Music by Evangel University
SPRINGFIELD, MO — Hundreds of members of the Springfield community will gather to celebrate Easter on Sunday, April 21, at Hammons Field during the 14th annual Greater Springfield Easter Sunrise Celebration.
The gates at Hammons Field will open at 6:00 a.m. and the service will begin at 6:30 a.m. Admission and parking will be free at Hammons Field for this event.
Prior to the service, the Salvation Army will be on hand outside the main gates of Hammons Field with complimentary coffee and hot chocolate for all attendees.
Volunteers from area churches and the staff at Hammons Field welcome all who wish to participate in this interdenominational community event.
Evangel musicians showcased
“Once again, several members of the Evangel University family have been actively involved with the planning and production of the event,” said John Shows, retired chair of the Department of Music. “We are all praying for a clear and warm morning so that we can be outside!”
Shows and Shirley Shedd, archivist and retired chair of the Department of Communication, serve on the Planning Committee for the event.
“I will be directing the Triumphant Trumpets again,” said Shows, who has led this ensemble all 14 years. “The trumpet choir includes current students Luke Slater and Jonathan Martin; and alumni members Andrew Ayres, Nina Ayres, Dustin Bush, Dody Harmon, Jonathan Plaster, and Joe Zeh.”
Congregational singing will be led by EU faculty member Dr. Kevin Hawkins; the pianist will by alumna Kathryn Cole; and vocal soloist will be current EU student Kenny Ortiz.
Testimony, Coach Dana Ford
Events will include music, prayer, testimony, and worship.
This year’s Easter Sunrise Celebration testimony of faith will be shared by Missouri State University Men’s Basketball Coach, Dana Ford.
Coach Ford came from humble beginnings, playing basketball on a dirt court outside of the trailer where he grew up in the small village of Tamms, Illinois. As a child, Ford’s grandmother taught him about faith, family and respect.
In 2014, Coach Ford became the youngest Division 1 basketball coach in the country. In March 2018, he became Missouri State’s 18th head coach.
Ford and his wife Christina have a daughter and three sons. They are also parents of another daughter who passed in infancy in 2017.
Speaker, Alex Ennes
The featured speaker will be Alex Ennes, currently the interim pastor at The Springs Church in Springfield.
He served as chaplain for the Cleveland Indians ball team for five years. During his time with the Indians, he wrote a booklet titled “Simplify” to help major leaguers navigate life and introduce them to Jesus.
Ennes is the founder and President of Inner Circle Ministries (ICM) which exists to reach out to the creatives and innovators of culture across the United States.
Ennes graduated from Ouachita Baptist University, and received his Master’s Degree from Southwest Baptist Seminary in Ft Worth, Texas. To learn more about Inner Circle Ministries, please visit www.innercircle.team.
Alex met his wife, Shari, in Cleveland, Ohio, where they started a church in a downtown Cleveland comedy club. Feeling led by God, they founded a church planting network which started even churches. He and Shari currently reside in the Springfield area with their two boys, Josiah and Caleb.
The Easter Sunrise Celebration is open to all who want to observe Christ’s resurrection and will be held rain or shine on Easter Sunday, April 21. In case of rain, the service will be held indoors at the Springfield Cardinals training facility at Hammons Field.
For more information, contact Marilyn Raines at (417) 881-0541 or go to Easter Sunrise Celebration on Facebook.
###
Special thanks to ADsmith Marketing & Advertising for the artwork and 3rd & 4th blocks of this announcement.