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10th Annual Easter Sunrise Service at Hammons Field

Published on Apr 1, 2015 by Kameron Nettleton

Several members of Evangel family featured

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Hundreds of members of the Springfield community will gather at Hammons Field on Sunday, April 5, for the 10th Annual Great Springfield Easter sunrise service. Several with ties to Evangel are involved in the annual program.

The sunrise service is nondenominational and open to all.

There is no entry fee, although an offering is taken. The money from the offering is given directly to the Springfield Cardinals organization, where it is divided among several of the Cardinals’ children’s charities.

The service will start at 6:15 a.m. Doors open at 5:45, and the Salvation Army is providing a beverage truck that will serve coffee before the service.

This year, the Rev. T.J. Appleby, pastor of Sanctuary of Praise Church of God in Christ, is the speaker. The Sanctuary of Praise choir will also be singing during the service.

Greg Horton, co-pilot of the small plane that went down near Evangel University last December, will be sharing his experience and how it impacted his faith. Because all on board survived, they call themselves the “Miracle Four.”

The service will take place rain or shine. In the event of rain, it will move indoors to the Cardinals’ training facility.

Evangel Connections

Evangel archivist Shirley Shedd and her husband Glenroy are on the planning committee for the service, and have been on the committee for the last 9 years. Shedd is a professor emeritus of communication at Evangel.

“The whole focus of the event is that Christ arose without any other distractions,” said Shedd.

John Shows, professor emeritus of music at Evangel University, coordinates the music, including the Triumphant Trumpets, which include several Evangel students, faculty and alumni among other community members.

The song leader is Jason Huneycutt, a 2002 Evangel graduate, and the pianist for the service is Heidi Schwindt, a 2007 graduate of Evangel.

Shedd said that the service is planned to last about 45 minutes.

For additional information, contact Shirley Shedd at (417) 865-2815, ext. 7357.