SPECIAL SERVICES
Arts Worship
Lake Arrowhead Community Presbyterian Church celebrates the arts as an expression of God’s beauty and love, speaking truth in this broken and hurting world that God loves. From time to time, artists in the congregation work with the pastor to create what we call an Arts Worship Event (A.W.E.). These worship services feature talent from the congregation as well as the larger community to worship God and speak to life in our world.
Thanksgiving
Lake Arrowhead Community Presbyterian Church and the congregation of St. Richard’s continue a tradition of 20+ years of a JOINT CELEBRATION of Thanksgiving! We celebrate the Sunday before Thanksgiving to free everyone for the festivities and meal preparation of Thanksgiving at home on Thanksgiving Day. We alternate churches for the celebration, with the pastor from the other church preaching.
Christmas Eve
As with most congregations, Christmas is a special time at LACPC. Each Christmas Eve, we have two services, with a Deacon sponsored Soup Supper between them. Our 5:00 PM Christmas Eve service includes a Christmas play by our youth, which features our children’s Christmas Pageant. This service also includes lessons and carols. At 7:30 PM, after nourishment and fellowship at our Soup Supper, we worship with our traditional services of lessons and carols, which includes choral music and bells, and features soloists and a variety of instruments.
Ash Wednesday
On Ash Wednesday, we begin our journey to Easter with the sign of ashes, an ancient sign, that speaks of the frailty and uncertainty of human life and marks the penitence of this community.
Holy Week
Holy Week begins as the children wave palm branches down the aisle on Palm Sunday! Our Handbell Choir also plays several uplifting melodies! Worshiping in the round, our Maundy Thursday service takes place at 7:30 PM in an intimate, candlelit worship space around the communion table. There we celebrate Communion as we commemorate Jesus’ last supper with his disciples, praying and singing in a contemplative atmosphere. On Good Friday, our Sanctuary is open all day long. We worship at 7:30 PM with lessons and carols in a Service of Tenebrae (Shadows) in which we experience a single gospel writer’s account of Jesus’ Passion, ending in the dark as we sing “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?”
Easter
Alleluias resound as we lift our voices in praise to God, celebrating that the Lord Jesus is Risen indeed! Following participation in our community’s Sunrise Service down by the lake, members of the church serve a bountiful breakfast which is open until 9:30 AM. There are egg hunts for n the butterflies that the children have grown from caterpillars are released in our courtyard, symbolizing Jesus’ resurrection! At 10:00 AM, we worship God with enthusiasm and joy, as we participate in the Easter call and response: The Lord is Risen; He is Risen indeed!