in a church in the past."
Easter, which celebrates the Christian belief that Jesus rose from the dead, has from ancient times been the holiest day on the Christian calendar. Although Catholics are required to attend Mass every Sunday, there is a traditional emphasis on Easter attendance as a minimum standard of faith. People usually interpret that as Easter Sunday, rather than the 50-day Easter season. The Orthodox, who share the date with western Christians this year, have similar expectations.
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