As Easter weekend approaches, churches across Lancashire are gearing up to welcome people through their doors.

The weekend is traditionally one of the busiest of the Christian calendar and this year is no exception as parishes across the County mark the moment of Jesus crucifixion on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter Sunday.

If you want to visit a local church, then the best way to get the information you need is the visit the website ‘A Church Near You’ and just put in your postcode or location.

You will be presented with a selection of churches nearest where you live (or a church where you are based if you are visiting relatives or perhaps on holiday).

Writing to parishes in Lancashire this week, Rt Rev Philip North, Bishop of Burnley, said: “There are so many people in our world today desperate for a message of hope. Maybe they are struggling to make ends meet in a cost-of-living crisis.

“Maybe they are anxious about global affairs. Maybe they are living with pain or are seeking a deeper purpose to their lives. But there is hope for everyone in the empty tomb, because it proves that love is stronger than death and that Jesus has won the victory.

“So let’s be confident in living out and sharing that Easter message.”

Churches everywhere have taken the message to heart and are putting on a huge variety of events, as well as the traditional Easter service of course. The additional related events being planned include many Easter Egg hunts and lots of chocolate too!

What follows is just a small selection of forthcoming events from all corners of the Diocese, but the information here is far from exhaustive! There will be much more happening, so visit A Church Near You to find out what’s happening and support your local church this Easter!

• All Saints Higher Walton and Holy Trinity Hoghton are hosting a number of events at Easter. On Good Friday, 7 April, at 10am there’s a Family Service at All Saints, followed at 1pm by an Easter Egg Hunt at The Oak Pub in Hoghton. At 2pm there’s a Walk from Holy Trinity Church, finishing at Holy Trinity Church Hall for hot drinks. At 3pm Holy Trinity hosts the Hour at the Cross Service. On Easter Sunday the church meets at 6am for a Sunrise Service at Holy Trinity Church, followed by bacon sandwiches, and at  10.30am there’s a Joint Family Service at Holy Trinity Church.
• St Paul’s Church in Clitheroe will be hosting a ‘Walk of Witness’ from the Church to Clitheroe Castle on Good Friday following the church’s 10am service.
• St Mary’s Church in Penwortham will take part in a Good Friday Walk of Witness and Worship on Friday 7 April, starting at 10am from Penwortham Methodist Church and finishing there with a short service.
• At St Peter’s Church in Salesbury, Easter Sunday will be celebrated with an outdoor service starting at 7am in the church memorial garden, followed by Easter Communion at 10.30am and Easter Praise in church at 6pm, with refreshments and hot cross buns.
• At St Laurence’s Church in Chorley, the Easter Vigil at 8pm on Easter Saturday will start with a Service of Light, followed by champagne, fireworks and Easter Biscuits while on Easter Day there will be an all age Eucharist followed by an Easter egg hunt at 9am.
• At All Saints Church in Appley Bridge the Easter Saturday Family Service at 6.30pm features a gathering around the fire outside church, with hot cross buns and refreshments and a short service in church  renewing baptism vows.
• A family Easter celebration will take place at St James’ Church Clitheroe on Easter Saturday between 10am and 12 noon.
• Christ Church Chatburn has an early start on Easter Sunday with a 6.15am sunrise service at The Castle, followed by an Easter Breakfast at 9am before Easter Communion at 11am.
• St Helen’s Church in Waddington will hold a vigil at Waddington Hospital Chapel on Easter Saturday between 4pm and 5pm.
• Easter Sunday at St Wilfrid’s Church in Standish begins with Communion with Easter hymns at 8am, followed by the Parish Eucharist with the blessing of the Easter Garden at 10am, and at 6.30pm Festal Evensong and Communion.
• St Mary's Parish Church at Squires Gate in Blackpool will host a Good Friday Service at 3pm; an Easter Eve Service at 7pm and celebrate with an Easter Sunday service at 10am with Easter bonnets, followed by a chocolate raffle and refreshments.
• At St John’s Church on the coast in Silverdale, a Dawn Service will be held on Easter Sunday starting a 6-30am for an hour, at the Cove off Cove Road in the village, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. Breakfast will be served in the Parish Room after the service.
• Lancaster Priory holds its Easter Vigil at 7.30pm on Easter Saturday. On Easter Day 8am Holy Communion is followed by the Choral Eucharist at 10am and then the popular Parish Easter Egg Hunt. The service will also be followed by a farewell to Don Gillthorpe, the Priory’s Director of Music.  At 6.30pm, Easter Sunday will conclude with Solemn Evensong.
• St Paul’s Church in Ansdell and Fairhaven will hold an outdoor service on Good Friday outside the church’s fundraising shop on Woodlands Road at 10am, followed by a family service at 11am, and at 4pm a Reflection time for Easter. On Easter Sunday, Communion will be celebrated at 10.30am, and the church’s Multigenerational Easter Service will start at 4pm, followed by sung Easter Evensong at 5.30pm.
• The Parish of the Risen Lord in Preston welcomes everyone to its Easter egg hunt and Easter Cafe on Saturday 8 April from 3pm to 4.30pm at St Matthew’s Church on New Hall Lane.
• An all-age interactive service begins at 10am on Good Friday at St Thomas’s Church in the centre of Lancaster, followed by an Hour at the Cross from 2pm. There are three services on Easter Sunday, Holy Communion at 9am, followed by an Easter All Age Celebration at 11am, and a further Easter Celebration service in the evening at 7pm.
• The Trinity Parish in Blackpool has a full programme of services and events to celebrate Easter. On Good Friday at 10am there’s a time of Reflection at St Mark’s, followed by Reflections at the Argosy, Grange Park at 11.30am, then Reflection at St Luke's at 2pm. Meanwhile, from noon to 2.30 pm, there’s a three course meal and bingo at the Hope Cafe at the Argosy. On Saturday 8 April 'The Cave' at St Mark's will be open for Reflection and on Easter Sunday at 7am there’s a Sunrise Service with bacon barms at St Mark’s, followed by 9.30am Family Communion at St Luke’s; 11am Family Communion at St Mark’s and, at 3pm, Family Communion at the Boathouse, Grange Park.
• At Christ Church Lancaster, on Good Friday at 9.30am a service of the Stations of the Cross will be held, and at noon there’s a Walk of Witness from Dalton Square, followed by Good Friday Solemn Liturgy at 2pm, and Messy Church in the church hall at 4pm. On Easter Saturday at 7.30pm the church celebrates lighting the Easter fire with a Vigil.
• St Thomas’s Church in Garstang begins its Easter celebrations on Good Friday at 10am with ‘The Easter Emoji Experience’, suitable for all ages. That’s followed at 2pm by the Hour at the Cross. On Easter Sunday, services begin with Traditional Holy Communion and an Easter Egg Hunt at 10.30am. At 4:30pm there’s Contemporary All-Age Holy Communion. Both these services will offer the opportunity to sample a glass of celebration bubbly.
• There’s a Good Friday Procession at 11.30 am from St Thomas's Church in St Anne’s on Sea to St Anne's Square. The procession will reach St Anne's Square by noon for a service of witness.
• On Good Friday St Luke’s Church in Winmarleigh, Preston will open its Children's Easter Club at 10am until noon; with craft activities including making an Easter garden plus hot cross buns. Parents are welcome to stay and take part too.
• St Cuthbert’s Church in Lytham St Annes welcomes you to a ‘Messy Easter’ celebration on Good Friday from 10.30 am to 12.30pm; a fun morning of creative crafts, challenges, and an Easter egg hunt.
• At St Michael’s Church at Kirkham on Good Friday at 1pm there’s a service, followed at 2pm by the Solemn Liturgy of Good Friday with Veneration of the Cross. On Easter Saturday at 8pm the church celebrates the Great Vigil of Easter and on Easter Sunday at 9am Holy Communion with the Book of Common Prayer is followed at 10.30am by the Parish Family Eucharist with Children's First Holy Communion. Then on Easter Monday at 10:30am there’s a Mothers’ Union Coffee Morning. The Local History and Heritage Centre will also be open for viewing.
• Family activities begin the Easter weekend at Christ Church, Fulwood on Good Friday between 10am and noon when the church will open focusing on Stations of the Cross for Reflection and Prayer. At 2:30pm a short outdoor service marking Jesus' death on the cross will be held in the church gardens and on Easter Sunday at 10:30am there’s an All Age Celebration Holy Communion in Church.