Weardale
Methodist Church
2020 Easter Services
This Easter is very different for all of us. We aren't able to meet together to contemplate Good Friday or celebrate Easter Day. However, there are still ways that we can worship together. On this page you will find videos for a Good Friday Tenebrae Service and a recording of the Easter Day Sunrise Service.
Tenebrae Service
For the last two years, the West Durham Circuit has held a Tenebrae Service on Good Friday evening at Willington Open Door Methodist Church. We were due to hold a Tenebrae service this year as well, but that has had to be cancelled. Instead, we have put together a Tenebrae video, with the help of many people around the circuit who have recorded and sent in readings, songs and videos. A big Thank You to everyone who has contributed!
There are two versions of the video - full length including all songs and readings (approx 40 minutes), and a shorter version omitting these (14 minutes). You can watch these below or on our YouTube Channel.
You can read more about the Tenebrae Service and its origins on Wikipedia.
For copyright reasons, we haven't been able to include the words of all the songs within the full length video itself. If you want to join in with the songs, the words can be found on the pages linked below (which will open in a new tab or window):
Singing the Faith 174, Light a Candle
Singing the Faith 283 The Desolate Messiah Dies
Matt Redman, Benediction
Full Version
Short Version
Easter Day Sunrise Service
Every year for the last 30 years or more, the churches of Weardale have gathered together just before sunrise on Easter Day at Middlehope Moor, above Ireshopeburn, for a joint sunrise service. This has been followed by breakfast together in Eastgate Village Hall. This year, we haven't been able to meet. However, thanks to the wonders of technology, we held a virtual sunrise service instead!
Together we celebrated the Risen Lord and heard the message of hope for new life - particularly relevant at this time. We were blessed with seeing the sun rise while we worshipped. Our congregation included people joining from Weardale, Scotland, Cornwall and Lancashire!
Middlehope Moor Sunrise. 2019